My Story

It all started in February of 2008. I had my routine yearly physical with my doctor. I stepped on the scale only to notice the number to go higher then it ever has for me, 158lbs. I left there that day knowing I needed to make some changes in m life. I talked with Dale and we started shopping for a recumbent bike and I tried to watch what I was eating. We bought a bike and I tried to exercise when I found the time (which wasn’t real regular). By April I had lost 5lbs, but it seemed like no matter what I tried, I couldn’t lose any more. With the encouragement of a new co-worker of mine I decided to join a local Weight Watchers group and this is one of the best decisions, in terms of my physical health, that I have made in a very long time. I joined on May 5th and weighed in at 153lbs. I knew for me that just watching what I ate was not going to be enough, I needed to get in a good exercise routine. Dale and I watch the show the Biggest Loser and I am always motivated by the amount of exercise they do and how the ones that really lose the weight become runners, so I decided if I was going to do this I needed to give running a try. I started waking up at 5am and started running. Shortly after I started running I saw that Marengo would be having a 5K run on August 23rd. With that in mind I made some goals. I decided that I would run in that 5K and I would be at my goal weight with WW by then. I was working at running and also doing weight training and I began to fall in love. I found myself day dreaming about my next run. I would wake up excited in the morning to go for my run. These were feelings I had never experienced before when it came to exercising and I have NEVER enjoyed running. I dreaded having to run laps in gym class!!
On July 26th I ran a 5k distance on my morning run and I felt great about it. Unfortunately, as the day wore on my left foot was not feeling so great. The short story is that I had tendonitis and it took 3 weeks before I was able to run again. It was very painful and even more discouraging that I had found a routine and found something I enjoyed but had to stop doing it. I rode my bike to keep the exercise going but it just wasn’t the same. One week before the 5K I was able to start running again and I ran in the Marengo 5K on August 23rd. It was a very hot and humid morning, but I did it. It was a great run and I crossed the finish line, that was all I cared about.
Throughout all of this, I was losing weight each week as I stepped on the scale at the Weight Watchers meeting. I was learning great tips each week at the meetings and found myself looking forward to each meeting.
On Monday, September 8th, 4 months after joining weight watchers, I became a life time member by meeting and maintaining my goal weight. I am thrilled to say that I have lost a total (since my doctors appointment in February) of 25lbs. I am at 133lbs today and have never felt better!!