59.8

59.8 pounds. That's how much weight I have now lost on Weight Watchers. I was only a lousy 0.2 lbs away from 60 at weigh-in last night. That's 3.2 ounces. 3.2 stupid measly ounces. I was pretty disappointed. I really wanted to hit 60 lbs. Well, you know what? I'll get there next week and there will be much fanfare (and feasting upon the lambs, and sloths, and carp, and anchovies, and orangutans, and breakfast cereals, and fruit bats...)

Since our meeting resumed on January 8 (we had two weeks of no meetings for Christmas and New Year's Day) there has been a steady stream of new people at my meeting. The January 8 meeting brought in the biggest influx; the stack of "get started" packets must have been 12 high. I have seen a lot of unfamiliar faces. I have been a part of this group since August 2006 and I recognize all the long-term members. We're a big family. A big family who suddenly gained a lot of long-lost cousins.

I don't think I was as aware in January 2007 (after only four months on WW) as I am in January 2008 of all the new members. Now, I can't help but wonder, how many of these people will I still see in three or four months after their initial 12- or 16-week membership expires? Let's face it, many of them are there as part of a "gotta lose weight this year" New Year's resolution. And we all know how long most of those last.

Losing the weight I have hasn't been easy. It's been really hard, slow, and long. At the end of February I will have been on the program for 18 months. I'd like to say I will be at Goal by then but I really can't be sure. Things happen. Weight is gained, then lost. I've lost almost 60 pounds on the program, but I also gained little increments totaling 42 lbs along the way. (If I had gained 40+ lbs over my highest weight...I'd be pushing 265 lbs by now). I'm just fortunate that my overall loss outweighs my occasional gain. But I can't deny those gains are tremendously frustrating. They can easily derail a person who expects consistent weight loss week after week. I had a gain in my second week on the program! I was terribly disheartened. However, I told myself to tough it out, that this was the first small step of many, and my goal was too important to lose sight of this early.

I wonder if the new people know what a long and hard road it's really going to be for some of them. If I had known when I started WW that almost 18 months later I'd still be trying to get to goal...I might have quit right there. I would like for all of them to stick with the program. There are some folks I've seen in meetings over the last few weeks who really need to be there. I am glad they have at least taken the hardest step of all: the one through the door. The next few months will slowly winnow out the more determined. I hope that some of the new members join our family permanently