The Bell Jar

(I have such a problem with these things...they will NOT be getting into my house in 2011!)

I've just been sitting on the Weight Watchers message boards. Something I used to find invaluable and visited at least twice a day, sometimes for many hours. Posting questions, looking for advice, helping people out with their questions, encouraging people and being encouraged. I've not done it in a long time, and today I realised why. The message boards used to be such a positive and uplifting environment. Everyone was happy when you lost weight, quick to offer support and advice if you weren't, cheering people up who were down, and sharing their tips and tricks to make the plan work for them. In the weeks leading up to ProPoints being launched, the message boards changed - for the worse.

They now seem to be a hotbed of moaning and negativity. Before the plan was launched it was the same question about it a hundred times a day, with the same answer of no one knows, it's all speculation etc.. Now that it's been launched, not many people seem to like the new plan and those that do seem to get shot down in flames when they post about it or bring up the negative atmosphere on the boards. I stopped going on the boards just as ProPoints was launched, and that was around the time when I stopped following the plan.

Looking back, I now realise what a huge source of support and inspiration the message boards were for me, so I have ventured back onto them today. I've not been great these past few weeks and although I lost 2.5lbs at my last weigh in, I am pretty sure I will have put that back on, and more.

There is still a lot of negativity on the board, and it doesn't have the same community/comaradary feel to it that it had before but it is getting there. I've decided I am going to stick with it and I even posted there today, for the first time in a long time. I just need to put myself in the 'bell jar' and not let the negative posts get into my brain.

It's the second last day of the year and I've felt shit this past week. Lack of exercise, too much food. All the usual for this time of year. I am trying not to beat myself up about it. Tomorrow, I will be drinking alcohol and then on Saturday I'll be having a big family dinner. However my gym is open and if the weather is good (well, passable!) I am going to make a point of going on Sunday. I don't normally work out on a Sunday, but I really want to get back into it. I've missed the gym and it's not just been because of Christmas I've not been able to go it's because of this damn weather as well. So hopefully, if the pavements are gritted, I'll get a workout squeezed in on Sunday and I'll be back on course for the rest of the week (and the rest of the YEAR!).

They are starting some new classes at the gym next week and I am so excited about this - I really like the classes we have now, but you know what? It's a cliche, but it's a good one - new year, new start. New classes are going to be fun and challenging, and that is just what I am looking for!