Alan, Digital, Lost 23 lbs*
At 6 months, participants in a clinical trial of the WW weight-loss program lost an average of 9.7 lbs (5% of body weight). And, people who track their food more often lose more weight. When actual WW members track their food at least two times a week for 6 months they lose on average 16.6 lbs. (7.9% body weight). Alan lost weight on a prior program and is continuing on WeightWatchers. Watch how Alan’s success manifested itself all around him in the video below.
In Alan’s words:
Life was OK before I joined WW: I was just a gay man who ate one too many biscuits. I had entered into a job that was extremely demanding and I worked long hours. Before I even really realized it, I was working all the time and not watching what I was eating. When I looked in the mirror one day, I said, “Whoa!” When I heard that my idol, Oprah Winfrey, had signed on to WW, I decided to give the program a try.
Finding structure
A food GPS
I joined WW as a Digital member. Right away, what I loved about the program and the app is that it is literally a food GPS. We live in this world where we’re all health conscious; we know what’s healthy and what isn’t. I’ve learned that it’s so crucial to structure yourself so that you know how to eat, how to set up your day — and the WW app helped me do that.
Spreading the word
When Oprah knows a good thing, she has to tell everyone about it. Like her, I did the same thing with WW. I can specifically remember an instance in a retail clothing store when I told an employee that I had just joined WW. Only a few weeks in, I told her how I had lost 5 pounds*. She was surprised, so I started showing her the app. I said, “Here’s what I ate today: I had some eggs and spinach, I had some coffee, and I still put milk in it, and so on.” I was running around NYC telling everyone how O-mazing it was (that’s a word I created). My thought: If I can do this and it’s working for me, then so can everyone else.
Biking for good
I fell in love with cycling in 2014. I heard about this AIDS ride called Cycle for the Cause. It’s the Northeast AIDS ride from Boston to NYC that benefits the LGBT Center of NYC. I had done the ride for three years before I joined WW. Training for the race is very time-consuming. It’s in the fall, so the training is all summer long. Training can last up to eight to ten hours over a weekend; or we may do a 100-mile training ride. After I lost weight, I did the ride for a fourth time and it was a completely different experience for me. I cycled faster, I was not as winded afterwards, I felt stronger, and I could keep up with my friends. As a healthier and happier person, I can serve my community even better now.
Renovating my life
I’m an interior designer — I was actually inspired to head into that field when I saw Nate Berkus appear on The Oprah Winfrey Show. As an interior designer, I create beautiful environments that enrich people’s lives and bring them happiness. Oprah once said, “Your home should rise up to meet you,” but I wasn’t rising up to meet myself. I felt like I needed to renovate my outside to match who I am on the inside. And I feel so much better about myself today.
Bright days ahead
Now I have a new job that I love; I was able to find professional success after finding peace within myself. Happiness is the common thread in all areas of my life. Now that I’ve changed my lifestyle, I’m more confident and I stand taller. I’m 5’8” but when I’m walking around, I feel like I’m 6 feet tall.