Living with Intent

Week 10 of Weight Watchers: for the first time since I began, I showed a weight gain. Up .2 pounds.
Not really surprised.
It’s been a hot week. Lots more beer in the evening. Less activity. More hunkering down inside air conditioned house.
Our WW coach said that hot weather lends itself to hunkering down.

She talked about living with intent.
She said it is a challenge in the summer to let meal time drift later and later into the evening.
The key to WW is being intentional.
Having a plan for meals so that good choices are intended rather than poor choices happening inadvertently.

The discussion about intent reminded me of women I know.
I mentioned that I can see how women, moms especially, can easily have their intent focused externally. On kids, on house, on pets, on partners.
Many of the women I know and love can and will put themselves and their self interest behind that of their children and other loved ones.
And how that can lead to what some of the other WW attendees (all women but me) call the most dangerous time – late evening.
I’ve been aware that for many women, moms especially, late night can be the only time they call their own. I can see how easily it might be to reward themselves by eating rather than taking the WW philosophy that a gift to oneself is focus, intent and discipline.

Also we talked about self responsibility.
Ever since I started Weight Watchers, I’ve been reminded of my late father.
I can hear so clearly him sitting down to dinner with his belly protruding and saying, “godamit Thelma! You’ve got to stop feeding me such fattening food.”

I think of how much easier my life would have been if I had grown up hearing, “godamit Thelma, I am fat and it’s because of me and my choices alone.”
It’s something that is reinforced in society with litigation.
Smokers sue tobacco companies for their health problems.
I’ve even heard of overweight people suing McDonald’s for serving them fattening foods.
One of the neat things about having spent a little time in Mexico is seeing a county that truly believes in individual responsibility. If you trip and hurt yourself on a crack in the street, it’s your fault for not paying attention.

So there it is. The zen of a Weight Watchers meeting.
Live with intent. Whatever I don’t like about me or my life isn’t anyone’s fault but my own.