Losing Weight for the Good of Others

I am a believer in Weight Watchers (WW). The food plan has evolved over the years and, while it has always been sensible, it is now flexible, easy to calculate and doable for a lifetime. For me, it all began with a big weight gain during a pregnancy. When I did not deliver the 60-pound baby I was counting on to make the pounds disappear, off I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting. Soon, I was back to my 125-pound pre-pregnancy weight, and decidedly more cheerful (just ask my husband).

My weight held steady for several years but, as many women know, the slower metabolism that comes with age, snatch-and-grab meals on the run and no regular exercise routine are a bad mix. The pesky pounds sneaked up on me again—probably while I was busy eating pecan pie muffins (they are so good, you wouldn't believe it). So, two years ago, I headed back to WW.

Again, I shed the pounds. Not only has my appearance improved, I have benefited from significant and positive changes in several aspects of my health—lab results, blood pressure and agility among them. This time I am not taking the chance (the very good chance) that I will allow pot roast and gravy to torpedo my hard work. Instead of the once-a-month weigh-in that WW recommends for those who reach their goal weight, I continue to go to weekly meetings, just as I did when I was in the losing-weight phase. The meetings, in fact, have become an important part of my social life and I look forward to them.

At the most recent meeting, an exciting new WW program—no, not a change in the food plan—was announced. The program is called Lose for Good, and the name doesn’t mean ‘get rid of weight once and for all.’ Rather, the meaning is ‘lose weight and do something good for someone else at the same time.’

Isn’t the world a perplexing place when two of its most serious health problems are polar opposites? I’m referring to obesity and hunger—too much to eat on the one hand, not enough on the other. During a six-week period in September and October, for every pound lost by WW members, WW will donate the monetary equivalent of one pound of food—up to one million dollars—to two hunger relief organizations, one domestic and one international. If members wish, for each pound of weight they lose, they can also donate one pound of non-perishable food and, at the end of the campaign, that food will be given to a food bank in their community.

I want to have the cushion of an additional small weight deficit to compensate for those times when the inevitable overindulgence occurs. Telling myself to just do it hasn’t been giving me the jump start I need, so this opportunity to do my small part to help the hungry is motivating me to lose a few more pounds. The thought of a child going hungry is a heartbreaker for me and this new campaign is a good reminder to be appreciative of the abundance I enjoy and to unselfishly share it with others who need it.

It makes me happy to Lose for Good. Are any of you planning to join in this effort? Tell me about it.