Photo of and by: Debbie Hugo

Our smartest diet and fitness plans usually mean an admirable weight loss of a few pounds. Unless you're Debbie Hugo. This Kent, Wash. Weight Watchers leader is the inspiration behind WW's national Lose for Good campaign, kicking off August 30 to raise big money to support the hungry. That's Fit recently interviewed Hugo to find out how her brilliant idea metamorphosed in millions raised for food banks nationwide.

Approximately six years ago, Hugo needed to come up with a motivational idea to spark client weight loss over the food-driven holidays. As a leader, she found it frustrating that "You're down a quarter pound!" typically resulted in a lackluster "That's all?" response by clients. A success story herself -- Hugo lost 40 pounds through WW -- she knew those quarter and half pounds add up fast. So her "food shrine" idea was born.

For about two months, Hugo asked clients to build a non-perishable food shrine at home, equivalent to weight lost each week. A 6-ounce loss became a can of tuna on the shrine. At the end of the program, client shrines were hauled into a meeting -- a tangible example of weight shed -- then donated to a local food bank. Hugo's food shrine idea had clients abuzz with excitement. "People were building it on their TV because they had late night snack issues," explained Hugo. "I had others tell me they were building it on their dinner table, so they wouldn't reach for more food."

Clients were helping themselves by helping someone else. "Debbie, I really wanted to cheat this weekend, but I felt like if I did, I was taking food from someone else," explained one member. WW CEO David Kirchhoff personally visited one of Hugo's meetings in November 2007, and was reportedly struck by the charitable element. He quickly transformed Hugo's good idea into the Lose for Good campaign in 2008. In its second year, for every million pounds lost by WW clients during this year's Lose for Good campaign August 30 through October 17, WW will donate $250,000 to help fight hunger, up to $1 million dollars. Hollywood mom Jenny McCarthy has even signed on as the Lose for Good ambassador.

Whether you're active in WW or not, we can all build our own food shrines. By October 17, you may end up with a pile of food for your community food bank and a body to show for it. Run with the iPhone crowd? Download iWatchr to count points right from your phone.