What made you decide to join WW ?

[PurpleGemini]

Hi everyone .
As ask in the title what made you decide to join WW ?
For me it finally clicked when my father told me he had heart trouble again .
Let me explane a bit , my granmother and granfather from my fathers side died both of a heartcondition . My father has had in the past 10 years 5 infarcts and a quadruple bypass including a new heart valve , his other valve is starting to leak also now . When he told me this last febuari I heard my first " click " .
The second one came as my collegue started on WW and had such good results .
I don't want to end up like my fathers side of the family , that's why WW is so important to me .
How about you ?

Fiona

[Paris Madeleine]

From my memoir thingy that I am writing ----


Enter the fall of 2002, I was preparing to graduate from university with my bachelor’s degree. A good friend of mine had started to work out regularly and wanted me to come to the gym with her. I agreed, but went sporadically at best. I wanted to lose weight in that “I want to be thinner, but I don’t really want to work at it” way, so I never really lost any weight.

Then came the straw that broke the camel’s back so to speak. Every morning I pulled on my clothes and knew they were getting tighter… my regular 22s were too tight so I had to wear my jeans that contained spandex. DBF and I were both in school, I was not working, and we were planning our wedding. We were broke and stressed to the max. In order to pay for my cap and gown for graduation, I needed a quick buck. The above-mentioned friend and I headed out for the plasma bank to sell plasma… The plasma bank staff did a full medical work-up including a private undergarment-only weigh-in. When I stepped on the scale that day in November 2002 I expected to be over 200. I actually estimated my weight at about 230. However, I was off – way off. I clocked in at 265 pounds. I audibly gasped, and the nurse beamed as she told me that I was in their top weight range, and therefore, I could sell more plasma than the average woman. I was so distraught that I left the facility right away and walked home while sobbing.

For the next few weeks, I cried a lot and tried to figure out what I was going to do. I knew I needed to lose weight. I was miserable. I knew that I had a sugar addiction – I was consuming at least a pound of candy a day on top of 4-5 huge meals. I never exercised – I took the campus bus less than a quarter of a mile between classes. I avoided water like the plague and drank regular soda like I was getting paid per can. I started off by going back to my nutrition textbooks and eating smaller portions of foods. I did this for about a week but could feel myself starting to flounder because I had no set plan. I am an extremely structured person and knew that I needed a structured plan that I could stick with for life. I remembered the advertisements for Weight Watchers and the POINTS program; my gram had used WW once upon a time too and lost a lot of weight. I logged on to the main site and got some more information. Originally, I had intended to attend meetings but my schedule and meetings did not mesh… so the poor college student that I was found all of the information that I needed online and went to work. I created a journal with the Excel program, revamped a few recipes and searched for more, and did a clean sweep of my kitchen. I officially began on December 11, 2002.

[lizmarie]

Hi Fiona, you have made the best decision ever! And your reasons are the best - better health is the best answer! My blood pressure was going higher and higher and I knew that diabetes was in my family as well as heart disease.......but, still I struggled with my weight for years doing every "diet" under the sun......when I went to my doc's in Dec. 2000 and weighed in at my highest, I thought I was going to cry - click number one. And then, my doc's only comment was "glad I didn't see you after the holidays" - mind you, he had been talking to me about losing weight for years, my immediate thought was "OMG, he's given up on me" - click number two.....walked through the WW doors in Jan. 2001 and haven't looked back or questioned my decision since then.......

your stats are great! Keep doing it for all the right reasons! glad you walked through that door!

lizmarie

[tracypow]

This might be sad but I am doing it to look better. Feeling better and being more healthy are added perks. I just turned thirty and I spend my twenties overweight and always doubting myself. I want to spend my thirties proud and in control of my weight. I have a 1 yr old son who I want to be proud that his mom is slim and can play with him. I want my body to reflect how I feel on the inside. Right now I look 40, but on the inside, I feel 16. I refuse to spend another day depressed and wishing I was thinner. I am just doing it now!

Thanks, Tracy

[1texasmom]

A trip to Disneyland started it all for me. DH and I had worked hard to get this trip together, spent hours planning and researching. We were all so excited about going. First I went shopping for a swim suit - can't go to southern California and not go to the beach at least once. Swim suit, florescent lighting...not a pretty sight, but at least I was alone and could buy a large t-shirt to cover up. I pulled down the ladder to the attic to retrieve the suitcases, but it creaked rather loud...DH asked me to climb down, he was afraid I would fall since I was over the weight max recommended for the ladder. WHAT!? We board the airplane and I can't fit into the seat. I have to raise the armrest to fit my big ol' rear end. My DH (4 at the time) says, "Mommy your spilling into my seat, can't you fit in yours?" (not in her library voice either) Then I go to buckle up and I can't get it around, not even if I suck in. I ahve to call a flight attendant over and tell her I am too fat to fly. She gives me an extender. We get to Space Mountain (my favorite as a kid) and I can't get into the seat. I have to wiggle and squirm to get all the way in as others are looking on. I got tired and had to stop and rest several times, irritating the kids. That's it! I come home, tell my husband that I am tired of being fat and I'm going to WW. I got online and found a meeting - attended that night. Now over 83 pounds lighter I feel better, I look better, and I can keep upn with the kids and not emberass them.

[lizmarie]

Tracy, it's not sad that you are doing this to look better - feeling better goes right along with looking better - as soon as I started losing weight and looking better - I sure did feel better!!!!!! Good health is an excellent perk! So,s a two piece bathing suit and a belt!!!!

Texasmom, you are doing splendidly...

you all are doing fantastic!!!!! As long as we are all doing this for ourselves, our own physical and mental wellbeing - then every reason is a great reason for getting us all through the door!!!

liz

[jamiebrandonsmom]

My husband has won several trips with his company and we had to fly. I could fit in the seat but when dinner was served I could not get the tray on the back of the seat to lay all the way down because of my stomach. My food was at a slope! My knees hurt, my feet hurt and last but certainly not least I went to my annual physical. I ended up on blood pressure meds, heart meds, and cholestrol meds. When I left my house that morning I was on 1 harmone pill. I came home on a handful of pills. I decided then I had to do something. Now two years later and 110 lbs. gone forever I am off the heart and cholestrol meds. My blood pressure is 110/50 and the doctor is weening me off that medicine. My knees are great and feet don't hurt anymore. And Tracy, everyone says I look 20 years younger. I did not start on this program for looks but it sure does make me feel good to hear all the nice comments I receive. I have gone from a size 28 to a size 10/ 12. No one knows, unless they have been there, how nice it is to go to a store and not have to ask where the large sizes are. I had gotten so large that it was hard finding anything to fit that wasn't skin tight. I now can cross my legs!! If I ever want to cheat all I have to do it think about all of the above and it jerks me back to reality really quick! Not to say I don't endulge sometime but I don't ever think of coming off program! This is my new way of life and I love it!!;)

[ClaremoreZebraBandMom0407]

I remember going to the dr. in June of 2002. I told her I felt miserable, my knees hurt, my stomach hurt, my head hurt, and I was so depressed. She said exact words "because you're fat, you need to loose at least 75 lbs". I told her I had tried and tried and just gotten fatter. She tried to give me diet pills, but I told her they wouldn't work, been there done that. I left her office feeling worse than I did when I went in. I called my friend and cried to her about it. But, I really didn't think she'd understand, she's always been 120lbs and could eat anything. A month went by and I saw a WW commercial, but didn't really think I would do it because it was soooo expensive (like heart surgery isn't). That same day my friend called and said, "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I know you've been trying for a long time to loose weight, would you let me buy you 10 weeks of WW for your birthday?" I cried and said thank you, the very next day I walked through the doors to my first WW meeting. I've only missed 3 meeting in 2 years - it was the best present anyone could have ever given me.

[CurvyPrincess]

Well the final straw for me was about 7 weeks ago or so I started feeling quite ill, it was a very strange kind of feeling, it was like I was constantly giddy, I would sleep all night, then take a nap in the afternoon for like 3 or 4 hours (unheard of for me, I am not a day sleeper at all) I'd see things distorted if I walked around for too long, thank goodness I wasnt working at this time, cause there is no way I could have walked around trying to sell Mens clothing all day long.......I was like some describe "Vertigo" or something, I figured it maybe be hormones, turned out that it probably was.

Anyway I went to the doctor after a week of this (hate visiting the doctor too) had a blood test, even though witht he results my sugar levels and BP were not high enough for medication they were still creeping up, I thought to my self diabetes is something I dont want to have to deal with, and that would be where its heading if I kept going on gaining weight, so decided to do something about it, who knows I could still maybe get a disease but at least I know I am trying to lower my risks.

So I rejoined, I had done WW twice b4 while growing up in Australia, when I was about 19 and when I was 23 or so, and it worked, so I don't know what held me back for so long, actually, I DO, pride I guess, I was always so adament I could do it on my OWN......thats all I would ever say, now I know better, I always knew but never gave into it, I am happy I did.

[tojam5]

AS for me when my 4yr old was about 9mos I couldn't get on the floor and play for very long and then getting up was a chore in itself. A co-worker had been doing WW and losing so I started thinking about it. Then one of my kindergarten students told me my butt looked like pumba's from the lion king and it bounced alot only it was alot bigger because it was in his way alot. Now that remark is kinda funny but when he said it I was hurt. Mind you he did it in a loving way he was not trying to be rude or mean he was a 5yr old expressing a new discovery unfortunatly it was me in all my grandure.

I found a WW meeting that night and attended thinking I would have to quit shortly after I joined because I couldn't really afford it but things worked out and I had the guts to step threw that door.

[Navarican]

I feel somewhat like a fraud. So many of ya'll have such strong, compelling reasons and have made such tremendous strides that what I have accomplished doesn't seem like so much. But to me, it is.

My father has diabetes. He started dialysis in January because of renal failure. He also has diabetic retinopathy. I have two paternal aunts and three paternal uncles with diabetes. I also have one maternal aunt and one maternal uncle with diabetes. I am hispanic and Native American (both high risk groups for diabetes). I suffered from gestational diabetes with both my children.

Needless to say, I am at high risk for diabetes.

While saying the words and knowing intellectually that this is true, I didn't believe. Until...

In april of this year, the doctor ran some blood tests for a routine physical. When they came back and my blood sugar was finally in the high range, I believed.

The doctor said I could still make a difference. He gave me a referral for WW and said "lose weight or die. your choice". Ha, not much choice for me when I had such vivid examples of what lay ahead.

I went back four weeks and 13 pounds later and retested. My blood sugar was back in the normal range. My goal is to keep it that way as long as possible.

I am still OP and even with all sorts of trials going on in my life, I like being in control of something.

THAT is why I started WW.

[jeremysmom]

The reason I joined is because I have a beautiful grand daughter who is 19 months old and I wanted her to have a grandma that could actually play with her. Her favorite is to grab my hand...say *'mon....and run up and down my hallway or walk up and down my stairs. I had another grand daughter who would have been 5 in Jan. who passed away from choking on a crayon. These moments are too precious to waste.

[lanakala]

My reason for joining was health-related.. My blood pressure
was out of control and I needed to get it under control. After
having a run about with Atkins. I decided there must be a
better way without all the restrictions. I love the freedom and
power in the statement. "No food is off-limits." That is such a
liberating statement. It finally set me free and allowed me to
be responsible for my actions. :exercise: Weight Watchers is an
awesome program and actually the easiest plan I have ever
been on..

