AN ANCHOR IS NOT JUST FOR A BOAT!

   When I hear the word "anchor," I think back to seeing Popeye the Sailor cartoons and the anchors I remember tattooed on his forearms. I remember the huge anchor I saw on a visit to the Navy yard in Tonga. It was taller than I was! When trying to pitch tents on a sandy beach, we buried rocks tied to ropes to help anchor our tents.  An anchor helps to secure something to hold it in place or to keep it from straying.  Have you ever used an anchor to keep you from straying from your plan for good health?
   Okay, I'm not talking about a hunk of metal or a big rock.  An anchor can be a phrase, a small object, a gesture, or a snapshot in time (metal image) that is used to remind you of your goal and that you are able to achieve it. The article "Tools for Living- Anchoring" on Weight Watchers.com explains how to go about finding your anchor.
   I really enjoyed hearing from members about their anchors.  One member said when she is tempted with bad food choices she remembers the phrase "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"  Another shared that she buys a new pair of shoes for each ten pounds she loses.  She would rather walk with those pounds on her feet than on her body. Another member said that being able to feel her collar bone keeps her motivated.  A husband and wife team shared that they have pictures around the house of when they were first married and thinner.  The pictures help motivate them to encourage each other and stay on the plan.  In one of my meetings we have a marble jar.  Each week we add a marble for each pound lost for the group.  At another meeting we are keeping track of the pounds lost using a paperclip chain.  All of these things encourage and help us stay on track.
   I have several anchors and continue to add to my list.  I have a paper clip chain hanging on my car mirror.  When I first joined Weight Watchers in 2010 I started getting a charm for each five pounds I lost.  I have a fifty pound bracelet and a twenty-five pound bracelet I keep hanging where I can see them and continue to wear them occasionally when I go places I need a little more support to stay on plan.  One of the mental snapshots I have is of a time I was getting ready to leave my sister's home after a visit.  My youngest nephew was hugging me good-bye and he stepped back and said, "Aunt Winna, I use to have to hug you like this (He held his arms forming a circle with his fingertips almost touching.), but now I can hug you like this (He held his arms forming a circle with his arms overlapping and his hands grabbing the middle of his forearms.).  I cannot even begin to describe the feeling I had at that moment.  On several occasions I've thought of that moment and that anchor has kept me on track.
   Let me encourage you to find you anchor.  Being healthy is important and you need to every tool at your disposal to reach your goal!