Good Housekeeping Features Two Weigh Down Participants
The following are excerpts from two articles about Weigh Down participants Heather Sims and Heather Sanchez on the Weight Loss Success Stories in Good Housekeeping Magazine.
You can read the articles in their entirety on Good Housekeeping’s website. Read Heather Sims’ interview HERE and read Heather Sanchez’s interview HERE.
Weigh Down Participant, Heather Sims
My Story
After I turned 20, I put on a few pounds every year. The main reason: I ate too much — my weaknesses were chocolate and pizza. I always felt guilty afterward, but I couldn’t stop myself. I tried Slim Fast, eating fat-free foods, getting Lean Cuisine meals, doing aerobics. But nothing worked. Not a morning went by where I didn’t wake up and think, How can I get this weight off? It consumed me…
…A friend told me about the Weigh Down Workshop, a faith-based diet program, so I went to a class near my old home in Marion, OH. I heard testimonials from participants, a few of whom had stayed skinny for more than 20 years. I was inspired…
… The weight came off fast — I lost about 17 pounds in a month…
How I Lost It
…When I was tempted to overeat I’d pray, God, if you don’t want me to eat this, give me a way out. Then I’d find a hair in my food, or the phone would ring. Before Weigh Down, I would eat a salad and fat-free food and later make cookies “for my husband” and polish off half the dough. But now I’m free to eat whatever I want, as long as it’s in moderation. The weight came off fast – I lost about 17 pounds in a month…
Biggest Payoff …Improving my relationship with God.
Weigh Down Participant, Heather Sanchez
I grew up with four siblings, and if you didn’t inhale your food, there was no chance you’d get seconds. In college, I was a speed eater, too: I overloaded my plate with food in the cafeteria, finished it off in minutes, then went back for more. By the time I got married, things were worse. I’d stuff myself with sweets, then jump on the StairMaster. But as soon as I stepped off, I’d feel hungry again, and the cycle would start all over…
…I tried every diet — but always gained the weight back. Then, in December 1995, I saw an ad in our church bulletin from the Weigh Down Workshop that said, “Are you tired of yo-yo dieting?” I thought, Yeah, I’m tired of it. So I signed up…
… I learned that there are two types of hunger. One is real hunger in the pit of your stomach; the other is an empty feeling you think is hunger — and it’s something food can’t fill. Now I treat my body like a car and only give it fuel when it’s empty. And here’s what I was surprised to learn: I feel full even when I eat small portions…
…My two children. When I was heavy, I didn’t want to have kids. I thought, I’m huge, and I’ll just get bigger. But when I lost the weight, I felt ready. Four weeks after my first child was born, I was back in my size 4 clothes.
