Jennifer Painter: Followed the Weight Watchers program to a T.

Jennifer Painter
33, Executive Assistant, Tampa, FL

Method: Diet

What I Wanted: To lose 100 pounds and get the body I had in high school--thinner, but not a stick figure. I longed to look better and to be able to wear styles I hadn’t worn in more than 10 years, like fitted pants, high-heeled boots, and little shirts. I wound up going from a high of 270 pounds to a low of 140--which was too thin for my large-boned 5-foot-9-inch frame--and then stabilized at about 165.

How I Got It: By following the Weight Watchers program to a T. The program assigns point values to all foods, and you are allotted a certain number of points each day, depending on your weight. I also attended weekly support-group meetings. These strategies helped me learn to eat and enjoy smaller portions, which slashed my calorie intake. Now I abstain from junk foods, such as greasy chips and candy, and drink alcohol and sodas moderately. Best of all, I’ve learned to truly love vegetables and fruits.

Why It Worked: Weighing and measuring foods according to the point system was the key. I wouldn’t have lost weight without doing so because before Weight Watchers, I drastically underestimated what I ate. (To me, a 7-ounce piece of chicken looked like 3 ounces.) I had tried to lose weight many times before with Slim Fast, calorie counting, exercise, even Atkins, but the pounds always came right back.

What It Cost: $20 to enroll and $9 (student rate) per weekly meeting for 18 months. Total: $722

Upside: It’s still possible to satisfy my wicked sweet tooth because nothing is totally off-limits; only portions are limited. Skinny Cow ice cream or fat-free pudding with a dollop of Cool Whip--that’s like heaven to me.

Downside: The temptation I feel at birthday parties and social events. I used to get as excited about the food as I did about the party. Now I eat beforehand and try to focus more on the people at the event.

Biggest Surprise: Walking into the grocery store and having men hit on me. After years of hearing things like, “You’d be pretty if you lost some weight,” I didn’t know how to handle compliments or come-ons.

What’s Ahead: “Painter has done a lot of hard work, but she still has hard work ahead,” says James Hill, PhD, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center. “Lots of people can lose weight, but only about 20 percent keep it off.” Painter wants to be in that minority, so she recently started following Hill’s best advice for weight maintenance--get regular physical activity--by walking with her family every night. She also now heads to the gym to work out 3 or 4 days a week.