Celebration Time
Yes, it’s true. I have reached my Weight Watchers goal weight and am now officially a lifetime member! I still have 6 more pounds until my ultimate goal (my wedding weight), but reaching my Weight Watchers healthy weight loss goal is a moment to celebrate.
Why I Wanted to Lose the Weight
I’m not losing weight for shallow or vain purposes or because the media is telling me that I need to look perfect. I have been in weight loss mode for the past six months because I love my body and truly want to be physically healthy. I may not love my wiggly belly skin but I do love my body. I recognize there are life threatening illnesses and problems due to excess weight and specifically to having a large waistline.
I once read an article that reminded to stay focused on the positive parts of my body while losing weight. I am grateful that I am able to breathe and move. It is my hope that we can all learn to appreciate our bodies each and every day.
Photo Credit: anna.klevan
How I Gained the Weight
My weight watchers adventure started when I gained 55 pounds during my last pregnancy. I lost some of the weight on my own but needed help shedding the last twenty pounds. I knew I did not want to be counting calories to lose weight. This was not an option and it is why I put off going to Weight Watchers for almost two years.
Returning to Weight Watchers was one of my best decisions ever! I did the core plan and never had to write down my food, calories, or points!
How I was Successful
Below are the personal guiding principles I used for weight loss. They may not be solutions for finding quick ways to lose weight but they are components of my effective weight loss and what I consider the best way to lose weight.
Disclaimer – I am not a doctor and nothing written in this post qualifies as medical advice or weight loss advice. Please consult with your doctor before starting a weight loss program.
1. Be Accountable
I joined Weight Watchers to hold myself accountable for my weight loss goals. The combination of having to weigh in each week and having to pay for Weight Watchers created a powerful sense of accountability for me.
2. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Eat less and exercise more – that sums up how to lose weight. It’s not a quick fix. It is slow and steady and it works. Staying consistent increases your chances for long lasting weight loss versus an extreme short term solution.
3. Find Weight Loss Motivation
There is an emotional and psychological ingredient to losing weight. You need will power and motivation to get you through the weeks when you want to throw your scale out the window. My motivation was to find my pre-pregnancy body again and one of my measures was to be able to completing zip up my wedding dress (it hasn’t fit for the last 5 years). I’m happy to report I got into that dress in September.
I had set backs (you will too if you are trying to lose weight). So think about what is going to get you though these setbacks. To stay motivated during the setbacks, remember why you are losing weight and how great your body will feel the more you practice the art of a healthy lifestyle.
4. Exercise to Lose Weight
Exercise was the show stopper for my weight loss. The more I was able to focus on exercising, the more weight I lost. When exercise fell off the radar, the more my weight loss hit a plateau. Yes, I know my tips are not rocket science. They are the basics and they work.
5. Focus on Maintaining the Weight
I learned the hard way that maintaining your weight is actually harder than losing weight. I’m still struggling with this reality, but for me it is definitely true. I actually hit my Weight Watchers goal weight back in September. Ten days after I hit my goal I had gained six pounds. I was devastated and feared that I would always have to be in weight loss mode. I have lost those six pounds and have been able to maintain my weight for the past month, but it is not an easy task. What I know for sure from my weight loss experience is (similar to life balance) weight management is a process and a journey and NOT a destination. Hitting my goal weight was amazing and it deserves a celebration, but my journey will always continue to make healthy eating choices and to exercise regularly.
This is your moment!
Do you love your body regardless of the external imperfections?
Do you have personal guiding principles for your weight loss?
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
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Hi Stacey,
I struggle maintaining weight after losing it since I have a tendency to gain weight (in my family, we jokingly say that we will put on weight if we smell food
). And of course, I usually stop exercising after meeting target weight – doesn’t help 
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Hey, was this post supposed to be password protected? Coz it’s not.
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@Avani – It’s not supposed to be password protectd. I somehow had it password protected by mistake and then removed that functionality.
I am at the opposite spectrum: I can’t gain weight! I eat, sometimes more than others, but I’m happy with how I look as long as I remain physically active..
Great post Stacey!
Your advice and five tips were great Stacey! And congrats!!!!!!!!!! Woo-hoo!!!! That has got to be the BEST feeling…..I am so looking forward to it too
Answering your questions~~
Do you love your body regardless of the external imperfections? Yes. I do now. I did not 6 months ago. I love that I have the energy and strength it takes to keep up with my full time job of mother and wife.
Do you have personal guiding principles for your weight loss?
I want to live a long, productive life. I want to be a role model for my children. I want to know that I am doing the best I can for ME and taking care of the body God has given me.
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Great post and I agree with many of your tips, especially slow and steady. There is no quick fix that will last a lifetime. I have kept weight off for more than 15 years, but like you it takes hard work. You cannot stop eating well and you cannot stop exercising to maintain. I ended up an “over-exerciser”, sometimes referred to as gymorexia or exercise bullemia which caused it’s own set of problems for me. I haven’t written much about it… yet.
That said, yes, I am now happy with how I look – I no longer see imperfections! My body moves, groves and shakes just as I want it to!
My guiding principles – exercise gives me energy, clarity and gets me out of my head! I don’t spend as much time as I used to, but I don’t have to to be healthy.
Thanks for sharing your journey.
What a journey! Thank you for sharing…fantastic tips! I worked hard to lose weight and keep it off and I have to remind myself that I need not be perfect! Have a nice weekend!
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Hi Stacey: Congratulations! I think it’s about adopting a completely different lifestyle. Some people lose weight and then they go right back to their old bad habits. Healthy eating and exercise has to become a permanent part of your life in order to keep the weight off, as you point out.
