"I weigh myself every day."
Jennefer Witter, 46, The Bronx, New York
Lost: 30 pounds
Maintained for: 16 years
"I was thin until I turned 30, when I seemed to put on 30 pounds overnight," Witter says. "I even accused my dry cleaner of shrinking my clothes!" She lost the weight by working with a nutritionist, and weigh-ins after her 30-minute cardio and weight-training sessions have kept her trim since. "I get on the scale virtually every morning," she says. NWCR members say regular self-weighing is crucial: 75 percent climb on the scale at least once a week, and half weigh in daily. "People try to track their weight by how their clothes feel, but by the time your pants are tight, you may have gained 10 pounds," says NWCR cofounder Rena Wing.
The key to daily weighing is not to overreact. Your weight can fluctuate by up to four pounds on any given day. Instead, notice patterns: "I don't freak out if I'm suddenly two pounds up. But if the number steadily climbs, I add 10 extra minutes of cardio to my workout until the weight comes back down," Witter says.
