Weight Loss Success Story: Carol Bartholomew

Today, I would like you to meet my Mom, Carol!! My Mom is on her own weight loss journey. So far she has lost over 50 pounds and 12 inches. I am proud of my Mom and the lifestyle changes that she has made. She is a constant source of encouragement and inspiration as we watch her reach her goals on day at a time. She hasn't reached her goal yet, but I know that she won't give up until she gets there! 

Me, Olivia, and Mom September 2013

Check out my Mom's story and be inspired!!

I was very thin when I was growing up and once I got married and started having kids the weight came on and it never left. I have 3 daughters and 2 sons plus 7 grandkids. I moved down to Springfield, Oregon from Washington in January of 2013. I weighed about 50 lbs. more than I do now. 

Before

Currently, I am a caregiver for my mother who has Alzheimer’s.  I started walking in March of 2013 and by August I was at 199 and had hit a plateau.  I needed more.  I met a man named Tim from International Fitness and he gave me a free pass to come to the gym.  I went, I joined, and I haven’t looked back since!

I know the weight doesn’t seem like a lot for a year but I have also become very toned and much stronger.  I recently re-measured myself and I have lost 12 inches so far.  That’s a whole foot! How insane is that!

After

I have a really bad left knee which has hindered me being able to take more classes.  When I found PiYo things just clicked for me.  I love PiYo!! I do it 5 days a week in a live class at the gym and I also have the home version which I do 6 days a week. I am very proud of my accomplishments.

Amazing!

I am changing my life one day at a time. I want to show my kids anything is possible if you put your mind to it and show my grandkids to never give up on your dreams!! I also want to encourage my girls to start getting healthy now while they are young.  It isn’t as easy when you are older like me. But ANYTHING is possible if you want it bad enough and try try try!

Help Me Brainstorm

I do not even know where to start this morning.

Let me just begin by telling you that it has always been a dream of mine to write a book. I have had this desire for a long time, but I never knew what I would write about in my book. I think that this is one of the main reasons why I started this blog, because I wanted to be able to practice my writing skills without the pressure of feeling like I needed to get my book finished.

Then, this past weekend, I received an email from one of my Living a Changed Life readers. This woman explained that she would be willing to purchase, "Living a Changed Life" in book form.

How exciting!!

Off of the top of my head, this book would include the story of my weight loss journey, recipes, helpful tips, and more.

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So, I guess now I am curious to know what the rest of you think about this idea...

Would you be interested in "Living a Changed Life" the book?

 



I would really love your feedback, so be sure to leave me a comment with any thoughts that you have about this book idea!

Finally, please pray with me as I consider whether or not to take the time to make "Living a Changed Life" into a book. I will need wisdom from the Lord and patience as I begin to see if this is God's will for me right now. Above all else, pray that the Lord will receive all the glory for any book that I am able to put together. Without Him, I would not have a story to tell.

Weight Loss Success Story: Susan Davis

Today, I would like to share Susan's success story with you all. Susan joined Weight Watchers in June 2012 and she has been a member in my Saturday morning meeting ever since.

Susan before she joined Weight Watchers.

In less than one year after Susan started Weight Watchers, she has lost a total of 57.2 pounds on the Weight Watchers program!!

Me and Susan the day she reached her goal weight!

Not only has she lost 57 pounds, but she has also been taken off one of her blood pressure medicines and her cholesterol medicine that she had been taking for the past 5 years.

Check out Susan's story and be inspired!!

Tell us a little about yourself, your family, your job, etc. 
I am married to Jerry for nearly 5 years. I have two wonderful sons, Preston and Patrick. Jerry has 2
wonderful sons and 1 beautiful daughter and we have 1 grandson. I work for Gregg Industrial Insulators as assistant warehouse manager. I have been with the company 19 years. I love to read, work in the yard and am beginning to love walking.

How long did it take you to get to your idea weight? Are you there now? 
I started the program June 30, 2012. It took me 9-1/2 months to reach goal. 

