Whether you hit goal months ago or you're two days along, it's important to take time to pause and admire the amazing work you've done. Check out how these members stopped to appreciate the journey.
"We travel to Florida quite a bit. In the past, I’d have to ask the flight attendant for a seat-belt extender, and often didn’t give it back. It was too embarrassing to request one every time. Before our most recent trip, I found three extenders in my closet and brought them with me. After we landed, my husband, daughter, and I left them on our seats. I was leaving my weight baggage behind.”
Cathy, 60, North Andover, MA
"I used to visit amusement parks all the time. But I stopped going because I was afraid I wouldn’t fit in the rides. Two weeks ago, I finally went on a Ferris wheel with my daughter. Hopping into the seat with her was exciting and extremely liberating.”
Lizbeth, 41, Newington, CT
"Last year, when I was just 33 years old, my doctor prescribed cholesterol medication. I joined Weight Watchers two days later. After three months, my numbers improved enough that my doctor took me off the medication. Today, I’m down to a 34-inch waist, and I bought these pants to celebrate!”
Nathan, 34, Cleburne, TX
"I used to find yoga so boring, but as I slowly developed my practice, it became one of my favorite ways to exercise. I love that there are no rules you must follow. I always push myself to try different body-bending moves and that means I end up falling a lot, but I laugh it off and try again. I recently nailed a move called the funky flying crow, and now I’m working on one that’s similar to the flying pigeon. Performing these body-bending poses correctly is so rewarding!”
Dyenna Schedgick
36, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
"Even though I was down a size, I was still wearing my bigger clothes because I was in the middle of my journey. Then one day I thought, ‘I’m worth more than these old clothes.’ I decided to use them to start our fire pit that night. I celebrated not needing them anymore and never going back to them. Now, I’ll never again put on those pants by accident.”
Amy, 41, Mount Vernon, IA
"My boyfriend and I saw this sunflower field on the side of the road. We stopped the car and jumped out to take pictures. It was so fun to
be spontaneous, and even better that I didn’t care about what people were thinking as they were driving by! I didn’t worry about the photos—I knew I’d love every photo I was in.”
McKenzie, 19, Sacramento, CA
"This past summer, my family and I took a vacation in Europe. We traveled to London and Barcelona. I felt so confident throughout the trip—confident enough to wear shorts while sightseeing! I had so much energy throughout our vacation. I wanted to see everything.”
Sabrina, 42, Fate, TX
"I started scuba diving for fun in 2011. Before you jump into the water, you need to add lead weights to your body to get to the bottom.
Fat floats, so the heavier you are, the more weight you need. When you’re setting up your gear, the first thing you do is ask for the amount of weight you need. As I gained weight over the years, I went from asking for 12 pounds to 18. But now I only need 8!”
Diana, 30, Baldwin, NY