[TtHolden]

LANAKALA--Great question. The main reason I joined WW is the accountability. I have been trying this "on my own" for 1 1/2 yrs. Going nowhere. Not making any head way. Still lugging around those 20 pounds. I suffer with rhematoid arthritis. Any extra weight plays havoc on my joints. I joined in January of this year. The closest meeting was 20 miles. Went for two weeks. Out of town when meeting came around. Just didn't bother to go thinking "I will save this money and just do it on my own". NOT!! In June I faced the music and realized I was still at ground zero. If all of my OP days were in a row, I most definately would have lost this weight by now. :mad: However, I can't work the program part-time. I had been doing that for 1 1/2 years without success. Last month I rejoined. Meeting is now held 2 miles from my home. I can ride my bicycle. It is a Community Meeting and you have to prepay. I know almost everyone there. They are my neighbors. It is the best money I've every spent. With WW & BCB, I know I will reach my goal in the very near future. :bcbsalute Let me also add, that I feel better when I look better. But more importantly, I feel better when I'm in control. I can do this. It's up to me to work the program faithfully. I will succeed. See you all at the "goal" line.

[Queen Tiger Lily]

Well, I joined WW after my annual physical in June 2004. I primarily went to see the doctor because I was concerned about my health after being on Atkins for a few months. There was so much negative publicity in the news about Atkins and my immediate family was not all that supportive of the diet that I felt I had to do something to reduce my worries. (Before starting Atkins I weighed in the low 200's). Anyway, I felt great and pretty confident in myself because I had lost some weight. (My clothes were loose)!! But when I stepped on the scale I knew I hadn't lost enough and dreaded hearing those words "you need to lose weight, you're fat". He didn't let me down! One of the first comments out of his mouth was the fact that I weighed more now than I did a year ago, called me OBESE and told me that I needed to lose weight. Trying to gain some self-respect, I informed him that I had been successful on the Atkins diet, exercising regularly, and proceeded to share some of my concerns. He was having none of it! He came straight out and informed me that my tests results were below normal levels and was surprised that I wasn't sick or had been in to see him sooner. He continued to advise me to get off of the Atkins diet ASAP and if I was serious about eating healthy and losing weight then join WW. On a side note, he made mention that I may even get pregnant if I lose some of the weight. (We've been trying to have a baby for many many years). Back to my story, When I got home that afternoon, I went and pulled out my dusty WW materials, browsed the net and found BCB, and made a few calls to friends who were on WW. I started the program after a few days at home and here I am struggling but LOVING IT!! QTL

[momof3rugratz]

What made me do it. Well it was my husbands twin sister telling me that I looked awful she couldnt tell where my boobs begain and belly ended. My feeling where so hurt. I was 171 Lbs and 5'3. She is 5'9 275 Lbs and I have never said a thing to her. I think she caries her weight well and everything but to be humiliated like that in front of the family. It didn't stop there she just kept ragging on me. So I started WW I found out then I was hyperglysemoic sorry bad speller. I had to have sugar 24/7 and I just broke down crying. I didn't know what to do. But here I am yr and half later at 145 and feeling better. Hubby even remarried me. Well the sister now rags on me having big boobs and wearing shirts that show a little. HMMM I wish she would stop but am better then her and obviously my husband loves me for me. :)

[FromNowOn]

I went to my doctor for a routine checkup, and was shocked to see the scale top 190 lbs. I also had borderline HBP as well.

It's taken me some fits and starts - but my BMI is now healthy, and I don't need any blood pressure (or other) meds.

:bcbsalute

[mzlizzy]

There was a couple of things that made me join WW. First of all, I started to fit into xl clothing. Next thing was my drivers license picture. :p That made me jump on the scale to see how much I weighed. I was getting to my highest wt ever again. I then tried those different diet pills, and fad diets ie Special K diet and it didnt work for me.
I suddenly got the click. I had lost a lot of wt in college. I took a gym class for wt loss. They copied it from WW at that time. I ended up losing over 30lb that semester. I thought to myself ... if I could do it once, I could do it again, and the rest is history. :)

Great stories everyone

Lizzy :jumprope:

[200 or BUST]

Here goes. For me it was both a "look better" as well as "become healthy" thing.

I had been fat since I hit puberty. You name the diet and I have tried it in the last 35 years. Nothing really worked or was sustainable for the long term. I bet I have yoyo'd a thousand pounds in my life. I started WW about 14 months ago when 4 women at my office impressed me with their weight loss.

I thought...let me try one more diet. (I don't call it a diet any more, it is a life style I have chosen.)

Anyway, I am not a "meeting, groupie" kind of person so off to the internet to find out what I could about this WW thing that I have heard of for years but never took seriously. I gathered up all the info I could and the rest is history. It was the best thing I ever did. Now down about 55 pounds from a starting point of 234 pounds. My doctor is in shock. I look and feel better than I have in longer than I can remember. My blood pressure is in control. My cholesterol is perfect. All the numbers are great. I exercise 5 days a week.

I have had the pleasure of buying a bunch of new clothes that I picked out because I wanted them and not just because they were the only thing on the rack that fit. One thing I well never forget is when the lady in the men's department at the Dillard's found me wandering around in the Big and Tall Department (out of habit) and tapped me politely on the shoulder and said "this is the Big and Tall Department, you need the regular clothes over there." I wanted to giver her a hug. I have gone from 44 waist pants to 34 and XXL shirts to Mediums. Even my shoe size has changed.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it...the new life style that is!

Greeting from South Carolina

Gary

SW 234
CW 179
GW 174

[SharB]

Where do I start? To begin, my father had back surgery in Feb, and went they went in, the surgeon found a stress fracture and had to do a fusion. That prompted my father to lose 80 lbs, and my mom, along for the ride, lost 40. For the first time in my life, my overweight mother weighed less than I did! I was so proud of her, and ashamed of myself!

Then my own back pain started. My condition was not caused by my being overweight, but it certainly didn't help! When I went to my Dr. for the pain, I was the one who brought up my weight, even breaking down and crying as I'd talked about my previous efforts. My sweet Dr., whom I had only briefly known, asked me if I'd ever considered WW. She said it's the best program out there, as long as I stuck with it. She told me even if I missed a meeting or had a bad week, to go back no matter what (I should tell her about BCB!).

I went back to the Dr. several times, then she referred me to physical therapy. She was so proud of me for my loss, though it was only a few lbs., and told me to call her and let her know how I was doing. She is the most supportive physician I've ever encountered.

On the shallow side, I want to wear more revealing clothing, and not feel self-conscious when less clothed around my husband (who loves me no matter what!).

The biggest bonus out of this, is that my DH has started eating better too as a result of my healthier cooking!

My journey has just begun, but BCB has made it easier already. With this kind of support, I know I can make it!

[flower girl1]

My decisive moment came over the Christmas holidays. I had decided in December, just not to worry about it anymore, would wait till after the holidays. I was at what I call my fighting weight, I have been here before. My thighs were the freindliest they have ever been.

My mother was talking about starting WW over again, she has done it before and she had some of the starting info. I looked at it and thought I could do this. I am not one to diet, I don't like to deprive myself of something I like so all those restrictive diets just won't work for me. My mother has fought her weight for at least 30 years, I have watched. I am fast approaching 40 and don't want to get to that point. I also have high blood pressure and would like to come off of medication for that.

I think I made a great choice. I am a few pounds from my goal and exercise more than I ever have. I have learned much better eating habits and BCB has helped tremendously.:bcbsalute

[jaci]

My decision came after thinking I was more than happy at 86kg (189lbs) until climbing the stairs to get to my office at work and I gasping for air!!!

I thought.. you want to die, or add another 10/15 years onto your life????

I haven't looked back!

[America's.Sweetheart]

A pivotal moment came when I got back some pictures from a Christmas luncheon I had with my book group ... and instead of even looking at the pictures, I threw them in the trash. I knew what I looked like, at 245 lbs. And while I feel I am a person of worth at any size, I was quite unhappy at that weight. I felt bad for tossing the pictures that my friend had taken the trouble to send me copies of.

Then I happened to hear on tv that the membership fee at WW was being waived. I had been on WW as a teen and had lost weight and I knew the program had changed greatly since then. I went to my first meeting the next day.

My brother and father are both diabetic and that is also a reason for joining - I have not exhibited any traits yet and I don't want to acquire them.

I have lost 30 lbs and I couldn't be happier! It is hard, at times, especially when my weight loss slows down, but I know the program works. It is livable and reasonable. I hope by the next Christmas get-together with my book group that I am ready to look at myself in pictures.

[Hopey V]

I'd have to say the thing that made me decide to finally do WW and stick with it was my DD saying I was "big". She had the tact to not say fat but I knew what she meant. She even gave me a sad look at the time as if she was sorry for saying it. She's such a sweetheart ... I realized then ... that she was right. I had been in denial for a few years and really piled the weight on. When I weighed in at WW I was in shock at how high I had allowed my weight to get.

But now .. I'm on the right road and feeling better than ever. I'm exercising and slowly losing the weight. I feel so much better about myself and can't wait for my DD to be able to have a slender healthy mom.

Hopey

SW: 231
CW: 205.5
GW: 160

[privatelady]

I've had lots of reason's in the past to lose weight, once while out shopping with my new baby. A workman called out to his friend while I was passing, and his friend started barking :mad: , it was more then obvious what he was meaning to me and all the people in the street.
My boys get teased which causes fights.
And when I go to my local shopping centre , people just openly stare :rage: .
There a days when I would like to go up to these people and say something not so nice.
I've been overweight since I was 23, as a result I havn't done the things in life that I would really like to of done. I'm 40 now and have found that I'm busting to get out and do things.
I want to live like a normal person and be proud of myself, not something that I have been in years.

[monmis]

Well Mine is kinda a wierd story..... I definately can see the hand of God in it!

I graduated from college in 1999 and by that time had kinda subconciously resolved that "I will be obese the rest of my life." After returning home before heading South for a job, I found my mother TINKA had joined WW. I had never heard of the pt system and it was kinda neat counting pts and figuring out how to budget my pts to be able to feel full. When I left, I took my materials with me when I moved to FL. I continued to count pts and exercise but did have some lapses... But, I liked the results I was getting and resolved to be OP all the time and was able to lose 120 pounds to get to goal. Its so ironic to me that I didn't find WW, my mother introduced me to it! It was the first program I tried besides Slimfast(YUCK) and it worked! I love WW!
If in a family of WWers! Tinka(mother) has lost 80ish lbs, Monmis(me) has lost 120 lbs and Bonjea(grandmother) has lost 30ish lbs!

[MadameP]

In October, 2001 I was asked to visit some people in Michigan for a few days; before I went I quickly lost some weight in order to fit in the seat on the plane without needing the extra extension for the seatbelt.

One of the people I visited told me about how she was loosing weight on the new Weight Watchers' Winning Points plan; she encouraged me to enroll and even gave me money to join.

I went and started the program immediately. It was an answer to my prayers! It is so much easier to follow than the program I used years ago before having surgury where I was required to eat fish five times a week! I do not care to eat fish.

