No Sacrifices

In Pete’s words:

I never really realized I was fat. Guys are unique in that they look in the mirror and see the reflection of how they looked at 16. I lift weights and thought my arms looked amazing. See? I’m fit! But last summer I saw a photo that someone took of me playing in the ocean with my son and I didn’t recognize the big fat man playing with him. It was me! I had no idea I’d gotten so big. It’s a gradual gain. You don’t go from skinny to fat in one day. So I came back to work and thought, how am I going to lose the weight? A co-worker was on Weight Watchers at the time and he suggested it to me. I thought that Weight Watchers was only meetings. When I found out I could follow the Plan online and on my phone, I was sold.

Getting started

The daily and weekly PointsPlus® Allowances made sense to me. It was like a budget. When you’re out of PointsPlus values, you have no more to spend. Just like money. I started off by doing more cardio and less weightlifting (you earn more activity PointsPlus values that way!). It was logical to me and I loved that I started losing weight immediately. Another bonus was I found that the more weight I lost, the faster I could run!

Making changes

Before Weight Watchers I was eating more meat and not nearly enough vegetables. I was drinking more liquor because I didn’t realize how that could contribute to weight gain. I’d drink lots of rum and cola. Now I drink light beer, which is great for my PointsPlus budget, tastes good and satisfies me I drink a lot more water now, too.

The fitness factor

After high school I joined the Marine Corps and we had to run a lot. But after I joined the National Guard we only had to run for fitness tests twice a year. So up until I subscribed to Weight Watchers Online, that was my running regimen: Two miles, twice a year. When I started my running regimen I could barely do a mile and a half on the treadmill, but I kept going. The harder I worked the better I got. It was really rewarding. Now I can run a 6:30 mile and run about 15 miles a week.

Family matters

I have a 12-year-old son. I used to get home and make dinner which was usually very carb-heavy or just really unhealthy food. We’d also eat a lot of fast food. I’m a single dad so my cooking repertoire is limited. But with Weight Watchers I started measuring and weighing my food and started adding vegetables to the meals we ate. We also ate more fruit as snacks. At first he noticed and asked me why the fast food was stopping. I just told him we were trying something different and he was really supportive. He eats whatever I eat.

Seeing results with friends

I’m in the National Guard Band in Utah. After losing the weight my uniform fit better, I could hold notes longer and be more animated. The other guys in the band noticed and some of them have subscribed to Weight Watchers Online as well. We have a group mentality. We keep each other on track and encourage each other.

A diet for men

Weight Watchers Online is absolutely geared towards men. You can maintain your anonymity and stay on Plan. Before, I thought Weight Watchers was only for women — that’s not the case. Needing to lose weight is embarrassing and a bit emasculating, to be honest. But having the Plan online and on my iPhone® is a huge advantage.

Weight Watchers Mobile and the Barcode Scanner are the most heavily used apps on my iPhone I plug in every meal right after I eat it and use it to plan out my meals for the rest of the day. I’m always sure to leave enough PointPlus values for beer and/or dessert, depending on the day. Monday night, I’m going to have beer because watching football without beer is sacrilege. With Weight Watchers I can still have it.

The best part

Now I sleep better and have more energy while I’m performing (and all the time, really). I also have much higher quality of candidates to date! I’m looking good and feeling good. At 37, I’m in the best shape of my life.