Being Brand New…

Have you ever gone to Boot Camp? I thought I knew what Boot Camp was, but I didn’t really. I imaged it as kicking a heavy bag – obviously, I had it confused with Kickboxing. So when I walked into my first Boot Camp class, I made it my business to find the instructor and introduce myself, “Hi, I’m Jenn. I’ve never done this before.” She looked me in the eye and nodded her head, then she scanned the room to get an appraisal of the others entering the class. She told me where to put my things, and said she would touch base with me once the class got going.

When I go to Spin class I always feel energized and powerful. I feel like I know what I’m doing, and I get a great workout. Boot Camp is not Spin Class. Boot Camp, was REALLY hard for me. To say I was a total amateur is being generous. I didn’t know what I was doing half the time, but that’s what it’s like to be brand new. This experience made me feel so vulnerable, everyone seemed just way better than me. Then by the end of class, as people were stretching, I noticed that I was more flexible than some of the others. For that brief moment I felt like I belonged.

Belonging comes with competence and confidence. If you are considering taking on a weight loss goal, or are newly committed, and don’t feel so competent, it’s hard to be confident that you’ll succeed. If you’re feeling this way, know this – you’re not alone. I remember trying to lose weight and not knowing how to begin. Everything was overwhelming, What was the right food? How much food should I be eating? At that point it all felt insurmountable, this was a very difficult period in my life. That was pre-WW.

The WW program has given me a structure to organize my efforts. If I follow the program, I know it will work because it has a research base that has proven results. It works on a physiological and behavioral level. Rolling over points is a behavioral incentive, SmartPoints measure macronutrients in foods to render a numeric value. That is what I mean by a structure. However the reason why I’m losing weight and am able to follow the plan, is because I’ve told myself I can. I believe in me, and more often than not, even on the hardest days, I can think of something I did well.

Turn kindness inward, and recognize something good you did today. You can do this, it’s difficult, but you can do it nonetheless. Come on, I’ll do it too and together we can all reach our goals.