Lucretia: Winning Workout Points

Monday marks two weeks since five co-workers from the Kinry Road Elementary School in Wappingers Falls, N.Y., talked about their desire to lose weight and get healthy on The Early Show. They are on different weight loss plans and we are tracking their progress.

Weight Off is not a competition to see who will lose the most weight. It is designed to be a comparison of different weight-loss plans. The hope is that the participants will support one another, have fun and lose weight in the process.

At the first weigh-in, came, the Weight Off participants were all cheering each other on, says Lucretia Cortright, the youngest member of the group. And for good reason: The first week on Weight Watchers, Cortright lost 6 3/4 pounds.

Many people try to lose weight alone, says Cortright, but it is important to have support. Her Weight Off partners and Weight Watchers group have been what she has needed to succeed, she says.

Cortright's motivation to lose weight is her upcoming wedding, July 4. She says she has her dress already, but it is a little tight. Though it is designed to be altered up or down, she says she is hoping for down.

A big step for Cortright has been going to the gym. Part of the Weight Watchers program is the Points Activity system, in which, through exercise, members get winning points for increasing their activity level.

Though the first trip was scary, she says she no longer feels out of place and has learned not to compare herself with others. In fact, she says she has found exercise to be a stress reliever.

Her confidence has improved as well, she has noted. Cortright started dieting when she was 10 and says she was bullied often. Her mom oversaw all the diets, but refused to allow her do anything drastic, she says. Today, she says her fiancé accepts her weight and is supportive of whatever she wants to do.

The problem for her now, she says, is finding clothes that are fashionable, look good on her and are not so expensive. She points out that prices vary considerably because they are a plus size.

Another thing that irritates her is people having the idea that dieting is easy, she says, especially because it has been a battle throughout her life.

Her problem is not that she is a "volume eater" or an overeater, as much as an emotional eater she says. When her emotions go wild, she says, she eats. It doesn't matter the emotion; she could be happy or sad.

Although Cortright has lost weight before, this time is different for her. She says the support she has been getting has helped her stay on track and she is taking active control by being on the treadmill.