‘WW And Walking For Weight Loss Helped Me Lose 123 Lbs.’
My name is Sim Godoy (@sim_on_ww), and I am 28 years old. I live in Clovis, California, and I am an accounting clerk in property management.
Even as a child, I always felt like a larger-bodied girl and was the heaviest in my friend group. I never understood why I didn’t look like everyone else. Over the years, I tried several different programs. My mom even got me a personal trainer at one point. I went to gyms and tried shakes, frozen meals, the keto diet, and Jenny Craig—but no program I tried was sustainable.
My weight was also impacting my health. I have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can cause weight gain and irregular periods. I knew I wanted to start a family someday, and my weight would make having a normal monthly cycle very difficult. At 26, I hit my heaviest weight of 285 pounds.
The turning point that started my weight-loss journey was at my cousin’s wedding in 2018.
All I could remember is feeling so uncomfortable in my skin and feeling so out of place. I was embarrassed to be in family pictures. On top of that, I was always out of breath. I had a hard time getting in and out of my car. Life was stressful, and I had a long list of excuses for why it was the way it was.
So, in March 2018, I decided I needed a major change in my life.
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I chose WW (formerly Weight Watchers) to make that journey possible.
Shortly after my cousin’s wedding, I was at work one day in the break room, talking to a coworker. She told me about WW and how it had helped her with her weight. She had a friend referral code for a free first month, so I decided to give it a shot. When I first started, I didn’t believe it would work, but I was willing to give it a try.
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Spoiler: It really worked for me because WW is really not a diet, but a lifestyle. You can eat everything; the program teaches you about portions and how to balance your foods and choose healthier options. I honestly don’t feel deprived of anything because if I’m craving a specific food, I can have it.
I have also found easy ways to lighten up some of my most favorite foods. It’s helped me re-learn a healthy relationship with food. I feel I eat more of a variety of foods now, and I am definitely more open to trying new foods and getting creative with meals.
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Here’s what I eat in a day.
- Breakfast: Coffee, banana, and sometimes I make overnight oats or have a Smart Baking Company muffin or a Fiber One brownie.
- Lunch: I’ll have leftovers or a frozen Healthy Choice meal or Panera Bread Spicy Thai salad.
- Snacks: Fruit like a plum or an orange, Alani Nu Bars or Built Bar protein bars, Baked Hot Cheetos, or Peatos.
- Dinner: Chalupa tacos.
- Dessert: Yasso Ice Cream Bars, and I have been obsessed with nut butters lately!
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I didn’t start exercising until six months into my journey, when I hit my first plateau.
I was stuck at the same weight for a few weeks, so I started going on walks during my lunch break at work a few times a week. This slowly increased to 30 minute brisk walks, five days a week.
I made it a goal to walk fast enough that my Apple Watch would track it as 30 minutes of exercise. I’ve learned that if I walk an 18-minute mile or faster, it’s tracked as exercise on it. Now I have grown into 30 to 45 minutes of walking five days a week for at least two miles.
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These three changes made the biggest difference in my weight-loss results.
- I made healthy swaps with WW. I started by working in more fruits and veggies and sticking to more white meats like chicken and turkey. I then started substituting my rice with cauliflower rice and Greek yogurt as a base for certain recipes, and/or as sour cream. I also removed added sugar from foods and drinks.
- I joined StepBet challenges to help me become more active. When I started getting a little lazy and took a month off due to the heat during the summer, I was having a hard time getting motivated to start my walks again. I was then introduced to StepBet on Instagram by a friend. Based on your fitness tracker history, StepBet gives you a goal of four active step days (around your normal average of steps), two power days where it pushes you a bit beyond your normal number, and a rest day. As long as you meet your required steps by the end of the game, you are guaranteed your initial bet back, plus whatever’s left in the pot that is split between the winners. This was a lot of fun and pushed me to be a bit more active.
- I focused on changing my mindset. When I started this journey, I did not have any expectations the program would stick or be sustainable. But I was tired of feeling yucky and sorry for myself. No one else could change that but me, so I joined WW. Your mindset is a powerful thing, and once you set your mind to something and accept that you have the power to do it, things come easier.
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I have lost 123 pounds in 18 months.
The best advice I can give someone starting out on a weight-loss journey is to not focus on the scale. That thing will mess with your head and send you down a spiral. You have to stop and celebrate the little things in life.
I used to worry so much about what to eat and how to act at family events. Now I just take purse snacks, try to have a meal prior, and just take it one step at a time. I still enjoy all my favorite foods on a regular basis (I have pizza once a week!). WW is not a diet, but a lifestyle. I truly feel like a whole new person.
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