foxfieldco
11-05-2004, 07:33 PM
Weight Watchers eTools article of the week: Get Inspired!
~~~ Discover Your Inspiration
It would be almost impossible to find someone who wasn't inspired by Lance Armstrong and the incredible story of how he overcame cancer and won the Tour de France six years in a row. His drive, motivation and sheer determination to accomplish his goal make him a truly exceptional hero.
And while the story of Lance Armstrong may help inspire you in life, it's important to find motivators that can help inspire you in your weight-loss efforts as well. Perhaps there are certain book or movie characters, songs, or family members that provide you with daily inspiration and motivation to achieve your weight-loss goals. Many others may find the real-life Success Stories on WeightWatchers.com a great source for inspiration – especially because these men and women have been through the exact process of losing weight that you are experiencing right now.
Anchors Aweigh.
You may have heard your Leader or other Meetings Members talking about Anchoring, a powerful tool from Weight Watchers Tools for Living. Just like a ship's anchor can keep it from drifting out to sea, anchoring your motivation to something that inspires you is a great way to keep you on course in your weight-loss efforts.
The next time you feel yourself losing motivation, make a conscious effort to bring the person or thing that inspires you into your mind's eye. Not only will you constantly be reminded of an inspirational story, person or song that has touched you in some way, but you'll probably muster a lot more courage to stick to your plan and achieve your own goals, too.
~~~ Affirmations for Motivation
"Life is 90 percent perception, 10 percent reality," says JoAnn Dahlkoetter, PhD, a Stanford University sports psychologist and author of Your Performing Edge (Pulgas Ridge Press, 2002). Thoughts and words are tremendously powerful, she says, and affirmations — or positive self-statements — are a good way to transform them into results.
"People are shocked when they become aware of what a negative, running commentary they are always making to themselves," says Tina Tessina, PhD, a psychotherapist in Southern California and author of It Ends With You (New Page, 2003). Comments like "you'll never succeed" or "you'll always have a weight problem" come from our fears and insecurities, as well as from negative barbs peers or parents have slung at us in our youths, says Tessina. "Affirmations counteract those negative messages and, when repeated enough, eventually change our mental landscape and empower us to reach our goals."
Because our bodies and minds are so intricately connected, sometimes the brain can't distinguish between what is actually happening and what we're imagining, explains Dahlkoetter. So when we create a statement or image of success, the body will believe it. This is where affirmations come in.
Many people, include Dahlkoetter and Tessina, have had great success using affirmations. There are a few guidelines, but once you get the hang of creating them, the sky's the limit. To write powerful affirmations, use the first person ("I" or "my"), include your name, then make a dynamic positive statement about one of your goals. Here are a few examples. "I, Cathy, am moving closer to my weight goal of being a size 8." Or: "I, Lisa, find my weight-loss program easy and fun to follow and I'm very successful at it."
"Losing weight is a major life change, and change is hard!" says Tessina. "Without internal support, external support does not work. Affirmations are an excellent form of internal support."
But once is not enough, warns Dahlkoetter. Once you have created good affirmations, say them twice, then repeat them several times throughout the day, especially when you feel vulnerable. (Aloud is best.) You can also tape-record yourself saying them and listen to the tape frequently. Write them down and leave them in key spots, like on your fridge or computer. Visualizing your ideal self at the same time will enhance the power of your new positive thinking.
Affirmations can be universally effective, but Tessina suggests figuring out what your personal weight-loss motivation is and building that into your statements. It doesn't matter whether it's looking great in your new size-6 wardrobe, being more attractive, or living longer. Once you master affirmations, you can apply them to any area of life.
~~~ 7 Ways to Improve Your Attitude
You're having one of those days where nothing is going right — you're late for work, your computer crashed, you spilled coffee on your brand-new shirt. By the end of the day, you find yourself zombie-like in front of the television, asking yourself "Where is my life going? Where did I go wrong?" Indeed, a simple shift in attitude at some point during your waking hours could have turned your day around. But how do you do it? Set realistic, achievable steps, suggests Stephanie Marston, Ph.D., a family therapist in Santa Fe. Start with small things to improve your attitude and well-being.
Take a Friend to Lunch: Try taking a friend to lunch or dinner. Not only will you get a nice visit in with a friend you care about, but the act of generosity will likely boost your spirits.
Listen to Your Favorite Song: Carry a portable CD or tape player with you and listen to your favorite tunes. A recent study in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia found that music decreased anxiety experienced by patients before surgery.
