INTRODUCTION

My name is Dotti. After many years of being almost 100 lbs. overweight, I started the Weight Watcher Program on January 5, 1998. Although skeptical of the new “Point System” I decided to follow it to the letter. By doing this, I can proudly say, “I have reached my goal weight and made Lifetime on October 19, 1998!”  As of October 19, 1998, I have lost 95 1/2 lbs. (see Before & After Photos) through the Weight Watcher Program and coupled with the 10 lbs. I lost the month before I started, my total loss is 105 1/2 lbs. This is the easiest program I have ever come across. Through this “lifestyle change” I have more energy, higher self-esteem and better health.

My goal in creating this web site is to help others make this “lifestyle change”, whether on the Weight Watcher Program or following one of your own. I have found that by keeping the Weight Watcher Program or any other weight loss program simple, it not only makes it easy to follow, but also much easier to keep on following it.

I hope my web site helps you to get the motivation you need to lose the weight you want while incorporating a healthier lifestyle to forever live by. Thank you for visiting and hope you leave feeling better!

MY JOURNEY

I have been over 100 lbs. overweight and unhappy with myself for many years. My eating habits were atrocious and I ate ALL the wrong foods. Most of the time I ate junk food and I ate whether I was hungry or not. I was tired all the time and became a virtual “couch potato”. I slept away most of my days because I had no energy to do anything else. I felt totally “out of control”, beaten down and overwhelmed with my weight problem. I was not a happy person inside. On the outside I put on a “happy” face but inside I was slowly dying.

In November 1997, I weighed 243 lbs. I went through all of my old, skinny clothes thinking I would never wear them again. Shortly thereafter, I was told by some friends that there was a Weight Watcher meeting not far from my house on Mondays at 11:30 am. I had gone through the Weight Watcher program years ago and was not successful, largely due to a lack of a good mental attitude about it. I was not ready then, I guess. I knew the Program worked because I had seen others succeed where I failed. So, I made the decision to start the Program again on January 5, 1998. December 1997 was a month of preparing my mental attitude towards success. All month I said to myself, “I’m starting my new life on Jan 5th!". During this month I cut back on sweets and lost 10 lbs. before actually starting the Weight Watcher Program.

When January 5th came, I walked through the doors of the Weight Watcher meeting weighing 233 lbs., was 5'4 1/2" tall and was 41 years old. I never looked back. I was prepared mentally, which is the first step, for my journey to a better, healthier lifestyle which I knew would lead me to a thinner, happier ME.

I was very skeptical at first of the new Point System at Weight Watchers but I decided to give it a try and followed it exactly as explained to me by my wonderful Leader, Renee. I wrote down everything I ate, drank my 6-8 glasses of water a day, started an exercise program, 3 days a week for an hour and never missed a meeting except when I was out of town. The group support I got from my weekly meetings was essential to my success. I never use the word “diet” since this is a “lifestyle change”, not a diet. I lost an average of 2.6 lbs. a week. I keep my foods low fat and high in fiber while eating lots of fruits and vegetables. It didn’t take me long to learn why I was maintaining 100 lbs. over my ideal weight. Everything I ate before starting this journey was very high in fat, had very little fiber and was very high in calories. Wow! What an eye-opener!

A great motivator during my journey was the love and support from my husband of 23 years, Al. My “lifestyle change” has also become his and he is benefiting from it too. In fact, he is the one who helped me make this web site a reality. My other great motivator was my dearest, best friend of over 22 years, Tammy. After seeing my success and change in my lifestyle she decided to start Weight Watchers also. We have always been close to the same weight, me being a little heavier. She called me up and laughingly said she didn’t want me to get lower than her. Also, she wanted that healthier lifestyle. I am very proud to tell you that she made Lifetime (reached her goal) a short time before I did.

Compliments are also a great motivator. When my husband and I went to visit Tammy and her husband in July 1998 he told my husband, “You didn’t tell me that you were leaving your wife home and bringing your girlfriend.”. That made me feel very good at what I had accomplished. Compliments like that tell you that you are a success story!

Again, I have to tell you that I can’t believe how very easy this “lifestyle change” has been. The weight just peeled off and I became a new, happier and healthier person. The health benefits speak for themselves. My blood pressure went from 120/80 to 90/52 and my heart rate was 55 at my last physical in July. Obviously, my heart does not have to work so hard now.

I am now maintaining my goal weight, after losing 95 lbs. in 8 months (see my Weight Loss Graph). I made Lifetime on October 19, 1998. I always try and remember to “Eat to Live, Don’t Live to Eat”. Also, "Nothing Tastes as Good as Thin Feels!” I keep my Size 24 jeans around to remind me to NEVER go back.

Good luck to all of you who decides to go on this journey!