Success Stories - Janice

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Being a sickly baby laid the groundwork for being a chubby child, an obese teenager and an obese adult. A constant battle over the years was to no avail. Hospitals, clinics and so forth, but being a typical obstinate child and young adult, I would not listen. Various incidences of humiliation and degradation pushed me into numerous diets, all temporarily successful. At the age of eleven, I weighed 175 pounds and at nineteen years of age, I weighed 287 lbs. This caused my high school years to be a nightmare and my college dreams of nursing school to be shattered. At the age of twenty-one, I was a graduate of Vesper George School of Art and had reached a top weight of 310 pounds.

Later, while working my way up at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, I was caught in a cycle of crash dieting, losing a good deal of weight in a very short amount of time. Along with a drastic weight loss, I lost the sight in one eye - a deterioration of the optic nerve due to malnutrition. Discouraged and beaten down by this experience because now my livelihood as an artist was completely dependent on my eyes, my weight soared again to 280 pounds. Because of this weight, I was ashamed to go to Weight Watchers, which I now realize was absurd. In January 1967, my weight was down to 266 pounds. It was then that I decided to join Weight Watchers.

In May 1967 I had lost fifty-four pounds and was very proud of myself, as were my family and friends. All the compliments I received made me foolishly think I didn't need help anymore and I could go it alone. I stopped going to meetings and over a three-year period, I gained weight again. I rejoined again, this time successfully. Then, from 1972-1975, having lost 150 pounds, I became a Weight Watcher lecturer. During that time my life took a complete turn when I lost my Mother. With a complete loss of concentration on my weight, I gave up lecturing and my weight soared again unchecked.

Over the years, my weight continued to fluctuate, which brings me to April 1998. I once again made a commitment to Weight Watchers, for the ninth time. I have passed my seventieth birthday and I am at my goal weight, having lost a total of 130 pounds. It took me from April 1998 to September of 1999 to reach my goal - seventeen months. 

I have always been an active person and I am even more so now. My husband and I are avid square dancers and ballroom dancers and enjoying our lives to the fullest. Holidays, parties and other events are not a problem to me as I keep referring back to why I wanted to lose my weight once again. At this stage of my life I wanted to be the healthiest, happiest and most active that I could be. And I have achieved those goals!

I have written inspirational and motivational poetry for years on the problems, pitfalls and perils we face daily in losing weight and to date have six books in publication. My poetry has helped me on my journey to goal as well as helping others to achieve their goals. With my faith in God, a great support group and a wonderful husband, I am resolved to remain at goal for good and to help others as I have been helped by many along my journey. 

One of my favorite sayings is: "If it is to be...it's up to me"

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Photos - L-R: 1989 - I am far left; 1998; 1999; "collage" of photos; updated photo that was taken Feb 2001

(3/18) Above, far right, is an updated photo taken last month. I've been doing a lot of volunteer speaking and feel so good about it! There is so much gratification in helping others attain their goals. 

Here is a recipe that I wrote years ago:

FUTURE HAPPINESS PUDDING Take a great amount of determination; set aside. Blend together several
handfuls of willpower, understanding, courage, persistence, truth,
perseverance, seriousness and a basic sense of humor. Combine all ingredients
together and bake until life springs back to full meaning. When done, for a
tasty topping, frost with a lifetime of health and happiness

Janice is a very talented writer of inspirational poems - they are absolutely wonderful and I never tire of reading them, especially when I am "struggling a bit" on my own journey. Dott

"Reflections of a Lifetime" is a 229 page book of inspirational and motivational poetry about the problems, pitfalls and perils we face daily in dieting and losing weight. To order this wonderful, inspirational book, please go to her website, "Reflections of a Lifetime"

Losers Are Winners Publications
P.O. Box 751
Manomet, MA 02345
Phone (508) 224-6135
Fax (508) 224-5125

"Reflections of a Lifetime" - my Personal Website

Janice's Email


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