Are You, Your #1 Priority?

Here is a summary of my Weight Watchers meeting on February 9, 2010.

You deserve your own attention. It's easy to get wrapped up in everyone else's needs, but it helps your weight-loss efforts when you have the confidence to Take Care of Yourself, too. And in respecting your own needs, you'll be showing others how to respect them too.

Taking care of yourself means...
• Valuing your own needs as much as you value the needs of your family, work and friends. Think of what a difference your weight loss has made on your friends and family.

• Making time to do some of the things you love to do.

• Finding the motivation within yourself to work toward your goals. Remember focus on the smaller goals first!

• Learning to say "no" when people's requests will get in the way of the commitments you've made for yourself.

• Saying goodbye to guilt. Never feel guilty for making yourself a priority.

Don't forget to Take Care of Yourself, too!
We're all busy with the responsibilities of work, study, community, family and friends. But some of us are better than others at prioritizing our own needs.

When we feel that our needs aren't as important as the needs of others, our goals can quickly go by the wayside. The plans we had to walk on Monday mornings or attend a dance class on Wednesday evening can be interrupted because we have to work late, make dinner or baby-sit the neighbor's kids.

When we put the needs of others above our own, it can sometimes be hard to remember what it is that we even want. There's just not enough time in the day to please everyone.

But when we start to take care of ourselves, we feel empowered. Our goals become more important to us, and the things that need to happen in order for us to achieve them are suddenly within reach.

Taking Care of Yourself is a helpful habit because:
• The steps that go along with weight loss success—eating wisely and moving more—sometimes involve setting aside time, or saying "no thanks" to other requests and invitations. You deserve that time, and don't have to feel guilty for allowing yourself the things you need.

• The kind of you/life balance that comes from valuing your own needs and wants can be a great help as you work to maintain your weight loss.

• Research has shown that an ongoing focus on self-improvement can affect your weight loss.

If you realize you need to Take Care of Yourself...
You're ready to stop using the needs of others as excuses for not taking steps toward your ultimate goal weight. And even more exciting, you're ready to start rewarding yourself when you are successful, too. Get back on the “ALL ABOUT ME” bandwagon and lets get your confidence and motivation back!!