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Weight loss puts area resident in national spotlight
By Robin Delaney/MVM News Network
NAUVOO, Ill. - Losing 45 pounds in six months has many rewards (a lot of positive attention, a new wardrobe of a much smaller size, etc.), but for one Nauvoo resident it has also landed her on the pages of this week's People magazine and has her waiting to hear from producers of “The Today Show.”
Jennifer Larkin, a 27-year-old consultant in Nauvoo, is featured in the latest issue of People magazine and credits the Weight Watchers program, the local Weight Watchers group in Nauvoo and the support of family and friends for her success.
A year ago, Larkin found herself tipping the scales at 183 - two pounds more than she weighed when nine months pregnant with her daughter, Lanee, 2 1/2 years ago.
“I then lost some weight and was 10 pounds shy of my goal when we learned my husband Nick would be going overseas,” Larkin said.
Larkin is married to Nick Larkin, the son of Rick and Linda Larkin of Fort Madison. He is serving in the Air Force and is stationed in South Korea.
“When I learned he would be leaving, I got depressed and would eat and, I also wanted to enjoy every minute with him so we'd go out, eat and celebrate. I'd have desserts, anything I wanted,” Larkin recalls.
But ironically, the source of her depression also became her greatest motivation.
“I really wanted to surprise him,” Larkin said.
And that she did. Nick returned in July for a mid-tour break and when looking for Jennifer at the airport, he was unable to recognize her.
“He was aware I was losing weight, but I never sent him any pictures of me. He saw one of me with my daughter and noticed I had lost some, but he never saw a full view of me,” Larkin said. “At the airport I went to the wrong gate. I waited and waited. I was crying because I didn't think he was coming. He was looking for me and finally called out my name. He didn't recognize me from the back at all.”
Larkin is now living with her parents, Patty and Mike Haigh of Nauvoo, while Nick serves overseas.
“They were so supportive. They went on it (Weight Watchers), too, and lost some weight,” Larkin said.
So how did this lead to People magazine and The Today Show? An essay.
Each year the national Weight Watchers organization holds an essay contest. The leader and assistant of the Weight Watchers group in Nauvoo encouraged Larkin to submit her story. She did.
“I didn't end up winning the Weight Watchers contest, but the Weight Watchers public relations office contacted me and asked for permission to submit it to People magazine. I guess they submit a few every year, but they said they had no control over whether the magazine would use it,” Larkin explained. “Two weeks later I got a call from People magazine asking to feature me. They said they had to set up a photo shoot and interview. It was unbelievable.”
Now for the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say, you can read in the magazine. There, Larkin outlines some of the lifestyle changes she made as part of the Weight Watcher's program. The first causality? The three iced lattes she was accustomed to having every day.
“I drink a lot of water now. I allow myself one cup of coffee in the morning with a fat-free sweetener and low-fat cream, but I used to use sugar and creamers and drink coffee or lattes all the time. I usually drank diet pop then too, but now, it's water,” Larkin said.
She even uses water to curb snack attacks.
“I'll drink water before eating anything. If I'm still hungry, I'll have something. If not, that's it,” Larkin said.
The producers of NBC's “The Today Show” are interested in Jennifer's success story too. On Dec. 31, representatives of the show called Larkin and have offered to fly her, along with her daughter and her mother, to do the show - but exactly when this will happen remains uncertain.
“I'm waiting to hear from them. I don't know much more than that. I guess the show's schedule changes fast, but they're to let me know,” Larkin said.
But Larkin had to do more than give up lattes and attend weekly Weight Watchers meetings. She had to follow the program.
While Weight Watchers has several programs, such as Flex Plan and the new Momentum program, Larkin opted to use the more traditional Point System. Under the Point System, a person is allowed a specific number of points, based on their starting weight and their age, each day. Every food is assigned per-portion points based on the number of calories, the grams of fiber and the percentage of fat of that food. In short, you learn to budget your food, or your points. You go ahead and have a Big Mac, but it will be half or more of your allowable points for the day.
Weight Watchers provides books listing the points per servings of almost every imaginable food, including the menu items at national chain restaurants and fast food restaurants. Those joining also receive a slide gauge so that they can figure out the points per serving of any product using the calories, fiber and fat percentage numbers listed on the package.
And every week, the Weight Watcher member attends a meeting, which begins with a confidential weigh-in. The person's weight that day is recorded in a small book to chart the person's progress.
And another part of the program is to burn off those points with exercise.
“In the beginning I went for a few walks or used aerobic videos since it was winter, but it was pretty minimal because I was so out of shape,” Larkin said. “By summer I was going for longer walks and then a friend of mine has a full gym at her house so I go there almost every day.”
Larkin says her friends have been a great source of strength and reinforcement for her. One friend provides use of her in-home gym. And when her group of friends get together, they all make sure there is less-fattening options out on the table.
