well, here goes…

**The following post was written by guest contributor, Beverly Schaefer.**

Well, here goes. I have been reading this site for weeks now, and I might as well jump in.

I have always been health-minded but not necessarily a practicer (if that’s a word) of good health. My family most often followed Dad’s eating habits, which try as I have, I could not change. He is very basic - a meat and potatoes guy. However, as a younger person, I was a little picky myself but did enjoy a larger variety of vegetables.  I grew up “down south” and as most of us of my generation, thought if you set a full balanced table, that was the important thing. Nevermind that we used bacon fat for seasoning (yum) and Crisco shortening to deep fry everything and then poured a thick white sauce or gravy over it, with homemade biscuits or cornbread. I prided myself on being a great southern cook.

Now of course we are all living with the consequences and the task of changing our lives in hopes of living longer and most importantly, enjoying it longer. I quit smoking over six years and five sizes ago. I knew that even though I would not trade smokes for food, that my metabolism would change and I would be fighting the weight battle. So I joined a gym and I fell in love. I went to the gym everyday. It was perfect, an easy stop on my way home from work; I drove right past it. Work out for an hour and a half and then home to the hubby.  The gym closed 18 months later.  After going to a small friendly gym, the larger more commercial, hard-body gym just wasn’t for me. I had no where to go except u-p. Size 6-8-10-12-14…

That took several years of course, but the result is the same. I decided to join Weight Watchers. I am still in WW and this not my first time joining, but it will be my last. I will make it to “Maintenance” and I will become a lifetime member. This is my third time joining. I go to meetings and I track what I eat. I have changed the way I prepare my food and WOW! I am still a great cook. And I truly love my own food even more than before. I have learned to try more foods than I ever have and to my surprise I love almost everything I try. When asked at the last WW meeting, ”What have you learned about your relationship with food?” we all laugh because every week I go in excited about some new food I have found that I love! But the great thing is that it is not just great tasting, it is good for you!

I am excited to contribute to friends, family + laughter and will share some Weight Watchers friendly recipes and health/fitness tips I have learned along my road to getting healthier.