Motivation

Carolyn and I had this conversation today about losing weight. It was a sad conversation. We keep telling ourselves we need to lose weight, but we can't seem to muster up the right motivation.

I don't want to go to the doctor and get the results of my blood work. I don't want to get on the scale. I don't even want to look in the mirror. I need help.

Carolyn has been going to TOPS meetings once a week for as long as I can remember. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly. She loves going to TOPS because there are lots of old ladies there who love her and she loves them.

When I say there are old ladies there, I don't mean middle-aged women. These women are in their 80's and 90's. I want to know why any woman over 80 would care about taking off pounds, even if it is in the sensible way. When I'm 80, I am eating whatever I want.

I've never been to a TOPS meeting, but I imagine it is sort of like Weight Watchers. You arrive, you weigh in, you commiserate with your 80-year old friends that you are up half a pound. You promise to take it off and more by next week. You talk about strategies and motivational methods. You go home.

As our conversation about motivation continued, Carolyn told me she had to lose weight by next week. When I asked her why, she said a 90-year old woman whose name I can't remember was going to bring a paddle and spank her if she didn't take off some weight. She was dead serious. I can't think of better motivation than that!