Just Rejoined WW Already Lost 5 Pounds!

GalacticGal

Way back in March of 2007, I got really tired of my lack of drive when it came to shedding the weight I'd slowly put on. Started off really slow with 15 pounds, that I mostly ignored. Mind you, being 'chubby' greatly harmed my self-esteem. In the back of my head, I kept thinking, "I can get that off, no problem." I was thinking it would be as easy as when I was in my late teens. Yeah, right. But, I failed to take the necessary steps. Over time, that 15 pounds became 20 and then grew until at last, it was a whopping 70 pounds over my desired weight. One Sunday morning, distressed because I couldn't get my car to start so I could get to Church, and having no one I could call for a ride. I glumly came back inside my house and sat down in front of my computer. An idea was brewing in the back of my brain. I did a bit of research on Weight Watchers. They were touting a new program, extolling the virtues of their Points Plan. Not long before my younger sister confessed to me that she had just rejoined WW. I was surprised and told her so. I hadn't a clue she'd ever been on WW. She was a very chubby kid from age 4 and now looks fabulous.

So, after I took a look around the WW site and read all about the program, and learned I didn't have to go to a 'meeting'. Yay, I hate meetings. But, that I could do it entirely online. I joined. Now, I have to say I'm really good at sticking to something and I don't color 'outside' the lines, but rather adhere really well. I dutifully logged my points, daily. Weighed in weekly and worked the program to its fullest. 53 weeks later, I looked stunning. I saw my face in the mirror one morning and was startled. There was the person I'd known for many years. She had gone somewhere, but she was back. Although I was then a full 15 pounds heavier than when I was a teen, (have to realize I was much, much older, too. In my 50s at this point) to me I looked the same, with the added bonus my very thick legs looked great! It was ME, I was back!

I was able to hold the weight off for a good five years, plus. Even after I got seriously ill. (Catastrophic. I ALMOST died. 10% chance of survival isn't much to hang your hat on, after all.) Well, the weight suddenly crept back on. I was more than aware of it, but unable to stop my voracious appetite. I knew what I should do, but just didn't. I need the accountability, apparently. My self-esteem plummeted. I found myself in random bad moods, too. I tried to go back to WW but they had just changed the plan again. My poor injured brain couldn't wrap itself around the new plan. I gave up — and gained more weight as a result. Back when I first started WW I wore a size 22 dress. I know, shocking isn't it? I'm all of 5'3". Normally on the tiny side. Most of my life, anyway, so this was incredible to me. I had really let myself down. Was I heading there again? I promised myself I wouldn't allow that person to come back into my life. When I tipped the scales at just over the halfway mark to that previous weight, I think I began to pout.

Finally, hubby announced one morning that perhaps, if it would help, I should research WW and get back to him on the monthly cost. I walked right into a special. He left midday for a business trip, and when he called me to let me know he was at his destination, safe and sound. I told him what I'd learned. He said, sign up. It was late in the day, Wednesday, March 8th. I didn't expect to start right then and there, but I did, fearing I'd miss the special. I also went ahead and logged what I had eaten that day. Since I had just weighed myself the day before, I used that weight as my starting weight.

Long story short, you can see how short a time I've been on the Beyond the Scales plan. Emotionally, I was ready for the change. I'm back to logging my points, daily, and not cheating by having a bite of this or that without accounting for it. I even started to do what really worked the first time through. Planning my entire day of meals before eating anything! I feel great. I feel in control and my esteem is working itself upward. Yay! Apparently, I've also reached the 5% mark, too. What a boost for the Ego!

If anyone else has areas of success or just something they want to share, please feel free.

sillyangel0906

That's great, good for you!

I'm glad you made this thread. I've been thinking of making a similar one, but haven't gotten a chance yet.

I've recently started working on me lately as well. I was trim all my life. I weighed 93lbs when I graduated high school and about 140 after the birth of my third baby in 2003 and I was good with how I looked then. Then about 13 years ago, I quit smoking. Since then I've gained about 50lbs as I turned to food for stress relief and comfort when I quit smoking.