What made you decide to start you weight loss journey?
I started the program because I wanted to do it for myself, for health issues and I had a wedding coming up and did not like the way I looked in all the previous wedding pictures of our children. I looked through the past wedding pictures of our children and saw that in each one I was getting bigger and bigger. I wanted to have at least one set of wedding pictures that I looked decent in. When they set the date for April of 2013, I decided I had to do something. I had been looking into Weight Watchers and thinking about it. I had talked to a neighbor about it since she was doing it at the time. I just decided one Friday night that I was getting up the next morning and going to a meeting. I joined and it has been a blessing ever since.

What kept you on track losing weight?
I stayed on track by tracking my food everyday on my phone and the main thing that kept me on track was after losing 25 lbs., I could really feel a difference. I had more energy and just liked myself better. When I went for a yearly physical in January, the results were proven. The doctor took me off one of my blood pressure medicines and my cholesterol medicine that I had been taking for the past 5 years. That was even more motivation.

Tell us about a typical day in terms of eating and exercise. 
When I first started the program, I just focused on the food part of the program. I tracked everything
I ate and was constantly looking for more alternatives. I have tried to add a new food or recipe every
week that I have never tried before. I signed up for Hungry Girl emails so I could find better ways to eat what I wanted. I revamped my own favorite recipes so they are healthier on the recipe builder on etools. I did not exercise at first just focused on following the food. When that became second nature, I started working out on my WII Fit Plus 3 or 4 times a week and in January I bought an elliptical machine that I use when the weather is bad and I cannot get outside. I now try to walk at least 3 or 4 days a week. I use the active link monitor to fit in activity. Towards the end of the day if it is not close to 100% of the goal I have set, I think of ways to do activity.

What is the biggest difference you have noticed because of your weight loss? 
The biggest difference I have noticed because of my weight loss is that I have been taken off 2 of my
prescriptions and I have a lot more energy. I now feel like being active and moving more.

What advice can you give to others struggling to lose weight?
My advice to others struggling to lose weight is join weight watchers, follow the program, work all the etools that are available and if you have a slip on one day just pick it back up on the next day. Never get discouraged even if you have a weight gain one week because if you follow the program the next week it will probably come off plus some more. I have learned that a .2 weight loss is a weight loss and is better than a gain. Never give up and get discouraged. If you do give up, you are hurting yourself and no one else. Always think of yourself and make it easier by using every tool available.

How do you keep the weight off in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle? 
I am at the part of the weight loss journey now that is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. I plan to continue using the tools available and become even more active. I plan to walk in the Starlight 5k Night coming up in June. I have never done anything like this before so it will be a new adventure. I have learned that for motivation I need to accept new challenges that I make for myself. I am still learning on the maintaining.

Give us a quote or a motto that you have used to keep you focused.
My quote that I am known for in our meeting is one that I found on Pinterest shortly after I started
the program. I printed in on several sizes of paper and have it on the refrigerator in the house, the
refrigerator in the garage, and taped to several mirrors so that I see it quite often. It is

YOU ARE NOT HUNGRY, YOU ARE BORED, DRINK SOME WATER AND LEARN THE
DIFFERENCE.

Heels and Hills, My First Half Marathon

Preface: This is a much longer post than I thought it would be, but I hope you will take time to read it.

Yesterday, I ran and finished my very first half marathon a total of 13.1 miles!! It truly is one of the greatest accomplishments on my life!!

Our journey to my half marathon started on Saturday, where nothing went according to plan. I worked my Weight Watchers meeting, graduation, and finally got home after 3:00pm. I ate some lunch and Jon packed the car, so that we could get on the road. We had to drive to Irving, Texas, where we had a room for the night, before my half marathon.

