After years of yo-yo diets, Keila Mehan became frustrated. She was overweight and sometimes found it difficult to even carry out her daily work. She had no health problems, but she avoided seeing a doctor and was worried that she might develop it. Type 2 diabetes..
“I struggled to maintain a healthy lifestyle and struggled with my daily activities,” said a 33-year-old accountant in Oakley, California today. “I needed to lose weight and needed something that was sustainable over the long term.”
Her father died of heart disease at the age of 55 and was worried that her weight could cause her health problems as well.
“In the case of heart disease, I know that obesity definitely doesn’t help,” she said. “I didn’t want to die when I was young, so I knew it was very important to manage my health.”
Friends and family have tried WW (formerly Weight Watchers) in the past and have been successful. So Mehan signed it up.
“I thought, let’s try,” she said. “It can’t be hurt.”
She appreciated how easy it is to follow WW. There were no off-limits foods, and the less restrictive way of eating appealed to her.
“They didn’t tell me I couldn’t eat anything. They said everything was as planned, I thought it was great for me,” Mehan said. “It wasn’t an extreme mind shift. It’s a slow mind shift over time, which helps me succeed.”
When Mehan started, she was £ 321 in 2018. She set a goal weight of losing 150 pounds.
“When I first started World War I, I didn’t know my weight, and when I looked at my number, I wondered,” What the hell, how do you get a healthy weight? ” “She remembered. “I didn’t even know how to lose £ 100, let alone £ 150.”
She started by eating leaner protein and adding lots of fruits and vegetables to her diet.
“I love fruits and vegetables right now, which is very new to me,” she said. “I love eggs, chicken and turkey minced meat, but I can still eat bacon and sausages.”
Mehan stayed motivated by having weekly meetings and being able to talk to others on WW’s social media platform Connect.
“Looking at others who lost a lot of weight and seeing them can do it, I was like” If they can do it, I can do it ” “She said.
She didn’t exercise when she first started. She started to move more. First I walked 10 minutes at a time and then added a kickboxing class. Relying on her healthy habits helped her maintain her loss, even when she was worried that a COVID-19 pandemic could upset her.
“I kept doing the same thing,” she said. “I’m really proud to be able to maintain my weight throughout the pandemic.”
By losing weight, Mehan not only became patient with himself, but also became able to do difficult things.
“If you focus on something, you can do anything,” she said. “It may not happen tomorrow. It may not happen next week. But it is likely.”
Mehan shares his advice with others who want to make a healthy change.
1. Find support.
When Mehan started WW, she went to a weekly meeting. She continued to use the app for encouragement when the pandemic closed the direct meeting.
“They were there to support you and it was very helpful just to know that you weren’t alone,” she said. “It’s hard to (lose weight) on your own. It’s your motivation when you know that others are doing it, you’re having the same hardships, and they’re successful. Helps to pull out. “
2. Set small goals.
She was overwhelmed when Mehan thought she would lose £ 150. But then she thought of losing 10 pounds at a time, and it seemed achievable. She exercised using the same approach.
“I started by telling myself,” I only walk for 10 minutes. ” “I think it’s much more feasible than telling myself that I have to walk two miles today,” she said. “Start small and don’t get overwhelmed. Small goals are why I’m motivated to continue.”
3. It helps to develop “good habits”.
She pivoted when COVID-19 closed the gym and made it hard to find some of the food she could count on. She joined an online group and made a healthy exchange for the products she found.
“I knew my habits would keep me moving, and if you have good habits you don’t have to do exactly the same thing,” Mehan said. “It doesn’t matter if one day isn’t perfect. There’s another day.”
