Rethinking Goals
After
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Before
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| Age |
33 |
| Height |
5'11" |
| Was |
338.8 lbs
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| Lost |
130 lbs*
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| Weight |
208.8 lbs
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| As of |
1/6/2010 |
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| *Results Not Typical |
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“It seems that losing my mother made me finally realize that the goal in front of me need not be weight loss. It needed to be health.”
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After years of failed dieting, Miranda realized that sometimes changing your goal is the key to success. I can honestly say that I have been big my entire life and feel as if I have tried every diet know to man. At certain, desperate times I even tried a couple of different diet pills to try and get weight off. I knew that the weight was affecting my life. I could clearly recognize that I was afraid to fly anywhere, not for the fear of flying, but for the fear of not fitting in the seats. I avoided shows, amusement parks and any other place that I might stick out due to my weight.
Gains and Losses
In 2005 I was blessed with a daughter. As she grew, I started to worry that she would be teased by other children about my size. In my mind I knew I wanted to do something about the weight but just couldn’t make my mind up to tackle it yet again. In a difficult turn of event, my mother and best friend was diagnosed with cancer. We lost her after a nine month battle with the disease and my life would be forever changed. Suddenly I knew that I needed to everything I possibly could to survive for as long as I could for my daughter.
It seems that losing my mother made me finally realize that the goal in front of me need not be weight loss. It needed to be health. And so, after overhearing a co-worker discuss how livable the Weight Watchers program was I decided to attend my first Weight Watchers meeting and started following the POINTS® Weight-Loss System. This time the goal was my health and longevity for my daughter.
Learning to Eat
I know this sounds funny, but one of the hardest parts in the beginning was eating enough food to get in all of my allotted POINTS values each day. My problem was had never been eating too much food (or stuffing myself), my problem was the type of food I ate. I did not like vegetables of any kind and my staple foods were pizza and chocolate; High calorie foods, that you can eat very little of before gaining weight. Once I got started with Weight Watchers, I still could have pizza and chocolate, but I really wanted to make healthier choices. The plan helped me focus my attention on healthier foods that were low in calories and would fill me up. It is amazing to realize just how much you can eat when you choose the right foods!
Once I got my eating in line I started to add activity to my life. I started slowly and in small increments. One day I would walk for twenty minutes or so and the next I would put in an exercise DVD for twenty minutes or so. I realized quickly that I needed to keep it interesting and ward off boredom. Some days, when I need some activity, I take a good half hour to dance around the house with my daughter. It is great activity and it always makes both of us feel great!
This is It!
I have lost weight several times in my life and I always knew, somewhere in the back of my mind, that I was going to gain it back. This is the first time that I know I will succeed and reach my weight loss goal. I have about 28 pounds left and I am certain I will lose it. I also know that I will be able to maintain my weight loss for the rest of my life. It is a wonderful feeling to know that you have been given the tools that you need to succeed.
There are so many benefits to being 130 pounds smaller. I am so much healthier and happier with myself. I even eat vegetables and enjoy them now! I started this process for my daughter, but somewhere along the way I started doing it for me. I can walk down the streets with my head held high not worrying that everyone is staring at me because I am so big. Today my goal is to motivate other people to improve their health and lead better lives. If I can do this, anyone can.
| Katherine’s Tips |
- There is a lot of information on the Weight Watchers.com. I would encourage everyone to get on and spend some time looking around. Reading the success stories always helps encourage me to keep going.
- Find foods that you like that will fill you up. If you can use the filling foods list, it will really help!
- I try every day to eat a wide variety of food. I love to eat salad and that is a big change for me. The key was finding a dressing that was good for me and that I liked.
- Don’t be so hard on yourself. Don’t give up just because you have a bad day or two. Find a way to realize that you are worth having what you want in life. If losing weight is what you want then do it for you!
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