Been kind of hit and miss lately, and I know it's been affecting my "compliance" to the program. Good news is, no weight gain...bad news is, no weight loss.
Also been stressing out over a "job" search. I had worked for 25 years with the same company until '05 when it started turning all "dark" and "corporate" and I was being systematically pushed out the door for younger, cheaper, and dare I say it, thinner labor. I was in outside sales, and while my accounts didn't seem to have any issues with my size, apparently my new boss did and he slowly stripped my account list and demoted me to inside. I'd reached "retirement" age so in July I opted to quit and take up with a company that would allow me to "work from home".
Between my pension and telecommuting position I was making ends meet, but these past 6 months things started to go south and I determined that I needed to get back into a 9 to 5 routine with a company that paid regularly and offered benefits.
It's hard to explain the difference in attitude I've developed since losing 120 pounds. Previously, while knowing inside that I was a very good salesperson, with revenue figures to back it up, I let my bosses get away with treating me poorly because I was fat and probably should be grateful I had a job at all. That's how badly being overweight had affected my self-image.
But these past two months I experienced an epiphany of sorts. I applied for two outside sales positions with a couple of highly visible public companies. The initial interviews were over the phone and I aced both of them, but then, "over the phone" was always a breeze for me to do. It was the "face to face" interviews where I felt I would be pre-judged as soon as I entered a room.
But this time, I didn't worry about meeting the interviewer in person. I felt confident and poised. Even though I still am 50+ pounds away from my goal, I knew I looked a lot better than before and I felt like the job(s) would be mine to have. The only snag I hit was when I was invited to the companies for the interview and realized the evening before that I didn't have a business suit that fit! Can't remember the last time I had actually gone and purchased "business attire". So I made a mad dash to our local Lane Bryant store and found a really nice suit. It was a size 16, still quite zaftig, but a whole heck of a lot better than my last suit, a size 30!
Found out that Company A had had over 50 applicants and that over the past 3 weeks had narrowed it down to two of us. Company B offered me a position last week, but I REALLY wanted to work for the first company. I told Company B that I wanted to see what A offered before making my final decision, and they agreed to wait! (Now that was a real ego boost...having a company "wait" for your decision.)
Long story short...Company A made an offer yesterday afternoon and I'm going with them. They're overnighting my employment package. I was able to select my level of compensation and the benefits are phenomenal. (They even offer "pet insurance"!)
I know in my heart of hearts that my accomplishments and references from my old clients "qualified" me for this new job, but I also know that I probably wouldn't have gotten it 120 pounds ago. Apparently the other applicant and I were quite evenly matched, but what impressed the recruiter was the fact that I had lost so much weight, displaying in his opinion an ability to "work and succeed in achieving long term goals". He told me it was a remarkable accomplishment and I should be very proud of my success. But, I can't let that lull me into a false sense of ..."I've arrived!" 'Cuz I still have a long (50+ pounds) way to go.
Just thought I'd pass on this NSV as an example of additional "good stuff" that can happen if you just keep on plan and stay focused on your goal. Easier said than done sometimes, but so worth it in the end.
Off to buy more suits...
Carmel