I am a self proclaimed member of what the Weight Watchers community on the Weight Watchers social media app Connect calls the “Turtle Club”. I am a slow weight loss loser. But as I thought about that statement more and more today, I realized I’m actually a member of what I would like to call “the cha-cha club”. One pound up, half a pound down, one pound up, three pounds down, two pounds up…. and you get the picture. It’s a back and forth, up and down, cha-cha and as a result I’ve been maintaining my weight in a 10 pound range for the last three years, and never have gotten to my goal yet. 

There’s an old saying of slow progress is better than no progress and after five – yes, five and a half years on Weight Watchers this time around and still not being at my goal weight, sometimes I feel like I have made no progress past the point I sit at right now.  To be honest, it is discouraging sometimes. I am looking so forward to all of the things that I told myself I would do as rewards for getting to my goal – like a photo shoot, new clothes and other stuff. And sometimes that feels so distant. And in those moments I feel the impact of my slow progress and being a member of the cha-cha club gets a little old. 

I’m not saying I have anything to blame but my own food choices. I know that I’m responsible for those and that I am the reason I cha-cha. 

But when I take a step back and don’t just focus on the number on the scale and when I take time to look at where I am with healthy eating, a happy demeanor, healthy attitude, physical capabilities, and being the best version of me, I realize that while there’s slow progress on the scale, there’s monumental progress in my life.  Things like….

• A past coworker heard me having a fit over being up at the scale and she responded to me and told me I was probably one of the healthiest eaters she knew.  
• Kicking butt during physical activity 
• Being a much more centered me
• Having a positive attitude and healthy disposition
• Having healthier outlets now than I did five years ago to deal with emotion 

And I focus on that feeling in those moments where being in the cha-cha club gets me down. 
So when you think about your progress, don’t focus on the scale. Focus on your life and being the best you that you can be. 

With love and a cha-cha side step,

Vanessa 

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