My first attempt at WW was about 11 years ago. I joined with a coworker. In my first six months I was very dedicated to the program, and as many members do in their first few months, I lost about 35lbs. At the end of my initial 6 months, my coworker decided she wasn't going to renew her membership and I wasn't overly keen on going to the meetings by myself. I decided not to renew and that I would just continue with the program at home myself. I mean...I'd done well, I knew what I needed to do...easy peasy right? Wrong. Over the course of the next 7-8 years I put those 35lbs back on and more.
This time around I finally decided that it was my turn to do what I needed for myself. This was going to be a lifestyle change, not a diet. I know now that my mindset 11 years ago was diet, not lifestyle.
What is the difference this go around? Well for me I knew that in order for this to be sustainable I had to make this as realistic and cohesive to my family life as possible. When I did WW before I was modifying my meals and making myself something separate for dinner. I really believe that this was part of my downfall. It just wasn't realistic for me to continue to make different meals for myself forever. And this is what WW is - it's forever, it's a lifestyle...I can't say it enough. Now, it's not to say that this doesn't work for others. I see many amazing humans within the #wwinstagram community that do exactly that and it works for them. Now I dedicate myself to turning my family meals into meals I could enjoy as well as enjoying family favourites. This is why Weight Watchers works. You can modify recipes to fit into your plan or plan your meals ahead of time so that you can have pizza with the family on a Friday night. This is where losing.living.loving blog came in. It became a platform to share those meal and recipe ideas with others and it took off from there.
The other significant change for me is that I am not so focused on trying every little thing that I see or hear about. During my first WW experience I tried protein bars, drinks, shakes, meal replacement bars etc. Not only did I not really love them but they are expensive. And I'm...well...cheap. For me I don't see the point in spending the money on a protein bar when I can make a dozen delicious, healthy, low point muffins or bars at home. I know exactly what is in them and it's something I can share with my family. Don't get me wrong I do buy certain things for myself for snacking like the WW snacks but even those I wait to go on sale lol! Again, I know there are a lot of amazing, inspiring #wwinstagram folks that share and promote products that they love. I would encourage you to do what feels right for you. Your success will be determined by your efforts.
The last thing that has really been beneficial to me is the introduction of the WW app, WW Connect, and becoming part of the weight loss, and health focused communities on Instagram and Facebook. I can't say enough about the incredible community there is out there from all over the globe supporting one another on their journeys. During my first experience with WW I stayed very much hidden in the back of the room, I rarely spoke up during a meeting, and I wasn't a sharer. This time I decided that I needed to be more transparent, I needed to find ways of keeping myself accountable and I needed to be a bit fearless in this journey. Maybe this has also come with age but I no longer give a shit about what other people think. I am on this journey for me, to get fit, healthy and be able to live a more confident life. If I can motivate or inspire anyone else while I am at it I see that as an extra win for me. I am being as transparent and brave as I can be, putting myself out there in ways that I never thought I would, but this keeps me accountable, keeps me real.
What I would stress to any new WW members or anyone who is striving to meet weight loss, fitness or health goals is...THIS IS YOUR JOURNEY. Stop comparing yourself to others because this will get you nowhere. It will make you feel like you are doing things wrong, it will kill your motivation. Our bodies are our own, do what feels right for you, try new things, put yourself out there, do the work because no one else can do it for you.
And just to put things into perspective...
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