Patricia

[sdennis]

Self preservation! I got to a point where I hated going anywhere. Having to get dressed to do anything was horrible. I had always been a happy, outgoing and very friendly person...all of the sudden I was trapped in my own body by my own mind! My best friend had done ww a while ago and we decided to do it together.

My profession has me out in public all the time, speaking, shaking hands and taking people to lunch. My husband is a high school basketball coach and a manager of a large conference center so by default we have a very high profile social life. We have a 6 month old baby girl, a 7 yr old son, a 9 yr old girl and a 13 year old son and the older kids are all involved in multiple sports. It had/has gotten to the point where every time I go to a social event or sporting event, I could not help but notice I was the largest woman in the room or at the ball park. My extravert personality started slipping away out of shame and self-loathing.

I walked into ww on July 6, 2004 weighing in at 219.2 lbs, but had weighed 222.5 a few weeks before at home. I have a resolve like I have never had in my life. I am larger than I have ever been or intended to be. I can't blame it on having a baby either, I lost weight while I was pregnant and then packed on 15 pounds over 4 months after she was born.
SW - 219.2 CW - 211.4 GW - ?

[Grace45]

I didn't have some pitvotal point that made me decide to do something. I had been overweight for a while and kept packing it on. I knew I was big, and where it used to bother me, it didn't much anymore. I was depressed, eating more and just getting bigger. I had kind of thought about joining weight watchers. They have three meetings in my home town. But because of my work schedule, I didn't really think that I could pick one time and be consistent at going. Then someone told me you could go online and join. I played around with searching the net for a while. Found this site, but never joined. But would come and lurk and read posts. Finally one day I just woke up and thought, I'm just sick and tired of being sick and tired. I'm a nurse and it seemed those we saw in the ER were getting younger with more chronic problems. My DH is working toward retirement in 4 years and I didn't want to be ill where we can't enjoy these coming years. Plus I'm turning 50 this year and that's enough to make anyone want some life changes! So I just woke up one morninig and said, "This is the day I'm going to get started" and I did and haven't looked back. I started my 15th week this week and have lost 32 pounds.

[chinsafer]

the 80somewhat pounds i have to lose after two sets of twins

tschuess,
jennifer

[Green Lady]

A PICTURE!

The place where I work changed locations a little over a year ago. I helped out by going to the new location and doing some cleaning before the big move. A photographer from the local newspaper showed up and was taking pictures to include in an article about the move, new location, ect. For years I had been displeased with how I looked and usually avoided cameras entirely. I tried hard to stay out of the way but he did get a shot of me cleaning shelves. Sure enough a few days later that picture of me cleaning shelves was on the front of the local paper. It was so upsetting to me that I am sure it will be the only time I will ever be on the front page of a newpaper and I looked so big.

A few months later a Weight Watcher group started in the area. I was sure ready to take some action! Now a year and a half later I am over 50 pounds lighter. I laminated that picture to remind myself of how I looked. I have so many more recent pictures that are so much nicer. I still have quite a few pounds left to lose but have gained confidence and feel so much better also.

We can do it!

[Green Lady]

A PICTURE!

The place where I work changed locations a little over a year ago. I helped out by going to the new location and doing some cleaning before the big move. A photographer from the local newspaper showed up and was taking pictures to include in an article about the move, new location, ect. For years I had been displeased with how I looked and usually avoided cameras entirely. I tried hard to stay out of the way, but he did get a shot of me cleaning shelves. Sure enough a few days later that picture of me cleaning shelves was on the front of the local paper. It was so upsetting to me that I am sure it will be the only time I will ever be on the front page of a newpaper and I looked so big.

A few months later a Weight Watcher group started in the area. I was sure ready to take some action! Now a year and a half later I am over 50 pounds lighter. I laminated that picture to remind myself of how I looked. I have so many more recent pictures that are so much nicer. I still have quite a few pounds left to lose, but have gained confidence and feel so much better also.

Thanks also for the encouragement and help of all of you, my buddies on this board. I have been reading your posts for months but just decided to join in myself.

We can do it!

[tothepoint]

My battle with the bulge started when I went to my doctor for my 8 week check up after the birth of my youngest daughter. He took one look at me and said, "Well, Mrs. X you weigh ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY POUNDS ... what are you going to do about it?" I joined weight watchers that week and have been battling my weight ever since. Before joining WW if I wanted to lose weight I just cut down what I was eating, no problem. The ironic thing is 140 lbs. is under the goal that WW has set for me! I truly feel now, many years later, that once you start WW ... you are never really off it. OH you can be not going to meetings ... but you are either ON it and eating correctly, or you are OFF it and eating everything in site that isn't breathing. This is very bad. I tried to NOT go to WW ... it NEVER left my mind! Every bite that I put in my mouth was still mentally evaluated. I don't think that eating should be this way. Maybe I am wrong. When I attend meetings I am totally conscious of everything I put in my mouth, good or not good ... and when I don't attend meetings I am totally consumed by what I am eating. I have many, many, many other interests and successes, but in the back of my mind, every minute it seems (and yes, I can multi-task thoughts like you wouldn't believe),
I am thinking about food, points, successes, failures, etc.
To add to this I have two, grown 100 lb. daughters that rarely think about what they are eating, they just eat! Sometimes they even forget to eat. They will say NO to ice cream if they aren't hungry. What does being hungry have to do with eating ICE CREAM for gosh sakes! If there is something in front of them that is YUMMMMY ... they eat it, stop, and forget it. They think about food when they are grocery shopping or it is in front of them on a plate.

[gettingthinner]

Great question! I honestly don't remember why I joined WW in the first place. I DO remember what made me COMMIT to it. I was feeling overwhelmed with my weight, got online, found BCB and the rest is history!!! I LOVE this place!
Jane

[America's.Sweetheart]

My battle with the bulge started when I went to my doctor for my 8 week check up after the birth of my youngest daughter. He took one look at me and said, "Well, Mrs. X you weigh ONE HUNDRED AND FORTY POUNDS ... what are you going to do about it?" The ironic thing is 140 lbs. is under the goal that WW has set for me! I truly

Goes to show you that Doctors don't always know what is best for a woman's body and especially only 8 weeks after having a baby! That kind of attitude from a doctor realy irks me. I don't know what your height is, but 140 is not exactly obese, by any stretch of the imagination!

But good for you for joining WW! It is great, isn't it?

[Rootie Tootie]

My husband and I were taking a physical for life insurance. When I stepped on the scale the nurse blurted out my weight in front of my husband! :sobbing: I was devastated. I knew I weighed more than he did but I didn't want him to know. My weight was at 249.8 and I remember the day when I swore I would never go past 200. Three weeks later our insurance policy was approved at a higher rate because of my weight and health issues. The words morbidly obese hit me like a lead brick. I spent 3 days in bed and then decided I had to do something about my weight.

When I met my husband 18 years ago I was on WW and had lost 60 pounds. I got to the point where I was 5 pounds from my goal, got stuck and then said that I'd do the rest myself and stopped going to meetings. What I wish I would have done was speak up and let someone know I needed help. Within the past year my joints have been aching, I dreaded leaving my house and just looking in the mirror was painful. I started looking at alot of different diet plans but for me nothing stacked up against WW. I want real food and habits I can do for a lifetime. I need the accountability and comradory this program is based on. I'm doing this for myself but not by myself. I've stumbled upon this wonderful site and can't wait to meet alot of wonderful buddies.

Ruth

SW 05/19/04: 249.8
CW 07/23/04 232.8
GW: 155

[donnashops]

What made me join weight watchers I had gone to a friends 25th anv party and she brought over the pictures to show me and when I saw what I looked like I wanted to cry, I knew I had been gaining weight but I figured it didn't show much, ha.. in 4 yrs I had gained 75 pounds I was at the heaviest I had ever been in my entire life 221 pounds 60 pounds heavier than I had been when I was pregnant with my 3 children. I look at pictures of me in the past and I want to look that way again, I want to be healthy, I want to be able to play with my grand kids when they start to come along. Last yr my doctor told me to lose weight before I start having problems. I have lost 35 pounds so far it is coming off very slow.but the ww program is great, and I have learned to enjoy exercise it does make you feel good about yourself.

[kidlets2]

For me, it was looking through picture albums and noticing there are NO pictures of me after my second baby. I had lost 90% of my pregnancy weight with my first, but gained even more with my second. I thought about it and realized that I hated having my picture taken because I was so big. I felt like if I died, nobody would know I was a part of this family! I had to do something, so I tried Atkins. That was a nightmare, so my mom and I decided to join together. Best decision I've ever made. Even though I haven't lost very much, I know I've changed some lifestyle habits. In fact, my kids even cheer when I tell them we're having corn or green beans with dinner!

[Proud&Sassy]

Wonderful question!

My reason for joining..... I had been overweight ever since I was 10 years old and had been on a diet ever since I was 10 years old. Finally in my early 30's I realized that I was playing a dangerous game. My mother died when she was 54 of colon cancer (I was 17). I realized that as long as I stayed 245 lbs, that what happened to her could most certainly happen to me. So 80 lbs later, I'm happy, fit and healthy.

P&S

[wwkatb]

in feb. of 2002 i had a cancer scare that turned out to not be breast cancer , but as i sat in my dr office i heard the nurse describing me as morbidly obese, the cliche something just clicked was true for me that day , i decided that since i was obviously gonna live i wanted to truley live and weighing 300 pounds just wasnt living to me.
so a week later i walked into my first ww meeting weighing 296 pounds ,i made lifetime oct. 2003 .ifeel like i have been givin a second chance at life im gonna make the most of it .
sw/296
cw/149

[Marla1963]

A trip to the doctor for a gall bladder attack also revealed fibroid tumors in my uterus. On my way out of the doctors office I noticed that he had written "morbidly obese" on my paper. OMG!! ME?? I KNEW I was "overweight" but never considered myself obese! I guess denial isn't just a river in Egypt! I had a partial hysterectomy and my gall bladder out a month later and it took alot out of me because of my weight. It took me a few months to get serious about REALLY losing the weight. I knew a girl at my insurance office that was continually shrinking every time I saw her and asked her what she was doing and she told me WW. She had lost about 90 lbs at the time. She encouraged me to go and give it a shot so a couple days later I went. The combination of the doctor calling me obese and her encouragement made me finally wake up smell the coffee about my health. I was 237 lbs at the time of my surgery. At 5' 3" that's alot of weight to be carrying around and I was miserable. I was BP meds and well on my way to other medical problems I am sure. My back and feet hurt ALL the time.
I started WW and started walking and going to the gym and in 11 months I had lost 75bs. My lowest weight was 141 but I usually weigh about 145 which is an ok weight for me. I wear a size 8 down from a tight size 22 so I am happy with that! I do fluctuate up and down about 5 lbs either way but that is normal for me. I still struggle from time to time but for the most part I have a handle on the emotional eating. I have no intention of ever going back to the miserable place I was 3 years ago!

Marla

[silentstephi]

Awesome question, intresting stories people! And geez, you guys have some evil doctors! Man, they sound so cruel! Only one story said something nice 'bout their doc...

But anywho, my story - I'm 22 years old, I'm in and out of college and I work a desk job at an insurance company. Oh and I'm getting married after a 3 year long and still going loving relationship. Add all those factors in and you have one plump Stephi.