Discover the Extrovert in You: "Merely acting extroverted will make you feel happier," says William Fleeson, Ph.D., a psychology professor who studies happiness at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Fleeson suggests acting assertive, bold, adventurous, and talkative to practice being an extrovert.
Take Ten: Give yourself ten minutes out of every day to re-connect with yourself, suggests Marston. "We live in a fast-paced culture where we're all moving at warp speed with ridiculous to-do lists," she says. If we take time to be quiet, we can get in touch with our values and priorities. "With some adjustments and time, soon our outer life will be matching up with our inner life," she says.
Count Your Blessings: A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that individuals with a more grateful outlook on life exhibited a heightened state of well being. According to the study, "research has shown that gratitude is linked with positive emotions including contentment, happiness, and hope." At some point during the day, make a simple list of five or ten things that you are grateful for in your life.
Shake It Off: Try not to take things personally. Instead, develop the habit of looking at other people's actions as just the way they are and less of a personal statement about you. Keep in mind that you can't make another person change but you can change your own thoughts.
Just Say Om: Cultivate your spiritual side. This could mean checking out some meditation classes (often yoga studios are a good source), exploring the local religious centers in your neighborhood or asking a friend to recommend a good spiritual book.
~~~ Picture This
Sometimes, seeing is believing. A visual way to celebrate and envision your weight-loss success might, therefore, make all the difference in helping you to achieve your ultimate weight-loss goal. But will visualization work for you?
There are many different types of learners, explains Palma Posillico, general manager of training and development for Weight Watchers International. Whereas some people tend to absorb information better by hearing it, rather than seeing it, others need something more tangible to hold on to. So if hearing about a 100-pound weight-loss story doesn't get you up and running, perhaps holding in your lap and looking at a 100-pound bag of potatoes will.
Here are a few ideas from a Weight Watchers expert plus people in our Community about how to visualize your progress. Look around for ideas of your own, too. But be sure you start with a solid Winning Outcome, one of the strategies from Weight Watchers Tools for Living [for subscribers only]. After all, says Posillico, you've got to be clear about what you want in order to know where you're going.
Map It Out:
Tracking your weight loss on a graph can be super motivating for stats-lovers. Even if you gain weight one week, you'll still be inspired by seeing that line headed south over the long haul. Try our Weight Tracker and Progress Charts, for example. They're fast and simple ways to find motivation by watching yourself move in the right direction.
You can also use charts to fuel your fitness and weight-loss plan. For example:
Map out the number of miles you've logged by bike or foot (perhaps you can visually climb Mount Everest, or cycle from New York to California?).
Envision your weight loss as a fundraiser, and tick off a $10 mark for every pound shed. Then buy yourself a special treat with your earnings when you reach your ultimate goal!
Play with Pictures:
Use Story Boarding, another strategy from Weight Watchers Tools for Living, to detail your step-by-step weight-loss action plan. Draw a series of pictures, or cut and paste together clip art, photographs and magazine cutouts that represent your path to your goal. Perhaps it'll include:
A sketch of your leader with a handwritten caption that says to go to your meeting each week.
A photo of yourself at the weight you want to be — perhaps from your high school graduation or your wedding.
A picture of a pair of jeans you want to get into, or a pair you never want to wear again. Which one you use depends on what motivates you more — looking at where you've come from or where you are headed.
Visualize Your Success:
Imagine what it will feel like to be thin at this very moment — your imagination can be a wonderful visual aid (Weight Watchers calls this Motivating Strategy, another technique from Tools for Living).
Picture yourself as the star of a movie, glamorous and all dolled up.
Create a collage that illustrates what you think you'll feel and look like at your goal.
Find a Strengthening "Anchor":
We all possess the desire to be thin, but sometimes get sidetracked by external forces. The Tools for Living technique of Anchoring uses a tangible object to remind you of what you can do. "It relies on an inner resource to draw upon," says Posillico. Some handy ideas include carrying around:
A small piece of fabric to remind you not to throw in the towel.
A piece of a straw that represents your last straw — the culminating event that brought you to Weight Watchers. "Pain can be a powerful motivator," says Posillico.
A clear marble that acts as a crystal ball, in which you can envision your future.
