W.O.W.
War of Weight
Welcome to W.O.W. (War of Weight)! I have some exciting stories of weight loss to share with you, plus, tips on how you, too, can lose the weight!
“The Biggest Loser” is one of my most favorite shows on television! It's so inspiring and challenging… just watching it makes me want to go out and run!
Don't forget to watch “The Biggest Loser” Tuesdays on NBC – 8/7c
On Xanga.com, we have been conducting our own “Biggest Loser Challenge”! It's a six week contest of whoever loses the most weight gets to be highlighted on my blog ( www.xanga.com/daisymae81 ) and in the magazine! It's all done on the honor system since we obviously cannot see each other due to this contest being ONLINE! We provide tips and inspirational stories to help motivate and encourage those who are participating.
My friend, Christi ( www.xanga.com/ch1216 ) is the leader of this contest and here are the results she has posted -
This is our 2 nd six weeks and here are our winners:
1st Place :
www.xanga.com/GodsGirlTMM
Total Weight Lost: 15 lbs!!!!
Total Inches Lost: 11 Inches!!
2nd Place :
www.xanga.com/MyJourneyWithHim
Total Weight Lost: 14 lbs!!
3rd Place :
www.xanga.com/TheLittleGirlInMe
Total Weight Lost: 11 lbs!!
All 3 Ladies worked hard at losing weight and were dedicated to reporting each and every week! They truly deserve a round of applause!
CONGRATULATIONS LADIES!!!
You are proof that consistency and determination, as well as discipline, is what it takes to lose weight and stay on track! GREAT job!!!
Blessings,
Christi Wilson
This is my friend, Melissa, and Christy's (our Editor's) sister!
Doesn't she look incredible! We are so proud of Melissa and what she has accomplished these past 6 months! Way to go, girl… we hope that this is inspiring for YOU, too!
This is her story!
Before After
The Ups and Downs…
Name: Melissa ( www.xanga.com/melissamurr )
Age: 31
Height: 5' 5”
Beginning weight: 207
Current weight: 176
Goal weight: 140
My supposed battle with weight began 18 years ago. Awkwardly hitting puberty one - two years before your peers did give them loads of ammunition for teasing…and no matter what my parents told me, I believed my classmates. I was wrong for believing it, and in reality, I wasn't fat. I was curvy, developed…I had that hourglass figure that was so popular back in the ‘40s and ‘50s.
The child-bearing years…
Fast forward 5 years to just after the birth of my first child and my very real problem with weight had begun. I told myself while pregnant, “I'm 18, I can eat what I want”. Not so! I gained 55 pounds with Olivia and weighed in at the hospital at a horrifying 200 pounds! I committed myself to eating right and losing the weight. No sooner had I lost most of the weight when my husband and I found out we were pregnant…again. I vowed not to make the same mistake…and stuck to it. After having Trey, my second child, I would gain a pound here…another here. A few years later, while dieting (do you see a pattern here?) I discovered that I was pregnant, for the last time! I behaved myself during that pregnancy as well and only gained 20 pounds. However, since Savannah was born, I continued to put on the weight at a rate of about 7 pounds a year.
Beating the odds…
Obesity runs in both my family and my husband's family. With both my husband and I being somewhat overweight, the odds were against my children. I didn't want them to grow up thinking that being this big was acceptable. All three of my children (who are now ages 13, 10 & 5) are healthy and physically active and I wanted to keep it that way. In addition to all of that, I have a severe case of scoliosis. I knew that if I didn't do something soon, the additional weight would add pressure to my back and would soon begin to cripple me. My goal was to lose 67 pounds.
In April 2007 I decided to follow in my sister's ( Christy - Xiolagood ) footsteps and do the Weight Watcher's diet. Being on a budget, I attended one meeting that provided me with all the necessary material and from that moment on did the diet on my own. At first I was meticulous about writing down all my points, getting in my water, veggies, etc. But that type of regiment was just not my style. After a couple of months, I had been on the diet long enough to know that I basically need to eat less and exercise more. And so I did exactly that. Here I am, almost halfway there. These are not ‘before and after' pictures, but ‘before and now' pictures. I'm not done yet. This time is different, and I intend to make my way to the finish line. I may be the slowest turtle in the race, but I'm gonna look dang good in my shell when I cross that finish line!
Since starting the diet in April, I have inspired my husband to lose weight as well. He's now lost 23 pounds. Between Christy, my husband, and myself we have lost almost 80 pounds. I think my mother said it best, “You've lost the equivalent of a 10 year old child.”
Thank you, Melissa, for your inspiring story! If you have a story of weight loss and would like to share it with us, please contact me at:
connie@heartbeatthemagazine.com
Check out the next page for more W.O.W. tips and stories!
Don't give up!
Connie