Marie's weight loss journey
After losing 33kg in 2 years with WeightWatchers® in the late 1990s, Marie has not only maintained her weight loss ever since, she’s been helping others do it too, as a WW Coach. Having lost and regained weight a few times in the past, she says it was learning to give up striving for perfection that finally helped her succeed for good.
Marie's "why"
"My 'why' for joining was to look my best when asked to be a bridesmaid for my brother's wedding. My 'Why' for staying at Goal is because I love the freedom and confidence it brings. I can wear what I want instead of just what fits, I can get involved in activities instead of sitting on the sideline watching and I can live my life knowing that I am the healthiest version of myself possible."
Giving up on perfection
“For a lot of my life I was very much a black or white ‘dieter’. I was either 100% doing it or 100% not doing it – I found it really hard to find the middle ground. The thing is, if you aim for perfection, most of the time you’ll let yourself down. I now understand that if you’re not perfect it doesn’t matter – you don’t have to be! With weight loss, if you’re consistent and persistent you’ll be successful. One ‘less healthy’ meal out of 21 meals in a week doesn’t matter. It’s not going to undo your week – what’s important is what you do next.”
It’s a journey, not a race
“The other thing I’ve learned is that when you want to lose weight, who cares how long it takes? Does it really matter if you get there in six, 12 months, or longer? As long as you keep working at it and are moving towards your goals, that’s what really matters.”
Keep setting goals to stay motivated
“Having a goal to work towards is great and it can really keep you motivated. But I know from experience that when your goal is losing weight for a specific event, it can be quite easy to lose focus once that date has been and gone. When I finally lost weight for good, my goal wasn’t to lose weight for an occasion, it was to learn how to keep it off long term. And that meant doing something to lose weight that involved behaviours and habits I could do forever because it’s never ‘over’. It’s all about enjoying the journey so that you can enjoy staying there when you reach your goal – that’s what WW is.”
Exercise has to be enjoyable
“Whatever physical activity I do is always about enjoyment rather than just being about getting my steps up. I’m so lucky that I live near a beautiful big lake. It’s a 1.8km loop so I’ll often do two laps of that a day. It’s a great opportunity to clear my head and enjoy my surroundings. And on weekends my husband and I will look up walking tracks and go there with the intention of doing a beautiful walk for the sake of seeing something new and enjoying the experience.”
Your mindset really matters
“It’s the biggest part of a weight loss journey. If you’re in the right frame of mind, everything else will fall into place. I’m a WW Coach now and one thing I share with members is to get your thoughts together before you act. If you’re stressed or angry, it’s easy to reach for food as a comfort. Instead, take a moment to pause and deal with that emotion in a more helpful way. If you’re driven and excited about why you want to lose weight, it’s easier to do the things you need to do to make it happen.”