I didn't think I was getting to bad, until my stomach started having this sharp pains, and I realised the skin around my belly button was stretching. EEK! My brother, who I love to bits and pieces but I wish he'd get the gumption to do something about his weight, has those ugly red marks around his belly button and I was on my way to having some too!

Well, that's just not kosher. So, last year, the week before Thanksgiving, I went to a WW meeting with a chick I met on theknot.com wedding boards. It was nice to go with some one, and my best friend was doing her own thing on Atkins, which I tried and failed horribly at. My first weigh in wasn't too bad - 170. I loved the program, my fiance was a big help, his mother was on WW for the longest time so she was able to give me some pointers too.

By Christmas I had lost 14lbs, and I decided to go on a break after that, even though I hadn't reached my 10% goal. One reason was the meetings we getting to be too much for me - the chick I started with wasn't going any more and I'm not the peoplest person around, so that was one factor. Plus, the FIL's were serving Prime Rib - Stephi's Kryptonite - at Christmas dinner and I soooo did not want to have to worry about points then!

So, it's now August, I recommited to the program, at home, because it's 9 months till the wedding and I want my first fitting in 3 months to be lots of cutting and not adding to the dress!

Plus, I miss the days where I looked **** sexy in a homemade kitty costume. =^.^= (pictures on my website! /shameless plug)

Now that I know there are WW communities on the web and through Live Journal, it makes things a lot easier. That and my fiance is 100% behind me in this.

[Mrs Peterson]

What made me join weight watchers.... geez, which time? LOL

The first time was one year before I was married. I swore I was not going to be fat in my wedding pictures! I made my goal shortly before being married in 2000.

I loved the program, worked as a receptionist at meetings for a while and even went to a training seminar to learn to be a leader, but the time commitment and my job were not combatable.

Now as I look into rejoining this time it's for a sence of self control that I feel I'm lacking when I'm not regularly attending meetings. I feel WW helps me get my eating in order which leads to improving my physical health and permeats many different areas in my life. It's an all around good thing.

[crazyknitter]

Oh golly...the number on the scale! And the clothes in my closet I can no longer wear!

[Xan]

I've been joining and rejoining for the past four years, so this time wasn't a "click" moment, but another "well, it looks as though you have three or four weeks without a deadline" moment. That's not very exciting.

In the times-in-between, I've shifted back and forth between WW and LC. LC works for me, definitely. But I couldn't live with it. So I'm doing a "watch those carbs" as well as "watch the fat" plan within Flex. (One of the things that's so great about Flex.)

[SUCKERS]

Well for me a co-worker wanted to try it and I followed. I was one of those who never thought I needed WW or anything like it. When I WI that first night I was 284. I couldn't handle the heat of our summers, keep up with my 3 kids, or the house work. I became to tired all the time. Now I am 50 pounds lighter and feeling great! I exercise more and even bought me a new bike. I carry my weight very well but I can't wait to be in ONEderland.

Also I am the only one out of 4 of us to stick with the program and never quit. I'm pretty proud of that. :D

Lori

[LuckyStar]

I had joined WW before. I hadn't "really" followed the program.

My Granny got ill and past away 2 winters ago. I saw through her a lot of strength and courage. I suddenly felt a strong urge to do something profound. I had this courage. I decided that I should change me. I have change many things and recommiting to WW was one of them. I am doing ok on the program as long as I keep things in perspective.

LuckyStar

[FrugalWitch]

Wow, where to start with this answer? I'll just give the shortest non-gory version of events. Nine to ten years ago I had gotten up to 365 pounds. After 18 months of doing Susuan Powter's "Stop the Insanity" which morphed into the Dr. Dean Ornish program I had lost 225 pounds. I actually maintained that 225 pound loss for almost five years.


Then all Hell broke loose!:ugh: I had forced myself for too long to be too deprived of too many things. I had forced myself to keep eating foods that even after almost seven years I still gagged over...(somethings never start tasting better) I admit I did that to myself. I completely overdid the whole low-fat thing. I was forcing myself to eat no more than 8-10% total fat in my diet. To keep a percentage that low, well it ain't easy or pleasant. Something inside snapped and I started eating again.

Boy howdy did I ever eat again!!! And did I care my weight was climbing? Uh-huh no way just let me have another Wendy's double-cheese combo!:crazy:

It didn't bother me until I finally made myself get back on a scale. From 145 to 286. I had regained all but 79 pounds of what I suffered so hard and long to lose. Did I cry? Did I binge? Did I have a pity-party?? No ladies I did not....I got the maddest, most furious, red-neck wild-eyed crazy pizzed-off I can ever remember being.

After running out of dirty-words to yell at myself, the scale, God and everything else that crossed my mind I figured....I've been doing this mess on my own since I was 14 years old. Up and down always, always fighting to eat or not eat. My way ain't working.

Weight Watcher's was my last resort actually. I went in expecting to hate it. I went in thinking I knew everything anyone could possibly know about losing weight.(My bookcase is crammed with tons of diet books, nutritional guides, herbal guides etc.) But I swallowed my pride, kept an open mind and determined I would work the program exactly as written. No tweaking or assuming, no arguing, just work the program, anything but re-gain that last 79 pounds.

My only regret was waiting so long to join!

FrugalWitch

[mommyof2g]

WOW! When reading your stories, there were so many I could relate to in one way or another and so many that my heart went out to. One of the things that really struck me was something letkids2 had said. She talked about how after the birth of her second child, she noticed there were no photo's of her. It made me go look at our family albums. Guess what, I found only one with me in it. I decided to join for many different reasons. Health, looks, being here for my girls. One of the sad things is that my family also has heart disease. My Mom had tripple bipass three years ago and my concern was for losing her not that "I" should worry. My Grandmother also died two years ago of CHF (congested heart failure). But still I didn't "see the light". Then when I became pregnant with my youngest, I started having problems very early. This wasn't unusual because I had always had problems going to full term if not losing them all together. Even losing my daughter stillborn at eight months. This time my doctor wanted to know WHY!! It was found I had Lupus and the pregnancy really blew it out of control. Six blood clots were found in my legs and I was put on bed rest immediately. Now, a year after her birth, my health has continued to go down. I have to take blood thinners for the rest of my life, I have arthritis, Fibromyalgia, and severe migraines. Many of these are because of the Lupus. I had TOTALLY let myself go and was at the heaviest I have ever been. A few weeks ago I was looking in the mirror and didn't reconize myself anymore. Being put on bed rest only made my bad habits worse and I'm sure I added some new ones. The pain I have on some days was a good excuse not to do anything. Not doing anything became the norm wether is was a good or bad day. I finally realized I don't want to be this way the rest of my life. Though I have many health problems it doesn't mean I have to kill myself faster. Today I don't like myself much and feel like a big blob most of the time. But at least TODAY I know I am trying to do something about it...

[lismith]

I have been overweight since Highschool and then became obese in College and gained even more when I moved out on my own. I had done WW in 9th grade but did not make it a lifestyle change. I never really thought about my weight and that I should do something about it. I thought I was happy with the way I was. That changed in May of 2000 I went White Water Rafting with my Dad and his union and I ripped their largest wetsuit. I was so embarrassed. I could not believe I was sooo big that a wetsuit did not fit me. This incident got me thinking I should do something about my weight. I was also part of a church singles group. The group planed outdoor activites that I was not able to do and thus felt left out. Also in some of the activites we walked around a lot and I would have trouble keeping up and be out of breath. I also wanted to find a husband I knew looks were a factor plus I was not happy with me so how could a guy. In March of 2002 my mom said she was going to join Weight Watchers and I was ready to do something about my own weight and said I would join her. I weighed in at 254 lbs. and I am only 5'2" I could not believe that I let myself get that heavy.

Now 111 lbs lighter I feel good about myself. I can keep up with my singles group and participate in the outdoor activites. I feel about of the group and not an outsider. I can chase my nieces around and not be out of breath. My asthma has also improved. I usually had to take my inhaler to exercise I don't anymore. Also a Cold always affected my asthma before know there is only a chance it will. I also don't get sick as often. I would still like to find a husband but it is not as important because I am enjoying life.

Laura

[chichimoms]

After many, many, many, many failed attempts to lose weight - or more to the point, to keep off the weight I lost - I got to a point where I was ready for a lifestyle change rather than a diet. WW is something I can live with for the long run.

[Cindy Lou Who]

WOW...most of you ladies have such inspiring stories. I don't really have one, except that I was tired of getting bigger by the year. After the birth of our last child, 3 yrs ago, I noticed I just kept going up the scale. I was already 20 pounds heavier when I unexpectedley got pregnant with our little surprise blessing (surprise, since we adopted our other 2 children after a long series of miscarriages). I weighed over 210+ pounds at delivery of our little guy and wound up gaining weight from a kidney problem after delivery. I was SO discouraged coming home from the hospital weighing more than what I weighed entering the hospital, after having a 7 pound 2 oz baby.

Three years later, I have never seemed to shed all my baby weight and wound up gaining a little more. Ten pounds more than when I was first pregnant (pg starting weight 175).

I got tired of having to buy bigger clothes and having an uncomfortable feeling when I had to bend down to tie my shoes, not to mention that my chest continued to grow like the goodyear blimp can only grow. Time to do something about it!

I tried a few other programs, without success and after watching my neighbor and her friend lose over 30 pounds this summer, I decided to get busy. Soooooooo, here I am.

Joined 8/18 weighing in at 185 and binged heavily the night before I joined.
8/25 weighed 181
9/1 weighed 179

I'm on my way to lower weight and to feeling better and am SO happy I found you ladies. I live in a small town, homeschool and don't get out much. I don't have very many friends here and am counting on you terrific ladies for support. :exercise2

Wishing ya'll the VERY best of life and success in WW.
Cindy Lou Who

[healthydays]

I just didn't feel good. I didn't feel healthy. I wasn't sleeping well. I felt stiff. My knees hurt. I finally decided that I just didn't want to feel like this or worse for the rest of my life. That's why I joined.

[MON]

When I first joined ww (1993) I was 5 kgs overweight. The second time (1998) I was 10 kgs overweight. In these two occasions my eating habits improved and I felt very well. In 2000 I was 17 kgs overweight. My clothes were large, sometimes I started to feel dizzy, so I joined a group similar to Overeaters Anonimous. The therapy there helped me, and I lost weight. But then when I was only 2 kgs overweight I thought: "The way we eat in OA is very restrictive. In WW I can eat anything in small ammounts and still lose weight". So in Dec 2001 I RETURNED to WW; reached my goal in two months and became lifetimer. For many months I have kept my weight within lifetime limits. Right now I am going back since I am 5 kgs overweight. I want to do it one day at a time. I joined WW because I can eat healthy foods and no food is forbidden. BCB is a great help too.

[ImLivingOutLoud]

Positive Motivators:
-To improve my health (lots of problems!)
-To improve my stage appearance (I speak and sing)
-To get fit (so I can enjoy exercise again)
-To wear smaller sizes
-To be a better testimony for God

Negative Motivators:
-Brother saying I looked pregnant
-Mother on my back
-Nagging voice in my head telling me I'm such a failure for gaining back the 60 pounds I had lost when I got to goal 2 years ago, plus 10 more pounds!
-Husband wanting me to get to goal and stay there
-Scales at the doctors' offices

I'm sure many of you can relate to these!
Kathy

[TammyJo]

Thank you all for sharing your stories, I get so much inspiration from all of you.

