Oreos and other diet foods

I was a skinny kid. I can't find any photos, so you'll have to trust me on that.

That lasted through college. Perhaps it was all the walking I did in school (no car), or maybe it was the crappy food. But I never really gained the freshman fifteen, even though I probably could have used it. Once I graduated, though, I started to gain a little. Not a lot all at once, just five pounds or so a year. By the time I hit 30, I was more than 50 pounds heavier than I'd been when I graduated from high school. (Hmm...no photos of this era, either. Go figure.) But in the summer of 2004, after needing to buy size 16 shorts, and after seeing my sister eat Oreos while on Weight Watchers (more on her later), I decided it was time to lose some weight. I figured if I could eat Oreos while on a diet, that was the diet for me.

Six months later, I had lost 40 pounds and bought a size 6 wedding dress off the rack. I looked great, and I felt great.

So naturally, I turned back to Weight Watchers after both my pregnancies. I gained nearly 60 pounds when I was pregnant with Jonah, and lost all of it before he was a year old. I kept it off for a few months, but my weight started to creep back up when we decided to start trying for #2. (I treated both my pregnancies as my last opportunity to eat whatever I want, and once the decision was made, I guess I started a little early.) I only gained about 40 pounds with Ava, but I started fifteen pounds heavier. Weight Watchers has once again been my savior, though. She's five months old, and I've been below my pre-pregnancy weight for nearly a month. And that's with hardly any exercise. Now I just need to lose 10-15 more pounds and I'll be at my goal.

(Warning: here's the part where I go all WW cheerleader on y'all.)

The great thing about Weight Watchers is learning tips for a new lifestyle. This is not just a diet, it's a new way of life. I've made a lot of small changes in my eating habits that have really added up when it comes to weight loss. Best of all, I'm setting an example for my kids. I'm sure they'll inherit good genes—neither Matt nor I have ever been grossly overweight—but they'll also inherit good eating habits. (I hope. Jonah's a picky eater, but at least we're keeping him away from junk food.)

But don't take my word for it. Here's a photo of my sister from two years ago.

We were all pretty worried about her. She did not inherit the best genes, and her risk for things like diabetes and heart disease were only exacerbated by her weight.

When I had Jonah, I was truly concerned that she might not be able to run around with him on the playground, or worse, that she might not be around to see him grow up.

Here she is today, having lost more than 40% of her body weight.

It's taken a few tries, but she's lost it all with Weight Watchers and exercise. This former couch potato is now a gym rat who actually runs. I'm inspired by her story, and thrilled that she's doing something to be sure she'll be around for her niece and nephew, and hopefully, someday, her own as-yet-hypothetical kid.

Katie and Ava, spring 2009

Katie and Jonah, summer 2008
(I couldn't find a more recent picture of them!)