Health & Fitness
How WW (Formerly Weight Watchers) Helped A Local Lose 90 Pounds‡
"In terms of my health, I feel like the transformation I've made is worth a million dollars."
Losing weight — and keeping it off — is a lot easier when you have expert guidance from the leader in weight loss and its supportive community. WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) just rolled out its most customized program ever, and it's poised to continue to help millions of members around the world accomplish their weight-loss and wellness goals in 2020. With myWW™, each new member takes a personal assessment which matches them with a customized program that can make losing weight easier.
While many members follow and succeed on the WW program using the WW app, those who would like a little extra expert guidance and consistent support swear by the weekly WW Workshops to keep them accountable and help them stay on track. WW Coaches host weekly 30-minute Workshops at over 800 Studios nationwide.
Denise E. Ryan is a WW member at the WW Studio Washington, D.C. Learn more about her weight-loss journey and get inspired!
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
How did you get started with WW?
Denise: In November 2017, I made a pinky promise with my doctor that I would join WW to get healthier. The same month, my brother (who has serious health challenges due to diabetes) had to have his right foot amputated. It really scared me, and I realized I didn't want my health to get to the point where I became diabetic.
I stuck with the program, and I've lost 90 pounds in just over two years.
What do you like most about WW?
Denise: I chose WW because it's based on science and research. It isn't about following a fad diet. WW is a lifestyle that incorporates all the things we know will help us. It's about making better food choices, being active and getting the support from a Coach and community of people facing the same issues.
My favorite thing about WW is the WW app. I am terrible at writing down foods, but I always have my phone, so tracking what I eat is easy. The WW app has workouts, meditations, recipes, access to a digital coach, weight tracking, activity monitoring and more.
What excites you most about the new customized myWW program?
Denise: That there are multiple plans! Members just take the myWW personal assessment, and then WW's smart algorithm matches them with their very own proven weight-loss plan. I lost most of the weight on the Blue plan, which includes a long list of ZeroPoint foods and a moderate SmartPoints™ Budget to spend on other foods. (WW's proprietary SmartPoints system simplifies complex nutritional information into a simple number to easily guide your eating decisions to support weight loss. ZeroPoint foods form the foundation of a healthy eating pattern, and are foods you don't have to track! Depending on your customized plan, they can include foods like chicken breast, fat-free Greek yogurt, all vegetables and more.)
How has your local WW community helped you in your weight-loss and wellness journey?
Denise: One of my weight-loss strategies was to go to the weekly Workshops and sit next to members who have already been successful in losing weight. I learned so much from them!
I also pick up new recipes and ideas from my fellow Workshop attendees. I love celebrating wins with other people and discussing our challenges, too. Twenty-five people brainstorming together can come up with more solutions than just me alone.
Do you have any favorite Workshops or Coaches?
Denise: Each WW Coach has their own presence and experience they bring to the Workshop. That said, my favorites are Kristin S. on Connecticut Avenue in D.C. and Kimberly in Burtonsville, Maryland. They're great!
2019 was a hard year for me in my personal life, with family members facing significant health crises. It was great to know the supportive WW Coaches and my health community were there for me to lean on for help.
What are the best nutrition and/or fitness tips you've picked up from WW?
Denise: Don't deprive yourself of a food you really want. Figure out how to work it into your plan. If you want it enough, you can figure out how to make room for that special dessert and still lose or maintain your weight.
For fitness, the best thing I've learned is to find something that you enjoy and do it. And don’t feel like you have to be an Olympian to get started with being active. A little bit goes a long way! For me, if that means just 20 minutes of slow walking or pedaling on a bike, that's OK. I'm still moving. Most of the time, after those first 20 minutes, I feel good and want to keep going. Small changes like that over time really add up.
What is your favorite ZeroPoint food? Favorite food/treat?
Denise: Non-fat plain Greek yogurt with a packet of sweetener like stevia and a cup of frozen no-sugar-added cherries. Yum!
What is your advice to others who want to lose weight but don’t know how to get started?
Denise: The hardest part is getting started. Commit to yourself to take action, make an appointment to go to a WW Workshop or download the WW app today. Write it down and make time for it, if you are not doing it right now. Reward yourself after you take that action. Getting a mani/pedi is one of my favorite rewards.
How would you describe yourself in three words before WW? After?
Denise: Before WW, I was fearful, burdened and limited. After losing 90 pounds with WW, I am healthy, empowered and resilient.
Beyond the weight loss, how has WW affected your lifestyle and your approach to wellness?
Denise: In terms of my health, I feel like the transformation I've made is worth a million dollars. I feel the same way about the changes made to my lifestyle and the trajectory I'm now on for a long, healthy and active life.
How WW Can Help You Find Success
WW is a weight-loss program that takes a people-focused, science-backed approach to promoting weight loss and healthy living. Its new program, myWW, is fully customized to make losing weight easier for you.
When you join myWW, you'll start with a personal assessment that asks a range of questions about your unique food preferences, activity level, lifestyle and approach to weight loss. Based on your responses, WW will scientifically match you with a customized, proven weight-loss plan that can make losing weight easier.
Get Started Losing Weight With WW Today!
Why Visit a WW Studio?
Every person in the WW Studio is on your side! The friendly guides and expert Coaches will quickly become your greatest motivators and sources of support to make 2020 the year you reach your weight-loss goals!
Workshops held at WW Studio locations cover topics that are relevant to weight loss, health and wellness. You can participate as much or as little as you want. There are WW Workshops during the morning, afternoon and evening, seven days a week. This gives you flexibility to attend the Workshop time/day/location that works for during any particular week and ensure your accountability network is always accessible.
Based on years of research, the WW Workshop curriculum is always evolving to bring the best science-backed techniques to help you lose weight and build healthy habits for life.
Find Your Nearest D.C.-Area Studio!
‡ People following the WW plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs/wk.