I finally decided that something had to be done when I realized that my hubby really was not shrinking all my clothes in the washing machine!!! I was also tired of hearing a good buddy of mine gush over weight watchers, but I couldnt say it didnt work if I didnt try it, SO I got some books figured it out with her help and what do ya know, the first week I lost 7 lbs! :crazy: Then I kept losing about 1 or 2 lbs a week, sometimes only 1/2 lb.. but hey, its all in the right direction. And since then it has truly bacome a way of life for me. I have started exercising and I can keep up with my kids now too. :exercise: I think the flex points give me the "feeling" of indulging with out ever going off the plan.

Heres to us all! :)

[kaycee]

:wave: I had been on WW in the 70's for awhile, again in the 80's just before and during(!) my 1st pregnancy and my sons 1st years. Got within 20 lbs. of goal and got pregnant for #2. (Ain't that the way it goes?) I dropped out for awhile then. Gained my weight back and then some. I heard my sister-in-law and my cousin talking about the "new" WW and how you could eat anything you wanted. It sounded like a dream come true AND I was planning a trip to Switzerland with my Girl Scout troop! With achy knees and ankles and huffing and puffing in the flatlands here, I decided I needed to unload 50 lbs. of unnecessary baggage! I lost part of it, had NO ACHES within the 1st 15 lbs. and had a great time in Switzerland with the girls. I still huffed and puffed (everything is uphill BOTH WAYS!), but not nearly as I would have before losing. AND I lost 5 lbs. during the week we were there! I lost my focus for awhile and was hoping for something new to get me excited again and now I'm trying CORE. It suits my lifestyle better and I didn't think that was possible. I'm a bulk-eater and on Flex I was feeling like I spent all my time thinking about food while my thinner friends don't think about it, they just make better choices-and I was still kinda hungry. Now I make better choices too because I have limited them to really wholesome foods, but I eat what satisfys. Oddly, it doesn't take as much to satisfy as it used to. Anyway, both plans are better than the "bad old days" when you HAD to eat 5 fish meals a week:crazy: , LIVER once a week:ugh: , and ketchup was not allowed at all :mad: ! You would be surprised what you would eat with mustard!

[kahfess]

Gee, how do I fit it all here and keep it short enough for you read without snoozing..

Well, after fighting the weight for years and always having a "reason" to be so large (stress, not enough time to work out, etc.) I finally just said ENOUGH!

I had been on about every diet out there and a few that aren't. I had taken Redux, I had taken so many different kinds of diet drugs and drinks through the years that I really felt like there was no hope left.

To make a long story somewhat shorter, a friend of mine tried the points plan with WW and told me how well she was doing and how much she loved the plan. At the time I thought we weighed about the same, so I tried along with her via email (she lives in another state) and was doing GREAT...I thought.

But because I wasn't officially a member (didn't have any real idea of what I was doing) I soon lost the gusto to continue.

I finally gave in, and said, "I do not want to be fat for the rest of my life and sit and watch life pass me by!"

I walked into my first meeting on 9/20/04 and are so glad I did.

I have a beautiful Firebird that I drive most of the time. Anyone who's ever driven one of those things knows that they are not a car for a person as heavy as me...nor as short really. And because of that I have to get seat belt extenders.

That also makes it very embarassing to ride with anyone else, because the seat belt won't fit around me.

I'd also just like to be dressed up and feel that if anyone is looking at me it's because I'm beautiful, not because I'm so fat.

Those are just some of the reasons I joined.

Kahfess

[Jill98406]

Ok - this is easy.

My clothes don't fit......I have two tummys.........I am putting holes in my pants where my thighs rub together.......uhhhhh - let's see, the boys just don't look at me anymore........ :crazy:

Really it's vanity.

[Stac30781]

While I wish my reasons were health wise, and maybe in part they were- I switched from Atkins over to WW. I had already made the decision to diet, as I hated the way I look physically, despite what others told me. I was uncomfortable being overweight, and once I stepped on the scale and realized that at 23, I had 50lbs to lose (couldn't believe it! I didn't know where the heck I put it all!!), I knew it was time to do something about it.

However, long term, Atkins was NOT the answer for me as I am not a fan of red meat or fish, and 3 meals a day ended up diminishing to 2, then somedays even just 3 eggs for breakfast. I then spoke to my friend about how sick I was feeling, missing TOM, and weighing pro's and con's... I decided to just make the switch. I ate "normally" w/o counting carbs or points for a little over a week and then just jumped right into WW, having asked a TON of questions in the forum.

Best decision I ever made, and having something to compare it to that totally failed me, I won't ever look back.

[foxxy]

My decision has been based on numerous thoughts, occasions, and just plain frustrations.

I'm in a family of three girls. Both my younger sister and older sister are absolutely gorgeous and my mother is too! My older sister is about 5'8", about 140 and carries it beautifully, even when she was 9 months preggers..just beautiful. My younger sister is just lovely, people just stare at her! Talk about feeling like the ugly duckling. I'm shorter than them both...around 5'4", overweight..currently at 218lbs. Though they've never said anything derogatory, they love me to death. It is just uncomfortable. We love to shop and I just get saddened when I go out with them, plus it doesn't help that they live in Miami. The land of "skimpy and sexy"! *L* I go into stores with them and are just envious of the selection. Such cute clothing! I could never wear anything remotely like those things! I just want to be able to go shopping with my sisters and enjoy myself for once. I don't want to be the "fat" one sitting on the dressing room bench while they model their clothing. I know it is a bit shallow, but just once....*smiles*

Another reason: I had to submit my female physical to get my bc pills. Well, I got a faxed copy sent to me at my job and I read over the information and under the physical appearance section was "abnormal". I was just stunned. And it wasn't anything that my doctor did wrong. My appearance is abnormal. It's not "average" to carry this much weight with this height. That I could understand, but to see it! I could have died! I decided that something needed to be done.

Another reason: My kiddies. I adore them to death and couldn't imagine not being here with them. My health is very good right now. No high blood pressure, no diabetes, no heart problems. I do have some back issues, but I know that relief for me, comes with exercising. My oldest ds told me on day that I needed to use that and he pointed to the television. I looked at the tv and said WHAT!?! He was talking about some weight loss pill. My heart sunk and I had to discuss with him about wieght gain, calling people fat, etc..etc..etc.. Also, my younger ds mentioned that my booty was big!! *L* Which, even if i lost weight, my booty would still be big..*LOL*

Plus I'm just tired of feeling uncomfortable and awkard! I think that might be reason enough!

It's just the little things that culminate into the big decision. I could probably go on and on about the reasons that I choose to join WW. I feel that I have made the best choice for myself and my lifestyle!

[PrincessMoonbeam]

I wanted to quit smoking, and I knew that the last time I had, I had gained a lot of weight and started smoking again to help lose it.
I have never had a weight problem, I was the one they were always trying to get to eat and put some curves on instead of having all angles.
I lost 10 lbs using SBD before I quit this time, but could not find a support group that I felt confortable with, and I knew that support was going to be very important for me.
I tried WW on-line using flex, and held my own without gaining until I took off the patch, and then I put on 25 lbs in 3 months. I was working in the National Forest this summer, so attending meetings was not an option.
As soon as the job was over, I hied myself to the most convenient center (1 hour away) joined, signed up and paid for 10 weeks so I would be sure to go, and started on the core plan. Lost the first 3 weeks a total of 3.4 lbs and put .6 back on this week. But, my leader is positive that this will work, if I will just eat more, and continue my exercise program. I went out and bought two pairs of larger pants and three floppy tops yesterday so I can wait this out. Oh yes, I did not want to quit for health reasons, but because I was tired of paying the jacked up prices, and I want to lose the weight so I can wear my clothes and look good again. EGO EGO EGO:embarrass

[Lit Chick]

First time on WW - after years of being fit, I was homesick, and ate for comfort, and gained 30 lbs. I was obese as a child, and a part of me always thought my fit self was an illusion - the fat self was just biding time, waiting to come back. When it started to, wow - my self esteem just crumbled. I had no idea how much my self-worth was based on how I looked. EEK! I was afraid my boyfriend (now husband) would not want me anymore, now that he saw the "real" me (i.e fat). So - I joined WW and lost all the weight. Then I took a self-help class to banish my bad self-image.

This time, it's a combo. I want to lose the post-wedding pounds - nipping the gain in the bud. But now, it's more for fitness. I need exercise accountability. I'm motivated most by my desire to be a mother in a few years. I have fit and not-very-fit friends, and the fit mommies had much better pregnancies and recoveries. I also want to be so used to living a healthy life that I will pass that on to my someday kids - I do not want them to grow up with the habits I did.

[melake66]

When I am healthy and in shape I feel better - mentally and physically. Twice now, I have lost 30-40 pounds and then gained it back. I would very much like to make this the third and final time; take it off and keep it off.

I have a lot of food issues and self-image issues - and now I have a daughter who will be one next month. I want to show her by example how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Plus, I'm 38, which means when she's ten, I'll be 48! I want to be able to keep up with the little rascal and enjoy myself - and her!

~Willow

[EB62885]

One of my best friends is getting married in June 2005 and she asked me in April of this year if I would be one of her bridesmaids. Well, then this summer, I worked almost every day trying to earn enough money to pay my college tuition this year, so a lot of my food was grab-and-go...aka, a lot of fast food and packing my own lunches (Sandwiches, chips, Little Debbie Cakes) not knowing about the healthy options. Well, I started to gain a tummy which I've NEVER had...no matter how heavy I've been, I've always had a flat stomach. So I decided I needed to do something that would help me lose the weight I gained this summer as well as the other few extra pounds I had beforehand. My parents had been on Weight Watchers before, so I knew it was an easy program to follow. It's not easy being at school with all the fried foods in the dining hall, but that makes me feel even better to know that I can still lose weight even with all the temptations around me. Hope everyone's program is going as well as mine is. I'm so excited to start looking for bridesmaid dresses in January!

[Honey123]

Hi,
I decided to join after a random incredibly hot day in early Spring.
It was really hot, I was sweating and I realised that the tops of my thighs were chaffing already. I suddenly clicked that I didn't want to go through another summer wearing long trousers to cover my 'bumps and lumps' and ending up with sore red thighs from the chaffing.

So here I am.

I guess it wasn't the only reason for joining - some of it was vanity etc... but I think that was what made me decided to really commit and get this weight off.
I just wish it would get off a little faster! :)

-Ally

ps I know that slow but steady weight loss is better for me than rapid weight loss - but a little faster wouldn't hurt me!!