I was 5'3" and a size 16 when i started this about a month ago. Now that the kids are all teens, my husband and I go to the gym at least 5 days a week(they come along sometimes too but are usually busy with their own things). We also count calories and track everything with our fitbits and the app that comes with it. We usually do cardio for 30 minutes and then weights for 30 minutes. I've lost about 6lbs and have gone down a size as well. He's lost like 17lbs but from what I understand, its much easier for men to lose weight than it is for women

I would like to lose 50lbs and have set my goals in 10lb increments so that it doesn't seem like such a huge amount at one time. There are days when I am so tired from work and running the kids around that I have to drag myself to the gym that evening. But once I get there and get started, I'm good to go usually. some days are a little harder than others. I just have to keep at it

GalacticGal

Wow, 95 pounds, that's grossly underweight. The old rule of thumb was 100 pounds for the first five feet of height, and five pounds per inch after that. I weighed 115 pounds when I got married, nearly 43 years ago. Like I said, that's way too thin for me now, since I'm not quite an elder. So, I set my hopes on re-attaining 133 pounds. I felt good then, about myself as well as physically. Exercising is not something I can easily do. Anything, such as crunches, that makes me light-headed is a strict no-no, since I suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm. I would like to get fit, so I have to find other means to do so. I should mention I also have 'bad feet' so bicycling and walking are not really in the mix either. But, I lost the 70 initial pounds by just working the program. And I do live in a two-story house, three, if you count the finished basement.

Good luck to you, and you're smart to set mini-goals. I'm just happy whenever the scale moves downward. LOL

gabrielle

I just joined WW the other day! I'm actually really excited! Do you use the app/Connect?

GalacticGal

No. I use my PC. Haven't connected, yet. I guess this is supposed to take the place of the forums they once had.

luvdasims55

sorry to hear about your aneurysm. happy to hear you are off to a good start with WW.

i'm 6'1 (maybe an even six foot now that all my bones have settled a bit) and i weighed a whopping 155 when i graduated from high school. yah, i was a bean pole back then. lol i haven't weighed myself in years, but i weighed 265 last time i weighed myself and i'm sure i've gained at least 10 more pounds since then. 195 was the most ideal weight for me way back in the day.

i grew up in the 50's and 60's. it was the post depression time period. mom stayed home and raised us 4 kids while dad worked 2 jobs and sometimes a 3rd on weekends. money was tight, but we had a roof over our head (currently living in the house that has been our family home for over 60 years) and food on the table. our diet consisted of a bowl of cornflakes for breakfast, peanut butter and jelly with kool-aid for lunch, and a good dinner with meat, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a vegetable, and, yes, more kool-aid. only time we got candy was on halloween. we got new clothes once a year on Easter.

it might sound like i'm complaining, but i'm not. just feel you need a good background to understand where i am coming from. i learned to appreciate the things i had due to the many lawns i may have mowed to obtain them. i didn't feel life owed me anything and appreciated whatever it was i had to work for to obtain.

i drink diet coke, not because of the low calories, but because i love the taste. i get a craving for chocolate about once a month and will binge on a bag of something with chocolate. probably because i only got it on halloween as a kid. i eat a lot of fast food.

my father died unexpectedly of a massive heart attack at the age of 57. in addition to his job at the machine shop, he worked on cars. he was a work-a-holic and was basically working from dawn to dusk almost every day of the week. i truly believe he worked himself into an early grave, but he was happy and loved working on cars.

so my attitude is that i'm living every day as though it could be my last and enjoying my retirement. i know i'm over weight and out of shape. i know i've gone to the other extreme of my father and sit in front of the computer or tv way more than i should and don't get enough exercise. but i'm happy with my life, have lived a good full life, and am enjoying however many days the good Lord is blessing me with to enjoy.

hope i didn't bore you with my story. if you are not happy with your weight, then i hope you stick with it and lose it. just as it slowly adds up, it also slowly goes away. so don't get discouraged when the pounds begin to shed slowly, stick with it.

my gosh! this ended up being a much longer post than i had envisioned. lol