Here are some Weight Watchers' success stories that I think are inspirational
Randi's Story
Name: Randi
Age: 35
Height: 5'4"
Was: 175 lbs
Lost: 34.2 lbs*
Weight: 140.8 lbs
As of 04/19/2008
After
*Results Not Typical
I had been on and off diets since I was in high school. I never felt in control of my eating or comfortable with my body. The anxiety I felt peaked while on a ski trip with friends. Every day of the trip I promised myself that the next day would be “different.” I’d vow to get my eating under control and stop the vicious cycle I was in. Each day that I failed to carry through on my promise I became more convinced I needed help creating a healthier relationship with food.
Upon returning home I decided to join Weight Watchers meetings and started following the POINTS® Weight-Loss System. I had been a member in the past, but I hadn't been ready to make the permanent lifestyle changes that the plan seemed to encourage. I jumped in with both feet and was fortunate to have endless support from friends and family surrounding my decision. I seemed to cruise to my initial 10 percent weight-loss goal effortlessly. I enjoyed every aspect of the plan and thought I had the details under control until I hit a time when my weight just plateaued. It hovered within about a five-pound range for many months. I felt discouraged and even embarrassed about how long it seemed to be taking me to get to my goal.
Letting Go Feeling so much negativity about my weight loss made me want to give up. I told myself that I made a commitment to the plan, no matter what. I tapped into three key resources I would rely on to complete the journey: Commitment, belief and patience would be the mainstay of those months without true weight-loss.
The difficulty of my plateau forced me to recognize several places where I could make healthy adjustments to my plan. I started by investigating how I could more consistently get the Good Health Guidelines into my daily meal plans. Then I looked at my workouts. I decided to hire a personal trainer to get myself to the next level physically. He helped me to realize that I had been "plateauing" in the gym. I added in much more strength training and make every workout count by making sure that I was really pushing myself.
Moving again over time the scale began moving again. I was thrilled. The best part about it was that I was no longer feeling discouraged or embarrassed about the amount of time it was taking me to lose weight. Now I was feeling grateful that I had taken my time. Over the course of my weight-loss journey I had encountered just about every challenge anyone might: a move across the country, a new job, new apartment, new relationship, vacations and every event that can be celebrated.
At goal, I feel like the plan is this little safety net that is always with me if old habits or feelings start coming back. Every day is still a challenge, but it is so much easier because I have all the tools I need to get through. From meetings to the Web site, to the food plan itself—I am covered. Today I love that people see me as a "normal" woman around food. I find that I constantly look toward the future, have tons of energy and love that people even call me "skinny." With help from Weight Watchers my tomorrow will be different!
Randi's Tips:
- Wait 15 minutes to eat something you think you want to eat. If you are still thinking about it 15 minutes later, you really want it; otherwise, it was a passing urge.
- When dining out, portions are huge, so I make a habit of giving my food away for people to "taste." It cuts my portion down and gets the remaining food off my plate.
- Use the Web site for inspiration from Success Stories and recipes. Rely on the Community for helpful tips and great advice.
- I eat a salad every day with olive oil, salt and pepper for dressing. If you use really good olive oil, then the salad tastes great with no other dressing but that.
- I used the Monthly Pass and really enjoyed it. The main benefit was that I felt like I was committed and didn't need to make a payment decision every month. It helped me to not feel guilty if I didn't want to weigh-in one week, as I could simply know that the month was paid for and I would be back the next week. I could then sit in the meeting without beating myself up.
Amy's Story
Name: Amy
Age: 37
Height: 5'3"
Was: 156 lbs
Lost: 33.5 lbs*
Weight: 122.5 lbs
As of 06/9/2008
Before
After
*Results not typical
I began my weight loss, like so many others, on New Year’s Day. I had long been uncomfortable not only in my clothing, but also in my own skin. I had little energy and less confidence. Naps were a staple in my day, and as I faced the decision either to go up a size in clothing or finally start going down, I made the choice to subscribe to Weight Watchers Online and started following the POINTS® Weight-Loss System.
Getting ready to be honest, I had been gearing myself up to subscribe to Weight Watchers Online for some time. I was contemplating the change but unwilling to commit. During the food-laden weeks in December I had my final hurrah. I ate with abandon knowing that a huge change was in store. When I was finally ready, I chose Weight Watchers Online because it offered me flexibility, recipes, guidance and inspiration. My impetus for starting was to create and maintain a healthier lifestyle for both me and my family.
Everything that I thought I knew about weight loss was basically wrong. I had a bunch of disconnected ideas and fragmented knowledge that had left me struggling for the past few years. In my first, fledgling weeks on the plan I thought I would lose extra weight if I ate less than my daily allotted POINTS® Target. Not only was I hungry, but success was also hard to find. Out of frustration, I did some research on Weight Watchers Online where I was able to find abundant information about metabolism and caloric intake. There I learned it is important to eat in order to lose weight. Who knew?
Getting help with some initial success in the weight-loss arena, I decided I needed professional help to learn about exercise. I joined a local sports club and signed up for four sessions with a personal trainer. In those sessions I learned about proper weight training and cardiovascular fitness. Over time, to my surprise and the surprise of others, I’ve become what you might call a fitness junkie. Funny how I used to say I didn’t have time to exercise. I probably said that right before lying down for my nap. Now I know I'd been making excuses. If you truly want to change, you will find the time.
I am proud to be teaching my children about food, nutrition and exercise. This has been a wonderful and informative journey. My children are learning from my examples: We enjoy being active and preparing healthy food together. Hopefully they will never have to deal with the physical or emotional pain that I experienced being overweight and unhealthy.
Amy’s tips
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