-A

[coolrelientk]

I've been big since I was 11 or 12. Not huge, just big. But at 5'2", and not getting any smaller, I knew I was headed for trouble. Can you imagine being hypertensive or diabetic at 24? That's where I was getting to. I'd watch my weight climb, and think to myself, I need to do something, but I'd always feel embarassed to try. I felt like my family and friends wouldn't get it. My family are eaters, period. They love to love people w/ food, bless them, and if they aren't eating, they're getting ready to or have just finished, and if it's not fried, it's raw. I've "tried" other plans, Slim-Fast, etc, but always trying to hide it. I felt like if people saw me, they'd laugh, I guess. I don't know what I thought. I'd lose 10, 15, 20 pounds, but then I'd give up when the water weight would come back. I also knew I couldn't live off of Slim-Fast forever. As soon as I'd eat real food, what would keep the weight off? There's no maintenance protocol. In my mind, I knew I was fat. The scales said so, my clothes were big, and I hated the way my body looked, but I was in denial. I'm not that big, I'd think to myself. My cousin is bigger, or this other one, or that one. I'm not so big. But I was miserable. I finally decided at, like, 3:45 one morning at work, that I really needed to change. I was tired of pretending to care. So, I looked up weight watchers on the web and found the closest meeting. I had no idea what I was getting into, but I called the above mentioned cousin and said we need to do this. She reluctantly agreed, and we went the next day. It was the best choice I've ever made in my life. Now, I'm trying to educate everyone around me about the program. Hopefully my choices can influence those around me. It has taken some time for me to realize that it's okay to be assertive with my family and friends. It's okay for me not to eat what everyone else is eating. It won't be the end of the world, and they'll get over it. They still cook for me, but they know I'm probably going to opt for something less sinister and that I've prepared myself (you know you have to watch out for that evil chicken fry w/ mashed potatoes and gravy, or bratwurst, or...etc.) I think they've finally started to come around, now that I'm 25 lbs gone and they can see the difference it's made in me already and that I'm seriously committed to be OP for the long haul. My cousin has lost 23 lbs, as well, and while she has a little ways more than I do to go, 12 wks in we feel we're off to a great start.

[BloomCrafty]

For me it was my doctor saying I HAD to lose weight or I would develop serious problems at an early age (I'm 26). When she suggested it, I laughed and told her WW was for fat people and she just shot me a "nail-you-to-the-wall" look as if to say "and you aren't?" So the next meeting I signed up. I walked into the center and told the ladies I was hard core and to tell me everthing I needed to do...I jump into a comedy routine when I'm embarrassed. I still was sold until I stepped on the scale and realized I was as heavy as my Dad, who we would always *gasp* pick on as kids.

So here I am! I love hearing everyone's stories - especially about flying. I haven't flown in quite some time, good thing!

Good luck to all - WE CAN DO IT!!!!!!!

:dog: -- BloomCrafty

[hockeycanadagal]

I have decided to join WW because I want to be healthy. I don't trust any other plans but WW. I have been in and out of depressions for the past 5 years and it's been a tough battle. A big part of my depression is that I am overweight and I am just plan miserable about it. I have put my life on hold for way too long.

I was a bit overweight when I was younger but it didn't really get bad until my first year after high school. I have been trying but struggle past the first month. I want to dedicate 2005 to be my year to make the changes I need to be healthy, happy and enjoy my life.

[Melissa73]

Well I have always been very active and on the athletic side. I was a dancer for my entire life and I was very toned. I had a killer body and a six pack. Woo Hoo. I was so active that it didn't matter what I ate I never gained weight. So my eating habits were awful but I looked good so I didn't care.

After my son was born I got lazy, tired and never changed my eating habits. Well it finally caught up to me. I am not as half as active as I was 10 years ago and i'm paying for it now.

As my clothes size kept creeping up (I mean I was always a 12/14 because I have a very muscular build). I began to get nervous.

I mean, I don't have cellulite yet and although I am 50 lbs overweight my problem areas are my stomache and my upper thighs. Other than that I have very muscular and toned leg. and "buns of steel". LOL

I just see people that have let themselves go and I swore that would never be me. So i'm working on changing it before it get's WAY out of control. :workout: :workout:

[charmcitytara]

I was even more overweight than I am now about 3 years ago. For 2.5 years I had been living the low-carb lifestly, but found myself slowly gaining after a major loss and plateau. I was doing everything right, as far as low carb went, and one day I decided that if I wasn't going to be able to continue to lose the weight I needed on low carb, I would go off of it, but I would need to learn how to eat again.

I tried very complicated caloric and fat ratios when I went off low carb, but I found myself having to spend so much time doing calculations that I was obsessing. I decided to try WW because my mom is a lifetime member, and I've had some friends who have had successes on it. It seemed less complicated than what I was currently doing to avoid gaining back (let alone losing) weight.

So far I like it. I have been a yo-yo dieter since I was 11(?) I'm 26 now, and I can see the effects of the yo-yo dieting. I may never get to my goal weight, but being on WW is better than not being on WW!

-tara:o

[adamalsmom]

There is really no reason why I joined WW. I friend of mine, she's also my coworker, had joined and was telling me about it. I would just smile and think how nice for you. Well, one day she asked if I would go with her to a meerting, just to check it out. I figured I'd go and that way I could say I checked it out and just didn't like it, and she'd be happy with that. She wasn't being pushy at all, just really wanted me to try it.

I went in, bought a meeting for that day and got weighed. Now, keep in mind that I have not wieghed myself in years, I really had no idea what my weight was. I had seen some hideous pictures of myself but was always able to blame that on the angle, the time of day, what I was wearing, etc. I was in short, the queen of denial when it came to my weight. The scale that day read 231 lbs. I even made the person do it again because I didn't believe it :). Shocked me right back into reality. I have never, ever been this heavy. I paid for 10 weeks that night and haven't looked back since. I keep telling my friend that her gentle badgering was the best thing anyone ever did for me.

[Shandryl]

It was Dec 2002 I got a new Polaroid camera for Christmas. I asked my Mom to take the first picture of me with my dog to see how well the polaroid worked. When I looked at the picture I could not believe what I saw. :eek: The only one that looked good in that picture was my dog! I had an image in my mind of what I looked like and I never realized just how distorded the image was. :confused: The polaroid camera is in my storage room collecting dust. The following week while I was working a co-worker that I hung around with had a problem with her weight too. She suggested we joinn WW! I had heard of WW but It never even occured to me to even play with the idea. That was like saying, I am going to go to AA:embarrass . My perception of WW was way way off. We both went and paid the fees and got material for the first week and when I stepped on the scale and saw 182.2 I was shocked. :eek: I alway thought I weighted about 165 or so. But not 182.2 . We both stayed after the meeting for another meeting for WW newbies. The girl that got me going to the WW meetings says to me she can't afford to pay for the meetings and the next thing you know I am sitting there by the fouth meeting without her sitting beside me. I got over it and went without her for 8-12 more meetings. I lost about 12 pounds. Then I stopped going to the meetings lost interest. This time around, I was not ready. and did not care.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I am now ready for a change as of Nov 24th/2004. I became a WW member. Weighing in at 179.6 :o I have carried my weight around with me for most of my 20-mid 30's adult life like a security blanket. My weight made me feel safe and at the same time a prisoner in my own body. I am ready for parole! :angel A dawn of a new beginning. I am scared but happy and ready to embrace the change! Bring it on. As of Dec 8th/2004 TWL - 6.6 pounds

[karen_wizzabeth]

I don't know what first motivated me - but I decided first to try Atkins. I did it as faithfully as I could for three weeks and never got to the fat burning stage but certainly got frustrated, bored, and depressed. So I gave it up. My SIL suggested that I do WW instead, but I didn't want to...figureing it was just another gimmick like Atkins and I had visions of having to buy those Weight Watcher frozen dinners to succeed, etc.

Some time later my friend started WW and began losing weight. I was impressed. I got on my scale and was horrified that I was over 200 lbs.

I decided to do WW too because I wanted to be sexy again for my hubby.

When hubby wasn't encouraging or noticing, I got depressed and gave it up just before I hit the 20-lb mark and my first 10%.

This time, I did it cause I got scared that I'd get huger and huger, that I'd be crippled due to being overweight, that I'd get my grandfather's rheumatiod arthritis if I continued to be inactive...and I started WW again, this time for a healthy me, instead of just a "sexy" me.

WW is a program I can live with the rest of my life.

[PlAAnejane]

My mom took me to meetings when I was in Jr. High. It was easy to follow and I did really well, until Mom ran out of money to take me.

Then about 13 years ago I was on a 6 month special assignment in another city for my company. The company paid for everything...apartment with maid service, laundry, and food - we all ate out all the time and it was southern cooking.

I had to get a new work ID when I got back from the assignment and the picture told a 1000 words. I was lucky enough to have a friend ask if I would join WW with her that week. We were both within a pound of each other's weights and needed to lose about 70 lbs. She found out she was pregnant before our next meeting and I went on to become a LifeTime Member and work for WW as a weigher/receptionist.

It's the best program for me because there is no food I cannot plan for. I don't like the diets that say you can only eat certain things or that you can't eat carrots, etc.

Fast forward to now. I went into a new Dr. 2 months ago. I weigh more than I did when I saw that new work ID picture. The doctor did blood work and found that I borderline to having diabetes (which runs in my mother's family). She (the doctor) sat down and told me that she'd like me to lose 10 pounds and that would probably fix the problem with my blood sugar count.

I started to bawl. I know I'm heavy and I know I need to lose weight. I'm embarrassed about it and I didn't want to do anything about it, because I didn't want to take the time to do it. But, I went home and told my husband that I have to go back on the WW program, because I know it works and I don't want to take medication.

I got out all my books and my point finder (which is like gold to me) and started the next day on my own. I know the program and I've already paid WW enough money to teach it to me, so I'm following the same plan I had a long time ago. My doctor wanted me to lose 10 lbs in 3 months. I've lost 15 lbs and it hasn't yet been 4 weeks. I will be down 25 lbs before I go back to see her.

It was the kick in the rear that I needed. Now when I don't eat the birthday, anniversary, and other great cakes we have at work every day, I can say, "I'm doing this under Dr.'s orders."

[hockeycanadagal]

I decided to join Weight Watchers because I know it is an awesome program and that it teaches you to eat healthy for the rest of your life. It helps you make the healthy changes and gives you the tools to make the healthy choices.

Tammy :)

[dgjp8991]

I knew I was over weight 202:( someone offered to pay for me to go I really didnt think it would work but now im lifetime and im addicted to ww and thank the person that introduced me to WW.

[von253]

What's the chances of my story beginning like the last post on here.......? A couple of ladies at church felt sorry for me and offered to split the cost for 2 months to get me started.

My highest weight 294.......2 yrs ago. My Arthritis continued to get worse, especially in my knees, I had been on low carb diets for several yrs and couldn't stay on them because I craved starches and I would go off the wagon. That was Sept 6, 2004.....weigh in.....289.5......today's weight.... 259.0.

Joining WW was the best decision I've ever made......NO REASON to go back EVER.

[crazycrusi]

So that is the question of the century...what made ME join Weight Watchers? Great question. It's actually easy for me to remember. I work with at-risk kids in a school setting and I was talking with the guidance counselor in her office the one day. I have good self-esteem when it comes to everything but my weight. I was talking with her about I made some negative joke about my weight. All of a sudden she said, you always do that, put yourself down. She said if you wanna help kids, you need to feel good about yourself. She said, "I'm joining Weight Watchers and I want you to come." I was like I don't know. She said, "Don't you think you need to think about yourself for ONCE." Then it clicked. I can't explain it, all of a sudden I thought that's it I'm done being fat.

So there is my story. Unfortunately, she stopped going to WW about a month ago but I'm still there. I'm not giving up until I reach my goal.

