Making Progress
Monday, February 10, 2014
This morning I read a blog written by one of the leaders of one of my teams.
In her blog, Sassy was writing about some of the things new people might face when they join Spark People. I started to think about my own journey. I have been on Spark People since September 2004. I have a hard time believing it is that long.
Looking back, it appears that I did not write a blog until October 2006. I can remember wondering if it was wise to put my thoughts out there on such a public forum. I have not been a consistent blogger because often I don't feel 'inspired' to write. At my beginning, there was some kind of a journal that I wrote in. I tried to find that journal recently but was unsuccessful. I think those journals may have been eliminated during one of the Spark People changes.
I did not log onto Spark People daily as I do now. I used to comment more on message boards. I don't remember that there were teams back then but I could be wrong. There was one message board where 3 or 4 of us started to report on our walking and we encouraged each of us to get more active.
After teams were introduced, I started to look for some that might be helpful. One Sunday afternoon, I found a Nova Scotia team and joined. I wondered if I would be accepted as I no longer live in Nova Scotia. As it turned out, there was another member on the team who was from Nova Scotia who now lives in Ontario. She and I started to communicate through Spark mail. Would you believe that her husband went to school with my younger sister? When she was planning a visit to her son who was living approx. an hour from us, we arranged to meet. We drove to her son's place during a snow storm but it was all good. We made it there and back safely and had a great time together. She was my first face-to-face Spark friend. We have since had several meetings.
Back to the Nova Scotia team, there were about six of us who got close. Well, as close as one can through the internet.
When I was planning to go home (to Nova Scotia) for a visit, I let the team know. One of them was going to be passing through a nearby town. We arranged to meet at Tim Horton's (the Canadian coffee shop). It was a short visit as her two girls were not as eager for the stop as she and I. They were on their way to a water park so you know patience was not what was being expressed. 
On another trip, this time to the Halifax area with my husband, there was another visit to a different Tim's to meet another lady. I think my husband enjoys meeting my friends as much as I do because we have had some very nice experiences.
One of the best times, however, was our motorcycle visit to the Yarmouth area (also Nova Scotia). This time we spent a couple nights at the home of our new friends. The husband also has a motorcycle. (She has since started riding her own bike.) They took us for a tour of their area. Having a local tour guide is the best. It was wonderful. I do enjoy meeting people I have met here on Spark People.
I think I just got sidetracked. I forget what I was going to write about. Of yes, making progress....
After joining Spark People, I re-joined TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) - and met some other people who were TOPS/Spark members. I think that TOPS is a good support group to belong to. However, the local chapter is dying and belonging was no longer beneficial (for me) so I did not re-new my membership when it came due.
I continue to read books and Spark people articles. I am working with a health coach. I am learning that being a certain weight is not the only important factor in being healthy. I AM a lower weight than when I joined but I am not at goal. I am not even sure what my goal is. My goals now are not so much that number on the scale as how far I can walk and whether or not I will sign up for the next 5 K. I now have hot water and lemon when I get up in the morning and I continue to drink water throughout the day. Drinking more water is still a work in progress as is eating more vegetables.
My current challenge is to find meals that are compatible for me and my husband. He is not interested in healthy eating. He will eat some vegetables if I put them on his plate but he would prefer if I forgot about them. I don't want to be making two meals for two people. He buys things like chips and ice cream. When they are in the house, it is hard. Sometimes I can resist but not always. When I partake, I don't beat myself up. That doesn't help.
I am grateful for the search that led me to Spark People. I am grateful for the supportive friends who are on this journey with me. I look forward to more face-to-face meetings. Yes, there is progress, it is just not happening the way I imagined back in 2004.
All is well.
In her blog, Sassy was writing about some of the things new people might face when they join Spark People. I started to think about my own journey. I have been on Spark People since September 2004. I have a hard time believing it is that long.
Looking back, it appears that I did not write a blog until October 2006. I can remember wondering if it was wise to put my thoughts out there on such a public forum. I have not been a consistent blogger because often I don't feel 'inspired' to write. At my beginning, there was some kind of a journal that I wrote in. I tried to find that journal recently but was unsuccessful. I think those journals may have been eliminated during one of the Spark People changes.
I did not log onto Spark People daily as I do now. I used to comment more on message boards. I don't remember that there were teams back then but I could be wrong. There was one message board where 3 or 4 of us started to report on our walking and we encouraged each of us to get more active.
After teams were introduced, I started to look for some that might be helpful. One Sunday afternoon, I found a Nova Scotia team and joined. I wondered if I would be accepted as I no longer live in Nova Scotia. As it turned out, there was another member on the team who was from Nova Scotia who now lives in Ontario. She and I started to communicate through Spark mail. Would you believe that her husband went to school with my younger sister? When she was planning a visit to her son who was living approx. an hour from us, we arranged to meet. We drove to her son's place during a snow storm but it was all good. We made it there and back safely and had a great time together. She was my first face-to-face Spark friend. We have since had several meetings.
Back to the Nova Scotia team, there were about six of us who got close. Well, as close as one can through the internet.
When I was planning to go home (to Nova Scotia) for a visit, I let the team know. One of them was going to be passing through a nearby town. We arranged to meet at Tim Horton's (the Canadian coffee shop). It was a short visit as her two girls were not as eager for the stop as she and I. They were on their way to a water park so you know patience was not what was being expressed. On another trip, this time to the Halifax area with my husband, there was another visit to a different Tim's to meet another lady. I think my husband enjoys meeting my friends as much as I do because we have had some very nice experiences.
One of the best times, however, was our motorcycle visit to the Yarmouth area (also Nova Scotia). This time we spent a couple nights at the home of our new friends. The husband also has a motorcycle. (She has since started riding her own bike.) They took us for a tour of their area. Having a local tour guide is the best. It was wonderful. I do enjoy meeting people I have met here on Spark People.
I think I just got sidetracked.
I forget what I was going to write about. Of yes, making progress....After joining Spark People, I re-joined TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) - and met some other people who were TOPS/Spark members. I think that TOPS is a good support group to belong to. However, the local chapter is dying and belonging was no longer beneficial (for me) so I did not re-new my membership when it came due.
I continue to read books and Spark people articles. I am working with a health coach. I am learning that being a certain weight is not the only important factor in being healthy. I AM a lower weight than when I joined but I am not at goal. I am not even sure what my goal is. My goals now are not so much that number on the scale as how far I can walk and whether or not I will sign up for the next 5 K. I now have hot water and lemon when I get up in the morning and I continue to drink water throughout the day. Drinking more water is still a work in progress as is eating more vegetables.
My current challenge is to find meals that are compatible for me and my husband. He is not interested in healthy eating. He will eat some vegetables if I put them on his plate but he would prefer if I forgot about them. I don't want to be making two meals for two people. He buys things like chips and ice cream. When they are in the house, it is hard. Sometimes I can resist but not always. When I partake, I don't beat myself up. That doesn't help.
I am grateful for the search that led me to Spark People. I am grateful for the supportive friends who are on this journey with me. I look forward to more face-to-face meetings. Yes, there is progress, it is just not happening the way I imagined back in 2004.
All is well.
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