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'Believe In Yourself, You Can Do It!'

Photos courtesy of JENN McTIGUE

Jenn McTigue was so pleased with the results she received through Weight Watchers, she's now a program leader.

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 24, 2008

Jenn McTigue, 35, Valrico

Height: 5-foot-10

Starting weight: 201

Current weight:154

Why I did it: Thinking about losing weight was a scary thought for me. I never believed in myself, that I could do it. I felt very uncomfortable from the inside out. I was a young person with dreams and hopes. I wanted to feel confident in myself. I wanted to feel good in my clothes. I wanted to be able to go out with family and friends and be able to eat and feel good.

How I did it: I tried many different things in order to lose the weight. Weight Watchers was the only program that allowed me to live and feel like normal. The meetings were the most important part of the whole process. It was about being together with people that understood what I was going through.

I started very slowly. I was never a BIG loser, it never was fast. So I started off by doing the baby steps of the program: understanding what foods were better for me, drinking more water, ordering sauce or dressings on the side, not eating like it was the last supper, focusing on my winning outcome, asking what did I want from this.

It took me a year to lose 45 pounds. What worked was applying the Weight Watchers program to my everyday world. I was not giving up my favorite foods, but using portion control. I was writing my foods down, eating regularly and not skipping meals. I had a lot of setbacks, but I kept on trying to make it fit my world. Something that kept me going was if I had a not-so-good eating day, I would always in the past beat myself up. Now I've learned to say: "You did it, it's done, now move on!"

I've also become a Weight Watcher leader and it is the best place to be. I love to be a part of something I am passionate about. I feel it isn't a job, it is a calling to be there for one another. It is a wonderful place where we all have something in common. No matter what kind of day I am having, when I get to work my attitude changes! Weight Watchers is the piece of the puzzle that completes me.

With a husband and two small children, (my new eating lifestyle means) we all live a healthy life. It isn't always easy, but it is easier than if I had to start all over again. It brings me great pleasure to know that my children will grow up with the Good Health Guidelines set from Weight Watchers: water, fruit/vegetables, fiber, lean protein, calcium, oil, limited sugars/alcohol (not for children) and a multivitamin.

Hurdles: I had many plateaus. I never wanted to admit it was me. I would lose 20 pounds and not any more. It was discouraging and hard to keep going. But I learned through Weight Watchers that this will pass. What worked to get through it was VARIETY. Stop eating the same foods every day.

Going the distance: Nothing tastes as good as thin feels. I had a pair of jeans I called my V jeans. What that means is that I was able to get them up, but the zipper was a V. I tried them on every week, and when they finally fit, it felt like a dream come true.

Best advice: Believe in yourself, you can do it! Weight Watchers showed that I have the resources to achieve. Take one step at a time, and don't give up.

Keyword: Lost It, to tell us about a weight-loss plan that works for you. Or send your story to mshedden@tampatrib.com or Mary Shedden, The Tampa Tribune, 200 S. Parker St., Tampa FL 33606.

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