Finding My Way

Finding My Way

Guest Post By: Marie

I had pretty much been heavy most of my life. There was a period of time in my life after high school when I dropped 100 lbs and was at a low of 178 lbs, which I sort of hovered around for around five years or so but then was in a car accident and   lost my car and some mobility and it took me out of the gym and then all my old habits came back.  Not only did I gain back the weight, but I gained another 100, which I kept on for over 20 years.

Arthritis and herniated discs had nearly left me crippled, where I was getting epidurals on a regular basis and couldn’t stand for more than 2 minutes at a time, nor walk any great lengths.  My husband didn’t have those ailments, yet his weight was climbing and so was his blood pressure and cholesterol.  It was a deadly combination for a happily married couple.  We laughed everyday, except when we thought of our future together… which seemed to be getting shorter and shorter.

We had been on the lookout for a diet that we felt would fit us.  My husband is British and a bit meat and potato kind of eater… he didn’t like to be hungry.  We loved food.  Weight Watchers didn’t work for us, as the foods we ate seemed to be very high in points and so we went through points very quickly and he felt hungry all the time.  So, I stumbled upon the 17 Day Diet and it seemed very well balanced and appealed to us.  We gave it a try and never looked back.  It actually took us away from potatoes, but allowed us unlimited lean proteins and vegetables and just was a perfect combination for us, we were full and satisfied.  Finally, we found something that worked, and the weight just started falling off!

I think losing that weight brought me a confidence in myself that stayed with me throughout my lifetime.  I never let the number on the scale define who I was.  I married, had a child, divorced and even married again.  I’m now happily married, but living in a body that has been worn down by 20 years of carrying huge amounts of weight.  I knew that I needed to take care of that if I wanted to live longer in my happy marriage and enjoy my son and hopefully, future grandchildren.

My husband is down 73 lbs now and I’m down 122 lbs!  

We started our journey in March of 2012 and he is about 25 lbs from his goal and I’m about 90 lbs from mine!  We just know we’ll get there and we feel more confident than ever that we’ll keep the weight off.

This diet has changed how we feel about food and finally… a diet that follows through and actually becomes that LIFESTYLE that every diet promises to be!  We’ve found ours and we are so very happy!

Lisa’s Note: I really appreciated getting Marie’s email about her and her husband’s amazing weight loss. The transformation is very visible! I think her story is relatable because most people feel like Weight Watchers points or counting calories are too restrictive. What works is finding a way to get used to eating the things you love in smaller portions and NOT being hungry all the time!

QUESTION: Have you found something that has worked for you? Share your story!