I Get By with a Little Help from my Friends

I should actually change the words to say a LOT of help from my friends and my family! When I began this journey to lose and keep off 100 pounds, I asked five people to be my support team - Team MeMa. These were all family members but it could be close friends - it must be someone you trust and can count on. I sent them a message on Facebook and here it is:

I need you girls to be all over me about losing weight....I know y'all can hound me! I went to the cardiologist yesterday and he is upset with me about my weight. I am ashamed of myself! Triglycerides are high, bad cholesterol is high, and my blood pressure pill is the strongest and looks like a vitamin it's so big! I give out of breath doing daily tasks...forget exercising! Anyway, I have a plan in place, I just need you guys to be my accountablility partners. I am going to walk every day and follow Weight Watchers. Please ask me have I done those two things. This will help me. What doesn't help is: sending me or telling about all kinds of diets and exercise programs. I am not in as good of physical shape as y'all and the dietitian in me prevents me from embracing the wierd diets. I know these two things will work for me....walking and weight watchers. I do want to hear about low calorie foods and recipes. That helps me a lot! I just need support doing it my way because it does work if I stick to it. Also, my way is more of a lifestyle change...something I can live with for the rest of my days. I love you all and I need you more now than ever! I am also looking for some inspirational reading and scriptures to help feed my soul. Love you all! Hope you will be my TEAM MEMA!

All five said they would support me and they continue to support me! I couldn't have made it this far without them! God designed us to need Him and to need other people! Remember when Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment? Matt. 22:35-40  says:

34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[c] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[d] 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

I also asked my pastor to pray for me. He committed to do this and I have felt his prayers. He has kept up with my progress and is a great source of encouragement to me. God hears our prayers! I know all five of Team MeMa members pray for me, too!

Facebook friends have been so supportive of me! So many people encourage me every time I post about my weight loss journey. It means the world to me! When I've lost weight or exercised, I hurry to share it with my Facebook friends. I recently posted this about how I feel towards my Facebook friends: So many people post that they are purging their facebook friends and deleting people. Well folks, I love all 571 of my friends and I ain't gonna delete anybody!!! Just wanted y'all to know that!! :)

Weight Watchers Online has a community connection with message boards, profile and friends. This has been a source of support for me many times. It helps so much to talk to people who are also struggling with losing weight and keeping it off.

My husband, Donnie is also supportive. He was resistant a bit at first because I have done this so many times. He is a man of few words but does encourage me when I need it most. I was complaining the other day that I don't really look like I have lost 29 pounds and he said, "But look how much better you feel!" He was exactly right about that! The scale is not the only measure of my success!

I would like to give a formal thank you to the following people for their support: My daughters, Denise Lawrence and Jennifer Hawkins, my cousins - Kim Scott, Valarie Chapman, Camille Thompson, and my pastor - Chris Watson. Donnie Connell - my husband. Thank you for being there for me when I needed it most! I'm not there yet and I know you all will see me through! I love you all!