Dawn and her boyfriend, Mike, in Atlantic City in August 2014.

Like many North Shore Bank employees, McHenry Assistant Branch Manager Dawn Conley has lost weight — 22 pounds, so far — on the Weight Watchers At Work program. Unlike many of her colleagues, though, Dawn doesn’t attend meetings while she’s actually at work.

“I joined the At Work program, but I don’t drive all the way to Corporate,” says Dawn, who attends meetings near her branch while enjoying the benefits of the At Work program, such as discounts on the rate and automatic paycheck deductions. “It’s funny, but when it’s taken out that way, I don’t miss the money.”

Why did you join Weight Watchers, and what made you choose it, rather than another weight-loss program?
I was getting really uncomfortable with extra weight! I chose Weight Watchers because you don’t have to eliminate any foods you like! You don’t have to buy special food, cards, or contraptions.

Where do you attend meetings, and how often?
I found a local meeting and go right after work on Wednesdays. It’s very convenient. If I don’t want to go, I can skip it, but it really keeps me accountable if I go every week.

What do you like about Weight Watchers?
You can still eat everything you like. It’s really about following everything you know you should do, but don’t. Honestly, you know when you’re eating too much, you know if you’re lazy and NOT doing ANY exercise, you know if you are not eating healthfully, and you know that you weigh too much! You know, but you get into these bad habits. I got to the point where I couldn’t pull out of it. By tracking what you eat — either with a paper journal or the Weight Watchers app — you notice how much you’ve been overeating.

What’s been the hardest part?
Realizing what a “portion” is. Often, what a portion should be is smaller than you realize. Also, like I said, you can eat everything you enjoy on Weight Watchers. For instance, you get a certain amount of points for each day. (Points are a calculation of calories, fat, carbs, sugar, and protein.) So if you want some potato chips (my downfall!), you can have them. But you have to count out a certain amount of chips to equal a reasonable number of points.

What’s been your favorite part?
I’m never hungry, because Weight Watchers encourages three meals a day with snacks in between. Before, I would be mad that I was overweight, try to not eat — and then go home starving, start eating right away, and eat way too much.

My absolute favorite part is knowing that I’m keeping track of what I eat, and then getting the reward on the scale on weigh-in day. Sometimes it is not easy, especially these last two months! I didn’t lose anything over the holidays. I gained half a pound. Which I thought was great! See, you get an amount of points for each day, and then you get extra points for THE WEEK. You can use these extra points sparingly over the week or save them, maybe for a party over the weekend where you know you can indulge on extra food or alcohol.

Any tips for fellow branch employees who are thinking of joining?
Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today! It has been a slow weight loss for me. In April 2014, when I first joined Weight Watchers, I lost 20 pounds; however, I stopped going that December to get a hip replacement and was off work for a couple of months. I actually followed the Weight Watchers plan during that time, but then after that, I fell off the wagon and gained 10 pounds back.

I was so mad that I had done well and then gained weight back that I rejoined in September 2015 and lost the 10, and now I am working on getting back on track to lose the weight that I want. The holidays were hard! I did enjoy a lot of food, but within reason. I haven’t joined a health club or done any rigorous exercise. I walk and occasionally exercise to videos at home. I know if I took that extra step to boost my exercise routine, the weight would come off more easily. But I haven’t done that. That would be my goal for 2016: EXERCISE!