We made it into the city of Irving without any problems. We were all tired, hungry, and had to pee, but we didn't want to stop until we got to our hotel room. We accidentally took the wrong exit, which is when everything went wrong! We heard an awful noise and Jon told me that the tire was flat. He took to very next exit and pulled over on the off ramp. As it turned out, we hit/ran over something that blew out our rear left tire and damaged the front left tire.

Jon, Olivia, and I waited on the side of the road for over an hour. The gentlemen from AAA finally showed up to tow our car to a tire shop. Two AAA guys came to help us so that we would not have to call and pay for a cab. Praise the Lord for their kindness!

We were taken to a sketchy looking tire shop, where we got two new tires put on our car. The manager was a man from Pakistan and he kept saying what a nice family we were. I hope and pray that the Lord helps his wife to get pregnant so that they can have a baby of their own someday.

We finally got to our hotel, had dinner, and got Olivia to bed.

As I said before, none of this was apart of my plan, but God took care of us! He was with us on the side of the road with a flat and He will provide the money that we need for tires. I had been so nervous about my half marathon, but it all faded in the light of our flat tire situation.

I was so tired from our flat tire ordeal that I slept better than I thought I would that night.

Sunday morning, I woke up about 6:00am, so that I could eat a little something before heading down to the race to get my packet. I ate my 1/2 bagel with peanut butter breakfast and spent time reading my Bible and in prayer. I prayed for each part of my body by name, my feet, ankles, legs, etc. I knew that I could not finish this half marathon without the Lord's help, so in that hotel room I called on Him to be my strength where I was weak!

We headed down to the race site, got a parking spot, and walked to the race start line. I picked up my packet and shirt, then attached my bib to my shirt. I had about a 20 minute wait before my race began at 7:30am.

Me before my race began at 7:15am

While I was running my race, Jon and Olivia hung out at the race site and car waiting for me to get back. They truly are my biggest fans and I could not have finished this race without their love and support!!

Jon and Olivia waiting at the start line cheering me on!

My only goal for this half marathon was to try to finish without stopping to walk. Before the race began, Jon told me to join a pace group, because the guys would help me to stay on track throughout the race. I choose the 3 hour group, because I knew that I could not run much faster than that for 13.1 miles. This was the best decision I made that morning!

The race started and the excitement of it all was overwhelming! I was able to keep up with the 3 hour group and actually run a little bit ahead of them. For most of the race, I was in between the 2 hour 50 minute group and my own 3 hour group.

The first 11 miles or so went really well! Of course my feet would hurt a little bit here and there, but because I have been training for the last 8 weeks, I was able to run the first 11 miles with little to no problem. The longest run that I had completed in training was 10 miles, so I was confident that the beginning part of my race would go really well.

All throughout my run, as a part of my body would begin to hurt, I would pray to the Lord that He would touch my body and take away the pain. I called on Him for strength more times than I can count! However, during my 11th mile I got a side cramp! I had to stop and walk for about a 1/4 mile. The entire time I was praying that God would touch my cramp and help the pain to subside until I finished my race.

Thankfully, my pain went away and I started to run again. I jogged very slowly, because I was nervous about my side pain would come back.

By this time, I was in my 12th and final mile! I cannot tell you how many times I wanted to stop and just walk the rest of the way.

Mentally, I was trying to stay focused and not get discouraged. I kept thinking about Jon and Olivia waiting for me at the finish line. I thought about my Weight Watchers members and blog friends. I thought about how far I have come, since before I joined Weight Watchers! Who would have ever thought that I would be running 13.1 miles! I also thought about wearing my finishers medal around my neck and how good that would feel!

However, the 3 hour pace group caught up to me, because I had slowed down so much. They were the motivation I needed to keep going! I joined their group and ran my heart out! They said we only had about a 1/2 mile left. I thought about how many times I had run a 1/2 mile in the last 8 weeks and I knew that I could do it!

My side started to hurt again, so I prayed and pushed through it!

We had one final hill before we were back on the street and headed for the finish line! I was tired, worn out, and wanted to stop and lay down, but I kept going putting one foot in front of the other.

