I joined Weight Watchers originally on 3/8/06. I hit goal in about twelve months (I need to look up exactly how long it took me). I stayed at/below goal until August, 2009, when I got laid off from work and began hosting an eighteen-month long pity party, with myself as the guest of honor and only attendee. I stopped going to Weight Watchers the week I got laid off; I was due to go to the meeting that night but I stayed home with a bottle of wine instead. Having skipped one meeting it was easy to keep on skipping them.

I returned to WW the first week of this year. I'd put on every pound I'd taken off. Weight Watchers had changed their program a bit, but the basics were the same: track what you eat, follow some common sense guidelines and go to weekly meetings. Today is the forty-fourth week of my second go-round with WW, and the day I got back to goal. I'm still not quite to my ideal weight (goal for me is the top of my height's weight range, but I want to lose another five or so pounds) but at least I can now wear most of my clothes from two years ago.

My group leader gave me a "Congratulations" mylar balloon at today's meeting. I got a few strange looks from passer-bys on my way back to my car after the meeting, but it was worth it.

I'll continue to go to weekly meetings - I now know I'm going to have a hard time maintaining on my own. This time I'm planning on keeping the weight off.