I am married to my best friend, Mike. We blended our families when we married in 1999. Together we have four children, all adults and married and nine grandchildren.
I joined WW for the umpteenth time in August of 2009 and I have been an active member since then with the goal to maintain a healthy weight through diet, exercise and living a healthy lifestyle. Hopefully, I can inspire others to do the same.
I enjoy spending time with my family and friends, cooking, EATING, reading, watching movies, EATING, art, music, (did I say EATING?) and always looking for something new and interesting to do!
I’ve been 20-40 pounds overweight for my entire adult life. I hope that by writing this blog, I will discover a few things about myself, learn to maintain a healthy weight and help others to do the same.
I began the blog in 2011 having no idea what I was doing. I still don’t, so forgive it’s simplicity and take it for what it is.
I have changed so much about the way that I eat over the last few years, but my weight loss has been very S L O W…..and I have decided….that that’s okay. Typically at this point, I would have quit, went back to old and bad habits, and regained the weight. When I joined WW this time around, it was the first time that I had ever joined for my health. The other times I had joined, it had been for an occasion. A wedding, a reunion, or a vacation. I knew this time that I would not quit.
My highest weight was 212 in 2009. I reached my goal weight of 160 in the summer of 2013, then dipped below that and maintained a weight in the 150’s for a few months. Then the Holidays came, and I went back into the 160’s. My weight eventually crept back into the 170’s, and has remained between 165 and 172 since then. My body loves 172 and I am beginning to love it as well.
I am learning to concentrate more on how I feel and how I look than the number on the scale. Taking my focus away from the scale has helped me to appreciate the positive changes that I have made that have benefited my physical health and my mental health.
In the summer of 2016, I was hired by WW (formerly Weight Watchers) as a Coach (formerly called Leader) and I could not be happier. I completed my training in December and I am now Coaching Workshops and also working as a Guide (formerly called receptionist). I am so happy to be a part of a company that has taught me so much about myself and my health. I look forward to a long future with WW in my role as an employee.
The blog took just a bit of a turn when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July of 2017, but I plan to blog about my breast cancer experience in hopes of supporting others in a similar situation and also in hopes of spreading the word of early detection. I am now cancer free!
Thank you for stopping by! I hope that you are able to take something away from the blog, even if it’s just a smile.
Julie
People following the WW plan can expect to lose 1-2 lbs/per wk
This page was last updated on July 8, 2021.
What a fun little read for me while I sit here outside my camper. The hubby is not interested at all. None whatsoever. Ha ha. I grew up camping and he did not. His happy outdoor places on the golf course. I tried that a few times and I’m just not competitive at all but I do find the golf courses gorgeous! We sound like we have a lot in common. I’m 52. My goal weight is 160. I’m struggling to get back to it due to the estrogen blocker that I’m taking post cancer. I also enjoy being active and eating healthy. When I do that I feel my best. I’m in the Kansas City area. Wish we were closer. Sounds like we would have a great time together! Thanks for following along and thanks for taking the time to comment. My readers comments always mean a lot to me. Hope you’re having a great weekend!
Hi Julie, I just started to follow you on Instagram and am loving your stories. We are probably around the same age, maybe, I am 54. I too have always been 20 – 40 pounds heavier than I want to be, but I struggle all the time keeping the weight off. I always exercise and eat as best as possible. My husband of 34 years love me any way that I am. So I am fortunate for that. I just like to eat healthy and exercise and want to feel good in my clothes. So now I am trying to get at least 15 pounds off cause I don’t feel that great. I want to get back to 160. I started a new medication for psoriasis, which is a biologic injection and it works wonderful but it has caused weight gain which is frustrating but I am still plugging away. I LOVE your trailer!! and I love Camping. We havent’ camped in a while but I think we should buy a vintage trailer like you have! Btw, where is your hubby? Is he not camping with you. As I said I am just starting to follow you so I am not up to date on everything. So happy that you have beat the damn breast cancer. It is a scare for everyone and you are so strong and awesome. Anyway, just wanted to let you know I think you are pretty fun, lol. Oh I am from Vancouver Island Canada, where are you from?
