This website is for everyone who needs a little motivation, a little inspiration, a little proof that WW works or that a significant weight loss is actually possible.  When I started I never thought it was, but I'm proof that the program works if you work the program.   The success stories along with all the before and after pictures were, and still are, invaluable for me.  That's why I'm doing this website.  To help others because so many others have helped me along the way. 

         I remember going to my first meeting and seeing a picture of a lady from my town that had lost 120 lbs, and wanting to be that successful-I've never met her, but she was very inspirational to me.   I remember seeing how well my sister-in-law had done, and how she incorporated this into her life, and I wanted to do that.  I still to this day can't wait until Monday morning when there is a new success story on the Weight Watchers home page.  Its those stories that give me hope.  I also get so many great tips, and suggestions from reading them.

          Thanks to my husband, kids, my friends, my family-especially my Sister-in-law Becky who has been so helpful, even though she probably doesn't know it (well she does now).  I can't forget all the moms in MOMs group.  I can't even begin to tell you how much you all mean to me, and how much you help me every week.               And to EVERYONE on the message boards (especially the 100+  board), without you I couldn't have done this.  You have been my motivation, my inspiration, my reality check.  You guys/gals rock!      

email me with questions or comments at   raggedy_ann@mchsi.com   & please sign my guestbook!

Please stop back often as I add more tips, low point food options, recipes, and photos! 

             starting weight 12-2002        --        130 LOST                 December 10, 2005

Is that REALLY me?  Many people I've known for a long time, but haven't seen me for a while don't recognize me anymore.  The funny thing is, for a while when I when I walked by a mirror I didn't even recognize myself.  My head is starting to catch up with my loss though!

Here we are at the Inaugural NASCAR race in Chicago, IL, July 2001.  I never really looked at these pictures when we got them back.  When I did, I only looked at the cars, our 'new friends', and my husband.  I completely overlooked the pictures of myself because I knew I wouldn't like what I saw.

Two years later, while going through some photos I came across this picture.  This is when it hit me!  This is the picture that made the lightbulb go off, and I finally realized how much weight I had really gained.   I never thought I was this big.  When I would walk by a mirror I thought, "oh, that mirror is distorted, that's not really what I look like".  What was distorted was the perception I had of myself, and this picture spoke a thousand words to me.  I decided that I did NOT want to look like this anymore.  I just didn't know what to do.  Since I had yo yo'd all my life, I was certain that everything I had tried in the past wouldn't work, at least well enough for me to lose and keep it off.

I knew whatever I did needed to be a life change, not just something I did for a few months then went back to my old ways.