I turned the corner and only had 0.1 miles left! When I caught sight of Jon and Olivia waiting for me the full weight of all the I have accomplished hit me. I wanted to stop and cry, but I knew that I needed to get across the finish line first!

I crossed the finished line, just behind my 3 hour pace friends!

My official time 02:59:30 that is 13:42 minutes per mile!! Wow!!

Me after I crossed the finish line and received my first finishers medal.

This is my finishers medal! Isn't it beautiful!? I am so thankful to have this as a reminder of all that I have accomplished!! I have changed my life and am changing my legacy, so that as Olivia grows up and walks in my footsteps they will be healthy ones!!

My Heels and Hills Half Marathon Finishers Medal!

Before, I joined Weight Watchers I never once dreamed that I would become a runner! I loved to sit on the couch, watch movies, and eat. Who knew that there was an athlete hiding under all that fat, shame, and hopelessness. 

I want you all to know that you should never ever give up on yourselves, because you can do it! You can lose your weight, run your own marathon, or whatever else you dream about! Remember that When things get hard, pray and call on the Lord, like I did, and He will be your source of strength during those hard times! You are worth so much more than you realize!

Me sporting my new shirt and medal!

Don't Throw In The Towel

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No baby yet! Sorry for the lack of blogging recently! I only have one week left until my due date and things are busy, busy, busy!

This morning, I finally had time to sit down and answer some emails from my blog readers/followers. I am so thankful that I took the time to do this, because it gave me inspiration for my blog post today!!

Today, I want to try and offer each of you some encouragement!! I receive emails on a regular basis from men and women who are trying to lose weight. I am so thankful for your willingness to be open and vulnerable about your struggles to lose weight. I appreciate your transparency so much!!

A pattern I’ve notice is that many of you begin your weight loss journeys and then within a month or two you are so discouraged that you already want to quit! Why are you so quick to throw in the towel? It’s so hard to read emails like this, because I know that if you stick with your weight loss program you will be successful. I know what it feels like when you don’t think you are getting anywhere, but I do not think that’s a reason to give up.

Below are three different ideas that you can try if you experience discouragement along your weight loss journey. These things helped me so much in my own journey and I know that they will work for you too!

First, you need to adjust your expectations. Healthy, long-term weight loss is slow. I know that none of you want to hear this, but it is true. You did not put on your weight in one night and you won’t be able to take it off that quickly either. If you are coming into your weight loss journey thinking that you will lose 4-5 pounds per week, you need to readjust your expectations so that you can avoid discouragement. Take time to create healthy and realistic expectations for yourself!

Second, celebrate EVERY victory, no matter how small you think it is!! You must being to change your mindset if you are going to be successful in your weight loss journey. A loss on the scale is a loss…period. I have heard from you all in emails and from my own Weight Watchers members that they, “only” lost 0.2 pounds. I know that you get frustrated that you did not lose more weight. However, please remember that loss is a loss. All of those 0.2’s and 0.3’s eventually begin to add up to whole pound! Change your attitude and begin to be thankful for those small amounts of weight that you lost, knowing that eventually it will add up to something bigger.

Finally, do not give up. You must keep persevering! You are worth it, no matter how much time it takes to lose weight! You need to become committed to your weight loss journey no matter what! Do not believe lies about yourself that you cannot do this, because it’s not true! It takes 21 days to make something a habit in your life. That’s quite a bit of time! Be patient while you learn to undo a lifetime of bad food choices. This was so important for me while I was losing weight in 2008-09, because I did not care how long my journey would take me. It didn’t matter, because I had already decided that I would be on Weight Watchers no matter how long it took me to get my weight off. Are you truly committed to your weight loss journey?

It is okay to be frustrated, especially when you are following the program and it does not seem to be working the way you thought they would. Just don’t let your frustration lead you to quit your weight loss journey, before it has really begun!

