A Success Story

      13 Comments on A Success Story

I mentioned I have had a couple of “projects” I’m working on, and today, I will share the first one.  Well, first I will admit that I lied about it being “my” project, ha ha! 😉 It’s actually something a friend of mine has been doing, and I just needed to wait for her to send it to me.

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One of the things I truly believe in when it comes to weight loss and fitness is the concept of having a support network to help in your efforts.  It’s amazing how beneficial it can be to have someone you know not only cheering you on, but also giving you support when things aren’t going as well, or just empathizing with you on those days you really want to stuff your face with tater tots. 😉

I have several of those friends, but today I want to write about one in particular.  Her name is Jenn, and we have been friends for over 6 years.  We met online (ha, that sounds ominous) through a message board of which we both were first members and then eventually administrators. We got thrown into the foray of message board administration together, neither of us having a clue what we were doing, and we just muddled along and leaned on each other for support, lol!

When it came to weight loss, we supported each other there, too.  We both started on Weight Watchers in the fall of 2011, and although we actually live far, far apart (like, she lives near Washington DC and I live near Detroit!), we have emailed and texted quite a bit in the last year, and had a few phone calls.  I can remember one call in particular when she was so close to her goal back in the spring (maybe 11 or 12 pounds away?) and she called me just as I was getting Subway with the boys after a hockey game.  Ironically, I had been thinking about going crazy and getting one of those really fattening subs, but just hearing Jenn’s voice reminded me why I was doing what I was doing, and I stuck with my 7-point standby. 😉

It has been both helpful and enjoyable to have the support of a friend who also happens to be doing Weight Watchers.  She has faithfully read my blog (God love her!!) and I can only hope I have been half as encouraging to her as she has been for me.  So encouraging, in fact, that when she read about my zucchini over-abundance, she even sent me a recipe for zucchini tater tots, lol! (Because she knows I love tater tots!)

Today I would like to showcase and celebrate Jenn’s story, because it’s a great story to tell! I asked her if she would let me “interview” her for my blog, and her reply was so well-done, I’m just going to share it here as is…

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Hi, Steph!

First off, thanks for helping me celebrate.  They aren’t kidding when they say it is a journey, but it is well worth it.   

BACKGROUND:  This is my second attempt at Weight Watchers.  The first time I lost 30lbs (it wasn’t quite my goal, but it was a decent showing), but I wasn’t committed and gained back the 30lbs and then some. 

My second attempt began on August 23rd last year.  Two co-workers and I joined the “at work” program at our office.  I was 198lbs and the idea of tipping that 200lb point was my breaking point, not to mention my family history of diabetes and heart disease.  I’ve sent you three photos of me, which are about a year apart and part of my baseball quest.*  This one at Turner Field is September 2011 as I began my WW journey. 

My support network has been vital to my journey – they received text messages of despair from Arizona and encouraged me as I “decoded” the entire menu at Macaroni Grill.  Over the last 15 months, I’ve shed 63 pounds.

This second picture is at Chase Field in September 2012 as I am reaching goal. 

Last Tuesday, I fell below my goal weight of 136lbs.  Here is a picture of me from this past Monday, a beautiful Veteran’s Day on the National Mall. 

Now I am moving into a new phase of the program, called Maintenance, with the goal of hovering around my 136lb goal for the long haul.  I honestly think this will be the hardest part.  It is exciting to see that number drop on the scale and to get accolades from your group members.  Maintaining is the boring part, where your commitment is tested and you truly embrace WW as a lifestyle.  I have 6 weeks to stay within 2lbs of my goal weight in order to make lifetime.  Hopefully, at the end of this time, I will have a good report for you all. 

[Note: I asked Jenn if she had any tips, tricks or words of wisdom, and this was her reply.]

I have accumulated a couple of mantras during my WW journey.