Janice
I’m at my low there but I carry most of my weight in my lower half. Black is slimming! 😜
The picture of you on the right, looks lighter than your 162-170 weight that you talk about in your “about you”.
Thank you for reading Sally!
Great to read someone’s weight loss journey. It’s really important to realise that it’s a lifestyle change that’s needed and to stay positive and motivated is key! As you say, if you fall off the wagon, you have to get back on! Thanks for sharing.
Oh My Goodness! I had a guy that I dated tell me that we would be a really attractive couple together if we both lost about 20 pounds!! I was so glad he didn’t say 50, I damn near took it as a compliment!! ha ha
Congrats to you on your 35 pound weight loss! You are right….it’s all about healthy eating and keeping active, and some days that’s just not as easy as other days. In the end, we know it’s what is best for our all around health.
Congrats to you on making the lifestyle changes, even when some of those days are tougher than others.
Have a Happy and Healthy Week!
Julie
Your story about weight mirrors mine. In college I worked with a guy that said to me, “You would be really attractive if you lost 20 pounds.” I knew that, but I didn’t have the knowledge to lose the weight. I say knowledge rather than will power because recently (many years after college) I have learned that I was eating the wrong food and not exercising enough. Over the past three years I lost 35 pounds. The hard way by eating healthy and exercise. It’s portion control, real food and reduction of sugar intake. For me, it’s a daily struggle. When I think I want that big piece of chocolate cake I say to myself…is it worth it. How long do I have to exercise to burn the 500 calories. Most of the time it isn’t worth eating. Sometimes it is.
That is awesome that you were on vacation for three weeks and only gained 3.5 pounds!! I can gain that over a long lake weekend!!
I’d say you were super successful!! I hope you had an amazing vacation!
Thanks for reading, and thanks for taking the time to comment. 🙂
Julie
I couldn’t agree with you more (regarding slow weight loss)! It’s just hard to watch the scale move so slowly!
I just returned home from a three-week vacation (in SPAIN) and was so happy to see I’d only gained 3.5 pounds. I’m very excited to be back on my program, and looking forward to a few more pounds lost.
Beer (and wine) is certainly an issue for me. I like a glass of wine now and then. But, it’s so much easier knowing that I can afford to have one or two on a weekend when I’ve been so good the week prior.
Good luck on your continued loss! C
Hi Rhonda!
It sounds like we are VERY similar! (I am doing a 5K with my daughter this weekend, but I have NEVER done a half marathon, so you are way more awesome than I am!) I am so glad that you took the time to write. I can totally relate to everything you just wrote about. I have changed so many bad habits over the last few years out of frustration with myself for making those bad decisions for so long. I do have a great support system in my husband, because he tells me that I am beautiful no matter what, and I believe him. But he also reminds me that when I am focused on my health, and making the right decisions, that I am in general, a MUCH happier person.
I’m glad you found the blog, and I hope that I will be able to keep you going on those days that you don’t want to.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write to me!
I just read your comments, and I giggled when you apologized for thinking we were closer in age. I literally told someone last week that I was 50. I’m 48. I have no idea why I said it. Maybe hoping they would tell me how great I looked for 50! Ha ha!
Have a Happy and Healthy remainder of the week!
