*People following the WW for Diabetes program can expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. For WW Clinic members who were prescribed tirzepatide, patients lost an average of 21% of their body weight (~48 pounds) in a 72-week clinical trial evaluating 15 mg tirzepatide when paired with diet and exercise.
As told to Alice Oglethorpe
I have had a complicated history with food ever since I can remember. My parents divorced when I was young and eating junk food was my way to cope. Then, in high school, I developed disordered eating patterns and became too thin — it might have been a way for me to feel like I had control over something.
When I went away to college, I turned back to food as a way to deal with stress and depression — a trend that continued through my 20s. It seemed like the stress never stopped. My mom was diagnosed with cancer and then COVID hit — and food was a huge source of comfort. The summer of 2021, I hit 308 pounds and I remember looking at myself in the mirror and not seeing a single thing I liked. I thought of who I once was and who I wanted to become and decided in that moment that I owed it to myself to be the best version of me I could be. I signed up right away for WW. I’d tried it a few times before and knew it would work if I stuck with it. The next month I went to the doctor for a physical and was diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. It was devastating to hear that diagnosis — I cried, my family cried — but that became my motivator to change. I switched to the WeightWatchers Diabetes Program and felt motivated to put my health first.
Mind over matter
For me, it really was about my mindset. I was already pretty active. I walk my dog every day and my job as a leasing specialist in property management has me on my feet a lot — but I was so used to coping with my emotions by eating. I’d feel bad and immediately reach for a sweet coffee drink or a packaged pastry. That was going to have to change if I was going to get healthy.
Supporting stars
Right after signing up for WeightWatchers, I joined one of the virtual Black women’s Workshops. I didn’t know the other women in it at all, but I started telling them when I didn’t feel my best and they would lift me up when I fell short. I’d already had a few meetings when I got my type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and when I told my group, the other women and my Coach cried with me. With their support, I lost 10 pounds in the first few weeks and by Christmas, four months after signing up, I’d lost 25 pounds. That month, December 2021, I went to the doctor and they told me I was almost out of the type 2 diabetes range. That was the best Christmas gift I could have given myself and when I told the women in my support group, they cheered for me.
Indulging with purpose
A big thing I changed is my approach to food. I now add veggies to every meal and try to eat a more plant-based diet. And when I go out to eat, I check the Points® of different foods before I order. So instead of a fried chicken sandwich, I get the grilled version and downsize the large fry to a small. Could I skip the fries altogether? Sure, but I don’t want to deny myself anything or else I’d think about that forbidden food all day long. This is a way for me to have the foods I want but not overindulge.
Treating my whole person
There is a stigma in the Black community about mental health — it’s just not something my family and I ever discussed. But since my goal was to be the best version of myself I could be, I knew I needed to make time to work on my mindset. It was the only way I would be able to avoid eating my feelings. I had to learn that if I had a bad day and craved a specific food, to stop and ask myself what emotion I’m trying to cover up. Journaling and meditation helped me get there. Sometimes I let myself have a good cry or call a friend. In addition to therapy, which I’ve been doing since my depression diagnosis, I began to give myself pep talks. I’d say out loud: This is going to be a challenge, but we’re going to get through this. I even made my screensaver say: I can. I will. Watch me!
Rethinking my tactics
Fast-forward to 2023: My A1C had dropped, I was down 75 pounds, and I was out of the type 2 diabetes range altogether. My doctor thought I could even go off my medication, metformin, and see how I could do without out. For a while I did well, but I ended up gaining about 30 pounds back. It made me so sad. When I tried to focus even harder on tracking food, working out, and going to the Workshops, it wasn’t moving the needle enough — and my A1C was going back up again too. That’s when I decided to switch to WeightWatchers Clinic.
Right away, my Clinician prescribed me Mounjaro, a GLP-1, and it’s been amazing. I was a little nervous to inject myself at first, but now I just do it once a week and go about my life. I felt a little nausea as I moved into the higher doses, but was able to adjust pretty quickly. Within my first month I was down 10 pounds — I’m eating way less and my cravings have almost vanished. Medication has been an important tool for me — but I am still putting in the work every day. Now, I follow the WeightWatchers GLP-1 Companion Program to make sure I’m getting in all my healthy habits.
No stopping me now
Since starting on Mounjaro and the WeightWatchers GLP-1 Companion Program, I’ve lost all the weight I’d regained and then some. I’m now down 77 pounds from my heaviest and my A1C is down to 5.3, which is in the normal range — I’m not even out of the prediabetic numbers. I feel like I’ve gotten my life back. WeightWatchers has done so much more than changed the number on the scale. I’m now working towards my second masters in communication and I feel like I can do anything, all because I put myself first and was willing to do the work.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. It should not be regarded as a substitute for guidance from your healthcare provider.