Setting goals for your next five years

Where do you see yourself in five years? It is such an easy question to ask but much more difficult to answer. I can tell you this: If I were forced to answer the question five years ago, I couldn’t have begun to come close to what has unfolded. The time feels like both a breath and a lifetime.

On Aug. 18, 2008, Mr. Second Helpings and I walked into our very first Weight Watchers meeting. At the time I was tipping the scales at just over 275 lbs with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 50 (30 is the threshold for obesity). Only 26, I was in bad shape for a person of any age and on track to lose a whole lot of years from my life. I don’t have any other numbers to illustrate what all that weight was doing to my body, however, based on some lab work done about 100 pounds later it is completely within the realm of possibility that I was a type-two diabetic and didn’t know it.

My first 50 pounds came off during the first six months. In the very same week, we learned that The Little Helping was on his way. Adding a child to our weight loss journey changed little in the early days. Over time, his needs helped to reinforce our commitment to choose a life of good health and balanced nutrition for our entire family. As a family we celebrated reaching our goal weights. My big day was a few weeks prior to The Little Helping’s second birthday and Mr. Second Helpings balanced the scale a few weeks after. It was around that time that I realized the combined weight of our entire family was less than Mr. Second Helpings alone at his heaviest.

Losing the weight has effected our lives in ways we never imagined. I guessed that my clothing size would be reduced but was surprised when my feet shrunk too. Chores are more manageable and home improvement projects can be accomplished more quickly and confidently than before. Whether we realized it or not, as obese people we evaluated activities based on if they would cause physical pain or discomfort. Walking a mile to the grocery store would mean throbbing legs, racing pulse, sweaty clothes and aching joints. It was easy to justify hoping in the car with excuses like saving time or fitting in a second further-away errand. Ultimately, we just couldn’t do the things we now take on with a smile and a shrug.

People ask us if there is anything (meaning food) we miss from the days before we lost the weight. The question often sparks one of those life flashing before your eyes moments. I flash on life moments that passed me by in adolescence, the feelings of guilt and shame brought on by eating too far beyond the point of feeling full, crushingly low self esteem and reoccurring depression and the physical impairments caused by carrying nearly 150 extra pounds on, what I have now discovered is, a small body. Nope, I absolutely do not miss any of that.

As for the intent of the question, do I miss any foods? If there is something I have a hankering for I will have some, eventually and in moderation. My attitude toward food and life has relaxed significantly. Cravings no longer come with a sense of urgency and instant gratification is often a disappointment. I now know that good things will continue to come and enjoying something delicious a little at a time means repeating the experience several times over.

As much as things change after extreme weight loss, many things remain the same. We still need to pay bills and mow the lawn. Mr. Second Helpings’ sleep apnea improved but continues to require a CPAP machine to keep his airways open while asleep. And yes we still have to think about food. Multiple times each day we choose to eat or avoid something for the sake of our long term health. Some choices are easier than others, but knowing the goal is balance rather than perfection helps to keep everything in a manageable perspective.

As I look back on the past five years, my mind is boggled by all that has happened in our lives. More than 300 pounds have been shed but I feel like we have only scraped the surface of this new lifestyle we have chosen. In a world where not even the sky is the limit I can’t begin to conceive the answer to where we will be in another five years, nor do I feel the need to try. From where I stand, the possibilities are limitless and the joy will be in the journey.

What story do you want to be telling five years from now? Point your toes in the direction you wish to go, take a deep breath and move forward. You are worth it!

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Life

Brandon Hailey of Cytrus, center, plays the saxophone during a headlining show at Madam Lou’s on Friday, Dec. 29, 2023 in Seattle, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Lynnwood-based funk octet Cytrus has the juice

Resilience and brotherhood take center stage with ‘friends-first’ band.

FILE - In this April 11, 2014 file photo, Neko Case performs at the Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. Fire investigators are looking for the cause of a fire on Monday, Sept. 18, 2017, that heavily damaged Case’s 225-year-old Vermont home. There were no injuries, though a barn was destroyed. It took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze. (Photo by Scott Roth/Invision/AP, File)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Singer-songwriter Neko Case, an indie music icon from Tacoma, performs Sunday in Edmonds.

Dominic Arizona Bonuccelli
Tangier’s market boasts piles of fruits, veggies, and olives, countless varieties of bread, and nonperishables, like clothing and electronics.
Rick Steves on the cultural kaleidoscope of Tangier in Morocco

Walking through the city, I think to myself, “How could anyone be in southern Spain — so close — and not hop over to experience this wonderland?”

chris elliott.
Vrbo promised to cover her rental bill in Hawaii, so why won’t it?

When Cheryl Mander’s Vrbo rental in Hawaii is uninhabitable, the rental platform agrees to cover her new accommodations. But then it backs out. What happened?

The Moonlight Swing Orchestra will play classic sounds of the Big Band Era on April 21 in Everett. (submitted photo)
Music, theater and more: What’s happening in Snohomish County

Relive the Big Band Era at the Port Gardner Music Society’s final concert of the season in Everett.

2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD (Honda)
2024 Honda Ridgeline TrailSport AWD

Honda cedes big boy pickup trucks to the likes of Ford, Dodge… Continue reading

Would you want to give something as elaborate as this a name as mundane as “bread box”? A French Provincial piece practically demands the French name panetiere.
A panetiere isn’t your modern bread box. It’s a treasure of French culture

This elaborately carved French antique may be old, but it’s still capable of keeping its leavened contents perfectly fresh.

(Judy Newton / Great Plant Picks)
Great Plant Pick: Mouse plant

What: Arisarum proboscideum, also known as mouse plant, is an herbaceous woodland… Continue reading

Bright green Japanese maple leaves are illuminated by spring sunlight. (Getty Images)
Confessions of a ‘plantophile’: I’m a bit of a junky for Japanese maples

In fact, my addiction to these glorious, all-season specimens seems to be contagious. Fortunately, there’s no known cure.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited (Hyundai)
2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited is a sporty, all-electric, all-wheel drive sedan that will quickly win your heart.

The 2024 Dodge Hornet R/T hybrid’s face has the twin red lines signifying the brand’s focus on performance. (Dodge)
2024 Hornet R/T is first electrified performance vehicle from Dodge

The all-new compact SUV travels 32 miles on pure electric power, and up to 360 miles in hybrid mode.

Don’t blow a bundle on glass supposedly made by the Henry William Stiegel

Why? Faked signatures, reused molds and imitated styles can make it unclear who actually made any given piece of glass.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.