The Weight Watchers Wagon
We all know the wagons of life—you're either on them or off. My current one is Weight Watchers. Oct. 10 will be my one-year anniversary with it. It changed my life.
Back story: I was always a single-digit size until I graduated from college and realized the wonders of pasta, powdered "cheese" and Kraft products. (I now know why my mother never let me eat its products!)
Between college and 2009, I gained 170 pounds. Wow. I've never said that aloud before. 170 pounds. In 2009, I was diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes and immediately took action—on my own, of course. Why would I need someone else to tell me how to eat?
My initial thought was "Well, my mother had the right idea, after all I was slender and healthy under her tutelage." However, this was 2009. She died in 2006.
So I started working out a little, cutting back on soda (at my highest, I was consuming 12 cans of Coke a day). It worked. I dropped 70 pounds.
And then I got cocky and my weight loss plateaued.
Last year I was at the Fryeburg Fair in Maine and was looking forward to my annual piece of fried dough. I got it, ate it and immediately felt sick. I decided it was time to finally listen to my body.
That Monday, I stepped in to the Weight Watchers in Shrewsbury, and started a journey that will last a lifetime, I'm sure, but one that has saved my life.
I am down more than 50 pounds in 10 months, leaving me only 50 pounds to my college weight.
I know I can do it and every Monday when I attend meetings, I sit in the hard plastic chair surrounded by fellow food lovers, I listen to my leader Kathy (at goal weight for 37 years!) tell us we are defined by our choices. I choose to eat in moderation now. And I choose to be a Weight Watcher.
Meetings are Mondays at 6:45 for anyone who wants to say hi to me and see how I did that week. My guess is I maintained this week, but I've been on vacation for a week, so I am OK with maintaining!
Rachel Feddersen
4:29 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Congratulations, Susan! Sounds like Weight Watchers is really working for you!
Kim Poness
4:48 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Susan - you are an inspiration!!!!! Congratulations and keep up the amazing work!!!!
James Feudo
11:17 pm on Monday, August 27, 2012
Great work, Susan. Losing weight is much easier said than done so you should be proud of yourself and your amazing progress. And thanks for sharing here - I'm sure you will inspire others.
jennifer
10:07 am on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Nice job! I am doing WW online and am down 15 lbs in about 7 weeks. Love this program!
Mike
2:26 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Great job Susan. Do yourself a favor, don't stop tracking. I was down almost 45lbs and at my goal weight and thought I could keep it off without tracking and I was wrong. I've stopped tracking but kept monitoring my weight thinking if I don't go over x pounds then I'm good. That number kept moving. I've put back on almost 35lbs and I'm now starting to track once again.
Susan Manning
2:33 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Thanks all! @Jennifer: Awesome! @Mike: Thanks for the tip! I forgot to add that since WW, I no longer measure in the diabetic or pre-diabetic range! And confirming that last night I did, in fact, maintain.
Danielle Horn
2:53 pm on Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Growing up, I remember several of my friends' moms being on Weight Watchers. I didn't know much about it and figured it was something I didn't need to know, as I've always been pretty lucky in the metabolism arena. Back in the spring, though, I wanted to shed a few - Susan told me all about it, and I was impressed. You don't realize sometimes the portions you're eating (and don't need to eat.) I've lost 7 pounds since April; the structure that WW offers is largely responsible for this. As Susan will say, WW isn't something you do temporarily - it offers guidance indefinitely. I know guys who are on WW, and women you would think don't need to lose even a pound. It's not about getting "skinny," it's about getting and staying healthy. The weight loss is just an added benefit. :-)
P.S. Susan's success and determination have been inspiring. Not just saying this because she's my boss. ;-)
Charlene Arsenault
12:59 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
The one time (besides a serious depression that struck me in 1994) that I ever was able to lose a substantial amount of weight was with Weight Watchers. I have friends and family members, too, whose lives have been changed by it. Glad I read this, and ... maybe... just maybe...it'll inspire me to go back. Coincidentally, Kathy was my group leader, too. She's awesome, and that makes all the difference.
Hawk's Mom
10:12 am on Wednesday, August 29, 2012
As a recent new member, it's motivating to read your progress...and success! This program is so real, teaching you to change your whole way of thinking...and that it's all about the choices you make. Thanks for blogging...we all have good weeks and bad weeks, and it's so helpful to hear success stories....Keep up the good work!!