Weight Loss Program Inspires Morbidly Obese Chicago Mom to Change Her Life
Recently, Weight Watchers received a letter from a young woman in Chicago about her mother's triumphant battle with her weight. In this letter, Lennie M. Jones - daughter of Lennie B. Jones - recants how, as a child, she watched her mother constantly struggle with her weight. At the age of 63, the elder Lennie was given an ultimatum by her doctors which was to lose the weight or face serious and potentially deadly repercussions from it. She decided to embrace the Weight Watchers program and after 18 months on the program, Lennie lost over 100 pounds. This filled her daughter with so much admiration for her mother and she now saw her as her hero. Best of all, she watched as her mother was able to pursue her dream of riding horses again. Here's an excerpt from the letter:
On February 26, 2013, Weight Watchers produced an inspiration, my mother.
Eighteen months prior to this date, doctors diagnosed a 63 year old woman as morbidly obese and informed her that the serious health problems she was experiencing could leave her seriously ill or claim her life if she did not make some major changes immediately. This woman was my mother. And her list of potentially fatal medical issues - including a cholesterol level that was off the charts, high blood pressure, breathing complications, sleep apnea, fatigue, and the onset of chronic arthritis - took a deep emotional toll on our entire family. With her choice down to losing the weight or possibly losing her life, my mother made the decision to seriously embrace the Weight Watchers program.
Like millions of other working adults, who marry and raise children, while maintaining their careers, my mom juggled a hectic-paced full time job along with a family of four. A selfless individual, my mom always went above and beyond for the school children she nurtured, initially as a teacher, and later as a principal. After work, she cared for the young and elderly members of our community, and simply put her own nutritional needs last on an altruistic list of tasks. Understandably, over the course of many years, my mom fell into a devastating routine of quick but greasy take-out meals, and neglected physical exercise all together.
Growing up, I remember watching my mother struggle with diet after diet, desperately trying to lose weight, but falling prey to gimmicks and quick-fixes which only resulted in her weight steadily increasing and her health declining. I watched her give up on losing weight and restoring her health, conceding to the idea that she had been battling her obesity for so long that it was time to accept defeat. My mother reached the darkest and most dire point in the struggle with her weight, when she ballooned to just under 250 pounds. It was at this crucial point that doctors presented her with the dire ultimatum to take control of the situation or permanently lose the chance to regain her health. All of our family was devastated.
At this pivotal point in her life, my mother made a decision to turn to Weight Watchers for what she could only hope would be a life-saving move. As it turned out, through Weight Watchers, she was not only taught to reform her eating habits, but she developed a feasible and most importantly, a sustainable nutrition and wellness plan. My mom began her new journey with Weight Watchers on August 26, 2011. Eighteen months later, at her weigh-in on February 26, 2013, she had lost OVER ONE HUNDRED POUNDS!!!
Incredibly, throughout the process, I saw that she still ate some of her favorite meals and desserts! She explained to me that her nutrition plan was nothing like the impossibly rigid and doomed-to-fail diets of the past...Her energy increased, she began walking several miles each week, and as of her last check-up, I am overjoyed to report that my mother has a clean bill of health from her doctors!!!
...Today, I could not be more proud of what my mom has accomplished through Weight Watchers, for herself, and for all the people she has inspired with her incredible story. And she continues to inspire more! Now, in her sixth decade of life, she has busted the oppressive myth that only a young person can be victorious in the battle of the bulge. Because of her tale of success, friends and family young and old are flocking to Weight Watchers.
As a child, my mom pursued her dream of learning to ride horses, but as an adult, her weight had prevented her from continuing with her passion. Toward the end of February, my father sent me an email, with some pictures attached. I opened them, and tears came to my eyes. I saw my mother, mounted on a horse for the first time in decades, riding with the form and figure of the equestrian of her youth....
Sincerely,
Lennie M. Jones
(Daughter of Lennie B. Jones, The International Inspiration!)
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