I have never been one to follow through on my plans to lose weight. To steal a joke from a charming Carolina Meadows resident – “Eh, I’d rather just complain.” Well, my complaints finally got old and I knew it was time to make a change. I am happy to report that even my fingers feel lighter as I type this. I am nine weeks into the Weight Watchers journey with 19 of my coworkers and I could not be more proud of our total group weight loss of over 200 pounds – 20 of which are mine!

I continue to be amazed at how different many of our lives are since we started. I never thought I would stop eating a cheeseburger halfway through or that I wouldn’t miss Coca-Cola! (Okay, I miss it a little.) But the great thing is that on Weight Watchers (WW), you CAN have a burger and soda if you have the points. Each person receives a daily and separate weekly allotment of points. Different food and drink are worth different point values. I suggest you use the WW app on your smart phone to tally your food throughout the day, but you can choose a different path that doesn’t require you to tally points at all. No matter which path you choose, WW wants to change your life. I know that’s a pretty bold statement, but it’s true. I haven’t just learned to be healthier, I’ve changed my relationship with food. Not every day is easy and not every week is perfect, but that’s where our amazing support system comes in.

The 20 of us lift each other up not just on weigh-in day (Wednesdays at 1:00pm in the Fairways Gallery) but during the in-between times too. Some of us can count on another encouraging us to take a walk during a break and I have a “man on the inside” who tallies points on the Marketplace food. To sweeten the adventure, Carolina Meadows is reimbursing us 100% of our membership payment for attending 14 out of 17 upcoming meetings, along with losing 5% of our body weight. You get 50% back for attending the same number of meetings and achieving less than 5% or no weight gain.

The reimbursement is great, but my fellow WW members keep me motivated too. I could not ask for a better group of coworkers to take this journey with. From administrative staff, to dining, wellness, and activities, to nursing and social work, transportation, grounds and resident services, we represent the reason so many of us love Carolina Meadows. We give to each other the same love and care we give to our residents. I love these people. I love Weight Watchers. I also love my new waistline. We can’t wait for you to join us so we can give you some love too!