  1. “Do my best”  – I am human, life and weight fluctuates, and trying to be perfect sets me up for self-destruction.
  2. “Forgive myself” – Bad days happen – don’t let them accumulate, don’t carry around undeserved guilt and move forward. 
  3. “Be accountable” – Even on my bad days, I hold myself accountable and track to the best of my ability so I can learn from those days.   
  4. “Be realistic” – Sometimes it is all about damage control (i.e. travelling).  Sometimes it is enough to maintain my current weight or be accepting of the setback of a challenging week.  
  5. “Share with others” – Share a dessert, share a walk, share encouragement, share clothes. 
  6. “Plan ahead” – I look up menus ahead of time and calculate points.  I scout out buffets, so I can focus on my favorites.  I plan for special events by accumulating activity points or reserving treat points for those occasions.  I will often pre-record my activity and my food a day in advance.  Plan for success. 
  7. Get moving” – This means finding activities that I like to do – step class, spin class, tennis and figure skating. 
  8. “Don’t lose perspective” – I am on this journey so I can live my life, and that means birthdays, holidays, special events, girls nights out, and me days.  Being on plan does not include giving those moments up, I manage them to the best of my ability.

 Thanks again for asking about my journey!

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Isn’t that awesome?  I love her reflections on maintenance—it really is the boring part in a way, as I’m finding.  I also especially love her eight tips…they are so true and are a great foundation for not only losing weight but maintaining it, too!

Thank you to Jenn for letting me share your story—you are awesome, my friend!! xoxo

 

*Note: Jenn is a huge baseball fan and she has a quest to make it to every baseball park in the country. She swears she’s going to come to Detroit and drag me to Comerica Park. 😉 She knows how much I dislike baseball, but for her, I would go! I hope we can get together for an “after” picture at Comerica Park next baseball season!!

13 thoughts on “A Success Story

  1. Bailey @ Onederland or Bust!

    It’s nice that you have that kind of support and now you two can support each other through the maintenance phase.

    I’ve been to commerica park, but it was to see Eminem and Jay-Z two years ago… I’m not a fan of baseball either 😛

    Reply
    1. Jenn

      Thanks Bailey, supporting each other is one of the keystones to this program. I am looking forward to visiting Detroit again and finally seeing a Tigers game (although your concerts sound pretty fabulous as well!).

      Reply
  2. Joy

    What a wonderful story!! Thanks for sharing. And yes I agree with having a strong support system. Thank you for commenting and encouraging me on my blog it means a lot 🙂

    Reply
    1. Jenn

      Thanks for the encouragement, Joy. It is amazing how much more doable things can be when you aren’t trying to do it all alone. Best wishes on your journey!

      Reply
  3. Jenn

    *blushing* Thanks for the guest spot, Steph, and showcasing my success. Despite our distance, I consider you a dear friend, the other end of my silly string, and a rock to lean on. You are awesome and I am so lucky that our paths crossed those many years ago. I look forward to maintanence being more interesting with the support of you and the rest of my team.

    Reply
    1. Jenn

      Thanks Katie! I love the name of your blog. I tease my spin instructor that I imagine that I am cycling for a cookie when I am in class. If I work hard, the cookie gets bigger!

      Reply
    1. Jenn

      It has been a gradual process for me, so I am still getting used to the “new” me. Looking back as a result of this project has really reminded me how far I have come and I need to celebrate the success. Thanks for helping me celebrate, Mountainhawk.

      Reply
    1. Jenn

      Thanks Angela! I wish you continued success on your journey. Definitely this time around, my support system has been a big part of my program and I know will be part of my continued success.

      Reply
  4. steph Post author

    Thank you all so much for reading and commenting on Jenn’s story!! It was fun to “show her off,” because I know how hard she’s worked and knew she deserved some accolades.

    xoxo Jenn!

    Reply
    1. Jenn

      Thanks again, Steph. I totally feel like a rock star. I can happily report that I weighed in today and I am 1lb below my goal, so I am “maintaining” so far. Four more weeks to go!

      XOXO back at you, sweetie!

      Jenn

      Reply

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