Ciara does quite a few things well. They include but are not limited to dancing immaculately, being a great parent, making hits, slaying any and every outfit, and winning at this reaching her pre-baby weight challenge every time she gives birth. After three kids, most recently, 10 months after welcoming son Win, the star announced in June that she managed to shed all of the weight she put on during her pregnancy. She is a WW ambassador, and made it happen with the help of the popular weight-loss program.
“Mindset has been everything for me this time around. I knew with three kids, during a pandemic, this journey was going to look a little different for me and I’m glad I had WW as my partner,” she shared in a statement. “This last year has taught me that we’re all stronger and more capable than we’ve ever imagined. I’ve just stayed focused on doing my best, staying positive and keeping my faith strong. My advice to others? Embrace the process. Even if it feels like it’s taking longer to get there, stay the course! Keep putting one foot in front of the other, and give yourself a little grace in the process. You will get there!”
That message of grace was one that was shared with the star by her WW Coach Monika Pierce, who is on her own health and wellness journey with the program after a major weight loss. The ladies worked together as part of WW’s Digital 360 plan (D360), which is an app-based membership that provides users with access to coaches who offer live and on-demand wellness experiences. There are coach-led workouts, podcasts and exclusive content to keep members, including ambassadors like Mrs. Wilson, motivated. According to Monika, the key to any success, whether smaller, greater or similar to Ciara’s, is setting practical goals and doing things on your own timeframe.
We asked Coach Monika to share some tips and she dropped some gems regarding changing the snapback narrative, only incorporating practices you can maintain and more.
ESSENCE: How does the Digital 360 plan work and what makes it different from other offerings with WW?
Coach Monika: The foundation of all things WW is science and community. Digital 360 (D360) provides members with the opportunity to see WW brought to life by [premiere] coaches of various backgrounds on-demand. With D360, you have access to content such as CoachLIVEs, WalkTalks, and Coach-led community spaces that support you through your wellness journey.
How were you able to support Ciara on her postpartum weight-loss journey?
As Ciara is a person who wears many hats (mom, singer and songwriter, wife, etc.), my coaching was helping her to take it one day at a time, [sharing] that her best would look different each day and to give herself grace.
What’s the key to being able to achieve results and maintaining them for the long term?
The key to achieving results is to have realistic goals. If you don’t have a destination then how do you know how to reach it? It’s also important to check in on those goals regularly. Am I still on track? Do I need to shift my behaviors or timeline to be more successful? What’s working and what’s not? There is never one way to achieve your goal/results, so be flexible, be honest, be fluid but hold yourself accountable. In regards to maintaining for the long term, I often ask myself and encourage my WW members to ask themselves, are you willing to do this for the rest of your life? If not, then you are going against the grain, which will make it harder to sustain. Next I ask them, what ARE you willing to do? These answers will change as you move through your wellness journey so it’s important to check in.
Ciara was able to see results and get back to her pre-baby weight in an impressive amount of time. Along with the WW plan, it certainly helped that she is serious about her workouts and has an NFL playing husband who can train with her. What advice would you give to other moms, everyday ones, when it comes to things they can do in addition to the plan to achieve the results they’re looking for in a healthy amount of time?
Generally speaking, there tends to be unnecessary, and unrealistic pressure on moms postpartum to quickly “get back” to themselves. I want to change the narrative here and encourage all people to adopt and sustain healthy habits that fit their lifestyles, no matter where they are on their journey. It’s not about finding a quick fix. It’s about feeling like your best, healthiest self through sustainable approaches to health and well-being that meet you where you are. For some, it might take longer than others to build those habits; and some may never fully “get back,” and that’s OK, too.
Why is WW such an effective option for people seeking assistance in their efforts? It seems that the fact that there aren’t major food restrictions certainly draws people, including high-profile figures, in.
WW works because there is not one way to incorporate it into your life. WW teaches you awareness while providing you with information, tools and skills to create healthier habits for life, not just the short term. For years, WW coaches and members have said “this is a lifestyle, not a diet.” That is the core of why WW works. This is not about white knuckling through restriction and deprivation to get to a goal. WW is about finding your stride so that you can live life fully — the ups and the downs. WW is so much more than a weight-loss plan, it truly is a wellness movement.
Learn more about the D360 plan and how it worked for Ciara at ww.com/ciara.