Jamie’s Journey

Before the loss
Before I lost weight I’d always buy new outfits or get a new hairstyle, that kind of thing, thinking it would hide the fact that I was heavy. That people wouldn’t notice. I thought being cute and heavy was OK. I didn’t need to be skinny, as long as I was cute. And people would tell me I didn’t look like I weighed as much as I did, or I didn’t look the size I said I wore. So I convinced myself for a long time that I really didn’t look very big. But then I’d have trouble climbing the three flights of stairs at my office and it was hard for me to get on and off my horse.

The ‘a-ha’ moment
My ‘a-ha’ moment came when I saw some pictures of myself at a holiday party with family. I thought, “Oh, that’s not me. I don’t want that to be me.” I knew I had to lose weight. I’d lost weight with Weight Watchers when I was in college, but had gained it back after having kids. I was so busy with work and being a mom, though, so I didn’t really think I could fit a Weight Watchers meeting in every week. That’s when I decided that Weight Watchers Online was for me.

Making changes
Before, I was eating a ton of fast food. And even when I was making the “healthy” choices like a sandwich or a salad, I was using all the wrong full fat dressings and condiments. I never planned either, I’d just grab the first thing that looked appealing at the time.

Now I have a strategy. I’ll pack up my breakfast, lunch and snacks and bring it to work. It’s so much easier to make better choices when the right foods are within arm’s reach. The snacks I bring help me steer clear of the donuts, cake and whatever else might be around the office.

In terms of cooking, I’m making more recipes from WeightWatchers.com and I’m adding lower-fat ingredients to dishes I already make. I cook a lot more vegetables. I also made other adjustments as I went: low fat milk in my coffee, less fast food, that kind of thing.

Fitting in fitness
When I first started the Plan I’d do little bit of various exercises just to figure out what worked for me. I liked walking and then added in running bit by bit. Now I’m up to about 25 miles a week. Scheduling was the hardest part. At first I tried doing things that the kids could do with me. Or I’d try to go for a quick run after work. But through trial and error I found that the best thing for me is to just get up really early and exercise before work. Sometimes it’s hard waking up at 5AM, but that time has really turned into “me time.” Before, I was really anxious saying, “Well, if I leave work at exactly this time, and go to the gym at exactly this time, and pick up the kids at this time…” But now I don’t have to worry about any of that. I get it out of the way in the morning.

The Online experience
I log on to Weight Watchers Online every morning and enter all the food I brought with me to work. And I plan then what I’m having for dinner. By doing this in the morning, I can also plan out when I can have snacks throughout the day. I also like looking at the success stories because they help keep me on track. It’s just a little way to keep me re-inspired everyday.

Switching to PointsPlus
The transition was a bit hard for me at first. Part of my problem was that my daily PointsPlus Target was so much higher than my POINTS® Target. I think I gave myself permission in my head to eat more and not be as careful and mindful of tracking as I was before. But once I really embraced the Plan and figured out how to make it work for me, I was on board all the way.

The best part
I love the compliments I get and the fun clothes I get to wear. Shopping is so much more fun now. I’ve even had some people not recognize me. That’s really fun. You just have to make a commitment to yourself. At first I thought all this planning was just too much effort. But you get used to it. It’s really not as hard as it seems and the results are definitely worth it.