Dotti's Weight Loss Zone

Imagine chronicling your entire weight-loss journey -- the good, the bad and the ugly -- and then sharing with everyone what you've learned; that is what Dotti's Weight Loss Zone (DWLZ) is all about. It is a Web site created and maintained by Dotti Coon and dedicated to helping those on Weight Watchers succeed in their journeys.

Who is Dotti Coon?

Dotti Coon lives in Vancouver, Washington. In 1998, she began her "Journey to Lifetime" when a friend told her about the Weight Watchers Points system. Deciding to give it try, Dotti went to her first meeting and was hooked. By September 1998, she had made her goal weight, losing 95 1/2 pounds. About six weeks later, she reached her Weight Watchers "Lifetime" status, meaning she consistently maintained her weight loss.

Dotti maintained her weight for more than three years before being sidelined with personal issues and illness. As of November 2007, she is still down 42 pounds since her original starting date on Weight Watchers. Joining on her journey is her husband, Al, who has lost more than 50 pounds on Weight Watchers.

What is Dotti's Weight Loss Zone?

DWLZ is a mega Web site with several hundred pages of weight-loss information. According to Dotti's site, she said she created it because "my wonderful husband, Al, told me to create a little Web site to help keep me motivated and to help others on their own journey. I wanted to make the journey an easy one for everyone. The rest is history." Besides, DWLZ, she also maintains, DWLZ2.com, a message board that provides interaction with others on their weight loss journey. She also owns DWLZ3.com, but that site is currently under construction.

What You Can Find at DWLZ

Grab a bottle of water and pull up a chair, because this could take awhile. Dotti's Weight Loss Zone has everything from recipes and message boards to before and after weight-loss pictures and information on how to find a weight-loss buddy. But the main draw are the pages and pages of food lists and their Weight Watchers Points values.

Food Lists and Restaurant Guide

Not sure how many Points are in a hot dog from a local fair or in a single serving of Thin Mint Girl Scout cookies? You can find that information here. DWLZ categorizes the food lists by brand name, Points value and convenience. There are even several seven-day meal planners available as well. You can also find an extensive list of restaurants (more than 550 in the United States and Canada) and a majority of their food choices and Points values. Restaurants include:

• Chick-fil-A
• McDonalds
• Old Spaghetti Factory
• Outback Steakhouse
• Mrs. Field's
• Papa John's Pizza
• Costco/Sam's Club food court
• Fridays

Recipes

Dotti's site also has a vast selection of healthy recipes for use with the Weight Watchers Points system. One section of the recipe is dedicated to Core Plan recipes, while the rest of this section is divided in to several other categories including:

• Appetizers
• Casserole/crockpot
• Meat
• Poultry
• Sandwiches
• Chinese
• Holiday cuisine
• Salads
• Soups
• Vegetarian

Each recipes has a Points value, serving size, calorie count and simple instructions.

Al's Corner

When Dotti's husband, Al, joined Weight Watchers, he also started journaling his progress. Today,Al's Corner is a main part of DWLZ. His pages include Al's:

• Lifetime journey
• Success story
• Essays on weight loss and maintenance
• Quit smoking page
• Poems to Dotti
• Songs
• Weight Watchers journal sheets

Other Sections of the Web Site

But wait, there's more:

• Over the years, those who have met through Dotti's site have joined together for the annual DWLZ Conference.
• Dotti gathered all of her favorite recipes and published two cookbooks.
• Take a look at the before and after photos of both Dotti and Al.
• Receive Dotti's newsletter via e-mail.
• A chat room

Final Note

Dotti's Weight Loss Zone is not affiliated with Weight Watchers International. Throughout her site, she encourages visitors to attend Weight Watchers meetings for actual Weight Watchers information.