Losing weight through Weight Watchers is part of Chris' lifestyle change

May 04 2007

Chris H.

City & country: Palmerston North, New Zealand
Age: 48
Weight before diet: 127.7 Kg (281 pounds)
Weight now: 86.7 Kg (190 pounds)
Target weight: 70-75 Kg (154-165 pounds)

Adapting the general principles of Weight Watchers and exercising to stay fit are important parts of Chris' weight loss program, but they're not the whole story. As she tells us, staying motivated and having that inner spark are essential for success.

-What finally made you decide to start with a weight loss program?
Simple! I was completely miserable, I was so depressed and sick of myself. All I wanted to do was die! I was seriously contemplating suicide. I was at a point in my life that I knew if I didn‘t do something about my weight I was going to die… so I decided one day to just go to a Weight Watchers meeting and give it one last go. And it worked!

-What type of weight loss program are you following?
Weight Watchers - but LOOSELY, if you know what I mean? I count points, I watch what I eat, my portion sizes, etc., BUT I do not drink the amount of water they advocate! When I joined they said, "In order to lose weight You HAVE TO drink at least 2 litres of water a day." Well, I do not drink water…EVER, and I lost 61 kilos in 19 months. Go figure that one! I have gained about 15 of those kilos over the past 2 years, but have not lost the plot completely. I go to the gym 6 days a week, and I am working hard on losing the excess again, while still enjoying life to the max.

-Why did you choose this weight loss program?
Because I know it works, it is a sensible, balanced "diet" that I knew I could follow for the rest of my life. And let's get real, when you have a weight problem it is not just going to go away once you lose the weight, you have to work on it for the rest of your life.

-How long have you been on your weight loss program?
I started my diet in August 2003, reached my goal in May 2005, and am still working on it now… Never ending battle - but worth it.

-What kinds of physical activities do you like doing to help you lose weight and stay fit?
I started off just walking, first it was only 200 metres, then I slowly got further and further until I was walking 7 kilometres a day, now I go to the gym 6 days a week, I do lots of cardio type exercises and weight training as well… And I LOVE IT!!!

-What were the most difficult obstacles you had to overcome or are still overcoming?
There's heaps of obstacles… other people's attitudes, one's own attitude, loss of motivation, depression… The list is endless, but how you cope with the obstacles is the most important thing. You have to want to lose the weight and keep it off desperately in order for it to work. No one else can do it for you, it is totally up to YOU alone. We can surround ourselves with positive and supportive people, but if it isn't INSIDE us then it won't work.

-How do you keep yourself motivated?
I stand in front of the mirror totally naked OFTEN and say to myself: "Am I happy with how I look?"… and I really look at myself. Not just a quick "I look fine" glance! Be honest with yourself.

-Do you have any weight loss tips for our readers?
The biggest one is "NO ONE FORCE FEEDS AN ADULT, ONLY YOU CAN PUT THE FOOD IN YOUR MOUTH, ONLY YOU CAN GET THE EXERCISE, AND ONLY YOU CAN DO IT FOR YOURSELF." And I used to say to myself when I was put down: "I may be fat, but you are ugly, and I can diet"… that one was fun.

-Do you think it will be easy to fall back into your old lifestyle pattern? How do you prevent this from happening?
No, not for me, NEVER! I WOULD RATHER DIE. I have lots of FAT photos around to remind myself of how I used to look, and when I'm at the gym doing my thing I can still remember what it felt like to not be able to even walk to my letterbox, and I am so thankful that I did all the hard work to get to where I am today!

-Do you have favorite Web sites or blogs that help or inspire you to lose weight?
Yes:
Sue- http://smallersue.blogspot.com
Kek - http://keksbflthing.blogspot.com
Helena - http://leenienz.blogspot.com
Lyn - http://bills-honey.blogspot.com
Me - http://diet-coke-rocks.blogspot.com