Saying Thanks

So, this week was a little more challenging than I would've liked it to be.  I did a lot of eating out and not very much working out.  But, you'll have weeks like this all your life, so it's important to learn to manage them.  How did I do it?  By making some reasonably smart choices at the restaurants and getting in as much of a workout as you can.  When we went out for brunch, I got the omelet made only with egg whites and a whole wheat English Muffin.  From the Greek restaurant I got the beef kebab (which was super delicious) - but it was lean meat and veggies.  I didn't make such smart decisions at Mad Mex, but we've all got to let loose a little sometimes!

In any case, all we can do is to make the best choices we can at the time.  Granted, it helps if you're able to work out, but again....you fit in what you can when you can, and noone can ask any more from you.

On a slightly different topic, I did something this week of which I'm kind of proud.  It's been on my mind recently to say thanks to some people who have been a big help on my journey.  A few weeks ago I wrote a post thanking those who helped me out during the summer, but I realized that I hadn't thanked some important people who helped me this whole time...the creators of the Wii and Just Dance.  Yes, I am quite serious.

I got to thinking that people who make things like video games, televisions, and other appliances that we use every day rarely ever actually hear how much of an impact their product has on our lives.  Sure they can see how many people BUY them, and sure they make lots of money off of them, but how often does someone actually say thank you for them??  And since using the Wii was a huge part of my success, I thought that I should say thanks...so I did.  I went to the Wii website, found their "contact us" page, located the spot for "general questions/feedback", and sent the following message:

I just wanted to send a note to say thank you. By using dance games on my Wii for the last seven months (and along with maintaining a healthier diet), I have been able to lose over 50 pounds. Being significantly overweight, and working on a college campus, I was extremely self-conscious about going to a gym where my students also were. Having the Wii and my Just Dance games at home not only gave me the privacy I needed to begin getting active at my own pace, but it also took away my excuses to not exercise. The convenience of having a fun way to be active in my own apartment that I could do on my own or with friends, and whenever was easiest for me, made it nearly impossible for me to come up with valid reasons to not do it.

I think that too often we forget to thank those who create what we use daily. And as the Wii itself, as well as the Just Dance games, have helped make such a significant impact on my life, I wanted to make sure I took a moment to say thank you. (I've also been sure to mention how great they've been on my weight loss blog so that everyone who reads it knows how much I appreciate your products!) So, thank you!

-Elizabeth Estell

I felt really good after I sent it!  I remembered how great it makes me feel when a student expresses thanks to me or tells me that I've made an impact on them, especially when it's unexpected.  So, I truly hoped that my message made someone's day the way my students sometimes make mine.  Then, this morning I got a response:

Hello Elizabeth,

Wow!  Thanks so much for sharing your story with us; it's great to hear that the Wii console was able to motivate you to get healthy!  I must admit that I'm very impressed and would love to share your success amongst our different departments.  Therefore, I have added your comments to our records so that our other departments can see.

It's worth mentioning that the Just Dance games are developed and published by Ubisoft.  As such, I encourage you to share your kind words with them as well; they're sure to be glad to hear that their games had such a positive impact on you.  To get contact information for this company, go to the following web address and click on the company name:

http://www.nintendo.com/corp/licensees_third.jsp

It's great to know that we can make a difference in people's lives!  Once again, thank you for your continued support.  I hope that you, your friends, and your readers will continue to enjoy our products, or give them a chance for the first time if they haven't already.

Sincerely,

Karen Johnson
Nintendo of America Inc

It was so great to get a response and know that my words made them feel appreciated!  I haven't taken her advice to thank Ubisoft for Just Dance yet, but that's mostly because I spent the day actually working!  I do hope to send a similar note to the company and maybe I can make a good day for two people!  Sometimes it feels even better to be the one to say thanks!

Initial weight: 257.2
Week 31: -0.2
Total weight loss: -51.0
Current weight: 206.2

Hey, after the week that I had, I will take my 0.2 loss and be happy about it!  A loss is a loss!