She was sad after Shannon Mariano saw her picture with her family. She didn’t like her appearance and believed that her photos would look better without her.
“I had a really tough moment looking at a picture of my family. A 33-year-old housewife from Tracy, California, told me today I wish I hadn’t been among them.” I made you see the purpose. “
She was dissatisfied with her weight and decided to join WW (formerly Weight Watchers) to have a healthier diet and lose weight. But she didn’t tell anyone — even her twin sister Brightney Soto. She was worried that she would fail again and didn’t want anyone to know.
“I tried so many programs, different techniques, things … to lose weight quickly,” Mariano said. “They didn’t work for me, so I knew this was my moment. 2020 was my chance. Nobody I fail because you didn’t get together I couldn’t see it. Nobody could put the lens in what I was trying and it wasn’t working. “
Since they were Face Timing in May 2020, Soto noticed something new with her sister.
“I said,’What’s the difference? What’s the difference with you?’ And she shared with me,” Soto, the department manager of the National Security Agency, said today. .. “That day I signed up and fully committed.”
Soto was beginning to gain weight after giving birth. Long working days and stressful commute meant she didn’t have time to cook a healthy diet and often ate out for lunch.
“When the pandemic started, I realized I had to change things,” Soto said. “At the time, I didn’t know what they were, but I knew I needed to make a difference.”
Mariano weighed 184 pounds at the start and Soto weighed 179 pounds. Both set a target weight. They focused on non-scale victories to maintain their motivation while striving towards their goals.
“I was able to wear (one) thigh-high boots, which was a big problem for me,” Mariano said. “I couldn’t even wear regular boots.”
Soto remembers when the wedding ring fit again.
“My wedding ring didn’t really suit me, and I had to go out and buy a bigger costume ring,” she said. “It was one of the things I was really surprised to be proud of when I was able to put the actual wedding ring back and make it too big.”
By eating healthier foods, both reached their target weight — Mariano lost 57 pounds and Soto lost 54 pounds. They incorporate more fruits and vegetables into their diet, even when eating out, and make healthy exchanges when possible.
“We make valuable deals,” Soto said. “May change the pizza sauce. It doesn’t mean you don’t eat pizza. It means making changes that are valuable to us.”
They are grateful for the support they received from the WW app and the community.
“You are so incredibly empowered to do what you always loved. Perhaps it’s a little different, but it’s a delicious and healthy option,” explained Mariano. She added that one of the apps she often used was the recipe builder. The recipe builder allows you to enter the food you have and provides recipe options.
Through this experience, the twins feel like they have learned a lot about themselves.
“I stopped everything I started so far, and it wasn’t until WW that I realized I didn’t have to be that anymore,” Mariano said. “I found myself powerful. I can make difficult changes, such as losing weight.”
For Soto, losing weight helped her set healthier boundaries and prosper.
“What I learned through this process is the process of becoming rounded and how it begins to take shape in different areas of my life, remembering what is important to me. , Set a good example for my daughter, “she said. “I want to understand what a really healthy and balanced life looks like.”
Both women are lifelong members. In other words, I lost weight and maintained it for 6 weeks. Soto reached his target weight in September and Mariano reached his target weight in October.
Here is their advice for others who want to adopt a healthier diet.
1. Take a picture.
Even if you try to lose weight, the numbers on the scale may not change. But there may be other victories that people experience. Mariano often looked in front of the photo to determine how far she had come.
“Take them before the picture. You’re going to hate them, but you’ll be grateful to me later when you can look back on how far you’ve come,” Mariano said. “Pay close attention to other things that can tell this big part of the story.”
2. “Don’t do it alone.”
Soto talked with Mariano about what they were eating and was fortunate to be able to share scale and non-scale victories. But she was also happy to be able to rely on the WW community.
“There are so many people in the WW community (or) whether or not the people around you may be experiencing the same thing, so don’t do it alone,” she said. .. “I learned a lot from Shannon and experienced this journey. Without her, I would have been successful and couldn’t stick to it so far.”
Mariano agreed that having a younger sister would not only help, but also use the WW “Connect” platform, a site where people using WW can get support.
“I have built a lasting relationship for a lifetime,” she said. “Connect was a source of power for me. It was a source of accountability for me. It allowed me to build, create and nurture relationships with people.”
3. Focus on small changes.
When thinking about weight loss, trying to reach a certain number can be overwhelming. However, making a lot of small changes will make weight loss easier.
“The other thing for me was to focus on taking small steps in the right direction and committing to those small steps,” Soto said. “Find something you want to commit. Find a small goal in the right direction and celebrate when you reach it.”
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