Have you been frustrated throughout your own weight loss journey? What are things that you did to avoid discouragement and get back on track?

Wordless Wednesday: Size Doesn't Define Beauty

Wordless Wednesday: You Only Live Once

Wordless Wednesday: Changing My Lifestyle

Activate Your Environment

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In the meeting this week we focused more on just getting started. We discussed things that we could do to our own environments right now that would help encourage us to move more.

So let's talk about your environments.
• What small changes could you make inside your home that would encourage more activity?
• car?
• workplace?
• garage?
• yard?

Let’s bust those excuses. Maybe we need to put our tennis shoes and a pair of workout clothes in our car, in a locker at work, or even in the middle of the floor in the living room.

Maybe we could actually pump up the air in our bicycle, dust it off and set it out more in the open in the garage.

Do you need to uncover your treadmill or workout equipment? Is it covered in clothes and dust?

What about those commercials, could you squeeze in time there to just get up and walk around versus fast forwarding through them.

Do you need to hide the remote, so you are forced to get up off of the couch? Park further away, take the stairs instead of the elevator. Every hour take a 5 minute break to walk around.

You have to start somewhere. Simply strive today to move more than you did yesterday. Each day become more aware of how often you are sitting still, and make an effort to decrease that amount of time tomorrow.

"Working out can be a pain, but the truth is sometimes you have to do stuff you don't want to do to get where you want to be. The key: just getting started."

- Marlen Esparza, Olympic boxer

This article from the Weight Watchers website does a great job of summarizing what we talked about in the meeting room on Saturday, July 21, 2012.

Move More — For Good
Ways to make activity a lifelong habit and setting up your environment to activate your activity level.

You've heard it a million times: Consistent, moderate exercise is a key component not just of weight loss, but of good health in general. It can help reduce your risk of developing cancer, heart disease and diabetes. And there are plenty of feel-good benefits too. It helps to relieve stress, boost your energy, and improve your sleep.

But you already know all this, so why is it still so hard to get out there and get going?

Motivated to move
"No time" is a popular excuse, but what it's really about is a lack of motivation. You've probably heard your Leader or other meetings members talking about a powerful solution to this problem called Motivating Strategy from Weight Watchers Tools For Living.

Motivating Strategy helps you use your imagination to determine the goals you really want to achieve and then take steps toward them — whether those steps are tracking PointsPlus® values, eating more fruits and vegetables, or exercising.

It works because it connects you with an action's positive results. For example, use a Motivating Strategy to find the motivation to be more physically active, and you'll envision what it feels like to be a physically active person — what you look like, the things you get to do and wear, the way you spend your time and relate to others.

Once you're motivated to be more active, it's time to take those crucial first steps. Here are some tips for getting started:

1. Choose activities that you actually enjoy. You're not likely to keep up any exercise you dread doing.

2. Start small and work your way up by increasing your intensity or the amount of time you spend doing the activity.

3. Think about the season. Now that summer is here, how can you take advantage of the nice weather?

4. Buddy up. Do you have any friends or family members who are also trying to get fit? Can you do an activity together?

What do you need to have in place to get started today??

" Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or doing it better."

- John Updike

Wordless Wednesday: Eat Less Sugar

When Doubt Won't Go Away

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In the last two weeks I have been overwhelmed with all kinds of doubts and fears. Some of these doubts and fears have become so overwhelming that I just do not know what to do! I know that many of these feelings are understandable especially, because I am pregnant with my first child. However, at times this bombardment has felt like an attack from the enemy (i.e., Satan).

This is the main reason that I posted one of my favorite Bible verses from the book of Philippians for Wordless Wednesday yesterday.

“I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” – Philippians 4:13 (NIV)

I have received many emails from women who want to know how I was able to stick to my weight loss program and lose my weight. Many people want to know what kept me motivated to keep going on my weight loss journey. In my response back to them, I am always honest to explain that I did not do any of this in my own strength. I explain to them that I was leaning on and trusting in the Lord the entire time I was losing weight. I was able to lose weight, because God gave me the strength I needed to do it.

