It's OK to be selfish!
I give you permission, right now, to be selfish. WHAT?!?!? Yep, you can be selfish and no one will even know you are being selfish. From now on, you must put yourself first when it comes to your weight loss.
I give you permission to go to your Weight Watcher meetings. You can take the hour out of your busy schedule and go be inspired. It’s only an hour! You can spend the extra gas money to get there (I know it is a drive for some of you and gas prices are really high). Save the fancy coffee and go to your meeting. Schedule it so nothing else gets in the way. Make it a priority to you because you are worth it!
I give you permission to take time out of your day to write down everything you put in your mouth and calculate the Points Plus values for each item. If I promised you that if you measured and calculated everything you ate, you WOULD lose weight, would you do it? Of course you would. There is no secret. Write down they points plus values and you will lose weight. Take the time and just do it!
I give you permission to tell everyone in your family you are going for a walk/run and you will be back in an hour. They will live and be okay without you. If you have children old enough to stay home by themselves, take your cell phone in case of an emergency. This will also help teach them responsibility. If you are married, wait until your husband gets home and let him be in charge. If you are a single parent and you have small children, take them with you and consider it extra resistance pushing a stroller. Exercise will make you feel better so you can take better care of them by having more energy!
I give you permission to get the extra sleep you need in order for your weight loss journey to be successful. Research shows that when you get between seven and nine hours of sleep, you will lose weight easier. If you feel rested, you will have more energy to do all of the things on your “to do” list and you will actually make up the extra hour or two you slept being more productive throughout the day because you are not so tired. This is not sleeping in a few extra hours, this means going to bed early! The laundry and the cleaning can all wait until the next morning. Don’t run yourself ragged. Put the kids to bed early and go to sleep yourself. Try it, you just might LOVE it!
I give you permission to say NO! If something tries to get in the way of your meeting, your tracking, your exercising, or getting the extra sleep you need, just say NO! Make yourself a priority!
No one has ever said to me, “Gosh Jennifer, you are losing weight, I can’t believe you are being so selfish!” No one will say that to you either. They will see positive changes and encourage you to be EVEN more selfish. That is the great thing. If you will just start, they might not like it at first but when they see the positive changes it is having on you, they will WANT you to be more selfish. It’s a win, win. Did I leave any selfish things off the list? I would love to hear your thoughts! So, go ahead, be selfish and if anyone complains, give them my email!
About Jennifer Swafford
My name is Jennifer, I’m 33 and I currently live in a suburb outside of Atlanta. I live with my husband, Jason and Shi-tzu, Maggie. I enjoy spending time with my family and friends.
My full time job is teaching elementary school. My part time job is private tutoring after school for grades K-6. I have been on my weight loss journey my entire life but just began to take it seriously two years ago when I decided it was time to start a family. I didn’t want to be one of those people who others look and and say, “Is she pregnant or just really fat?” At the rate I was going, that question would certainly be asked. So, two years ago I joined Weight Watchers. Now, closing in on losing 100 pounds, my life is healthier and I am happier. Now…bring on the baby!
My blog is here for you to be inspired, learn something new, and hear all about all new products I try. Join me on this weight loss journey as I go through ups and downs, good and bad, and continue to take it one day at a time!
