Losing the Baby Weight

My Story
When I gave birth to my daughter in April 2007, I was 255 pounds. I tried to lose weight that summer on my own, but with no real plan or goal. When I started my first Weight Watchers At Work meeting at Binghamton University in upstate New York, I was a size 22W and 209 pounds. That was September 2007. Six months later, I met my goal weight in February 2008 at 160 pounds and a size 10. (I'm 5' 7".) I feel great at this size. I continue to attend Weight Watchers meetings as a Lifetime Member, both for the extra accountability and because I enjoy the discussions and support.

I'm a nursing mom with two daughters, now ages 4 years old and 18 months. I worried about being able to follow the plan while also taking them out to Chuck E. Cheese, etc. and also maintaining my milk supply for the baby. I've had no problem finding the calories to do the occasional dinner at McDonald's, and no problem continuing to nurse even while losing nearly 50 pounds! I cook more healthy meals now and I bring my lunch to work four days a week instead of one or two. My husband is even attending Weight Watchers with me now!

I've never been on an organized diet before, but I quickly found the Weight Watchers Flex Plan (especially journaling) to be very effective. I like the fact that nothing's off limits, and the 35 extra points really do provide the cushion you need in your life to stay on track. When other people ask me for weight loss advice, my first suggestion is to start writing down every single thing you eat. It really does shame you into better habits!

I keep healthy and low-calorie snacks on hand everywhere I go, even in my desk drawer at work and the glove box of my car. I used to love Doritos, but now I’ve traded them in for pretzel crisps dipped in hummus. My favorite low-calorie indulgence is small squares of dark chocolate.

Now before I go out to eat, I got to Dwlz.com and other Web sites to check out menus and nutritional info at restaurants before I order anything. My best trick for eating healthy at a fast food restaurant is to avoid the salad and high-fat dressing and go for a plain grilled chicken sandwich. It’s often the best bet.

When I work out at home, I love the Wii Fit, which is fun and motivating. I also love dancing to “Happy Working Song” from the movie Enchanted, with my daughters.

My mantra for losing weight is “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels” and I keep up my food journal with the motto “If I bite it, I write it”.

Editor's note: Do you have a weight-loss success story of your own? If you've lost weight or are in the process of losing weight, email editor.neversaydiet@nbcuni.com with "Weight-Loss Success Story" in the subject line and tell us your story. You may be featured on NeverSayDiet.com!