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Home » Lose Weight Safely » Couple is winning by losing – The San Diego Union-Tribune

Its human nature to admire our friends big endeavors. When a friend parachutes from a plane, competes on The Voice or endures an Iron Man triathlon, we salute them.

Those flashy feats often garner more attention than the long, steady work it takes to lose weight. But Monica and Cody Manjarrez dont need applause to feel great satisfaction from their accomplishments.

In the three years the East County couple has been on WW (formerly Weight Watchers), Cody has lost more than 50 pounds and Monica is nearing a 90-pound weight loss.

Its not as dramatic as jumping out of a plane, but it wasnt drama they were going for.

Monica was in the program for about a week or two, and I saw her get into everything WW was suggesting, Cody recalled. I saw that it seemed healthy and suitable. She was losing weight but was still enjoying life no crazy or drastic changes so I decided to join up. It was a great decision.

Last September, WW announced its new name as well as its new program, myWW. While keeping its focus on helping people lose weight, it has been rebranded as a health and wellness company. Oprah Winfrey, a board member and shareholder of WW, has been touting the more holistic and personalized approach.

With myWW, clients are matched to a color-coded plan that fits them best, according to their food preferences, activity level, lifestyle and approach to weight loss.

Cody likes chickpeas, brown rice and lentils, while Monica is fond of french fries and fast food.

We love our programs, said Monica, a hairstylist at Salon Thrive in Santee. Im on green, and Cody is on purple. We view food differently, and our needs are met through our different programs.

On green, Im able to eat out multiple times a week, have fast food and still lose weight. I didnt have to do extreme change. Im still able to eat out, enjoy life and lose weight at the same time.

Each option requires a different number of WWs SmartPoints, which represent the number of calories, protein, sugar and saturated fat in any food item. Foods with more of the not-so-healthy stuff carry more SmartPoints.

The ZeroPoints list includes nutritious foods that are not weighed, measured or tracked. Each color plan green, blue (previously Freestyle) and purple adds up those numbers according to a members eating style.

In addition to food consumption, myWW recognizes the importance of physical activities. A client can earn FitPoints by doing everything from running and resistance training to such exercises-in-disguise as gardening or housecleaning.

And myWW has a new app to keep track of all of it.

Monica and Cody Manjarrez before they started the WW program together.

(Courtesy photo)

Cody, who is in the U.S. Navy, said that the color-coded options help accommodate the couples different schedules and lifestyles. His practice in Krav Maga and other martial arts, which he had started before WW, require more fuel. On the purple plan, he tried foods like nutrition-rich sweet potatoes and quinoa and now eats them regularly.

Its really easy having the WW app on your phone, Monica said. It tells you the points for the serving size. By using the app, you know how much you can eat.

Cody explained that the WW app has a scanner and tracker to record your food consumption.

You have all this food to choose from; it helps you choose what portions work best, he said. Another tool I like is Connect, a social media where you can find people involved in the same plan and activities you are.

Cody and Monica, who married in October 2018, have seen an uptick in their activity and confidence levels.

We gained a new life of being able to be more positive about who we are, Monica said. We can step out of our comfort zone and do things that wed never done before.

We both picked up roller skating, said Cody, who is now teaching a Krav Maga class. Its super fun. Monica is training for roller derby. And we do a lot more traveling. You lose the weight and become the person you were meant to be.

A BMI (Body mass index) of 25 to 29.9 = overweight.

A BMI of 30 or more = obese.

Percent of Americans age 20 and over who have obesity: 39.8

Percent of Americans age 20 and over who are overweight: 31.8

Men are more likely than women to be overweight.

Women are more likely than men to have obesity.

Women, non-Hispanic black adults and low-income adults who make less than $50,000 per year are most at risk for severe obesity (BMI of 40 or higher).

According to a 2019 study, by 2030 nearly one in two adults will have severe obesity.

Sources: National Center for Health Statistics (2016); New England Journal of Medicine (December 2019); National Institutes of Health

Wood is a San Diego freelance writer.

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Couple is winning by losing - The San Diego Union-Tribune

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Home » Lose Weight Safely » Couple is winning by losing – The San Diego Union-Tribune