Weight Watchers and Me

I came to West Virginia from Baltimore via Virginia Beach in 1969. What a time! The sixties were rounding the corner into the seventies, and I was starting a brand-new life. As a successful Weight Watchers member and group leader, I was tasked with bringing the program—with my husband and belongings in tow—to West Virginia. What a remarkable journey it’s been!



Weight Watchers’ approach to weight loss inspired me. I stopped regarding food as the enemy and learned to look at food intelligently. For once I was succeeding, mind and body. As I struggled through my fears and doubts, I discovered that change was possible as long as I was willing to step out of my comfort zone and try new things.

This included reaching out to others with the same challenges and helping to make their lives easier. I wanted to show people that there didn’t have to be a painful way to change, and that they could learn how to use food in a friendly, positive way. First, I became a Weight Watchers group leader, then a franchisee/area director in 51 of 55 counties in West Virginia, 10 in Tennessee, five in Ohio, and two in Kentucky—my life’s mission took flight.

 Weight Watchers has instilled in me is that people want to change—but they just don’t know how. I love helping people learn how to change! People work differently and are motivated by different things.Something I’ve always appreciated about Weight Watchers is that their programs evolve to fit people’s changing lifestyles. Today, Weight Watchers is more flexible than ever and is designed to work with people’s busy lives.

If someone had told me when I moved to West Virginia that my career with Weight Watchers would take me to such remarkable heights, both personally and professionally, I’m not sure I would have believed them! Weight Watchers has changed my life and has helped shape my life’s work.