After
| Name |
Christine |
| Age |
39 |
| Height |
5'7" |
| Was |
181 lbs |
| Lost |
42 lbs* |
| Weight |
139 lbs |
| As of |
2/12/2010 |
Before
“ Now I don't stand in the back for every family photo. I'm proud to step up beside my kids and husband! ”
*People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.
Christine lost weight with a prior Weight Watchers program
This busy working mom always thought she didn't have time for a weight-loss plan. But when she learned she could subscribe to Weight Watchers Online, she signed up and started losing!
I started to gradually gain weight after I got married about 15 years ago. I hit my heaviest when I became pregnant with our daughter, who is now 10. For the next nine years, my life was all about having children and taking care of them as babies and toddlers. Through those "overweight" years of my life, I constantly made excuses for why I didn't get my weight under control.
A fateful trip
In the summer of 2005, we took a family trip to Europe. When I came home and looked at the vacation photos, I was shocked. I had convinced myself that even though I needed to "lose a few pounds" I still looked good. When I could barely recognize my own image, I knew I had to stop making excuses and stop settling for less than I could be.
Finding the time
I'm a very busy mom, and I also work full time. I honestly didn't believe I had time to attend meetings, so I subscribed to Weight Watchers Online and started following the POINTS® Weight-Loss System. The array of resources available online is amazing! The Weight Tracker and POINTS Tracker tools make the Plan fun and easy to use.
The hardest parts
The most difficult challenge was learning portion control. I always felt that I was eating pretty healthfully, which I generally was, but I was also eating way too much.
As soon as I started tracking POINTS values, I saw immediate results: I lost one to two pounds per week* and started on my path to improve the way I looked.
Moving motivation
I have been an avid exerciser pretty much my whole life. Before I subscribed to Weight Watchers, I walked four or five times per week for 45 minutes. Since I started, I've increased my routine to seven days a week for an hour and added some running and strength training. Adding the running component to my routine has made a significant difference in achieving my weight-loss goals as well as maintaining my goal weight.
A major key to my exercise routine has been having friends I can count on. We motivate one another to work out every other morning. We run/walk 5.5 miles together and talk about all of life's issues and solve the world's problems!
Bring in the new
My overall theme is "My time is now!" because I always said that "someday" I would lose weight. I had to realize that my life now is important and I had to make weight loss a priority in my life. Now I don't stand in the back for every family photo. I'm proud to step up beside my kids and husband!
| Christine's Tips |
- My favorite snacks are the Weight Watchers Snack Cakes in the chocolate flavor, Smart Ones® Frozen Desserts and the Weight Watchers Original Pretzel Thins Baked Snack. With two young children and a skinny husband that always like to snack and have desserts, it was crucial to me to find satisfying and delicious alternatives to turn to when I felt that need.
- If I end up going over my daily POINTS Target, I just try to do better the rest of the week and not beat myself up over it.
- When dining out, I choose Applebee's quite often since they offer a Weight Watchers menu.
- I try to be realistic with my goals. For example, in December when we had family gatherings nearly every weekend, I made my goal to maintain my weight that month. I didn't want to gain. That way, I wasn't let down in January when I'd only lost one or two pounds.
- I found a way to enjoy my fitness routine. I know that I would not have been as successful without exercise.
- Most of my friends' biggest excuses for not joining Weight Watchers are that they don't have the time to attend meetings. That's when I say: Try Weight Watchers Online!
- You can do it! I am very busy with a full-time job, two active children, an active church life and a wonderful marriage. If I can find the time for myself, anyone can!
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*People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.