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@BC – I have friends who can’t seem to gain weight either. If you are trying to gain weight, I recognize it is a similar challenge to losing weight.
@Annette – Thank you for sharing. Losing weight is a very personal journey and I feel inspired every time I read about your journey.
@Stacey Shipman – “You cannot stop eating well and you cannot stop exercising to maintain.” – That is the hardest part for me. I find maintaining is so much harder than losing the weight.
@Mark – Your blog is helping me exercise and maintain my weight. Thanks for being part of my journey.
@Marelisa – I agree you must adopt a completely different lifestyle or else the weight will return. That is the hardest part of the journey.
I do love my body even though it’s not perfect. I love that it’s strong and capable. I LOVE the way I feel after a good workout. I love going out to the garden in the morning, stretching my muscles and breathing in the cool, fresh air.
It’s wonderful that you did this for health reasons. I completely agree that doing it slowly is the best way to go about it.
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Stacey, it’s great to hear about your fitness journey, and how you’ve gotten to where you are today! You’ve made great steps toward living healthy – and – you hit it on the head in the end – healthy is a journey, not a destination. I”m on that journey too, because I have finally realized how important this one is. My defining moment was about four years ago – when I finally reached the point where I WAS unhappy with my body (that’s what triggered the idea of weight loss – purely for superficial reasons). However, I’ve learned as I’ve been on this journey – that it’s really about BEING healthy. And that’s way more than my outer appearance (although a healthy lifestyle does help this). It’s become a real combination of mental and physical fitness. And I’m no longer “overly concerned” what the scale says. It’s more how I feel – do I feel energetic, does the food I eat leave me lethargic, etc. I really believe that my life has completely turned around because of my taking the steps to improve my health. Maybe that seems strange – but I really do feel that I wouldn’t be where I am today, I wouldn’t be as confident as I am, I wouldn’t try many of the things I do now — had I not began to improve my health. I know this is getting long (sorry Stacey) – it’s just that it’s a subject that is so near and dear to my heart (and my heart is something I want to make sure keeps ticking…). So, one last thing – my guiding principle — eat right, train hard. Some days I fall off that wagon on both accounts, some days I nail it, and some are in between. But I know that if I follow this simple principle – the healthy and fit lifestyle I desire can be mine!
Again, it has been great to learn more about what has worked for you Stacey. I’m fully drawn to these types of stories — and what it is that works for different people — so much I can learn from these stories (so much I can learn from you!).
Hey Stacey
Congrats!
I like the fact you included exercise in your guiding principles.
Have you checked out the zone? I think you’ll like the body of knowledge and the focus on how you think and feel. Another great concept in the zone is thinking in terms of feeling good, one meal at a time.
I have a sister-in-law who could share in the success of your story. She has had a similarly great experience. I love the Lily Tomlin quote – so true, but how often do we really do it? I also love hearing anytime someone takes care of their body for reasons that are purely theirs. The external noise is a negative motivator. Yours is purely an internal drive and desire that runs consistent with who you are and the values you hold. Congratulations!
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Congratulations Stacey. I would never have guessed from your pic that you needed to diet, you look so healthy. I still have a little weight to lose. I find it so much easier in the summer to eat healthily and exerise.
Hi Satcy,
Great Job…Good Luck maintaining it. I’m glad you shared with us all.
@Vered – How I wish I went into a garden every morning to stretch my muscles.
@Lance – I appreciate what you said about some days falling off the wagon. I think that is true for everyone. The trick is to get right back on track the next day.
@J.D. – I have heard of the zone but never read the details. I’ll have to check it out at the library. Thanks for the suggestion.
@B. Wilde – The external noise is a negative motivator and the media sets unrealistic expectations.
@Cath – I agree about the weather. This was a grilled cheese and mac-n-cheese kind of weekend in the Midwest. Cold weather brings out the cravings for comfort foods.
@Diane – Thanks. I need lots of dedication for my maintenance.
Hi Stacey. Congrats on getting back into that dress! That’s motivation to keep going. My weight is up and down over these last couple of years. I blame the hormones
I’m starting “the change” rather early and noticed that’s when it became hard to keep the weight off. That… and turning 40 didn’t help either. Before I could eat anything and not exercise. Now I have to watch what I eat and exercise too. Oh well, I still feel younger than my years.
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Stacey,
Congratulations!! It is admirable. And you will be rewarded with good health for years for having done this.
I try to love my body with the imperfections. I do not have weight issues but I have a few others ….but I try to find my best and dress for my best parts.
I always exercise in some way – it really makes me feel good mentally and physically. I also think it does real well in maintaining my stamina.
Congrats again, Stacey!
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@Davina – It felt so good to zip up that dress!
@Maya – Good for you for exercising on a regular basis. It is not always easy to fit it into my schedule.
I’m so there, I need to lose weight becuase I am not at a healthy one now. It’s been a major roller coaster for me and so far I’m not getting any results that motivate me. When I see numbers drop it excites me, if they go no where or up I get discouraged. I think I ‘m on the verge of finding the motivator, but it’s still hiding!
Congratulations on your accomplishment though!
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Hi Stacey – I have always struggled with my weight – although when I look back at photos of myself from years ago i hardly seem overweight at all. I need to lose weight now, though. Exercise has always been the key for me. And congratulations!
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@Jenny – I get discouraged too when the numbers do not go down. Stay strong! The motivator is inside of you and is ready to emerge.
@Robin – I’m selective w/ the photos I keep, so I hardly seem overweight in my photos too!
Excellent, thanks!
Thanks for all the information!
I’ve been putting off weight watchers for the same reason. I think it is time for me to take the leap. I am low income, so i will have to make sure I can afford it. Thanks for the push of confidence!