With a Little Help from My Friends …
Try these techniques, suggested by users on the WeightWatchers.com boards:
"I used to visualize myself in a short, red dress I wore for a wedding six years ago. The Weight Watchers commercials for Smart Ones, with the lady dancing around in a red dress singing "Lady in Red," really helped my visualization! After losing 20 or so pounds, I tried on the dress and found that it was too BIG! Visualization works!" Posted on: 5/8/01
"I like the Weight Tracker and Progress Charts — it's a great incentive to see the graph line in a downward trend!" Posted on: 4/2/01
"I am visualizing dusting off a pair of jeans I haven't worn in eight years and they fit great (even if they are a little out of style!). I've gotten close a few times, but never to where they fit great. I look forward to that day — then I can 'retire' them for good!" Posted on: 5/8/01
~~~ Broadway Beats the Bulge
Kerry O'Malley's career was taking off! She was starring on Broadway in the hit revival of Into the Woods, booking numerous commercials, and running between business lunches and auditions daily. But the price of success? A huge bodily toll. Her eating became haphazard, her workouts suffered, and fatigue was a daily state. Eventually she also found herself carrying 20 extra pounds.
Something had to change, but Kerry [pictured, r.] wasn't sure where to start. As an actress, however, she was good at taking direction, so having a plan appealed to her. Enter Weight Watchers. With her already-packed schedule, she loved the idea of dieting online. "I found the website fantastic and helpful. I counted my POINTS® and entered everything into the computer."
Awareness of portion size and POINTS values was Kerry's biggest awakening. "As a vegetarian I always used to order grilled cheese, until I found out it had 13 POINTS! I was horrified. Now I have the know-how to make smarter choices."
Kerry also found herself recommitted to fitness "because you can earn POINTS for working out and then you can eat more!" She got a pedometer and walked 17,500-20,000 steps most days. She also did Pilates 2-3 times a week and used exercise videos when traveling for work. "I am proof that you can lose weight even when you are away from home if you're conscientious."
Having reached her goal weight in February, Kerry is so thrilled with her success she now recommends Weight Watchers without reservation to other Broadway performers looking to trim down, shape up or just take better care of their bodies. "I am taking control of my life and it's been great for me."
Another Broadway veteran who found success with Weight Watchers is Laurie Gamache, whose long list of professional credits includes three years as "Cassie" in A Chorus Line. Laurie first turned to the plan after weight fluctuations were affecting her career. When performing, the grueling 8-show per week schedule made it easier to keep weight off, but the minute a show closed, she'd be battling the cookie jar. "I'd put on weight which would make it harder for me to land the next job. So I'd try to starve myself but that always failed, so I'd get frustrated and eat more."
Laurie credits Weight Watchers with taking the mystery out of dieting. Originally having lost 25 pounds on the plan*, she still follows the POINTS value parameters. Laurie says Weight Watchers is also a "godsend" for touring with Broadway productions. "When you're living in hotels for up to a year at a time, it gets really hard to eat right, but Weight Watchers gave me more freedom while traveling. Before, if I got stuck at a fast-food restaurant, I'd panic or feel guilty. But with the plan, I just figure out the POINTS values and budget accordingly."
Laurie says she's learned that weight maintenance is her choice and admits to the occasional slip up, but now she also knows how to correct it. "Weight Watchers gives you the tools to maintain a slim physique for life, whatever your profession."
Ana Andricain got into Weight Watchers thanks to the cast of Les Miserables. "Almost the entire women's ensemble joined the plan after a former cast member came back to visit the dressing room and looked amazing. Her secret? Weight Watchers. I said 'Sign me up!'"
Then a bride-to-be, Ana was inspired to lose weight because she wanted to look especially great in her wedding pictures. However, as a hypoglycemic, she'd had difficulty losing weight. Her condition necessitated eating every couple of hours. With Weight Watchers she learned to make smarter food choices and found she was actually eating more than before (which kept her blood sugar steady) even while she lost weight.**
One of the biggest pitfalls of working in the theater is the constant presence of food backstage. "By doing the program en masse, we got the M&Ms out of the dressing room and replaced them with Wasa crackers and apple butter." Another challenge for performers is the need to nosh after a performance. "Les Miserables is a three-hour show and when we'd get done, we'd be starving. I'd usually try to keep 2 of my POINTS values available for late-night snacking so I wouldn't go to sleep hungry."
At her goal for over a year now, Ana says "I think weight loss is different for people whose bodies are their instruments. Knowing how to maintain your weight can mean the difference between booking a job or not."
*Results not typical
** The foregoing is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have. Do not disregard professional medical advice or the advice of other qualified health providers, or delay in seeking it, because of information you have obtained on our Site.
