Moving Marbles and Realizing Success

Everyday we're bombarded with so many stories about the hopeless nature of our unhealthy lifestyles. This is usually compounded by the stories that remind us of how difficult it can be to shed the pounds once you've gained the weight.

However, for me, I'm also reminded each day that success is easily realized and comes in all different flavors.

For example, I had a patient tell me about the thrill she had from being able to give blood for the first time because her blood pressure is now adequately controlled as a result of losing weight and living a healthier lifestyle.

One of our patients described the thrill of not having to use extra insulin throughout the day to cover her previously out of control blood sugars. Several others this week have talked about not having to take any medications for diabetes at all!

For those who have dealt with the limitations that being overweight can place on you, being able to do things like cross your legs or sit in an airline seat comfortably (all things we can take for granted) are major accomplishments that deserve celebration.

I was inspired yesterday when one of our patients told me how she marked her progress and celebrated each weekly victory. She used a jar of marbles to symbolize her extra weight that she wanted to lose, and each week as she lost weight, she moved those marbles to another jar to mark the accomplishment. All at once, she reminded herself of how far she had come and where she didn't want to return.

What marbles have you moved this week?