Success Stories - Nancy E.Please click on thumbnails to see the full size photo. I don't think that I was ever a skinny person. Slim, yes. Skinny, no. I first joined Weight Watchers in the fall of 1989, at the age of 19. I had hit a weight and promised myself I'd never be that "big" again. that weight was approximately 135 pounds, not that bad for a person who's 5'2". I kept up with the meetings for a few months, but never really felt like I fit in to the group. I was younger than most of the women there and looking back, I don't think that my heart was into it. It just didn't click. I gave up no more than three months into the program. In the spring of 1990, I moved away from home.. as in a three hour plan ride to get "home". Over the next 10 years, and the birth of two babies, another move, stresses of marriage and life, I had gained quite a bit of extra weight. I had tried watching what I ate, I had tried getting more exercise, but after a day or two I was miserable and I would go back to my old habits. I figured I'd rather be fat and happy than thin and grumpy all the time. I spent a lot of time each day convincing myself that it was OK to be overweight, that I had to be happy with who I was as a person and not worry about what others saw on the outside. I hated going back "home" and seeing my old friends, many of whom I've known almost all my life. I was the only Mom in the group and not only did I feel out of the loop, I felt old and fat and ugly. I'd cringe seeing my reflection in the mirror while preparing to go out with them. I was dressing one afternoon to go to a wedding and couldn't get my nylons up. ripped three pairs that afternoon.. and cried my heart out. Who'd want to go to a wedding looking so fat and awful?! One day it all clicked.. If I have to convince myself of this, how could it possibly be true for me? I started visiting the Weight Watchers site several times a day. checking out meeting times and locations, reading what information was there. This was the summer of 2000 and I was preparing for my yearly journey "home". My Mom phoned one afternoon to inform me, so that I wouldn't be surprised, that my older sister (who also lives away from our home town and would be there at the same time as me) had started Weight Watchers in February and had lost a significant amount of weight. I was thrilled for her and thrilled that I'd be "home" in a few days and able to grill her on the program and find out all about it. The trip "home" was an awakening. I didn't watch everything I ate, but I was more careful and ate healthier. While we were there, my hubby ordered a treadmill for me for my birthday present. I asked my sister every question I could think of about Weight Watchers and decided that if she could do it and be happy, that I could do it too. We came back from my parent's on a Wednesday, I started on the treadmill on the Thursday morning and on the following Tuesday I was at my first weigh in. Early on in my journey I wrote myself a note, laying out why I was on this journey. my motivation for staying on program. I want my boyz to see a healthy, happy female in their life, someone who is not obsessed in a negative way about her weight. I want to have the energy to ride bikes, go skating or just go for a walk around the neighbourhood with the kids. I want to be able to wear fashionable clothing and be proud of the way I look. I don't want to look the part of the old housewife and mother. I want to be healthy. I want to look as sexy as my husband thinks I am. I want to be proud of the person I am, inside and out. I want to live a long and healthy life. I started Weight Watchers on Augus 7, 2000. and
reached Lifetime Status on August 8, 2001. I have lost, to date, 62 pounds and
my goal is to keep it off forever! I don't ever want to feel like I did a year
ago, ashamed of who I am and how I look. I enjoy being thin, healthy, happy
and in control my life. Losing the weight has made me more self-reliant, more
self-confident. I can do for myself now, not wait for 5/17 I've started on a new Weight Watchers Journey! In February 2002, I began working as a Weight Watchers Receptionist here in Canada. It's been an amazing transformation from Member to Employee! In May of 2002 I finished my Leader Training and currently have one meeting a week where I am a Leader. I am hoping to affect at least one person the way my Leader Pam affected me during my journey. If I can be as gifted as she is in her position, I will be a very successful Leader... she is motivational, encouraging, celebratory, fun, interesting, down to earth, and most of all, she cares about each of her Members. She's my inspiration and I thank her from the bottom of my heart for helping me to lose my weight and then encouraging me to become a Leader. Nancy
Photos - L-R - Before, May 20, 2000; Family, October 2000; Spring 2001; At Goal |