Today, I was so encouraged by the devotional from Proverbs 31 ministries, “When Doubt Won’t Go Away” that I just had to share part of it with you!

In her devotional Renee Swope says this,

“It's not a quick fix but a powerful process of naming our doubts, identifying what triggers them and then learning to rely on God's power to lead us into a place of living confidently in the security of His promises.

The next time you start feeling insecure, ask God what triggered your doubts. Then process the trigger point through God's perspective. Ask Him to show you lies you're believing and truths to replace them. Then let Him change your thought process by focusing on His thoughts towards you instead of your thoughts about yourself. For instance:

• When doubt tells you that you can't do something because it's too hard, remember God says you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).

• When doubt tells you you're not good enough, focus on the truth that God says you're fearfully and wonderfully made; all of His works are wonderful and you are one of them (Psalm 139:14).”

If you are a believer in Christ, that same strength in Christ is available to you too! When you reach the end of your rope and feel like giving up, maybe it is time to ask God to be apart of your weight loss journey.

Who do you turn to when you experience doubts and fears in your weight loss journey? What is triggering some of these doubts and fears in your life? Have you allowed God to be your source of strength in this area of your life?

Take time to write down the Bible verses above. Keep them with you so that when your doubts and fears arise about your weight loss journey you are armed with the promises of God!

Surrendering Your Weight Loss Journey

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There are those moments in your life that you will never forget like your first kiss, your wedding day, the birth of your first child, and many more. For me there are some very specific moments in my weight loss journey that I will never forget.

This morning, I am referring to the day that I surrendered my weight loss journey over to the Lord. I am so thankful that before I joined Weight Watchers, I made the decision to invite God to be a part of my weight loss journey.

One night in October 2008, I was out walking and talking with God. I do this a lot, but this particular night was different. With every passing step, I poured out more and more of my heart to God. I even begged the Lord to make me healthy and skinny overnight, because I knew that He had the power to do that. If God choose to make me take the long road and lose weight myself, I asked that He would be my source of strength. I knew that God needed to be a part of my weight loss journey if I had any chance of being successful!

This was the first night that I called on God for strength during my weight loss journey, but it was not my last. To this day, I will pray to God asking for strength to resist temptations and continue to make wise food choices.

One of my favorite Bible verses is Philippians 4:13 which says, "I can do all this through him (God/Christ) who gives me strength." 

Life is hard. Weight loss is hard. However, God wants us to depend on Him in our time of weakness. We must trust the Lord to give us the strength we need to get through the hard times. 

Have you invited the Lord to be a part of your weight loss journey? 

The Lord is waiting for you to surrender your weight loss journey to Him. He wants you to admit your weakness and exchange that for His glorious strength!

^"That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10

Please don't misunderstand me. Just because you invite God to be a part of your weight loss journey does not mean that He will automatically make your healthy and skinny. However, as you surrender your weight loss journey to God, you learn to depend on His strength more than your own willpower. 

God wants to help you reach your goal weight, but He also wants to receive the glory and honor for being the one to help you get there!! 

Please take some time this weekend to talk with God about your weight loss journey. Be honest with Him about where you are at in your journey. He wants to listen to you!!

Wordless Wednesday: Work Hard

Wordless Wednesday: Be Fearless

More Snack Options

This past weekend turned out to be a very busy for me. As a result, this morning I am experiencing major writer's block! So, I have decided that today is the perfect day to share with you some of my most recent food finds!!

I have posted some of these pictures on my Facebook page and Twitter, because this is the fastest way for me to share new ideas with you. I often post pictures of new foods that I find throughout the week. If you would like to follow me on Twitter, click here. If you want to join my Facebook page, click here.

