Chris Powell's Choose More, Lose More for Life (8 page)

Putting together a winning team—one that can fully support you—is
essential
to your transformation success. These point people have the potential to make your journey a lot easier and more exhilarating. Once you identify some potential supporters, ask yourself four questions:

1. Do I trust them wholeheartedly?
   
2. Do I feel comfortable telling them anything?
   
3. Am I certain that they won’t judge me or chew me out if I fall?
   
4. Can I confess to them again and again, knowing that they’ll always thank me for my honesty?
   

So where do you find possible teammates? What kind of people should they be? Answer: people who already have what you want. It might seem difficult to find good point people. Possibly, there’s no one you know who meets the criterion. Don’t worry, it’s
not a problem
. There are so many places to find open, compassionate people who share your journey. They might even need their own point people!

This questionnaire will get you thinking about who’d make the best TEAM YOU players.

Which three places will I go to first to start meeting people who might belong on my support team?

1.

2.

3.

Hey! Don’t forget to include us on your support team! We might not be able to come to your house, but we’ve put together an app full of daily motivational tips and helps: Check out my website to find links to download it. And hit our social media sites to connect even more:

chrispowell.com

heidipowell.net

facebook.com/RealChrisPowell

facebook.com/HeidiPowell

twitter.com/RealChrisPowell

twitter.com/RealHeidiPowell

We’ll be with you every step of the way on your transformation journey! We also recommend the following resources:

Weight Watchers
(
weightwatchers.com
) offers meetings around the world as well as an online community. You can meet like-minded friends in either place.

Overeaters Anonymous
(oa.org) is a twelve-step program that holds meetings all over the world. On their website you can find a meeting near you and get to know others who are transforming their lives.

FindSportsNow
(
findsportsnow.com
) is an awesome source of info on sports groups, leagues, clubs, and athletic events in your community. Whether you’re into walking, yoga, tennis, or weight training, this site connects you to people who share your goals.

When Rachel was a little girl, she was sure that God had big plans for her, that He had something special in mind just for her. She knew she was a little different: She was the only one in her family with brown eyes, and she was the only one who struggled with weight problems. Growing up with four brothers and sisters, she’d come home from church and share a big, Southern family dinner, eating sometimes as much as 2,400 calories in one meal! Afterward, while clearing the table, she’d eat even more.

Rachel kept getting chunkier, so she had to stop doing some of the things she loved. She loved adrenaline rushes, but when she was thirteen she had to get off a ride at an amusement park because she didn’t fit in the seat. Even though she was deeply embarrassed, she didn’t let her feelings show. She fit in at school by being the smart, funny, outgoing kid. Despite her size, she was athletic, playing on the basketball team. Her only problem was her weight. By the time she was fifteen, Rachel weighed 315 pounds. Still, she didn’t feel fat! When she looked in the mirror, she saw a beautiful young woman.

That began to change during Rachel’s last year in high school. She realized that when some people looked at her, they didn’t see a likeable, interesting girl; they saw a fat girl. She knew she needed to do something about
her weight, but she had no clue where to begin. Assuming that if she ate less, she’d weigh less, she tried fad diet after fad diet. She just got tangled up in confusing numbers and calorie counting. After a week or two, she’d give up or move on to another plan. Nothing lasted.

Rachel went to college hoping she’d get her life back, but instead she kept eating the same unhealthy way she always had: one huge meal at a time. She starved herself during the day, then ate at night—two thousand or more calories all at once. The pattern seriously messed with her metabolism, which made it deadly for her weight. She had no clue about the damage she was doing to her body.

In three months, Rachel packed on eighty more pounds, reaching her highest weight—399 pounds. It was difficult for her to walk and even to breathe, let alone play the sports she loved. When she went home on break, her family was shocked. She started to give up on her dreams of achieving something great someday. She was completely miserable.

Health became a big problem for Rachel. Her doctor told her that she’d never be able to have children at her weight and ordered an ultrasound on her thyroid. When the doctor at the clinic asked her how much she weighed, she took a guess and said 350 pounds—too much for the clinic’s table! Then Rachel heard about Lap-Band surgery and figured it was her key to success—to changing her life. But she didn’t qualify for the operation. One setback after another took its toll.

Now what? Rachel decided that the NBC show
The Biggest Loser
was her ticket. When she was turned down, she tried to move on. She got a job teaching at a small Christian school, but she still couldn’t control her eating and her weight remained a problem. As the gym teacher, she couldn’t do half the exercises she taught the kids! She had always loved to play sports, and now she couldn’t. Something in her mind clicked: Rachel wanted a good life, not one wasted on misery. If she was going to improve her life, she had to make some big changes. This was her moment of clarity—she just didn’t know how to turn that clarity into action.