~~~ Discover Your Inspiration
It would be almost impossible to find someone who wasn't inspired by Lance Armstrong and the incredible story of how he overcame cancer and won the Tour de France six years in a row. His drive, motivation and sheer determination to accomplish his goal make him a truly exceptional hero.
And while the story of Lance Armstrong may help inspire you in life, it's important to find motivators that can help inspire you in your weight-loss efforts as well. Perhaps there are certain book or movie characters, songs, or family members that provide you with daily inspiration and motivation to achieve your weight-loss goals. Many others may find the real-life Success Stories on WeightWatchers.com a great source for inspiration – especially because these men and women have been through the exact process of losing weight that you are experiencing right now.
Anchors Aweigh.
You may have heard your Leader or other Meetings Members talking about Anchoring, a powerful tool from Weight Watchers Tools for Living. Just like a ship's anchor can keep it from drifting out to sea, anchoring your motivation to something that inspires you is a great way to keep you on course in your weight-loss efforts.
The next time you feel yourself losing motivation, make a conscious effort to bring the person or thing that inspires you into your mind's eye. Not only will you constantly be reminded of an inspirational story, person or song that has touched you in some way, but you'll probably muster a lot more courage to stick to your plan and achieve your own goals, too.
~~~ Affirmations for Motivation
"Life is 90 percent perception, 10 percent reality," says JoAnn Dahlkoetter, PhD, a Stanford University sports psychologist and author of Your Performing Edge (Pulgas Ridge Press, 2002). Thoughts and words are tremendously powerful, she says, and affirmations — or positive self-statements — are a good way to transform them into results.
"People are shocked when they become aware of what a negative, running commentary they are always making to themselves," says Tina Tessina, PhD, a psychotherapist in Southern California and author of It Ends With You (New Page, 2003). Comments like "you'll never succeed" or "you'll always have a weight problem" come from our fears and insecurities, as well as from negative barbs peers or parents have slung at us in our youths, says Tessina. "Affirmations counteract those negative messages and, when repeated enough, eventually change our mental landscape and empower us to reach our goals."
Because our bodies and minds are so intricately connected, sometimes the brain can't distinguish between what is actually happening and what we're imagining, explains Dahlkoetter. So when we create a statement or image of success, the body will believe it. This is where affirmations come in.
Many people, include Dahlkoetter and Tessina, have had great success using affirmations. There are a few guidelines, but once you get the hang of creating them, the sky's the limit. To write powerful affirmations, use the first person ("I" or "my"), include your name, then make a dynamic positive statement about one of your goals. Here are a few examples. "I, Cathy, am moving closer to my weight goal of being a size 8." Or: "I, Lisa, find my weight-loss program easy and fun to follow and I'm very successful at it."
"Losing weight is a major life change, and change is hard!" says Tessina. "Without internal support, external support does not work. Affirmations are an excellent form of internal support."
But once is not enough, warns Dahlkoetter. Once you have created good affirmations, say them twice, then repeat them several times throughout the day, especially when you feel vulnerable. (Aloud is best.) You can also tape-record yourself saying them and listen to the tape frequently. Write them down and leave them in key spots, like on your fridge or computer. Visualizing your ideal self at the same time will enhance the power of your new positive thinking.
Affirmations can be universally effective, but Tessina suggests figuring out what your personal weight-loss motivation is and building that into your statements. It doesn't matter whether it's looking great in your new size-6 wardrobe, being more attractive, or living longer. Once you master affirmations, you can apply them to any area of life.
~~~ 7 Ways to Improve Your Attitude
You're having one of those days where nothing is going right — you're late for work, your computer crashed, you spilled coffee on your brand-new shirt. By the end of the day, you find yourself zombie-like in front of the television, asking yourself "Where is my life going? Where did I go wrong?" Indeed, a simple shift in attitude at some point during your waking hours could have turned your day around. But how do you do it? Set realistic, achievable steps, suggests Stephanie Marston, Ph.D., a family therapist in Santa Fe. Start with small things to improve your attitude and well-being.
Take a Friend to Lunch: Try taking a friend to lunch or dinner. Not only will you get a nice visit in with a friend you care about, but the act of generosity will likely boost your spirits.
Listen to Your Favorite Song: Carry a portable CD or tape player with you and listen to your favorite tunes. A recent study in the journal Anesthesia & Analgesia found that music decreased anxiety experienced by patients before surgery.
