Almost Interviewed for The TODAY Show, Bringing Confidence in my 40s, Quitting WW Because of Oprah? No Way!

So this happened today, and I'll share my Facebook post (you can find me on FB here!)  ...

ARGH! Had a chance to be interviewed on camera for TODAY show about my Weight Watchers annoyance (they found me through the blog!) ... but they asked last-minute and we were at the nature center and now on to religious ed. #allaboutthekids

while I was doing this ...

Ernie Miller Nature Center

and then I had to rush home to make some sort of thing that resembled dinner before rushing the three youngest kids to religious education class, where I volunteer as the English translator (learning so much more Spanish and loving it) so I can get it half price.

Was I freaked out about the prospect of being on television? Yep. It's not the first time I've had the chance to be on TV. I was actually interviewed in Downtown KC once when I was in my 20s about the decline of Downtown and did I remember how cool it used to be and all that? Yes, I do remember how cool it used to be and I miss the 1950s and 1960s and 1970s charm of it. I just looked at the reporter and spoke. No big.

But lately when I have been asked by ANYONE, including 18-year-old phenom Elijah Wright, I kind of freak out. I feel like my ADD brain is going to start stuttering and won't be able to focus on the question and will look like a full-on doofus.

TODAY was different, though. Get it? It happened today and also it was TODAY, a show I LOVE. Anyway, I'm 45 now and I have fewer craps to give. I'm caring more about what REALLY matters and that does not include me looking like a moron on television. If anything, I like to be the comic relief so why not give it a shot? I'm teaching my kids that the only failure is in not trying.

Also I am realizing that I am not horrible at winging it. Don't tell anyone, but I pretty much wing it every week at co-op so far this school year and it's always awesome! The kids have a great time and I just have a of pages of stuff and a lot of ideas and we just go with it. (doesn't hurt in PE that I have a helper who is actually knowledgeable about sports but surrounding yourself with awesome people never hurts in your journey)

Curious about what made me quit Weight Watchers? Read the post here. This post got a lot of attention, probably because of the inflammatory title. I don't mince words, usually. I used to LOVE them and now I won't go back. I got a FitBit One last week (free through Aron's work ... thank you, FMC!) and it replaces my ActiveLink quite nicely!

Anyway, when I thought maybe I could get away with doing an email interview (hahaha!), here is the response I gave the reporter:

Hi there! I apologize, but I am driving with the kids and won't be able to call anytime soon today. But I would love to weigh in on your piece. Oprah did not have anything to do with my decision. I grew up on Oprah starting in the 80s and always loved her so she didn't factor into my leaving decision at all. What I hated was that they kept changing the plan every single year to keep it fresh. I know a lot of people would like that but I don't understand why they couldn't still somehow offer the old options for older members from years back and then start new options to bring in new members. I think that someone could have figured out a better way to accommodate more people rather than alienating the longtime members. Around the same time their contract with Phillips ended so there went my active link, which is a clip onto your bra fit bit type thing. Please forgive me if any of this doesn't make sense like I said I'm driving.

Yes so basically I was left with no fitness monitor and a brand-new plan that was telling me that I was eating a six point yogurt instead of a three point yogurt and it was just frustrating. I have been off and on the plan since 2005 or 2006 so I feel like I know what I'm talking about as far as knowing the different changes.

I did go to an app called Lose It! but I find that I am not really tracking my food ever. And my phone does a crappy job of tracking my steps. Last week I got a fit bit one free through my husband's work, and I am loving that it is counting my actual steps and even keeps track of sleep.

I don't really see myself going back to Weight Watchers ever because $50 a month is too high for us and I can track certain aspects of my diet in a free app that works just fine. 

Please feel free to write me back for any clarification. If you really need to do some sort of interview over the phone I am happy to do that and we can figure out some sort of time for that! I hope this helped and I'm looking forward to your piece.

Sometimes I am professional and sometimes I dictate crazy emails to reporters like an insane person. Whatever. As long as the point gets across it's all good.

Please consider signing up for an email subscription when the dealy-jobber pops up. If you have signed up before using Feedburner, I already have your info and you'll be added to my MailChimp newsletter when I get that thing going weekly :-) Thanks for reading!