After the birth of my twin sons, I had gained back the 65 pounds I had previously lost on Weight Watchers. So in January 2008 I joined Weight Watchers again.

In a year I lost 50 pounds, but I was getting frustrated with how the losses were slowing down. I decided to join a Weight Watchers summer program designed to get people doing 5Ks – either walks or runs. I decided with three small boys and working full time, walking for 40 minutes was not going to make enough impact. So one day I thought I’d see if I could run around the block. I did it. The next time I said I’d run around twice. Did it.  Next I wondered if I could run all the way to the store – then I’d walk back with my groceries in my backpack and my two gallons of milk in my hands. Did it.

And it just continued. The next milestone was about a mile-and-a-half. I did it in 24 minutes. Next time I did it in 22 minutes, then 21. In the spring, I found a 5K race, and my goal was to be under 35 minutes. I did it in 30 minutes, 31 seconds. I decided to push further. A 10K? My goal was to go less than 1:15, and I did it in less than an hour! 

In addition to running, I started going to the Fitness Center at work, where I take conditioning and cardio type classes during lunchtime. The weight loss has slowed, but I continually tell myself – this has to be good for me! It’s the right thing to do, so I keep at it, and the inches have fallen off nicely.

Currently I’m less concerned with losing weight and more concerned with staying active. I try to do something every day. In less than two years, I lost 74 pounds by tracking what I ate and doing moderate exercise. More recently I’ve been doing more intense exercise but being more flexible with what I eat. I still follow the healthy living guidelines that I learned at Weight Watchers.

Two of my sisters and my mother have been on this journey with me. In 2005 my sister and mom both lost 50 or more pounds. My sister went on to lose a total of about 85. In January 2008 my other sister joined Weight Watchers with me and has since lost more than 40 pounds. For us, it’s a new lifestyle. We move more and eat smarter. After the birth of my twins, I wore a size 22 pants. Now, I wear size 12. 

If my sisters and I can do it, everyone can. It’s not about gimmicks or fads; it’s about eating smarter and moving more. That’s it!  EVERYONE can do!

Written by: Linda V.