INTRODUCTION
My name is Dotti. After many years
of being almost 100 lbs. overweight, I started the Weight Watcher Program
on January 5, 1998. Although skeptical of the new “Point System” I decided
to follow it to the letter. By doing this, I can proudly say, “I have reached
my goal weight and made Lifetime on October 19, 1998!” As of October
19, 1998, I have lost 95 1/2 lbs. (see Before &
After Photos) through the Weight Watcher Program and coupled with
the 10 lbs. I lost the month before I started, my total loss is 105 1/2 lbs.
This is the easiest program I have ever come across. Through this “lifestyle
change” I have more energy, higher self-esteem and better health.
My goal in creating this web site
is to help others make this “lifestyle change”, whether on the Weight Watcher
Program or following one of your own. I have found that by keeping the Weight
Watcher Program or any other weight loss program simple, it not only makes
it easy to follow, but also much easier to keep on following it.
I hope my web site helps you to get the motivation you need to lose the weight
you want while incorporating a healthier lifestyle to forever live by. Thank
you for visiting and hope you leave feeling better!
MY JOURNEY
I have been over 100 lbs. overweight
and unhappy with myself for many years. My eating habits were atrocious and
I ate ALL the wrong foods. Most of the time I ate junk food and I ate whether
I was hungry or not. I was tired all the time and became a virtual “couch
potato”. I slept away most of my days because I had no energy to do anything
else. I felt totally “out of control”, beaten down and overwhelmed with my
weight problem. I was not a happy person inside. On the outside I put on a
“happy” face but inside I was slowly dying.
In November 1997, I weighed 243 lbs. I went through all of my old, skinny
clothes thinking I would never wear them again. Shortly thereafter, I was
told by some friends that there was a Weight Watcher meeting not far from
my house on Mondays at 11:30 am. I had gone through the Weight Watcher program
years ago and was not successful, largely due to a lack of a good mental attitude
about it. I was not ready then, I guess. I knew the Program worked because
I had seen others succeed where I failed. So, I made the decision to start
the Program again on January 5, 1998. December 1997 was a month of preparing
my mental attitude towards success. All month I said to myself, “I’m starting
my new life on Jan 5th!". During this month I cut back on sweets and
lost 10 lbs. before actually starting the Weight Watcher Program.
When January 5th came, I walked through the doors of the Weight Watcher meeting
weighing 233 lbs., was 5'4 1/2" tall and was 41 years old. I never looked
back. I was prepared mentally, which is the first step, for my journey to
a better, healthier lifestyle which I knew would lead me to a thinner, happier
ME.
I was very skeptical at first of
the new Point System at Weight Watchers but I decided to give it a try and
followed it exactly as explained to me by my wonderful Leader, Renee. I wrote
down everything I ate, drank my 6-8 glasses of water a day, started an exercise
program, 3 days a week for an hour and never missed a meeting except when
I was out of town. The group support I got from my weekly meetings was essential
to my success. I never use the word “diet” since this is a “lifestyle change”,
not a diet. I lost an average of 2.6 lbs. a week. I keep my foods low fat
and high in fiber while eating lots of fruits and vegetables. It didn’t take
me long to learn why I was maintaining 100 lbs. over my ideal weight. Everything
I ate before starting this journey was very high in fat, had very little fiber
and was very high in calories. Wow! What an eye-opener!
A great motivator during my journey was the love and support from my husband of 23 years, Al. My “lifestyle change” has also become his and he is benefiting
from it too. In fact, he is the one who helped me make this web site a reality.
My other great motivator was my dearest, best friend of over 22 years, Tammy.
After seeing my success and change in my lifestyle she decided to start Weight
Watchers also. We have always been close to the same weight, me being a little
heavier. She called me up and laughingly said she didn’t want me to get lower
than her. Also, she wanted that healthier lifestyle. I am very proud to tell
you that she made Lifetime (reached her goal) a short time before I did.
Compliments are also a great motivator. When my husband and I went to visit
Tammy and her husband in July 1998 he told my husband, “You didn’t tell me
that you were leaving your wife home and bringing your girlfriend.”. That
made me feel very good at what I had accomplished. Compliments like that tell
you that you are a success story!
Again, I have to tell you that I can’t believe how very easy this “lifestyle
change” has been. The weight just peeled off and I became a new, happier and
healthier person. The health benefits speak for themselves. My blood pressure
went from 120/80 to 90/52 and my heart rate was 55 at my last physical in
July. Obviously, my heart does not have to work so hard now.
I made Lifetime on October
19, 1998 (see
my Weight Loss Graph). I always try and remember to “Eat to Live, Don’t Live to Eat”. Also,
"Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels!” I keep my Size 24 jeans around
to remind me where I've been.
Good luck to all of you who decides to go on this journey!
Update - June 2009 - I am continuing on my Journey Back to Goal. I've been there once, I'll be there again with the help and support of all of you. Thanks for always rooting me on. It means the world to me. You can find all my Journal entries and updates by clicking the link below.
My Lifetime Journey Continues
|
DWLZ Cookbooks
Since the DWLZ Cookbooks Recipes
for a Lifetime, Volumes One and Two,
went out of print, we have had many
requests to make them available once
more. So, by your
request, we have
put them together into one
PDF file,
viewable in your free Acrobat Reader.
Click Here to get your copy today! |
|
|
