Member Stories

How Leah lost 22kg and set her sons on the path towards good health

And now she’s inspiring others too, as a WeightWatchers® Coach!
Published 14 February 2021


Leah's weight loss journey


Leah joined WW on a mission to rediscover her ‘inner sparkle’. These days, after losing 22kg in nine months, she’s not only shining brightly, she’s got a new job and says her whole family is benefiting from her new, healthier lifestyle.


Leah's 'why'

“I didn’t want to be the mum who sat on the sidelines watching her kids. I wanted to be in on the action – to wrestle with my kids, take them to the park, swing on the swings, and go down the slide. But most of all, I wanted to find me again, to get up every morning and feel motivated to start the day.”


Leah before and after

Why I joined WW


“Before having kids, I always had this get-up-and-go about me – a sort of ‘sparkle’. But then I had two babies within two years of each other and during my second pregnancy, I gained 40kg. It was hard because before having children I’d been a dance teacher so had always been pretty fit and healthy. I felt like I’d lost that sparkle.”


WW worked because it’s ‘mum friendly’


“When my son Maison, was six weeks’ old, I thought, ‘That’s it, I’m doing something about this’. But I was breastfeeding Maison and my oldest son Chace, was just a toddler. I knew whatever I did had to fit into our routines. Plus, when I first walked into a WW Workshop, I had to take my boys with me. I was worried I wouldn’t fit in but I needn’t have. Everyone loved the boys and were so supportive.”


It’s family friendly, too


“The beauty is, you don’t follow a meal plan. I began adapting our favourite family meals using WW cookbooks and my whole family fell in love with the recipes. It’s great that you can customise everything. If you want to eat out or make your favourite pasta, you can.”


Leah meal planning with WW Cookbooks

No more ‘I’ll start tomorrow’


“Because it’s so flexible, WW doesn’t end in six weeks or twelve weeks. It’s so easy to keep doing and it’s something that truly becomes your new lifestyle. You just find out what works for you and it sticks. Since starting WW, my mindset has totally changed. If I ever run out of SmartPoints, instead of telling myself, ‘Just eat what you want and start again tomorrow’, I know I’ve got my ZeroPoint foods that I can go to.”


What exercise looks like for me


“At first, exercise meant going for a walk once a week with a friend. But after about six months I woke up with a new drive and determination. I started taking the boys for 5km walks every day, stopping at a playground halfway so they could play. Then, once the kids were in bed, I’d follow aerobics videos and I always made sure I reached my goal of 10,000 steps a day. Eventually, I went back to dance classes. I’ve danced all my life and have always loved it so, while it took a little while to find my groove again, I really enjoy it. For me, it’s a social outing where I can connect with my friends and have a bit of ‘me’ time.”


I’m proud for my boys


“Getting my energy and sparkle back has brought my family closer. We’re always doing things together like going to the park and riding bikes. I’ve also noticed my new habits are rubbing off on my sons, which I’m thrilled about. Maison, my youngest, loves his vegetables and fruit now and whenever I exercise in front of the TV, he and Chace join in. I walked into the lounge room recently and Chase was doing exercises with my little hand weights. He said, ‘Mum, I’m getting fit and healthy!’. I know what I’ve done, and will keep doing, is going to help my kids have a healthier lifestyle themselves as they grow older. That feels incredible.”


Leah in the kitchen