Julie
Hi Julie! Just kind of fell into your blog, I think from Pinterest? Is that possible? Must have been looking for something on WW or whatever.. I like to read blogs but don’t usually respond, but you seem to be right where I am right now. Today I am 5’5-1/2″. I used to be 5’6″, but shrunk. I’m a very happy and healthy 58 year old, married for 35 years to the same guy who agreed to keep me around and actually has!! I, too, have gained and lost the same 20-30 pounds for 20-30 years. I’m not extremely obese. It’s just enough extra weight to be a bother and not let me wear the clothes I want. I just tried on some dresses I ordered on-line and was so disgusted in the mirror I couldn’t hardly look. I subscribe to WW on line, but don’t DO it and want so badly to get back to counting and tracking. I work full-time, keep my most adorable 2-year old grandson quite a few hours a week, and have lots of hobbies. I am VERY busy. I do walk/run when I can find the time. I’ve done 7-8 half-marathons. I am healthy, but want to be healthier. HOW DO I MAKE THIS PRIORITY??? I know you get the same questions again and again. I have a bad habit of not eating for a couple of days, see the scale go down, get happy, then binge. It’s a vicious cycle. I want to make it a daily change to my lifestyle. After honestly 20 years of joining and rejoining WW, more than I can count, and I’ve never even made it to Lifetime. Eating out is always a problem. I always tend to go overboard. I know these are all things I can get a handle on if my head is right. Anyway, I love your blog. I don’t like beer, but other than that, we have a lot in common, as far as age and weight. When you wrote in your blog that you’ll get back to 160 in 2015, you got my attention. Because that is totally my goal too. Can’t wait to follow you. Thanks so much for being there in such a time as I needed it so.. I think I’m ready to get going, the RIGHT WAY!! Thanks for being out there!
Thanks for your comment!
I think it’s great that your job is paying you to lose weight! That IS some great motivation! Please do not be discouraged with a slow weight loss, and remember you are doing your body good, and you deserve to be healthy. I think people that lose weight slow can have a more successful maintenance (in my personal opinion). I think if you alter your diet drastically, and lose weight fast, it’s more likely you’ll go back to old ways of eating and then gain it back. I think if you make small changes, gradually, and lose the weight slow, all of a sudden you realize you’ve made changes in your lifestyle that will help to keep the weight off forever!
Everyday, I remind myself how awesome I feel when I make healthy choices, and how crappy I feel when I make unhealthy choices. That’s truly what keeps me going.
Now, if I just didn’t like beer, I’m certain I’d be a twig!!
🙂
Hi Julie – just stumbled across your blog and started reading (actually a Brene Brown quote pointed me here). I joined WW in Jan 2015 – over the years I’ve crept up in weight and since I’m a petite girl, those extra 30+ pounds seem like 100! 😉 So, with a little monetary motivation from my job (they’re PAYING me to lose weight), I signed up. I’m losing very slow, and I like my adult beverages too, so I can really relate to your beer posts… any ways, just wanted to say you gave me a smile this morning, and I’m looking forward to picking up a couple of tips to keep me on target! Thx.
Hi Julie!
We DO have a lot in common!
I think when I joined in 2009, it was my seventh time joining? You are right, the scale can not be the only way to measure success, and it has taken me a while to realize that. We talk about that a lot in our meetings, and I’ve finally learned to pat myself on the back for all of the changes that I have made over the last few years, and the fact that I have continued to go to my meetings regularly for the last five years! Holy Cow! Thats a long time, but it keeps me accountable to my good health, and in the end, that’s what it’s all about!
I’m glad you are reading the blog!
Thank you for taking the time to reach out!
I’m in the zone the last few days. My hope is that it will last the WHOLE month of November!!
🙂
Have a Happy and Healthy Week!
Julie
Julie: I’m amazed at how much we have in common, starting with our names. My first husband’s name was Mike, I love dogs, but have ones bigger than yours, and our starting weights, and my goal weight are exactly the same! Did I mention I have blonde hair too? Anyway, thanks for being an inspiration through your website/blog. It’s fun reading about you, your pups and your accomplishments and struggles as well. I just started WW for the millionth time; this is different. I’m not putting all my stock on the scale; there are other ways to measure success and if you don’t do that, you will get discouraged. I’m in my third week and have lost 7 pounds. Here we go!!
