“Community and Self-Compassion Fired Up My Confidence”

People following the WeightWatchers weight-loss program can expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week. Jennifer lost weight on a prior program and is continuing on WeightWatchers.

As told to Katerina Gkionis

As a teacher, I love what I do. But by fall of 2018, my job had become physically challenging. Over the previous two years, I had gained about 70 pounds due to a pattern of stress eating brought on by anxiety. I’d grab food, eat in my car, then go home and have another meal.

My weight climbed to the point where I started teaching classes while seated just to relieve the pain in my feet. I didn’t feel good about myself. All my healthy habits sort of went out the window, including the spin classes I loved. I was too embarrassed by my weight to continue showing up.

A shift finally happened for me that October, when a fellow teacher tagged me in an Instagram photo taken during our school’s Spirit Week activities. At first, I didn’t even recognize myself in the image. Then I looked closer and realized the person wearing that too-snug, extra-large sweatshirt was me. It was a real wake-up call.

I signed up for WW the next day. I had recently started seeing a therapist to manage my anxiety. My hope was that WW could round out my efforts and help me get back to a healthier eating pattern.

My first day as a Digital member was November 1, 2018. I had tried WW in the past to lose weight for my wedding but left the program shortly after I got married. When I rejoined, I was barely making my own meals—restaurants and takeout were my thing. I told myself I had to get back to basics. I went food shopping. I knew I liked light English muffins and ground turkey and chicken, so I started building meals around those items and prepping lunches to bring to school. Now I call myself a recovering horrible meal prepper.

[{"type":"td","children":[{"type":"p","children":[{"text":"A few weeks in, I started sharing my progress on my "},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"https://www.instagram.com/some.thing.j/","target":"_blank","rel":"noopener noreferrer"},"children":[{"text":"Instagram"}]},{"text":" page. I threw myself into the WW Instagram "},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/blog/wellness/social-distancing-virtual-community"},"children":[{"text":"community"}]},{"text":", messaging with members who commented on my photos. Some powerful relationships came out of that. Just last week, I went to brunch with several WW friends I met on Instagram! "}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":"I also went back to my favorite "},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"https://www.weightwatchers.com/us/article/know-you-go-group-cycling-class"},"children":[{"text":"cycling"}]},{"text":" studio. The instructor even remembered me. “Jen, it’s so good to see you!” she said. I felt like I was home. The experience helped bring back my confidence and gave me another beneficial activity to focus on. "}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":"My journey wasn’t just about losing weight; it was about building healthy habits. I had times when I felt like quitting, when healthy choices felt too hard. Those were the times when I’d hear a "},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"/us/blog/health/how-to-handle-discouraging-thoughts"},"children":[{"text":"small voice"}]},{"text":" inside: “Keep going,” it said, “and try one more time tomorrow.” Those tomorrows build up. Each day is an opportunity."}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""},{"type":"img","attributes":{"src":"https://v.cdn.ww.com/media/system/cms/us/US_Jennifer_M_SS_PULL_QUOTE_01_1.png"}},{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":"My life has changed in so many ways these past couple of years. Obviously, I could sit here and talk about how WW gave me the tools I needed to lose 69 pounds*. That’s true! But it’s also given me incredible relationships with a community of people. These relationships are a critical part of my journey, and I’m grateful to WW for helping me build them."}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"http://yourjourney.ww.com/"},"children":[{"text":"Submit your own success story"}]},{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":"---"}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":"Related articles"}]},{"type":"ul","children":[{"type":"li","children":[{"text":""},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"/us/blog/health/manage-anxious-thoughts-expert-advice"},"children":[{"text":"Expert advice for 6 kinds of anxious thoughts"}]},{"text":""}]},{"type":"li","children":[{"text":""},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"/us/blog/wellness/social-distancing-virtual-community"},"children":[{"text":"How virtual community can help you hit your wellness goals"}]},{"text":""}]},{"type":"li","children":[{"text":""},{"type":"a","attributes":{"href":"/us/m/cms/article/how-overcome-any-setback"},"children":[{"text":"How to overcome any setback"}]},{"text":""}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]}]},{"type":"p","children":[{"text":""}]}]