Saturday, February 28, 2009

What makes you quit or stick?

So I have just been giggling all week over my hubs video (if you haven't seen it, please look at my post under this one). I wanted to figure out how I could show it to my coworkers. We have a collaboration day where the teachers get together and well...collaborate. Each week one of us take turns leading a reflection or an energizer activity. I volunteered to lead it this week. So then my task was to figure out how to make the video educational. I started think about how he would fall and kept getting up. Why did he keep getting up when it was clearly such a hard thing to do? I did it once, lost my top, and quit. So I made my theme, "What makes you stick with something even when it's hard to do?"

To start off, I had pics of me on table of before and after pics of me to remind them of what I used to look like. They always tease me, but I let them know how every day is still a struggle for me to make good choices. It's hard, but I stick with it. Here are some of the pics I shared with them: BEFORES:


AFTERS:










I had everyone choose one activity that was hard and they quit right away and give a reason for quitting. Some people said things like ballroom dancing because I have no rhythm or piano because I just didn't see the value in it. Then I asked them to right down an activity they've done that was hard but they stuck with it and why they were able to. Some people said things like smoking and to quit it took years of baby steps and behavioral changes to get it done. Others said learning about Reading Recovery skills and even though it took years to learn and was really tough since they saw the value in it and how it helped others they stuck with it. Another said it was dealing with her fathers death and what helped her was to lean on others and allows experts to help guide her along the way. Hmm that's funny, sounds very Weight Watchery to me. You learn from experts, go to meetings for support, have to know that you see the value in getting healthy and that you'll be able to keep it off, changing your behaviors for success, and celebrating the small successes. When people shared, I gave them a little sticker just like they do in my Weight Watcher meetings too!

Now what's funny to me is what started out was just an excuse to show my hubs trying to surf, ended up being an hour long conversation about quitting. I had a ton of teachers thank me afterwards for either helping them reflect on the quitting in their own life, children's or students lives. Also, some took the pics of me before and after to put on their fridge for their own personal weight motivation! It was very flattering and fun...all just so I could show my hubs video:).

6 comments:

Losinthisdangfat said...

Your before and after pics are awesome! You really look like a different person, and you look so much happier!
I have lost 36 pounds so far, and I still have a long way to go, about 30 more pounds, but I know that I will get there. It just takes baby steps to get there. I can't wait until I can tell people that I have lost 65 pounds. That will be awesome!!

The Seratts said...

Wow I am blown away by how different you look. It is almost unbelievable. It is hard for me to believe that you were that big, but you were and you were able to lose it all. Congrats! What workouts did you do along with eating healthy with WW.

new*me said...

great reminders on how getting to goal is a process of falling and getting back-----perseverance! Your pis are so incredible ;) You totally are a HOTTIE!!!

carla said...

wow.
the before and after are AMAZING.
yes how you look but more how you LOOK.
how happy and COMFY in your own skin you appear in the afters.

really impressive,

Miz.

Q102Briand said...

You have done an amazing job!! I love when people put up their before and after pics. You have so much to be proud of :-) Keep up the amazing job!

Kate said...

Hey there hottie! Your looking good :)