Julie
Rene,
Thanks so much for your comment! It sounds like we have a LOT in common! 🙂
We are going on vacation in a few days and my husband just dropped 20 pounds by just THINKING about it! I’m happy for him of course, but I find it soooo frustrating how easy it can be for him to drop twenty pounds! Men.
I wish I had a regular exercise plan, but mine is really all over the board. I get bored really easy. Exercise is one of those things that I am constantly procrastinating on, but also something I want to have in my life on a regular basis. I know it’s important for my health today, and important if I am going to be healthy in my future, (which is the whole point of my weight loss journey anyhow) but I’ve just never LOVED it like I wish I did. I think I hate thinking about doing it more than anything. Once I get started, I actually really like it. I seriously drive myself crazy!
I like to walk outside, so when the weather is cooperating, that’s really my exercise of choice. I’ll walk anywhere from 3 to 7 miles. Typically with a friend. When it’s nasty like it has been lately, I do the treadmill at home. I just downloaded a Free 5K app with my daughter, and we are registered to RUN (not walk) in The Color Run in Dallas on April 12th. I do best when I have a short term goal in mind, so registering for this 5K will keep me motivated to keep moving!
I try to get in some strength training at home. Squats, lunges, weights and planks. I find I do a much better job (more reps, heavier weights) when I am in a class. I did classes for a while, then had some shoulder surgery last year, and just haven’t been able to get back to those classes. Need to do that!
I hope I was able to help some?
I’m glad you found the blog!
Good luck to you on WW! I really do think they do a wonderful job of simply teaching people how to eat. Hopefully you have as great as a leader as I do!
Have a Happy and Healthy Week!
Julie
Hi Julie,
Just stumbled upon your blog through Pinterest and I LOVE IT! I started WW this past Friday for the umpteenth time 🙂 I’m not grossly over weight but I can’t seem to lose the last 20lbs. I’m attempting the simple start plan and I love reading your menus. It gives me such great ideas.
I love the pups! I have a little 3yr old shi Tzu/toy poodle mix. Her name is Ellie and she brings me such joy. I too am married to my best friend. He is attempting WW with me. He only needs to lose 10-15 lbs. I’m sure he’ll lose much fast than me but that’s ok. I need to fit in some type of exercise. What is your exercise plan?
Thanks for doing this blog. I find it so inspiring and motivating.
Keep up the good work,
Rene
Thank you so much for your VERY kind words!! Whale Watchers! Love it! But PLEASE don’t beat yourself up!! 🙂 My daughter and I call it the DubDub….You know….for the double W W ???? Yeah, we think we’re funny and wonder why no one else does. 🙂
I’m so sorry you’ve had to battle breast cancer. I know so many who have and I really can’t imagine. I hope you are getting good reports.
Two weeks in and you’ve lost 4.6?? That’s awesome and HUGE kudos to you! Keep that up and you will be amazed at how your new habits become natural to you. Certainly not saying it’s easy, but it does get easier to make the healthy choices. (It’s easy to fall back into old habits too though, as I’ve proved to myself over the Holidays.) The important thing is to never give up on yourself and your goals, and always remind yourself you deserve to take good care of yourself so you can live your best life!
Thanks for reading and thanks for taking the time to reach out and say “hi”!
I’m excited for your future!!
Julie
Hi there. I fell onto your blog via Pinterest. I LOVE IT. I’m sure you get sick of hearing that…..not….
I’ve started WW (or as I call it whale watchers…cause I feel like a whale) AGAIN this year. 2013 was a crazy challenge (breast cancer) and between the meds and laying around I gained a ton (okay in all honesty, I weighed a ton before..now I”m a ton and a half). I find your blog super inspiring and love your sense of humor, recipes and pics. I started WW the week after new year and in two weeks have lost 4.6 lbs. I’m happy (sort of) with that. I know I can do better if I could get my lazy carcass off the sofa.
You look fantastic and I’m sure feel fantastic as well. I can’t wait to see what you have up your sleeve next! Keep up the good work!