—@film _mu sic_ buff (Monika Warchol)
ONE-UPPING INSTA CONNECT LOOKS LIKE AN INSTAGRAM FEED, BUT ITS POSITIVE VIBE IS ALL WEIGHT WATCHERS. Imagine a place where you can share your most intimate thoughts and photos without worrying about attracting snarky comments that make you want to quit your accounts. That’s what makes Connect one of the happiest places ever. “I can reveal my more vulnerable side on Connect versus Instagram,” says Arielle Calderon (@ariellesays), a BuzzFeed editor in New York City and Connect influencer who’s also very popular on Instagram. Because Connect is open only to
WW members, it’s a troll-free, hater-free safe space. “I’ll post before and after photos in my bra on Connect,” she says. “I wouldn’t post that anywhere else, but I know I can trust the Weight Watchers community.” Recently, after a rough patch where she went off track, Arielle turned to Connect for support. “I just needed to get it out into the open. The culture of encouragement and sense of family are amazing. It’s not something you can get on Instagram,” she says.
SOME CONNECT USERS REALLY…ER…CONNECT WITH YOU. TAKE A LOOK AT WHY THEIR STORIES KEEP MEMBERS REFRESHING THEIR FEED: heavens13
kelhett
littleredtrike
brandy6310
Heidi fortysix and lifetime
Kelly H
Laura Motivator in Chief
Lifetime Member
The Cheerleader You might know @heavens13 (Heidi David; 29,930 followers) from her always-supportive posts that tell you, “You are worth it!” and her Monday shout-outs to Members who have done something special (think: they met goal or nailed a non-scale victory). She’s gained followers with her honest and accepting attitude. And this Lifetime Member has lost a total of 52 pounds*, maintaining for two years. (And she quit smoking!) “We all agree that we still need our meetings but when the going gets tough, Connect is just a click away.”
The Guy Who Makes You Laugh and Cry Did you see the post where @kelhett (Kelly Hettinga; 31,117 followers) wore one of his wife’s dresses? (He lost a #fitbit challenge, natch.) Over the past year, he’s lost 107 pounds* off his formerly 337-pound frame. His candor about everything— including his personal life—has earned him his massive following. “One of the first times people really responded to my posts was when I opened up about my father passing away from heart disease when I was 30,” he says. “I don’t plan what I write, I just post what comes naturally to me.”
The Friend to Everyone
The SP Foodie
After starting Weight Watchers for the third time in November 2015, @littleredtrike (Laura Gorski Waits) said that this time, it would stick. “There was no finish line, no end date. This was for life,” she says. “That one thought changed my whole attitude.” Since then, she’s lost 69 pounds* and wants to continue. So why do people get her? “I haven’t been afraid to put my life out there. Who posts a selfie wearing a pink swim cap when they’ve never swum in their life? I do, and people respond in droves. A Connect friend dubbed me ‘motivator in chief’ and I proudly use that title.”
@brandy6310 (Brandy Sloan) goes by how she feels in her jeans. In February 2013, sporting size 16s, she didn’t feel comfortable. Today, having lost 60 pounds*, she feels amazing in her size 4s, and it shows. “I think people like following me because I eat so much food for so few SmartPoints!” Her secret? If she wants chicken fingers and fries, she’ll have a much smaller portion. Or, to bulk up a meal, she’ll pair her favorite foods with fresh fruits and veggies. “People love to see that,” she says. And you know what else they love? Pictures of her dog, Aubrey, lurking in the background, watching her eat.
*People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1–2 lbs/wk. SOME MEMBERS LOST WEIGHT ON A PRIOR WEIGHT WATCHERS PROGRAM AND SMARTPOINTS.
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