'I Was Embarrassed By How I Looked In Family Holiday Photos. So I Joined WW And Have Stuck With It For 3 Years'
I grew up thin and an average weight. I was active in sports, and that helped me combat really bad eating habits. As I got older, I stopped being so active, and when I reached my late 20, my metabolism slowed down and I started gaining weight.
I gained about 100 pounds over a six- to seven-year period. I was not active, not healthy, and things were getting progressively worse. I had no energy and I felt much older than I actually was. I avoided social outings where I might see people from my past because I was embarrassed by my weight gain and overall appearance.
I also tested pre-diabetic (diabetes runs in my family). Over this time period, I had tried a few different weight loss methods—supplements, pills, shakes, you name it. I even joined WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) once or twice but I never stuck to anything at that point.
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My turning point came in January 2016. I had seen several family pictures from the holidays and was so embarrassed by how I had let myself go.
I felt like I was at an all-time low in my life. I was unhealthy and unhappy. So, I decided to give WW another try. I set a start date, January 30th, and I went to a WW and purchased a three-month membership. I didn’t tell anyone except for my boyfriend at the time (who’s now my husband) that I had joined.
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WW worked for me. I joined as a Meetings Member and just completely invested myself in the program.
From day one, I followed the plan as it was intended. I went to the store and used the barcode scanner to find foods that were low point values. I looked up WW-friendly recipes online. I started an anonymous Instagram account devoted to my weight loss, where I started posting the food I was eating and my weigh in results to keep me accountable.
Because I worked the program, it worked for me. Even though I didn’t eat a lot of vegetables (I still struggle with eating enough of them!), I could spend my points how I wanted to and make the best choices I could. I focused on eating lots of lean proteins to help me feel fuller for longer. I also made sure to drink a ton of water, as it helps me feel full so I’m not searching for snacks or eating too much outside of meal times.
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Here’s what I typically eat in a day now.
- Breakfast: I prefer to eat fruit in the morning. I always have an unsweetened apple sauce cup and a banana.
- Lunch: My favorite go-to is a turkey sandwich and a bowl of soup, plus some dill pickles on the side.
- Snacks: I love having turkey pepperoni, a Laughing Cow Cheese wedge, and crackers. Grapes and popcorn make good snacks, too.
- Dinner: My favorite go-to is Mississippi chicken served over rice, with green beans and air-fried squash.
- Dessert: I love chocolate pudding with a little cool whip on top.
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I also started wearing a Fitbit (and then an Apple Watch) to track my activity.
I took the stairs at work and the long way to the water cooler or the bathroom—anything I could do to get steps in. And the weight started to fall off. Within 10.5 months, I had reached my goal weight and lost just over 100 pounds.
During that journey, I worked my way through a Couch to 5K program and ran my first 5K race. I joined a softball team, and ran in several 5Ks, as well as the Tough Mudder (a 13-mile mud obstacle run).
In July 2018, I also started going to Orangetheory–and I’m hooked. I have continued that membership since that time, and I attend a class two to three times a week.
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I’ve lost 100 pounds, and it took me 10.5 months.
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I’ve been right around my goal weight since December 2016. In all that time, I’ve followed the WW plan and stayed active. I’m so proud of myself that I’ve found something that works for me, that I’ve been able to stick to for three years.
I have friends that tell me it’s like I’m a flower that blossomed since I’ve lost weight. I used to be shy and not very outgoing, but losing the weight and the mental and emotional work I’ve done along the way has definitely helped me to become a confident person.
I celebrate non-scale victories as often as I can. I’ve had so many awesome opportunities since I started this weight loss journey, and I’ve met some truly incredible people. Finding a community on Instagram, too, has helped me connect with like-minded individuals and even find recipes, tips, tricks, and, most of all,accountability. My life is completely different from that unhealthy, unhappy person I was before.
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For more amazing beauty, fitness, and weight loss transformations, check out the rest of our Transformations Week collection.
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