Dear Greg and Alice,
Thank you for the lovely card and delicious candy. I had a few pieces and took the rest to work for everybody to enjoy.
You see, having that candy in the house felt way too tempting to me. As you know, I have struggled a lot with my weight.
Over the years, I have used food to smooth all the rough edges in my life. Unfortunately, food became my “fix” for anything that went wrong.
But I’m working on changing things. I’ve joined a new weight management program here in town and I’m feeling very optimistic about my progress. The program emphasizes making choices and working on gradual behavior change. I like their approach and I’m learning a lot.
The program encourages a regular exercise program so I’ve started walking a few blocks each day. The leaders talk about how exercise helps decrease your appetite and increase your metabolism. But I’ve been amazed at how much better I feel, even with that small amount of walking.
The program also teaches a lot about support systems so that’s why I’m writing to you. I would love to have you be part of my encouragement group that will help me stay on track while I work on losing 100 pounds.
Even though you are miles away, there are a lot of things you can do to help. Here’s a summary for you.
Things to do:
- Ask me how the program is going
- Compliment me when I’ve lost weight
- Affirm me for following the program, not just when I lose weight
- Include healthy, lower calorie choices in the menu when I come to visit
- Send your love, but leave out the food. It will mean a lot to hear from you from time to time.
Things to NOT do:
- Don’t ask me how much weight I’ve lost. I’ll talk about it when I’m ready.
- Don’t tell me how good I would look if I lost more weight.
- When I take small portions or say I’m full, don’t push me to eat more
- Don’t criticize me if you feel my weight loss is taking too long. This program will take time.
I welcome your support and encouragement. However, I know the success of this program depends on me. I promise to stay in touch and tell you more about my progress and ways you can support me in the months ahead.
Sending you love and affection,
Susie
P.S. So far it’s going great and I’ve already lost a bunch.
(This post is Lesson 23 in Elevate Your Weight-Loss Success)