Getting Ready to Lose (It’s a good thing)

Today is Sunday, January 30th.  I am noting the date because I am about to lose big time, I mean huge.  A loss like this should be worth remembering, permanently etched in my mind.  Tomorrow morning, we begin our second “season” of Biggest Loser.  Last August, I accepted a challenge from two of my sisters, a weight loss challenge.  All three of us have struggled with our weight, and all three of us at times haven’t struggled nearly enough with our weight.  We got complacent, accepting our weight as a few extra pounds, and it is absolutely amazing how deceptive a mirror can be.  Some people look in a mirror and have some sort of epiphany about their appearance and the physical affect that extra weight can have on a body.  I didn’t have that sort of epiphany.  As a matter of fact, I honestly believe that my self-image allowed my mind to process the image reflected in the mirror as something different than what was actually there.  I actually “saw” a man in the mirror with a few extra pounds… not the man that was well over 100 pounds overweight. 

I am so grateful to Tracy and Missy for bringing me into the conversation.  The idea was hatched while they were both at my parents house for a visit and they decided to start the very next day.  Later that week, Tracy decided that this was such a great idea that they had to bring me into it, since I clearly had as much to lose.  I jumped in with both feet.  The idea was simple enough, with the three of us, we had accountability and we had motivation.  We shared our hurts and pains, some of which were physical, while others were mental.  We also shared our pride and sheer joy at accomplishing things we hadn’t done before.  We also decided that since we all had so much to lose, that we needed to break things down into smaller chunks (seasons).  As news of our challenge spread amongst our friends and family we were encouraged by so many people who really thought it was great and wanted in on the challenge themselves. 

Over the course of our first season, I lost 40 pounds.  I also won the first season and I am still enjoying my Nook Color!  But enough about the past, looking to the future, tomorrow we start season 2.  Eleven friends and family members will battle it out for the next 15 weeks to see who can lose the highest percentage of weight.   I am sure there will be some laughing and joking going on, but I know there will also be some sweating and maybe a few tears.  Forty pounds… good grief.  Let’s put that into perspective, that’s what a 5 gallon bucket of water weighs.  That’s what a bag of concrete mix weighs, or a bag of dirt  from the home improvement store.  Heck, I don’t think my 4 year old even weighs 40 pounds yet!  What is stunning is to realize I still need to lose that weight again, twice.  Ouch.  So there is likely to be some anger in there with the laughing and crying.  The truth is that things won’t change until I get sick and tired of the way things are today.  I will be using whatever emotion, whatever energy, whatever motivation I can tap into over the next 15 weeks to become the biggest loser I can be.

Man, I can’t wait.  So to the other 10 people joining me on this season, watch out.  No excuses, no whining.  This is who I am and this is my mess.  I added every pound onto this body slowly and deliberately, and that is exactly how they are going to come off.  I am proud to have been the biggest loser.  I intend to do it again.