Stacey

[Fawn]

Two and half years before I would have my 50th birthday I was at my highest weight (outside of being pregnant) and for some reason dreaded the thought of being out of control.. I needed to make a change. It was then my place of work announced that they would be hosting weight watcher meetings. I couldn't "weight"!!! I was the first to sign up and haven't looked back! I reached my goal and then some. I regained my self confidence and energy! I felt so young and happy that I couldn't contain myself! I started to encourage others to follow my path. My leader asked me to become a greeter and continued to do so until October. It helped me to help others.
Now it is my joy to have helped a dear friend to lose more than 105 pounds in a year...We share all the trials and tribulations that come with supporting a life change. We have fun with recipes and offer them up to unsuspecting friends.
I haven't posted much here in quite some time..but I needed the comraderie of BCB. So I am back! I still go to meetings almost every week although I am lifetime..It helps me to stay connected.......
OK that's it I guess! thanks for listening!
Fawn

[Dimples70]

Hi Fiona, great question!

Ya know, I really gave this question a lot of thought. In fact, I logged off, took a shower and returned to my computer to answer this question. While I was showering, I asked myself, what is the main reason I joined ww? Well here it goes...part of the reason is for overall better health but the other part is - I feel (present tense) ABSOLUTELY OUT OF CONTROL! I do not recognize the reflection in the mirror - "it" hurt sooo bad! I am consumed by "it". I feel that "it" has caused me to loose my "POWER".

For this main reason, I have joined ww to get "it" together.

[Tiger Campbell]

The day my fiance (now husband) said to me "You shouldn't weigh the same weight as me....that's not right!"

And that was the straw that finally broke the camels back so to speak for me. I went from 184lbs down to 159lbs and now unfortunately I'm back up to 176lbs with no one to blame but myself.

But here I am...ready for another round!

[grammycathrine]

I decided to Join when I had nothing that fit anymore. I got rid of all my fat clothes when I reached goal in 2000. I had absolutely nothing that was decent to wear and went out and bought a pair of pants in a large with an elastistic waist so I could move. I also drove the whole way across PA with my jeans undone because I could not sit and button them. If that was bad enough I went into the rest stop with them undone because I had a big top on and thoght what the heck. Talk about a low moment here I was walking around in public half undressed. I swear when I go to see my daughter in March I WILL be able to button my pants. Catherine

[hugbarbara]

I first joined WW April 28, 1970. I weighed 200.25 lbs. I lost 28.75 lbs by September 29, 1970. I then strayed back to my old habits. My highest weight has been 340 lbs. over the years. I have gained and lost and I have tried every diet that has come along. I mean every one! When I retired in May of 2004, I made a commitment to myself to change my bad habits and begin fresh and new. I moved back to my home town and close to a very dear friend of mine who is also overweight. His workplace started the WW program for its employees on October 6, 2004. He decided to give it a try. I realized that WW is the healthiest way to lose weight (my doctors have tried to get me to go back to WW throughout the years! I have high blood pressure and type II diabetes and I want off of my medications which the drs. have said I can do if I lose the weight) so I decided to give it a try too and also to support my friend. He has lost 43 lbs. to date. My starting weight was 317 lbs. and I have lost 25.5 lbs. to date. I will continue this program until I draw my last breath because I know it works. Both my friend and I realize we must change our food choices and are finally on the right track. This is a life changing process and that is my goal!

:goal:

[annie40]

I've decided to get BACK ON TRACK!!!! I KNOW WW works! It is a GREAT program and flexible enough for ANYONE to be successful. I was a fool and chose to stop following maintenance and gained back everything. It was nothing but my own fault and I feel like crap. THIS TIME I'm going to lose it all and STAY ON MAINTENANCE!!

IT WORKDS!

[angelhugs]

Wow, Great thread. Really makes you go back and remember why. I got into a feel bad for me kick right after having first a heart attack, and six months later quadruple bypass. ( great year for me) :sobbing: oh, and as an added kick, type 2 Diabetes secondary to the MI. Lucky me. all of my drs. said say thank you to your wonderful genes!
Even going thru Cardiac Rehab and the exercise program didn't get me into watching what I ate. After all, I was exercising and had stopped smoking! And of course my DH decided to " help" me. hmmmm, diabetic with heart condition himself, and his favorite food is an all you can eat buffet.. Lots of help there, haha:crazy: So, 9 months after the bypass, here I am weighing more than I could ever dream of, and it's another ride in a rescue-- this time hypertensive crisis. My dr. called the rescue from his office because my blood pressure was stroke level. Talk about a wake up call! What was I waiting for?
Took a good look at me during that hospital stay. Realized I had become what I always told my cardiac patients not to--- a cardiac cripple. :( Yes I had health problems but ignoring them was only causing further problems. :help: I needed to get healthy for me. I want to be around to enjoy my family and see my daughters get married and start families. And to see the grandchildren I already have grow up!!! so---- Joined WW in October. I am committed to a new and healthier me. My DD who needs to lose too joined with me, and we are both doing very well. :water1: :strong:
slow and steady is so good. I still have days when I curse my health and sometimes feel my body betrayed me, but my wake up was I BETRAYED MY BODY. I DID NOT TAKE CARE OF IT! But that is changing day by day.

[Howie Thomas]

Right now I'm still in decent physical shape but I'm starting to feel the wear and tear on my body from being overweight. I walk :walking: three miles most days and work out :weights: at least twice a week. Unfortunately I've fallen into some terrible eating habits that exercise :work_out: apparently will not overcome. It is my hope that WW will help me shed the extra pounds around the middle and make it easier for me to follow a nutritious eating plan.

[njh0021]

I decided to join when my mother offered to pay for the me to do SOMETHING...ANYTHING...because I am way too young to be this large. I also took my DH to Cedar Point Amusement Park last summer and we barely rode anything because I was scared that I wouldn't be able to fit...My DH said he was scared of roller coaster, but he was really just trying to save me the embarassment. This year, I'm planning to go and ride everything!

We're also talking about having children, and I want to be able to keep up with a kid and not be sitting on the sidelines.

[xemilyelizabethx]

I restarted WW (for the fifth time) on January 3rd, 2005 because my weight finally climbed to a number I told myself I NEVER wanted to see on the scale. And I'm only 17 years old, I have my whole life ahead of me, and I absolutely do not want to spend it overweight, unhealthy, and unhappy. I want to be able to swim and horseback ride again, two things I gave up because I was too embarrassed to do anymore because of my weight. Also, Type II diabetes runs in my family (my grandma died from complications of diabetes & my mom now has to take insulin) and I've been diagnosed as insulin resistant, so I want to get that under control too.

[Nosila0553]

I started after a stressful job made me gain 10 pounds on top of the 10 pounds that I had been trying to lose for the past 2-3 years. I've tried every diet, from Atkins to the "Juice diet", or just exercising like crazy and eating more to "reward" myself for working out! This is a life style, not a diet, and I will excel in it!:workout:

[mayfri230]

I've always been worried about my weight. I would gain 10 pounds, lose 15, gain 20 and so forth. I wanted to have control over my body and my life. After trying every single diet out there, AND every diet pill available in stores, I decided to give WW a chance. It is the only program that has worked for me and I will be doing this for the rest of my life.

[sunni2day]

Health was a huge factor for me. I just turned 40 on Jan.13 and just had surgery to remove a large mass from my breast. I also have high blood pressure, Lupus, suffer from migraines and have two blown knees but am too young for knee replacements. My family history includes 8+ with Type 2 diabetes and both parents have heart disease. Cancer is also prominent in the family. I've already had uterine cancer.
Enough is enough. I have never weighed this much and I refused to see myself cross over into the 300's...... I weighed in at 299.6 :mad:

Looks are a close second, especially after I got my daughter to take my picture in a bathing suit. I don't look good from the back.... lol. I've always had a good self image and dressed nice for my height/weight but it's time to start loving me.

[irish*rose]

I need to lose weight for several reasons. The first is the most important is overall health, physical and emotional. I am sabatoging my body with food, I have no energy, so I can't clean my house the way I want it to look, I can't play with my daughter (2years) for long periods of time, I don't like the way I fit in to my cloths and I could probably go on for days.

The reason I chose WW is because it is a plan that has worked for many others. And it is a life style change I can do. I did the atkins..for 2 weeks, I did south beach for 1 week, I did my own thing well that just didn't work at all. WW I have done in the past and was on it for about12 weeks, it worked, and could just kick myself for not sticking with it, oh well at least I haven't gained all the weight back. I am now going with my sis in law, and together we are going to hit goal. I need support and I need a friend to hold me accountable. It is too easy to stay fat...but it isn't fun.

[TucsonLawsons]

:strong: What a great question!!! I've really loved hearing everyone's reasons. Makes me feel like I'm not the only one! (Hope this isn't too long of a story)

Well... Like many there were several reasons. I have always struggled with weight, even when I was a kid. But I thinned out through middle and high school. In my sophomore year of college I met my future husband... and I was so happy I gained about 30 lbs over 3 years. It was slow, and I didn't really notice much of a change until it was time to pick out a wedding dress. I was so sad that the store models of dresses I couldn't even slip on to see how it would look. I decided it wasn't that big of a deal (hello denial!) and didn't try to lose the weight.

I cried when I got my wedding pictures back! :( Double chins, flabby arms... oh I'll never forgive myself for not making myself enough of a priority to lose the weight. Now I have to look at chubby wedding pictures the rest of my life! But I still was holding back... I don't know why I feared taking that next step so much. I think I may have been afraid of failure, and then would set myself up to fail!

When two of my best girlfriends got engaged and asked me to be in their weddings, I made a commitment to lose the weight. This was about a year ago, when I first joined weight watchers. I was so hard on myself, rushing to get the weight off. Like I said, I set myself up to fail... I put so much pressure on myself that I quit the program when I slipped up the slightest amount (and then ended up gaining the 10 lbs back I'd lost!).

Again, I cried when I saw the pictures of my friend's weddings. All the bridesmaids but me were skinny and beautiful! I know this is bad, but I felt guilty for messing up their wedding pictures too. I know my friends would never feel like that, but I was so ashamed of myself.:ugh:

So I continued on this road for about another 6 months. By this time, only about a year after my own wedding, I'd put on another 30lbs (for a total of 205!). Attending ANOTHER 3 weddings just put me into this downward spiral... being ashamed, but too afraid to take the big step of doing something about. Its so much weight to lose! What if I failed again? Could I be patient? Could I really make the changes I needed? (and GASP, give up my life long love of fast food??).

Ok, so those are all the reasons I should have lost the weight, but couldn't. What finally did it was a medical problem that popped up for my husband. During some routine blood tests, we found a problem with his liver... and it could have been anything. Catscan, ultrasounds, more blood tests... knowing something was wrong but not knowing what! Found out his uncle had a similar problem, due to unhealthy eating!! He had to have his spleen removed. We heard that my husband's health problem could be due to his unhealthy eating too!

Adam (my hubby) started on a diet when he heard this (though not WW). Being supportive, I decided to give weight watchers another shot, so we could do it together. The last blood test for Adam came back negative!! We don't know what it was... and it may just have been due to cutting the fat! We're watching it closely now, but regardless of the cause we're committed to being healthy as a team.

