When you’re standing on the end of that diving board, toes wrapped around the edge to keep you from falling in, and you jump- one of three things can happen. 1) The water is f-f-f-reezing and you leap out, grab your towel and head for safety. 2) The water is f-f-f-reezing, but you decide to stay in and let your body get used to it. 3) The water is far warmer than you expected and much to your surprise, you’re having fun.
Somewhere between numbers two and three is exactly how I felt last Tuesday when I led my first Weight Watcher’s meeting. Upon walking through the meeting room doors and chatting with the receptionist (who was actually my field manager filling in for the receptionist), my body started to thaw out and relax. I took a few minutes to acquaint myself with the space, gather my materials, post my flip charts and write my name on the board- tonight’s leader is…Tara Watson! Modern Family fans, picture the slow goth clap that Cam received on his first night back as a music teacher. J
As the members started coming in, I had the opportunity to chat with them at the great confessional, the scale. I’ve done it myself, hopped on that scale and went into a monologue about what I did right that week and how I might have screwed up, all while waiting in anguish to see what the scale had to say. It was really awesome and surprisingly intimate to share that weigh-in moment with each person.
Weight Watcher’s allows some time for members to weigh-in before the meeting starts, so I pecked back and forth between the scale and the meeting space like a nervous mother hen. As an introvert, I’m not a big work the room fan, yet hanging out in the meeting space before it started and getting to know people on a deeper level was really inspiring.
One of my biggest fears was a lack of attendance because- a) when people see a sub they usually don’t stay for the meeting and b) it was election night and c) the weather was cold and crappy. Our field manager mentioned that historically not many people come out on election night, and indeed this was the case. Seven people stayed for the meeting (talk about your confidence booster) and out of those seven, half were new. This made for quite a challenging learning environment. With so many new members, the room was fairly quiet.
I did my best to walk them through the meeting topic which was about Power Foods- foods that are high in fiber and low in fat- healthy and satisfying. I stuck with the election theme and went through a voting exercise about which Power Foods they would vote for and we closed with a lead-in to Thanksgiving. All in all, I think it went well. I was admittedly nervous and at one point I thought my throat might close up (thank God for bottled water).
It wasn’t until after the meeting that I could step back and appreciate how much I enjoyed my time with that group of people. I learned just as much from them as they (hopefully) learned from me. Their eyes told their stories. Some were weary and hesitant. Some were pissed or perplexed about a weight gain. Others were curious and open. Some were confident and excited.
What really got me is the grit, determination and dedication it takes to make a change and stick with it. I was proud to be a small part of that change and I’m so glad I jumped into the pool- because as it turns out, the water was just fine.
Ask for help. Make the choice. Commit to the choice. Continue with courage.
Hugs and friendship,
Tara
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