My Exciting News

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Yesterday while I was at work, I got a call from the Weight Watchers PR manager named Kristi. Three weeks ago I had turned in my weight loss success story to Kristi. She explained that she had shared my story with the Tyler Morning Telegraph and they loved it! They liked my story so much that they want to interview me about my weight loss!!

My interview is going to be on tomorrow!! My story will be in the health and fitness section, which runs on Sunday.

Please pray for me tomorrow as I interview and that I would honor the Lord with what I share about my journey.

I will keep you posted and try to post a link to my story when I get it!

For those who are interested here is the my member success story that I submitted to Kristi and some before and after pictures.

Before Weight Watchers, July 2008

After reaching my goal, November 2009

I have always struggled with my weight, but just after college I went from being overweight to obese in the blink of an eye. Ashamed and disgusted with what I had become, I simply chose to live in denial. I desperately attempted to ignore the fact that I could not even walk up a flight of stairs without stopping to catch my breath!

I tried diets that promised success if I stuck to their rigid meal plans. These efforts only resulted in anger and frustration, which I directed at myself and those around me. In October 2008, I went to the doctor
because of a sinus infection. The doctor ran tests and informed me that I had borderline high cholesterol and high blood pressure. At that moment, I knew something must change. I did not want to be this person for the rest of my life.

One of the best decisions I have ever made for myself was to join Weight Watchers. I had heard incredible things about Weight Watchers from my friends and co-workers and knew that this was the perfect program for me. I nervously attended my first meeting, hoping that no one I knew would be there. However, the meetings quickly became a part of my weekly schedule and a source of great encouragement to me.

I clung to my faith, and God was faithful to be my source of strength throughout this entire process. God used Weight Watchers to radically change my life. I no longer have high cholesterol and high blood pressure. The most unexpected change that has taken place in my life is that now I am a runner! I went from
barely being able to walk down the sidewalk without complaining to running a 5K, which was truly one of the proudest moments of my life.

Please do not be fooled into thinking that running came naturally for me, because that it just not true. I did my best to avoid exercise the first half of my weight loss journey.

Then in March 2009, Weight Watchers launched its first annual Walk-!t Challenge. They encouraged each of us to train for and participate in a 5K that summer. They made this challenge sound like something I could do. I would be walking with other Weight Watchers members who were just like me. I was so inspired that I even signed myself up for a real running 5K. I found a couch to 5K program online that helped me learn how to run.

Now when I say running I mean a really, really slow jog and it was only for a minute or two at a time. It took a few weeks to work up to being able to run a mile without stopping to rest.

Without the Walk-!t Challenge who knows if I would have every discovered my love for running!

When I started Weight Watchers I weighed 225 pounds and wore a size 18. Today, I weigh 135 pounds and wear a size 4! I am no longer ashamed of who I am or the number that is on the scale each week. When you grow up struggling with weight issues it is almost impossible to see yourself as anything else other then overweight. But today, I see myself as a woman who has conquered her weight issues and is helping to motivate others to do the same.