Guest Post: Katie Who Is Half Her Size

I have such an exciting success story to share with you. Katie, who is a WW member, has lost half her size.  She just shines in her after photos. I've not known Katie very long. She reached out to me with a question and I asked her if she would submit a guest post for me. Katie loves to travel so she is a girl after my own heart. I can't wait to meet in person one day.

I joined weight watchers the first time when I was about 20 years old with my friend Suzi and my grandmother. I had a wonderful motivational leader who really helped me learn and believe in the program. Unfortunately, like most 20 year olds I was busy with college and working and I fell off of the Weight Watchers band wagon. In that time I kept off what I lost and even lost a bit more. I feel that I was successful off program because WW teaches you to look at labels and learn about what you’re putting into your body. Even after I stopped, I would look at something and go “you would be 5 points. Hmmm.” Now that being said, I was off program for nearly 6 years and lost about 25 pounds over that time so I don’t want to give myself too much credit.

Fast forward to fall of 2012 when the deputy director of the agency I work for asked me to be on the agency’s Wellness Committee. When she asked, I pointed out that I was fat and didn’t know if I was the ideal person to help promote health and wellness within our agency. Despite my reservations I joined the committee which got me thinking about rejoining Weight Watchers. That Christmas I was helping my brother shop for a winter coat and he couldn’t find one that fit. I looked at him and told him I was joining Weight Watchers online after New Years and he could join with me if he wanted.

Since January of 2013 I have lost 114 pounds. I have somewhere between 15 and 20 pounds left until I hit my goal weight. 

I think the reason that I was able to be successful is because I had my brother along for the ride. 

Before

After

He was a motivation to keep going, someone to cook for and with, as well as somebody to walk with. We were close before, but now he is probably the person I am closest to in the world. I also discovered the Weight Watchers boards. There are a ton of different options, but I really found a home at the “100+ to lose board”. They are kind, accepting and always have advice (even if it is advice that is hard to hear). Some of the people I’ve met there have become my close friends and that has led me to traveling to see them. 115 pounds ago I would have not gotten on a bus by myself to go to NYC for the day to meet with people I met online. Now it doesn’t seem out of the ordinary, it seems like part of my life. During this process friends from home have also joined Weight Watchers and I love watching their success. My dear friend and co-worker Jill has rocked the program and we have been able to motivate one another and talk about Points Plus till we are blue in the face! My friend Suzi, who I joined with the first time, recently joined an at work meeting and is doing great. I just love seeing people do well and honestly, I wish I hadn’t waited so long to take my life by the horns.

A side effect of weight loss that I certainly wasn’t expecting was that I had to have my gallbladder out in February of 2014. I had started having problems in July of 2013 and was diagnosed as gluten intolerant. Unfortunately after 8 months of no bread (!!!!!!!), I began having issues again and it was discovered that I had been having gall bladder attacks. During this surgery it was also discovered that I have a fatty liver. Fatty liver is basically cirrhosis of the liver, but instead of booze being the cause, being fat is the cause (PSA: don’t wait to get healthy!). After having my gall bladder out I feel great and although the diagnosis of the fatty liver is scary, it is something I can live with as long as I make some changes (no drinking and no Tylenol).

The last 16 months of my life have been some of my best. I have more confidence, I’ve met wonderful people, I’ve tried new foods, I walk EVERYWHERE I can, and traveling (one of my favorite pastimes) is easier and more fun. I feel like a new person. There are bad days when I feel like I’m still the giant 20 year old who walked into Weight Watchers the first time and silently cried in the bathroom after her first weight in, and there are days where I feel like I could take on the world. Losing weight is easy, getting your head together is hard, and that is likely a much longer post for a different day.

Some tips from me:

• Check out Skinnytaste.com it will change your way of cooking and how you eat!! I love it.
• Buy a digital food scale.
  • I weigh EVERYTHING and it means fewer dishes because I don’t use as many measuring cups.
• Find exercise that you enjoy.
  • Walking has been my primary form of exercise this entire time. I gain pleasure from it and I’ve lost a lot of weight doing it. Find something you like and you are much more likely to continue doing it.
• Find a support system.
  • Go to meetings, find a buddy, go online to the Weight Watchers boards (they are open to non-paying members) and find someone. I’ve found that this is a journey you can’t take alone.