Weight Watchers Success - Amy

After you lose the weight the last thing that you want to do is be a yo yo dieter and gain and lose the weight over and over again. Amy was worried about this and in this short interview tells us how she avoided it.

Amy relied on both Weight Watchers meetings and eTools to lose weight—and keep it off for good.

When Amy joined Weight Watchers in February 2002, she found the meetings inspirational and fun. But the 5'5" 29-year-old also attributes part of her success—and her ability to maintain weight loss—to Weight Watchers eTools. Amy says, "The Recipe Builder helps me create wonderful meals, while the POINTS® Calculator and POINTS Tracker help me to stay at my goal weight."

WeightWatchers.com: What's your secret to maintaining weight loss?

Amy: I do everything the same as I did when I first joined Weight Watchers. I continue to exercise, plan meals out and write my POINTS values down daily… I worked too hard to slide back.

WeightWatchers.com: Is there a particular time of day that's hardest for you?

Amy: After supper my favorite activity used to be eating ice cream while watching TV. I still watch TV but now I'll have one tablespoon of chocolate chips – the kind you use for baking. That little indulgence gives me the sweet fix I crave.

WeightWatchers.com: Are there any "tricks" that help keep you on track?

Amy: I keep a picture of a supermodel on my refrigerator.

WeightWatchers.com: Has the Weight Watchers plan helped you in ways beyond weight loss?

Amy: After eating heavy foods I used to have terrible heartburn pain, which I don't have any more.

WeightWatchers.com: Did you do anything special to celebrate reaching goal?

Amy: My husband was so proud that he bought me a diamond ring.

Amy's tips:

• Use Weight Watchers eTools. Recipe Search gives you access to hundreds and hundreds of recipes and Recipe Builder shows you how to scale back a fattening meal. For example I now make tacos using fat-free cheese and ground chicken or turkey instead of beef.
  
  
• Message boards are very helpful. When I post a question I forgot to ask at a meeting, such as, "How many POINTS values are in tuna sushi vs. salmon?" I get an answer almost immediately.
  
  
• Be patient at the grocery store. Instead of grabbing the first item you see, check out the different brands. By scouting around I was able to find hot dogs and buns with a POINTS value of 1.