When we remodeled our laundry room a couple of years ago I would bet that a quarter of the cost went to tools. I thought my husband was crazy for buying as many tools as he did for the job, but in hindsight, having the right tools readily available made the job much easier.
The same thing can be said of a weight loss journey. If you're not propery equipped it can be very hard to be successful. I spend $40 a month for Weight Watchers. That gets me unlimited meetings, as well as unlimited access to their website and all of their online tools. This includes a place to track the food I'm eating and the exercise I'm doing, as well as message boards, challenges, support groups, scientific information, and recipes. I also get an app on my iPhone where I can look up the points values for thousands of different foods and activites, as well as calculate points values, and track my food and activities. I also pay $30 a month for a gym membership.
Some people think I'm crazy for paying anything in an effort to lose weight. To me, it's well worth it to have the tools I need at my fingertips. Before when I'd done Weight Watchers, I never paid to have the online tools. I'm kicking myself in the butt for this. I should have spent the money way back when and I probably wouldn't be on my sixth attempt. Can you lose weight on your own? Absolutely. Can it be more difficult? Absolutely.
A baker wouldn't try to make a cake without flour, eggs, cake pans, or spatuals. A carpenter wouldn't try to build a house without nails, boards, or cement. A hairdresser wouldn't try to give a haircut without scissors or a comb. So why would someone try to lose weight and change their lifestyle without having the proper tools? I'm not saying you have to join Weight Watchers, or any other weight loss program for that matter. There are lots of free websites where you can track your calories. I'm not saying you need a membership to a gym. There are plenty of places you can walk for free. What is important is that you identify the tools that you need to make it work for you and put them in place.
This all came to mind today because I left my cell phone at home. The Weight Watchers app has become my lifeline when I'm out of the house. At the drop of a hat I can research points values and make smarter decisions a lot quicker if I have it. I decided to tag along with my roomie at work for lunch today, but when we left we had no idea where we were going. I had to make a blind decision and I hated it. I could have made a better choice, but fortunately the choice I made didn't blow me out of the water for the day. But had I had my phone and known ahead of time the points value of what I was going to eat, I would have ordered something else. For me, not having the information staring me in the face makes it easier for me to ignore it. I need my tools to be successful, just like we needed the new tools to complete our remodel.
What tools do you need?
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