Discover the Extrovert in You: "Merely acting extroverted will make you feel happier," says William Fleeson, Ph.D., a psychology professor who studies happiness at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Fleeson suggests acting assertive, bold, adventurous, and talkative to practice being an extrovert.
Take Ten: Give yourself ten minutes out of every day to re-connect with yourself, suggests Marston. "We live in a fast-paced culture where we're all moving at warp speed with ridiculous to-do lists," she says. If we take time to be quiet, we can get in touch with our values and priorities. "With some adjustments and time, soon our outer life will be matching up with our inner life," she says.
Count Your Blessings: A study published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology found that individuals with a more grateful outlook on life exhibited a heightened state of well being. According to the study, "research has shown that gratitude is linked with positive emotions including contentment, happiness, and hope." At some point during the day, make a simple list of five or ten things that you are grateful for in your life.
Shake It Off: Try not to take things personally. Instead, develop the habit of looking at other people's actions as just the way they are and less of a personal statement about you. Keep in mind that you can't make another person change but you can change your own thoughts.
Just Say Om: Cultivate your spiritual side. This could mean checking out some meditation classes (often yoga studios are a good source), exploring the local religious centers in your neighborhood or asking a friend to recommend a good spiritual book.
~~~ Picture This
Sometimes, seeing is believing. A visual way to celebrate and envision your weight-loss success might, therefore, make all the difference in helping you to achieve your ultimate weight-loss goal. But will visualization work for you?
There are many different types of learners, explains Palma Posillico, general manager of training and development for Weight Watchers International. Whereas some people tend to absorb information better by hearing it, rather than seeing it, others need something more tangible to hold on to. So if hearing about a 100-pound weight-loss story doesn't get you up and running, perhaps holding in your lap and looking at a 100-pound bag of potatoes will.
Here are a few ideas from a Weight Watchers expert plus people in our Community about how to visualize your progress. Look around for ideas of your own, too. But be sure you start with a solid Winning Outcome, one of the strategies from Weight Watchers Tools for Living [for subscribers only]. After all, says Posillico, you've got to be clear about what you want in order to know where you're going.
Map It Out:
Tracking your weight loss on a graph can be super motivating for stats-lovers. Even if you gain weight one week, you'll still be inspired by seeing that line headed south over the long haul. Try our Weight Tracker and Progress Charts, for example. They're fast and simple ways to find motivation by watching yourself move in the right direction.
You can also use charts to fuel your fitness and weight-loss plan. For example:
Map out the number of miles you've logged by bike or foot (perhaps you can visually climb Mount Everest, or cycle from New York to California?).
Envision your weight loss as a fundraiser, and tick off a $10 mark for every pound shed. Then buy yourself a special treat with your earnings when you reach your ultimate goal!
Play with Pictures:
Use Story Boarding, another strategy from Weight Watchers Tools for Living, to detail your step-by-step weight-loss action plan. Draw a series of pictures, or cut and paste together clip art, photographs and magazine cutouts that represent your path to your goal. Perhaps it'll include:
A sketch of your leader with a handwritten caption that says to go to your meeting each week.
A photo of yourself at the weight you want to be — perhaps from your high school graduation or your wedding.
A picture of a pair of jeans you want to get into, or a pair you never want to wear again. Which one you use depends on what motivates you more — looking at where you've come from or where you are headed.
Visualize Your Success:
Imagine what it will feel like to be thin at this very moment — your imagination can be a wonderful visual aid (Weight Watchers calls this Motivating Strategy, another technique from Tools for Living).
Picture yourself as the star of a movie, glamorous and all dolled up.
Create a collage that illustrates what you think you'll feel and look like at your goal.
Find a Strengthening "Anchor":
We all possess the desire to be thin, but sometimes get sidetracked by external forces. The Tools for Living technique of Anchoring uses a tangible object to remind you of what you can do. "It relies on an inner resource to draw upon," says Posillico. Some handy ideas include carrying around:
A small piece of fabric to remind you not to throw in the towel.
A piece of a straw that represents your last straw — the culminating event that brought you to Weight Watchers. "Pain can be a powerful motivator," says Posillico.
A clear marble that acts as a crystal ball, in which you can envision your future.
