Welcome, to Getting to Goal! I am so happy you’re here.  I have lost 93 pounds so far on my journey! I didn’t get this far alone, I am happy to be part of a wonderful community, hello Saturday morning Weight Watchers crew. The support and advice that my “people” give me are so extraordinary that I wanted this blog is an extension of that energy. I wanted to find a way to invite others to join me on my weight loss journey.

#WHY & #Willpower

Understanding why I want to get to goal has changed my experience in a very profound way.  Significant weight loss requires a commitment on a grand scale. Let’s face it, food is everywhere and most of the time it is delicious. For me, food has so many underpinnings to memories of happy times, family, and love. It’s not just a plate of Italian sausage and bread, it’s traditions and sunny mornings in my Nanny’s kitchen. Back then, God bless them, women cooked all day for hoards of people all the time.  They seemed selfless and good, and I admired them more than I can say.

Ever heard this one, “In the end it’s simple, it’s about calories in calories out – just eat less and move more.”  It’s a problem when we use a simplistic solution to a complex problem.  If someone tells me this is really easy and then it’s not for me, then I must have a willpower defect – no good – that is a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset makes this a yes I have willpower it or no I don’t have willpower situation and that is not helpful.  Willpower is a muscle, and it has to be worked out to get stronger. It requires significant effort and while I’m building that up I find it to be exhausting. 

Being on Maintenance has taught me to appreciate and value willpower. I used think that willpower was the thing that made weight loss unsustainable and that it made this journey more about struggle than joy. I was wrong. Now I think that my willpower is like the fuel and my why is like the motor.  It’s like this, the fuel I buy for my car gets me where I want to go but it gets depleted. When it runs out I have to refuel. That’s what willpower is, it’s the fuel that makes me resist my old habits and when it gets depleted I have to find ways to fill myself back up.  My why as the motor because it is more complex, it is the thing that remains in tact. It requires some maintenance but overall, it is a sturdy structure that keeps the car running. My why has been to be my best possible self. To have energy to live my life in the body of my choosing. 

I’m learning as I go – that’s why this page will aways be reflecting my beliefs. Here are some experts to teach you more about why and willpower.

Charles Duhigg touches on habit and willpower…

Simon Sinek does an amazing job explaining the theory behind why…