The Magic of the Group

I think we all started our weight loss journey at a pretty low point in our lives - embarrassed, ashamed of our bodies, etc. - but with just enough hope left to think that this one might change that. My beginning was Weight Watchers. I joined alone and felt pretty disconnected from every one and everything. I had a dark cloud hanging over my head. I was actually pretty ill, and this was just the very last time I was going to even try. I was so scared of even trying AGAIN that I didn't tell anyone I was going to join. I did call my daughter that night but only because she was a member too. But I didn't tell anyone else at work or in my family. My family had all seen me succeed before and then put it all back on plus some. I sat there in the first meeting hating everything. I hated my leader, I hated the program and I pretty much dared the program to work. But I made a commitment to myself that I would always come, always weigh in, always journal and I would not "play games with the numbers". I would do the program as written. And little by little the cloud began to lift. Each week, I came looking to see certain faces and certain smiles. Each week, I found someone in class who inspired me and I took that inspiration with me to get through another week. I didn't know anyone's names, but I looked for their faces. Sometimes you need the group, and sometimes the group needs you. We have all become a thread in the fabric of the group and THAT is the magic of group support. It's not the program, really. There are a lot of other programs that will work if what you want is to lose some weight. But if you need more, if you want to learn about yourself, if you want to know in every fiber of your being that this is the very last time you are going to do this, then a support system can help you with that. And that is because of the group, whether it is in person or on line. So, whenever you are down and think that you might just as well quit, think about this - you never know who is counting on you to be there, to keep going. You never know who is learning from you and who has something to teach you. You never know who prays for you during the week and who is rooting for you in group. You never know when an "AHA!" moment will come that makes it all make sense. I hang onto all of these things on those days when I think that it is pointless. I look for you. You look for me. We rely on each other when we can't rely on ourselves.