Losing weight — and keeping it off — is a lot easier when you have expert guidance from the leader in weight loss and its supportive community. just rolled out its most customized program ever, and it’s poised to continue to help millions of members around the world accomplish their weight-loss and wellness goals in 2020. With myWW™, each new member takes a personal assessment which matches them with a customized program that can make losing weight easier.
While many members follow and succeed on the WW program using the WW app, those who would like a little extra expert guidance and consistent support swear by the weekly WW Workshops to keep them accountable and help them stay on track. WW Coaches host weekly 30-minute Workshops at over 800 Studios nationwide.
Jessica Kinney is a WW member at the WW Studio Maple Grove. Learn more about her weight-loss journey and get inspired!
Answers have been edited for clarity and length.
How long have you been on the WW program?
Jessica: I first joined WW in 2011, and I lost over 75 pounds with the program. Then I got pregnant and stopped doing WW. After I had my daughter, I went through several years of yo-yo gaining and losing weight, and I ended up gaining all the weight back. In 2014, I went through a divorce, and my 9-year-old son passed away unexpectedly. I got caught up in an unhealthy cycle of emotional binge eating.
Fast forward to 2018. At this point, I was uncomfortable in my clothes and struggled with pain every day. I needed to make a change to be healthier for myself, my kids and my fiancé. My niece joined WW earlier in the year and was having success on the program. With her encouragement, I rejoined WW in June 2018. Since then, I’ve lost 79.2 pounds! I love that this is a lifestyle change and not a diet program.
What excites you the most about the new customized myWW program?
Jessica: With myWW, members take a personal assessment, and then WW’s smart algorithm matches them with their very own proven weight-loss plan. I’m on the Blue plan, and I love the flexibility it gives me. When I have a day where I’m particularly hungry, I have so many ZeroPoint foods to choose from. (ZeroPoint foods form the foundation of a healthy eating pattern and are foods you don’t have to track! Depending on your customized plan, they can include foods such as chicken breast, fat-free Greek yogurt, all vegetables and more.)
How has your local WW Studio helped you in your weight-loss and wellness journey?
Jessica: The members at my local WW Studio are always willing to share their experiences, whether they are having a great week or they’re struggling. We are all here to provide suggestions and support. We are often reminded that there is no “wrong” answer, because something that works for one person may not work for another, and that is OK.
Going to weekly WW Workshops allows me to “reset” mentally at the end of the week. The weigh-ins keep me accountable, too. If I have a good week, the guides and Coaches are there to cheer me on; and if I don’t have a great week, then they’re there to ask what can be done differently the following week.
If you had to describe your local Studio in five words, what would they be?
Jessica: Friendly, welcoming, supportive, fun and accessible.
Do you have any favorite Workshops or Coaches?
Jessica: I usually attend Workshops on Saturday mornings at either 7 a.m. or 8 a.m. with Karmi Anna Mattson. Karmi is a great leader to get people motivated, and she helps us stay honest with ourselves. She is kind, funny and puts things in perspective for real life.
What do you look forward to at your weekly WW Workshop?
Jessica: I look forward to hearing about and cheering on others’ successes and learning from their struggles. It helps me know I’m not alone in the challenges that accompany changing one’s lifestyle to be healthy.
What are the best nutrition and/or fitness tips you’ve picked up from WW?
Jessica: Find foods and fitness activities that you love. Being hungry or hating the activities you choose will just lead to frustration and failure.
What is something your friends or loved ones are most surprised about WW when they hear you are on it?
Jessica: That I don’t cut out food groups, including dessert! I choose when to have them, and it doesn’t mean I have them every day. There are so many ways to modify a recipe to make it a little bit healthier.
What is your favorite ZeroPoint food? Favorite food/treat?
Jessica: My favorite ZeroPoint food is chicken! It’s so versatile that I can make a healthy and filling dinner with it that the whole family will eat. My favorite treats are Built Bars.They allow me to indulge in a chocolate sweet treat without the extra sugar, and the added protein helps keep me full.
What is your advice to others who want to lose weight but don’t know how to get started?
Jessica: You don’t have to change everything you do overnight to lose weight or maintain a healthier lifestyle, but you must be in the right mindset to make healthier choices and stick with it. Find your “why” and keep that in the front of your mind. Don’t do it for others. This is a lifetime change, and you must be ready to do it for yourself.
Beyond the weight loss, how has WW affected your lifestyle and your approach to wellness?
Jessica: Losing the weight has helped me with my emotional well-being and confidence. I don’t worry about not looking good in pictures or being out of breath after walking up a flight of stairs. It has also given me so much more energy to do the things I enjoy. I’ve learned that I love being physically active. I’ve even started running! I’m so much stronger mentally and physically than I ever realized.
How would you describe yourself in three words before WW? After?
Jessica: Before WW, I was sluggish, unhappy and uncomfortable. Now I’m happy, energetic and confident.
What is your New Year’s resolution?
Jessica: I don’t set New Year’s resolutions, but I am looking forward to continuing the journey I have been on for a year and a half. I have a couple of 5K runs I’ve signed up for in 2020 and am looking forward to finishing them and getting back on my bike in the spring.
Anything else you’d like to share?
Jessica: Not every week will show a loss on the scale. We are humans, and we have good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks. In the end, if you stick with it and continue to set goals for yourself, it will pay off. You will get to where you want to be.
How WW Can Help You Find Success
WW is a weight-loss program that takes a people-focused, science-backed approach to promoting weight loss and healthy living. Its new program, myWW, is fully customized to make losing weight easier for you.
When you join myWW, you’ll start with a personal assessment that asks a range of questions about your unique food preferences, activity level, lifestyle and approach to weight loss. Based on your responses, WW will scientifically match you with a customized, proven weight-loss plan that can make losing weight easier.
Why Visit a WW Studio?
Every person in the WW Studio is on your side! The friendly guides and expert Coaches will quickly become your greatest motivators and sources of support to make 2020 the year you reach your weight-loss goals!
Workshops held at WW Studio locations cover topics that are relevant to weight loss, health and wellness. You can participate as much or as little as you want. There are WW Workshops during the morning, afternoon and evening, seven days a week. This gives you flexibility to attend the Workshop time/day/location that works for during any particular week and ensure your accountability network is always accessible.
Based on years of research, the WW Workshop curriculum is always evolving to bring the best science-backed techniques to help you lose weight and build healthy habits for life.
‡ People following the WW plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs/wk.
