#8- Ryan

May 2011

Our Wedding Day- 01.04.08

To say that Ryan has been supportive during the 14 months of this weight watchers journey (and before that) would be an incredible understatement.  Ryan has always been my advocate, even when I was at my heaviest.  I felt so bad about myself that I had a difficult time believing Ryan when he would tell me how beautiful I was, but he never stopped telling me.  I knew that my weight gain was negatively affecting how I felt about myself, and therefore, negatively affecting my marriage.  Ryan and I committed from the time we were engaged that we would always be willing to do the work of making our marriage strong.  I knew that getting healthy was part of the work that I had to do. 

So, when I wanted to join weight watchers, Ryan supported me.  Not only did Ryan help me make changes in my life, but he made those changes with me.  Ryan ate the same foods I did, joined the gym with me and even lost weight along the way as well. When I would have a victory on the scale, Ryan celebrated with me.  If I was having a difficult week, Ryan would remind me that it was about changing our lives and becoming healthy people, not about the numbers on the scale.  Ryan listens when I tell him what I learn about food or about myself from weight watchers meetings, he listens and responds when I ask him for help to meet my goals.  When I tell him that I am having "food issues" that day, he is sensitive and helpful.  Ryan never judged me for gaining weight, or for how difficult it has been for me to lose the weight, and he doesn't judge me now when I am struggling to maintain my goal weight.  I know that Ryan makes a deliberate effort to help, support and encourage me through this process and everything I go through.  Thank you, Ryan, for going on this journey with me and being so fantastic!