“They always make sure there's a veggie tray or fresh fruit beside the other stuff and they rally have kept me going,” Larkin added.
Jennifer Larkin, a 27-year-old consultant in Nauvoo, is featured in the latest issue of People magazine and credits the Weight Watchers program, the local Weight Watchers group in Nauvoo and the support of family and friends for her success.
A year ago, Larkin found herself tipping the scales at 183 - two pounds more than she weighed when nine months pregnant with her daughter, Lanee, 2 1/2 years ago.
“I then lost some weight and was 10 pounds shy of my goal when we learned my husband Nick would be going overseas,” Larkin said.
Larkin is married to Nick Larkin, the son of Rick and Linda Larkin of Fort Madison. He is serving in the Air Force and is stationed in South Korea.
“When I learned he would be leaving, I got depressed and would eat and, I also wanted to enjoy every minute with him so we'd go out, eat and celebrate. I'd have desserts, anything I wanted,” Larkin recalls.
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“I really wanted to surprise him,” Larkin said.
And that she did. Nick returned in July for a mid-tour break and when looking for Jennifer at the airport, he was unable to recognize her.
“He was aware I was losing weight, but I never sent him any pictures of me. He saw one of me with my daughter and noticed I had lost some, but he never saw a full view of me,” Larkin said. “At the airport I went to the wrong gate. I waited and waited. I was crying because I didn't think he was coming. He was looking for me and finally called out my name. He didn't recognize me from the back at all.”
Larkin is now living with her parents, Patty and Mike Haigh of Nauvoo, while Nick serves overseas.
“They were so supportive. They went on it (Weight Watchers), too, and lost some weight,” Larkin said.
So how did this lead to People magazine and The Today Show? An essay.
Each year the national Weight Watchers organization holds an essay contest. The leader and assistant of the Weight Watchers group in Nauvoo encouraged Larkin to submit her story. She did.
“I didn't end up winning the Weight Watchers contest, but the Weight Watchers public relations office contacted me and asked for permission to submit it to People magazine. I guess they submit a few every year, but they said they had no control over whether the magazine would use it,” Larkin explained. “Two weeks later I got a call from People magazine asking to feature me. They said they had to set up a photo shoot and interview. It was unbelievable.”
Now for the rest of the story, as Paul Harvey would say, you can read in the magazine. There, Larkin outlines some of the lifestyle changes she made as part of the Weight Watcher's program. The first causality? The three iced lattes she was accustomed to having every day.
“I drink a lot of water now. I allow myself one cup of coffee in the morning with a fat-free sweetener and low-fat cream, but I used to use sugar and creamers and drink coffee or lattes all the time. I usually drank diet pop then too, but now, it's water,” Larkin said.
She even uses water to curb snack attacks.
“I'll drink water before eating anything. If I'm still hungry, I'll have something. If not, that's it,” Larkin said.
The producers of NBC's “The Today Show” are interested in Jennifer's success story too. On Dec. 31, representatives of the show called Larkin and have offered to fly her, along with her daughter and her mother, to do the show - but exactly when this will happen remains uncertain.
“I'm waiting to hear from them. I don't know much more than that. I guess the show's schedule changes fast, but they're to let me know,” Larkin said.
But Larkin had to do more than give up lattes and attend weekly Weight Watchers meetings. She had to follow the program.
While Weight Watchers has several programs, such as Flex Plan and the new Momentum program, Larkin opted to use the more traditional Point System. Under the Point System, a person is allowed a specific number of points, based on their starting weight and their age, each day. Every food is assigned per-portion points based on the number of calories, the grams of fiber and the percentage of fat of that food. In short, you learn to budget your food, or your points. You go ahead and have a Big Mac, but it will be half or more of your allowable points for the day.
Weight Watchers provides books listing the points per servings of almost every imaginable food, including the menu items at national chain restaurants and fast food restaurants. Those joining also receive a slide gauge so that they can figure out the points per serving of any product using the calories, fiber and fat percentage numbers listed on the package.
And every week, the Weight Watcher member attends a meeting, which begins with a confidential weigh-in. The person's weight that day is recorded in a small book to chart the person's progress.
And another part of the program is to burn off those points with exercise.
“In the beginning I went for a few walks or used aerobic videos since it was winter, but it was pretty minimal because I was so out of shape,” Larkin said. “By summer I was going for longer walks and then a friend of mine has a full gym at her house so I go there almost every day.”
Larkin says her friends have been a great source of strength and reinforcement for her. One friend provides use of her in-home gym. And when her group of friends get together, they all make sure there is less-fattening options out on the table.
“They always make sure there's a veggie tray or fresh fruit beside the other stuff and they rally have kept me going,” Larkin added.
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