My WHY: Peggy

As I kick off my theme for Fall: WHY, The Color of Change, I wanted to highlight certain people on their weight loss journey. I asked Peggy if she would be willing to share her story and how she's discovering her WHY for a few reasons, but the biggest one is that the journey is still new for her. Her why will evolve. You'll see below that her why started just with not wanting to live in pain any longer. Eventually, she'll hit that goal and her why will change.

Take a look at her story. It's real, raw, and hilarious! And see what you can take from her WHY and use those same tools in finding your own... whether you've been on your transformation journey for a few weeks or a few years.

I asked her to share a picture that reminds her of her WHY. This is it. Read on to learn how to use the things you love to motivate and move you deeper into your why.

Right around April Fool’s Day, my body decided to get my attention using two-by-four therapy, since previous, more subtle attempts had failed to raise my consciousness. Within just a few days’ time, all of my major joints were in pain. Except my ankles. Ankles were JUST FINE.  Since my ankles were still fine, I continued ignoring the symptoms until late June, by which time I wasn’t sleeping, I couldn’t get in and out of my car without pain, and my neck was freezing up, resulting in such limited mobility I started thinking of myself as Frankenstein’s god-daughter. I limped into my doc’s office and got only a vague diagnosis of inflammation and a little osteoarthritis. That was when I decided I’d better do what I could to drop, oh, 100 pounds or so and see if that eased the pain in at least my hips and knees.

The State of Slim book was on my bookshelf, so I dusted it off and started reading it again, putting myself on Phase One. Knowing that the last sixteen times I’d tried to lose weight I’d dropped ten pounds, stalled and regained, I knew I needed help to figure out how to make lasting change. As much as I dreaded joining a group to do this (how embarrassing) I met with Dr. Holly and decided to sign up for the State of Slim group she recommended. I couldn’t bear the thought of living in chronic pain for the rest of my life, and I knew I needed help to succeed.

I’m half way through the program now, and what has surprised me most is how much fun our class has ended up being. It’s a great group of people, and the shared struggle and commitment to persist has made everything that is indeed hard to do a little easier to tackle. I also didn’t expect the dietary changes to have made as much of an impact as they have. I have lost 22 pounds so far, my energy level is better and more even, I don’t have agonizing sugar and caffeine cravings nearly as often, and most of the inflammation in my joints is gone. The diet just isn’t as hard as I thought it would be, either. Smaller portions are satisfying now, and I’m rarely really hungry. My “go-to” meals and snacks are part of my routine food preparation and habits at work, and the increased exercise has given me a lot more stamina for the outdoor activities I love.

It’s true, I’ve had to make some major adjustments to my lifestyle and habits, and some of those have made me grumpy. I miss eating out at fabulous restaurants on a whim with friends or family as often as I used to, and eating anything that looked appealing. Only one planned “indulgence” meal a week required a big change. I sulk in the presence of almond croissants. The heavenly smell of freshly baking bread can put the same hapless, slack-jawed look on my face that a fifteen year old boy gets at his sister’s sorority party. But I’m getting better at acceptance, and taking comfort in the positive results of choices that are consistent with my goals instead of feeling wildly resentful and cranky about what I’m not sinking my teeth into. And it’s been disconcerting to come to grips with how frequently that impulse strikes to use food as emotional comfort or a quick hit of energy when my stress level has risen or I’m tired, or spiritually worn out; and not ‘on top of it’ with better self-care.  

But I’ve learned the skills and mindset strategies I need to take on the challenges. I am not successful 100% of the time, every day, but I am really proud of finding a new ‘normal’ of a healthier diet that seems to have eased my joint inflammation, and of getting to the place where exercise isn’t as painful or difficult. And I’m proud that despite several serious attitudinal ‘slumps’ where I just couldn’t whip up commitment and discipline to save my soul, I haven’t quit, and I haven’t let more than a day or two slip by without getting back on track.

My next goal is five more pounds, five times. And to do that, I know I have to ramp up my exercise level and intensity on more days out of the week. I need to get to where exercise is just as much of a habit as pairing lean proteins and veggies for snacks all day.

What inspires me most is the sheer fact of the success I’ve had so far, and my growing confidence that this program will actually work if I work it faithfully, just as it is doing for others in my SOS class. It has been close to 15 years since I’ve enjoyed the physical ease of being at the lower weight that I’m aiming for as my next weight loss target, and I just keep thinking about how good it will feel to be there again.  I keep returning to my “why’s” – those abilities and freedoms I so want to maintain as I age; and the infirmity I fear and know I alone can really take action to avoid.

If you’re thinking about starting a State of Slim program, do some soul searching. Taking full advantage of the resource will mean you will end up digging deeper into your mental and physical state of affairs than you probably have before on other weight loss programs. You’ll be challenged and pushed to be very honest with yourself and come to grips with what lies beneath your self-defeating impulses and to address them. But you’ll also have the chance to learn a rich set of coping skills and be part of a group of people who are wrestling with the same challenges, and the same hopes. If you’re at that point where you’re truly done with the way things have been and know you need to make some changes, sign up – and don’t look back.  

  Peggy Hill