You Won't Know If You Don't Go!!!

[misplaced southerner]

good morning friends here in atkins land! well, i have a little thought for all of you today. i am posting here since i am not really sure where it goes. please bear with me.

this is a big week for me. i am getting married to the most wonderful man in the world on saturday. it has been a time of real reflection for me. mostly about who i am and why i am here at this point in my life. i was writing in my journal today and told adena about a comment a friend always makes to me and i will share it here as well. feel free to stop by my journal and check it out there if you are interested.

anyway, i have been here on the board since march. i have met so many AWESOME people. i see so much courage, smarts, motivation, determination, fight, drive, wow the list goes on. sadly, i sometimes also see people who are afraid and hurt, afraid mostly of FAILURE. it is such a human thing to be afraid of not accomplishing something we really want to do. it is HARD WORK to achieve anything we set out to do. it is also true of losing weight and inproving our health.

i set out to lose about 40 pounds for this wedding. the determining factor for me was to weigh the same thing i weighed on my first date with my fiance. i wanted to feel GOOD. i did this for ME. i also, as a side issue, wanted him to have the same woman he met and fell for...ONLY BETTER!

joining this board was hard for me. i am pretty private. starting a journal was almost like getting "nekkid" in front of strangers. i knew that i had to do it to be successful at this. I NEEDED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE. i read a lot, i worked hard, i started doing things that i read about others doing. i learned to love exercise again. i started seeing success. when i hit a slump, all of you were here to push me over it. i finally met my goal about a week ago.

now...i want to set new goals. maybe i will RUN again. maybe i will up my workout. maybe i will lower my goal (145 sounds good!) maybe, maybe, maybe...today the possibilities are endless....because today i am a LIFESTYLE GIRL! that's right jess. this is my LIFESTYLE. in fact, today i weighed in at 150!!! holy moly! i know now that i can do almost anything i put my mind to.

now to the point of all this. i have an old boyfriend (we dated 25 years ago!!!) and we are STILL good friends. he is an old surfer guy (and yes, i HAVE surfed before and it is an AMAZING experience!) i asked him once what he looks for when he is sitting in the line-up waiting for the right wave. he explained to me that sometimes you just don't know for sure. sometimes you just have to take that chance on something that looks good and might work. he always used to say to me "YOU WON'T KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO."

think about that and say it aloud "YOU WON'T KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO." did you take a chance on anything positive lately. did you doubt yourself at all with this program? do you wonder about your own capabilities and/or possibilities????

if so, i want you to make this your mantra..."YOU WON'T KNOW IF YOU DON'T GO." take a chance. give it your best. don't doubt yourself. you are so much stronger than you think. you can do, you can achieve, you can succeed at anything you put your mind to it. ALL of us are going to be successful at this wonderful healthy lifestyle because we are going to GO. give it 100%. this board is the greatest tool i know of. that along with your own hard work and determination makes you a success EVERY DAY. don't wait til you make your goal to feel successful. GO and find out!!! JUST GO!

[PaulaMM]

Oh Betsy, I really, really wanted to give you a rep point for this post but, I got the dratted "spread the love" message!

As usual, you are right on target with your words and have lit a fire under me.

There is not a doubt in my mind that you will run again, or anything else that you set out to accomplish. With strength and determination such as yours, the sky is the limit. I admire you so much for this and aspire to adopt those qualities for myself.

If you don't mind, I would like to use your mantra as my new siggy.

[Discolemonade]

This is a very inspirational post love! Thanks so much for enriching us with another fantastic MANTRA! I said it aloud and teared up. This not only applies to this WOE but life in general. I am suffering insecurity about a job promotion and this mantra really means alot to me today. Thank you so much and a big Congratulations to not only your weight loss but mostly your wedding! I'm so happy for you!

[Adena]

MS, I saw this thread title and thought... hey, that sounds familiar... coincidence? Nope! I'm so glad you shared this with everyone.

This board has shown me that so much is possible. MS, your transformation and growth -- and that of so many others. I saw Paula (I think it was Paula) say earlier than somone was shrinking on the outside and growing on the inside... I thought that was a perfect way to describe this Atkins journey.

I've failed on so many "diets." But, all the evidence here of people who KNOW Atkins is successful because they gave it a GO couldn't be argued with. And it's the support I receive daily from those people that keep me going, and make me try new things that support my health... running, weight training, daikon, jicama... and next: hula-hooping (God help me!)

Thanks for a great post, B! You are an incredible person, and your beau is so lucky to have you.

[bradybunch]

Thanks for sharing Betsy, very touching.

[misplaced southerner]

use it paula!!! YES! and say it to yourself EVERY DAY!!!

hi disco!!! thanks for your good wishes...and YES...USE it for LIFE IN GENERAL. you just never really know WHAT will happen do you? but if you GO.....ah ha!!! the possibilities!

adena...girl YOU ROCK! i LOVE my hula hoop baby! add it to YOUR list of places to go! shrinking on the outside and growing on the inside...I LOVE IT!

hiya brady!!!! where will YOU go? BTW...psycho pup is hangin' with my dad's 2 mini-dauschaunds....SHE is QUEEN!

anyone else want to GO!?!?!?!

[PaulaMM]

I'm going to hijack just long enough to let Adena know that as much as I would like to take credit for it, I'm not the person behind that amazing quote.

[dreamof145]

Great post! Its so true, this WOE has definitely pushed many of us out of our comfort zones and given us the chance to explore new horizons. Thanks for posting this today!

[mitzimarie]

Originally Posted by misplaced southerner

anyone else want to GO!?!?!?!

I'm going, baby! Thanks for the push.

[SandyL2002]

What a great post.. I want to wish you also the most wonderful Wedding day on Saturday..we will all be there in spirit