Pagosa Springs Colorado for my 27th Wedding Anniversary Feb, 2006 my weight was around 162. 

Hi, my name is Bonnie and I began my Weight Watchers journey on 9.5.04.  My friend Sara came over to my house on 9.4.04 and shared the program with me.  I knew that WW was for me and I went the very next morning and joined.  I have not looked back since.  I started WW at 250 pounds.  Changed my goal from 150 to 155 because my WW leader measured me and said I was 5'5 1/2.  I made lifetime and 100 pounds gone on 9.24.06.   

My original weight was 260 pounds when my doctor recommended the South Beach Diet.  I lost 10 pounds in two weeks on that.  The South Beach Diet is what convinced me that I could lose weight and eat.  But it was way too healthy for me!!  Now that sounds funny for a girl that has lost 110!  But it's the truth.  I love sweets! 

So when Sara came over to my house and explained the WW Flex program to me I was hooked!  I knew that I would be able to have my sweets and lose weight.  Now the lower I got in points the fewer sweets I had but if I would have had to go cold turkey it would have never happened. 

As I have mentioned on the WW board 100+ I am addicted to food and I eat for emotional reasons.  If it had not been for my friend Edna from my church helping me deal with the addiction and my emotions I would never have made it this far.  Even with WW.  I believe that I had to deal with why I got to over 110 pounds overweight before I could be successful on WW.  Thanks EDNA.  She was a ROCK.  She let me call her whenever.  And she would talk me into facing the issues of my life.  Even when it was not pleasant.  Now when I want to eat for emotional reasons I make myself face the truth.  I count my points as I use them.  Not at the end of the day but right then.  Which usually brings me to my senses since I love to eat 3 meals and 3 to 4 snacks a day.  And I do not feel guilty about eating anymore.  Did you hear that I don't feel GUILTY!  The control that food had on me was taken away!  I’m now in control.  It's a decision that I make all through out my day.  That is if I’m honest with myself.

This is not a diet for me but a way of life.  I can enjoy this way of eating the rest of my life.  I decided that I would not give up anything to lose weight that I would want later.  Which is why I love the flex plan that WW offers.  Did I mention that I love WW.  Because I do.

I could not write this without giving the credit where credit is due.  I had prayed about my weight for years.  And on the day that I started WW my pastor did a sermon about facing ourselves and doing what we knew we needed to do.  So thanks Pastor Jody because I've since been trying to be totally honest with myself.  Sometimes it's not fun or pretty but the peace it brings is so important.  And the growth is well worth it. 

Recently my leader told us that we did not have to let a lapse become a collapse.  I really loved that meeting.  She said that we could have a VLE.  Which is a valuable learning experience instead.  So don't just fall over and give up when you have a lapse decide to see the positive in it and learn something.  Then get up and move forward. 

My friend Edna also told me when I called to discuss an emotional eating eposide I was having that I would be ok since I knew how to make choices.  I said what?  And she said that obviously my choice mechanism was working and I just needed to learn to make the right choice.  That just made so much sense to me.  It gives me the power over the food.  I love having the power.  :)