With a Little Help from My Friends …
Try these techniques, suggested by users on the WeightWatchers.com boards:
"I used to visualize myself in a short, red dress I wore for a wedding six years ago. The Weight Watchers commercials for Smart Ones, with the lady dancing around in a red dress singing "Lady in Red," really helped my visualization! After losing 20 or so pounds, I tried on the dress and found that it was too BIG! Visualization works!" Posted on: 5/8/01
"I like the Weight Tracker and Progress Charts — it's a great incentive to see the graph line in a downward trend!" Posted on: 4/2/01
"I am visualizing dusting off a pair of jeans I haven't worn in eight years and they fit great (even if they are a little out of style!). I've gotten close a few times, but never to where they fit great. I look forward to that day — then I can 'retire' them for good!" Posted on: 5/8/01
~~~ Broadway Beats the Bulge
Kerry O'Malley's career was taking off! She was starring on Broadway in the hit revival of Into the Woods, booking numerous commercials, and running between business lunches and auditions daily. But the price of success? A huge bodily toll. Her eating became haphazard, her workouts suffered, and fatigue was a daily state. Eventually she also found herself carrying 20 extra pounds.
Something had to change, but Kerry [pictured, r.] wasn't sure where to start. As an actress, however, she was good at taking direction, so having a plan appealed to her. Enter Weight Watchers. With her already-packed schedule, she loved the idea of dieting online. "I found the website fantastic and helpful. I counted my POINTS® and entered everything into the computer."
Awareness of portion size and POINTS values was Kerry's biggest awakening. "As a vegetarian I always used to order grilled cheese, until I found out it had 13 POINTS! I was horrified. Now I have the know-how to make smarter choices."
Kerry also found herself recommitted to fitness "because you can earn POINTS for working out and then you can eat more!" She got a pedometer and walked 17,500-20,000 steps most days. She also did Pilates 2-3 times a week and used exercise videos when traveling for work. "I am proof that you can lose weight even when you are away from home if you're conscientious."
Having reached her goal weight in February, Kerry is so thrilled with her success she now recommends Weight Watchers without reservation to other Broadway performers looking to trim down, shape up or just take better care of their bodies. "I am taking control of my life and it's been great for me."
Another Broadway veteran who found success with Weight Watchers is Laurie Gamache, whose long list of professional credits includes three years as "Cassie" in A Chorus Line. Laurie first turned to the plan after weight fluctuations were affecting her career. When performing, the grueling 8-show per week schedule made it easier to keep weight off, but the minute a show closed, she'd be battling the cookie jar. "I'd put on weight which would make it harder for me to land the next job. So I'd try to starve myself but that always failed, so I'd get frustrated and eat more."
Laurie credits Weight Watchers with taking the mystery out of dieting. Originally having lost 25 pounds on the plan*, she still follows the POINTS value parameters. Laurie says Weight Watchers is also a "godsend" for touring with Broadway productions. "When you're living in hotels for up to a year at a time, it gets really hard to eat right, but Weight Watchers gave me more freedom while traveling. Before, if I got stuck at a fast-food restaurant, I'd panic or feel guilty. But with the plan, I just figure out the POINTS values and budget accordingly."
Laurie says she's learned that weight maintenance is her choice and admits to the occasional slip up, but now she also knows how to correct it. "Weight Watchers gives you the tools to maintain a slim physique for life, whatever your profession."
Ana Andricain got into Weight Watchers thanks to the cast of Les Miserables. "Almost the entire women's ensemble joined the plan after a former cast member came back to visit the dressing room and looked amazing. Her secret? Weight Watchers. I said 'Sign me up!'"
Then a bride-to-be, Ana was inspired to lose weight because she wanted to look especially great in her wedding pictures. However, as a hypoglycemic, she'd had difficulty losing weight. Her condition necessitated eating every couple of hours. With Weight Watchers she learned to make smarter food choices and found she was actually eating more than before (which kept her blood sugar steady) even while she lost weight.**
One of the biggest pitfalls of working in the theater is the constant presence of food backstage. "By doing the program en masse, we got the M&Ms out of the dressing room and replaced them with Wasa crackers and apple butter." Another challenge for performers is the need to nosh after a performance. "Les Miserables is a three-hour show and when we'd get done, we'd be starving. I'd usually try to keep 2 of my POINTS values available for late-night snacking so I wouldn't go to sleep hungry."
At her goal for over a year now, Ana says "I think weight loss is different for people whose bodies are their instruments. Knowing how to maintain your weight can mean the difference between booking a job or not."
*Results not typical
** The foregoing is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have. Do not disregard professional medical advice or the advice of other qualified health providers, or delay in seeking it, because of information you have obtained on our Site.