{Archer Farms Indulgent Granola Bites}

Serving Size: 1 bar
  2 pointsplus+

One of our Tuesday night Weight Watchers members introduced me to these Archer Farms Indulgent Granola Bites. These bars can be found at Target. I found four different flavors of these bars at my local Target: Sea Salt Caramel Almond, White Chocolate Lemon Berry, Banana Split, and Dark Chocolate Hazelnut. These Bites are great to keep in your purse and I even snacked on one while I was at the movie theater. They are great to have around instead of candy bars!

{Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread}

Serving Size: 1 wedge
  1 pointsplus+

I had no idea that The Laughing Cow made it's own cream cheese spread until I found it at my local Wal-Mart!! I found four different flavors of Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread: Classic Cream, Strawberries and Cream, Garden Vegetable, and Cinnamon Cream. I bought Nature's Own Cinnamon Raisins Thin-Sliced Bagels (1 bagel, 3 pointsplus) and ate it with the Cinnamon Cream flavored Laughing Cow Cream Cheese Spread for just 4 pointsplus! It was delicious and the perfect snack for me!!

{Weight Watchers Popped Zesty Cheese Crisps}

Serving Size: 1 bag
  2 pointsplus+

Just last week Weight Watchers offered its members a free sample of their new snack, Popped Zesty Cheese Crisps. These are so flavorful! If you like eating chips, this is a great snack option for you. These come in individual packages and are just 2 pointsplus per bag. If you have not tried them, go down to your local Weight Watchers meeting or center and check them out!

Wordless Wednesday: It's a Lifestyle

Wordless Wednesday: Stop Giving Up

Weight Watchers Success Event

I hope that you all had a great weekend! It's was a good, but busy weekend for us.

A Weight Watchers center was recently opened in my town. All of our Weight Watchers meetings were moved to one location. As a result our Territory Manager decided that we should host an Open House at our new center. This Open House would give us a chance to introduce ourselves to the community.

This past Saturday after leading my weekly Weight Watchers meeting, I had to help get ready for the Open House which was from 2-4pm. After the Open House we were scheduled to have our Annual Weight Watchers Success Stories Event. Like I said, it was a busy weekend.

The Open House and Success Stories event went really well! The Success Stories event was so inspiring and motivating! I might already be at my goal, but the people who shared their stories reminded me why I love working for Weight Watchers!

Here are pictures from the Open House and Success Stories Event.

We decorated for our Open House

This is where I lead my Weight Watchers meeting.

I had the honor of being able to share my own success story. I was also the emcee of the event which was so much fun!

Jon came to support me! I am so thankful that he supports my weight loss efforts!

Everyone who attended the Success Stories Event received a goody bag.

We had PointsPlus friendly food for people to snack on as well.

Marcy and Hilary were outside greeting people as they came in.

Rose and I before the Success Stories Event began. I get to work with Rose on Tuesday nights.

Each Weight Watchers member who shared their success story received a trophy!

We also had door prizes.

Slowly, but surely our center began to fill up with people!

I went first. Like I said it was a honor to be able to have a story to share with others.

Me and my fat pants...I've changed for much!

Ms. Irene she even brought in rocks as a visual to show everyone just how much weight she had lost.

Lindsay attends my Saturday meeting and I was so happy to hear her story!

Barbara just reached Lifetime and her energy and enthusiasm is contagious!

Tim has lost 131 pounds! He is only 10 pounds away from his goal weight! He was incredible!

There goes Irene's husband with her weight in rocks. Do you see them in the wagon?

This even would not have happened without Amanda! I am so blessed to be able to work with her!

Amanda and her hubby Trent

Jon and me after the event

They even gave me a trophy! What a blessing!

Like I said, Tim has lost 131 pounds and his wife Melanie has lost about 50 pounds.

Tim used to wear that jacket when he first attended Weight Watchers...now they can both wear it!

Our 2011 Success Stories! So inspiring!!

I am so excited about next year's event!!

If you would like to see pictures from last year's success event, click here.