So, really long story short... I couldn't do it JUST for the superficial reasons (although I'm doing it for that too!). I see now how unhealthy eating and my weight could seriously affect my life, and how long I have it. I want a long happy life with my husband, and when we start trying for kids soon, I want to give them a happy home to live in for 9 months. I'm about 8 lbs in, another 60 some to go... but I'm learning to cut myself a little slack, and celebrate the small victories. And never give up!

So if you actually made it through this story... thanks! And even if everyone says "Sheesh, no way!", I think it was probably just good for me to roll this around in my head for a bit... really get to the heart (literally) of why this is important.

Congrats to everyone out there who is on the same journey and making it work! :o

[Elizabethlea]

I felt out of control, and sick and unhealthy, and OUT OF CONTROL. I hated those feeling sooo much, and my Mum was doing weight watchers, so I had a look at some of the booklets etc. and thought THIS IS FOR ME!!

It has taken me a number of attempts to get to the point where I am now - in contol, feeling healthy and loving it. :)

[gracie83]

There was a photo of me at my cousin's wedding. I saw it and immediately planned to "lose" the photo, as it was HORRIBLE and surely caught me at the worst possible angle. You know, the angle where I had 3 chins and a tummy that looked 13 mos. pregnant! Anyway, my dh saw it and (trying to be sweet) said, "Oh, Honey! I love that picture of you! I think I'll take it to the office for my wall." AAAACCCCKKK! He really thought it was flattering.

I decided then and there that if THAT was considered a GOOD picture of me, I'd better do something to be sure I never had to see a BAD one!

[recipefanatic]

GREETINGS EVERYONE!
This is my 4th time back at WW. I have lost weight successfully in the past on WW so I know that it works. This time I WILL make it to Lifetime member!
I was watching " The Biggest Loser" when it was on. One of the 3 finalists only lives 15 minutes away from me (Kelly). She used to come into a store where I worked at (years ago). I was thinking about losing weight after I saw the weight that they were losing. Didn't act upon it and figured that with the holidays coming, I'd wait until they were over. I told hubby that I would like for him to pay for WW for me. That would be my Christmas present. I figured that I wouldn't back out that way. Well, the last straw for me was on Christmas. My hubby's cousin had taken a picture of us. She had developed it right away (she had one of those "picture makers" for her digital camera). Well, let's just say that I looked HORRIBLE! That picture is going to be my motivator for me when I start to "fall off the wagon".
I also would like to lose weight for health reasons. Diabetes runs on both sides of my family. My dad has Type 2 diabetes from being overweight. So I am especially at risk for developing it. I really should get myself checked out for it. My dad's half brother died last summer from complications of diabetes. Let me just tell you that it was not a pretty sight.
I also have a soon to be 4 year old. My son was "blessed" to be born with a small stomach! He is healthy. One doctor wanted to run blood tests because of his weight. The other doctor in the practice said that his weight is just fine. He is growing and is healthy. I am hoping that he will not have weight issues later in life. I was never heavy until my late 20's. That is when I started stress eating and it's been a struggle since then.
THIS TIME I CAN AND WILL MAKE LIFETIME!!
Have a great day!:)

[cdv425]

When I gave birth to my older dd, I had my 3 month maternity leave and by the time I went back to work, I had lost the weight and was able to fit into all my old work clothes. I had my 2nd daughter 2.5 yrs later and after 6 months I still was about 3 sizes and 30 lbs overweight. A couple friends were talking up WW and the great results they had, so I decided to give it a try.


Chris

[linda_rose_61]

I joined because, simply stated, IT WORKS!

Also it is a healthy program with a healthy philosophy that has endured for years.

[Ryesmom]

I have always been chubby. I come from a family that is overweight. It just seemed normal growing up. I was content where I was for many years. Then my Mom passed away, in which her weight was a factor and my Dad has diabetes. I have a 14 year old son, and I want to be here and healthy to see him accomplish all he will in his life. So last May I was sitting at work and it just hit me. I don't think I remeber when I went from needing to lose a few pounds to being overweight. That afternoon I went and signed up at WW and haven't looked back. Eating healthy is slowly becoming a habit and actually something I enjoy. I never thought I would crave broccoli and cauliflower!

[Coinchick]

Well I knew I had gained weight but did nothing to stop the weight gain. Recently a supervisor in my company brought a new manager in to meet us. When they left he remember he wanted to tell me something. He called my voicemail and thought he had hung up his cell phone but instead I heard his conversation with this new supervisor and he called me chubby and dumpy. I tried to act like it did not hurt but it really did. So i joined WW and I am a week into it and so far lost 5.4 lbs. This is my 2nd time with WW and I really am into it.

[maile5278]

My reasons for joining the 1st time was because I needed a date and thought that no man would want to date a fat girl. I was 19 then. I'm 26 now and doing WW at home. This time the decision was made because I have found a man whom I love with all my heart and he in turn loves me. He loved me at my top weight and he still loves me 35 pounds later. I simply wanted to have more time with him and I realized that if I continued down the same road of weight gain that my life with him would be cut very short. Also we want to have children one day and I want to be here for them as long as I can be. I want to be able to run and play with them. My continued success this time around is due to the right reasons for wanting to lose the weight. I'm doing it for myself this time. Because I want to, not so someone will love me, but because someone already does and I want to grow old and stay healthy with him.

[Weight2go]

Very easy,


I needed to get healthy. My blood pressure was going up. I'm at risk for diabetes. I have a very stong family history of it. My knees hurt, my back hurts.

Secondly, WW is the only sensible food plan. No extremism. No cutting out food groups unless you want to. You don' t have to buy their food unless you want to. It teaches you portion control and its a liveable plan to use for the rest of your life.

[Amgrease]

I was very tiny as a young kid and then suddenly around age 6 I gained a lot of weight. I was self-conscious throughout my childhood but it didn't bother me that much until the end of middle school/ beginning of high school. I would stand around at the mall while my friends tried things on in sizes I hadn't seen since I was 10 years old. But I always had one companion, a friend who was about my weight... until she went to Weight Watchers and lost 50lbs. Finally at the end of 11th grade, I broke down,crying, to my parents who agreed to let me try it and here I am -70.8 lbs later and still going!

[itsalwright]

I had my third child almost 5 months ago. I am 24 and raise 7 children(the three I gave birth to and then my husbands 4 from his previous marriage). I feel like I never doanything for myself. I am a stress eater and find myself binging on the pudding or chips I put intheir lunches. I have recently come to grips with myself and am putting my foot down! Time to loose the extra poundage!! We live in a neighborhood with its own swimming pool. I hardly take my kids due to the fact I will not be seen in a swimsuit! Well with the summer soon approaching, we are scheduled to take vacations to Florida and the California. I want to be able to put on that swimsuit and walk along the beaches!!!! I was never that size 3 or 5 girl in High School. I rounded out at about an 8/9. I am now a 12/13 which I understand isn't all that bad, but I am not comfortable with myself!! Time to treat myself to something I deserve..........

SW 152.5/ CW 146/ GW 126

[momof3rugratz]

Hello it is nice to get to know ya and I know the boat you are in. I have 3 kids BOYS and they are a full time job I have kept the weight I have lost off 3 years now time for the last 15 I want off and it is soooooooooooooooo slow. But here I get the encouragment I need to keep going. Sit back and enjoy and if ya feel like a ho ho go to boot camp :)

[ThisTime!]

I have been overweight my entire life. Several times I've been close to goal, but get off plan and gain the weight back. In 1992 I was down 85 lbs! But gained it ALL back.

I've been a widow for the last five and a half years and I'm 46. In the last year I've left a rut of a job and the change has helped my self image and motivation.
Last fall I went to the doctor complaining of just not feeling well, aching, no energy. They ran a bevy of blood tests etc. and said I was "insulin resistant" which after I did some research found it to be the first states of diabetes. I was attempted to diet and Atkins, but even after following the plan to the letter, was hardly losing any weight. Gave up and went through the holidays with my clothes really bothering me and, of course, not feeling any better.

My new year resolution was to get on a HEALTHY plan and I went back to WW on Jan. 3rd., along with a packed room of other people. LOL I've be OP and truly enjoying it. My last weigh in on 2/28 showed a 28.8 lbs loss. I feel sooooo much better. I know I have much more to go, but I'm not hungry and there is a spring back in my step. Looking forward to summer and some lighter clothes.

I get alot of inspiration from BCB! THANKS!!!

Cindy :angel

[America's.Sweetheart]

My weight hit an all time high of 245 on a five foot frame and I was miserable. I don't think I looked in a full-length mirror for about two years. I would be mortified when I saw pics of myself. I knew I had intrinsic self-worth, and wanted my outside to match up with all the wonderful things that are on the inside of me. I was also afraid that I could hit 300 lbs. I had tried so many times on my own (fat-gram counting, calorie counting, Atkins, diet pills, etc). I had been on WW as a teenager in the late 1980's, and it worked then. I was sure it would work again and it realy has changed my life. I just wish I had joined sooner!

[Misty37]

Probably the main reason I joined is because of my family. My husband has never had a weight problem but I do have a 9 year old boy that is going through alot with his weight problem and I want to help him become healthy so WW is the way of life and will benefit all of us. I have struggled with weight since the birth of my first born child almost 21 years ago but it kept getting worse. My highest weight during pregnancy was 235-245 but now I am at my alltime high at 261 and so depressed about my weight. Last year I lost 32 lbs. (my weight was 250 then) on the plan in only three months so I know it can be done..then the world crashed in on me and I lost my job I loved....so I gave up and gained all of the weight back and then some...but everytime I look at my husband and see how very very handsome he is and then take a look in the mirror at myself and remember what he married...(a 135 lb. woman) makes me sick....so even though he loves me no matter what and tells me I am beautiful all the time..I just feel like WW is my calling the rest of my life....

[DublinFun]

I decided that it was time to quit complaining about being overweight and actually do something about it. A friend and co-worker started WW and two weeks before the rest of us at the office did...her success gave us the motivation that we needed. Now we're just one big happy WW family around here! :p

[brazeneye]

Well, this is my FOURTH time re-joining, I am the closest to my goal I have ever been before, and I think I am more disciplined now than when I was before (I am older, more mature, and have more food knowledge than I did the other times), and I believe this time I have the real motivation to go and stick with it this time around and really make a difference, and finally become a lifetime member!

[Mausinator]

This is going to make someone very happy but then again the one who will be happy 1 does not have a computer and 2 if she did she would not know how to use it so it's good. I actually started after my *gulp* mother-in-law was doing it for years. I had decided to loose weight and lucky for me my husband said he felt fat so I did all the work (he never wrote anything down and never counted his beers, all he said was no caffine and it's a liquid so as far as I care they are water, thats a german for ya!) I asked my mother in law for her books (I was not going to dish out money for something that did not work) Then after a while I gave them back to her and we started doing everything @ home. I think she takes pride in the fact that it was her who turned me onto ww and just so her head does not get bigger it's a good thing she will never see this (read above.) Then I got pregnant after loosing almost 30# gained the weight I lost back (even if it was for a baby it was so hard to see the scale go up every month.) Now I am back with an 8month old son and now going to meetings. DH is fininshed loosing weight so I have mo competition so I need my meetings. Oh and yes my first meeting that I went to my mother-in-law met me there...Thanks Ursula for this and only this which knowing you as I do you will find a way to take all the credit for me loosing weight...Okay it was a thank you a twisted thank you but a thank you nontheless :s
Vicki