Joining Oprah on her journey to health

Mental Matters
By Dr. Jennifer Goble

I joined Weight Watchers one week before 2016 started.

I had too much fun during the holidays and the previous fall, summer, and spring. I read about people losing 50 lbs., 100 lbs., and I could not lose one pound. I could not find my long-gone, youthful motivation to eat less or move more or both.

Oprah supports Weight Watchers so; I said, “I need help. I don’t like carrying extra pounds around, and I don’t want to buy new clothes in a bigger size. I need help!”

I thought, “Maybe I need to pay a fee, have a stranger look at the scale numbers, and get weekly cheerleading.”

I coerced my husband into joining me, but he wanted to wait until Jan. 1. I said, “Nope, I am going right now. You can go later if you want.” He looked at me as if I was a foreigner, but off we went to locate the address I found online.

I was nervous. So was he.

I didn’t want anyone to say, “You don’t need to lose weight.” Nor did I want to hear, “You need to be here.” I only wanted help to change the over-indulgence I had enjoyed too long. I needed help to change bad habits. I’ve never carried extra weight, and I’m too old to start now.

We opened the door and stepped inside. Behind a counter were three women, visiting with women and men who were taking turns standing on a square platform – the dreaded scale. It appeared relatively harmless as people on both sides of the counter were smiling, laughing, and visiting.

I thought, “Okay, I can do this.” We waited in line, answered questions, wrote a check, and stepped on the box. We received a little book with the date and our weight printed on the first page. Whew!

We then joined 40 plus people in a large room and listened to a leader teach us to track points and celebrate victories.

We both received a star for just showing up. I haven’t earned a star in years.

I liked it. We are going to rise with Oprah. Wish us luck!

P.S. We have both earned two, five-pound stars. YEAH!

What help do YOU need?

Until the next time: Live while you live!

(Correction for last week: Crisis Text Line volunteer address is www.crisistextline.org/volunteer.)

(Jennifer Goble, Ph.D., LPC, is the author of My Clients…My Teachers, and the blogger and encourager of Rural Women Stories: www.ruralwomenstories.com.)

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