I hate to disappoint you if you're looking for some
"magic" word or phrase to help you lose weight. Truth be told, there
is no "brand new" peanut butter diet or electro-shock ab exerciser that
will be your new ticket to being skinny. It is all within YOU.
You control your destiny, and if you are committed to losing weight and
living a healthier lifestyle, Weight Watchers may be the plan for you.
If you want a quick fix, I'm sure there are a million other companies ready
to take your money. Just quit the excuses and take that first step
towards a healthier life.
JOURNAL
I journal every bite, every day. I once had
to alter my meeting day and ended up not having a journal for a few days
– I wrote everything on Post-It notes. Journaling helps keep me focused
and accountable. If I slip up, I know there’s a “next step” to take
to remedy it. I never just “get back on plan next week” after falling
off the wagon. I don’t even call “a few slip ups” as falling
off the wagon – it’s just a heavy, point-intense day(s) ON PLAN.
I’ve written down my 69 point weekends with much loathing, but it’s helped
me see just how every bite adds up. Same with buffets and holidays.
If anything, I’ve learned that the more variety you put on your plate,
the more the points add up. Five “little” servings of fat-laden side
dishes are never worth as much as a big piece of cheesecake. While
I like variety, I don’t like denying myself either!
DON'T DEPRIVE YOURSELF
I don’t deny myself any food. I eat what I
want, when I want it. Just like I did when I was fat, but here’s
what’s different: my body/mind thinks differently as someone who is trying
to eat healthy. I stay away from greasy foods not because of the
high fat, but because they now tear up my digestive system. I’ve
stop sneaking food and have learned to account for everything.
If I want something “naughty”, I’ll work it into a lunch or dinner and
don't feel guilty about it. The thing is, I’ve eaten my way
through vacations in New York City, Chicago, Atlanta, and just about every
other place, and every time I went over my points, I still lost.
I completely have that mentality now – when faced with a Chinese buffet,
I think to myself – I ate my way through NYC and was stuffed every night
and still lost weight – I can do this! And it works! If I overeat
or misbudget my points, I flush it all out with water and avoid starving
myself. At the end of the day, if there are no points left for dinner,
I’ll have a grilled cheese or something low-points but filling because
I know if I go starving, I’ll just binge and regret it. It’s worth
2 points to save myself 20.
EAT LIKE A NORMAL PERSON
I avoid Skinny Cows like the plague. And not
just because they’re expensive! Skinny Cows are too much of a trigger
food for me. Same with Fat Free Cool Whip. I tell myself mentally
that it’s low-cal, and end up eating the whole package. I just can’t
have ‘em in the house anymore. I treat myself with REAL FOOD, not
“diet” foods. I strive to not eat anything I wouldn’t eat if I were
a normal skinny gal just living her life. SHOW ME A 120 lb. WOMAN
NOT ON WW WHO BUYS SKINNY COWS! You’d be pressed to find one.
The only exception to the rule is WOW! chips. I’ve eaten those since
they came out and love ‘em to death. I would eat this even if I was
Jennifer Aniston skinny.
DON'T CHEAT YOURSELF
I don’t cheat myself. I try to squeeze every
calorie out of that point, but I don’t cheat. If 1 oz . of WOW chips
is 1 point, I know that 5 oz. isn’t 5 points (I think off hand it’s like
7). I calculate and multiply serving sizes based on nutritional values,
not points. I also overestimate if I’m guessing on the value of something.
I do weigh 90% of my food because I don’t want to miss out on calories
I am counting but not eating! A food scale, in my opinion, is not
just essential for weight loss, but for reshaping your outlook on portion
control.
PLAN AROUND YOUR "HUNGRY TIMES" & MAKE THE MOST
OF YOUR POINTS
Some people like a heavy breakfast, others like six
small meals a day, but me... I love big dinners. I plan my day so
that I always have at least 14-20 points for dinner. This means my
breakfast is 2-5 points and my lunch is around 6-8. I'm sure it's
psychological, but I feel I need to EAT at dinner, not starve myself.
If I allow myself to have a big dinner (which is generally normal size
for non-diet folks), I feel more satisfied and less worried about banking/overbudgeting,
etc. I also have learned that I don't need as much food during the
day to keep me satisfied, so I make the most out of my points and try to
eat diversely -- lots of fruits and veggies (well, OK, just fruits and
carrots) mixed with calcium, proteins, and complex carbs. Here's
an example of how I eat on the random typical day:
BREAKFAST
1/2 c quick oats (seasoned with Splenda, cinnamon,
nutmeg, and a hint of brown sugar)
small apple or banana
LUNCH
sandwich with 2 slices light bread, 1-2 oz of lean
meat, Kraft 2% cheese, and fat free mayo
baggie of carrots
medium apple or orange
1-2 oz WOW! chips
Quaker Chewy granola bar
DINNER
6-7 oz lean meat (chicken, fish, pork, and sometimes
beef)
large sweet or white potato with 1-2t brown sugar
or fat free sour cream
green beans
SNACKS
frozen peach slices or strawberries (these are great
and are in 5-8 lb bags at Sam's/Costco)
Hershey Kisses
GO TO MEETINGS/GET SUPPORT
I go to every weekly meeting. If I have a scheduling
conflict, I find another meeting to go to. Even if it screws up my
weigh in because of the clothes I wear or the time of day. I’m also
a big talker and seek out meetings where a lot of people talk. Hearing
people besides the leader makes it a more enriching experience, and I love
to share my own tricks. I also LOVE (ABSOLUTELY LOVE) getting that
damn 5 lb. star. And call it vain, but I love hearing people oooh
and aaaah when they hear how much I’ve lost. I deserve it!
What’s sad is, when someone hits goal after losing 18 lbs., no one ooohs
or aaahs. One leader I have once said, “Give her a hand. Don’t
you wish you had started when you had that little to lose?” That’s
a great attitude to have. Losing 75+ lbs. also means you have the
guilt of people questioning how you could have ever had the loss of self-control
and self-esteem and self-respect to get that big. Just my feelin’.
FIND SOME ACTIVITY YOU LIKE AND DO IT
I have learned to love and depend on exercise.
I don’t make time for it – it is part of my daily routine. I used
to work out at night and would always find some excuse. I now wake
up at 5:30 AM to carpool with my fiancé (he works at 6:30 AM, me
at 9 AM) and work out for at least an hour everyday. I was just like
most fat people when I started… I absolutely hating working out.
I hated sweating. I hated being out of breath. But now I actually
feel like I missing out on something if I miss a workout. Crazy thing.
For those interested, my routing is the following:
* Mon/Wed/Fri: 1 hr CARDIO (rotate 20 minutes each
on elliptical, treadmill, and recumbant bike)
* Tues/Thurs: 1 hr WEIGHTS (rotate 1 hr of circuit
training on machines, freeweight training, or Body Pump aerobics class)
DRINK YOUR H20
I drink my water. I try to squeeze most of
it in during my workout and force myself to stop and pause for water between
activities (instead of just drinking it while exercising). This way,
on my M/W/F workout days, I get in roughly 7 16.9 oz bottles of water (almost
15 cups). I’ve also found that I drink more at my desk when I have
2 bottles to refill – my lazy mentality usually gets the best of me, and
that’s 50% fewer times I walk to the water cooler!
PLAN AHEAD WHEN EATING OUT
I plan ahead when eating out, be it looking at a
menu online or emailing/calling the restaurant in advance for advice on
healthy choice/ingredients. Yes, I spend a “When Harry Met Sally”
amount of time ordering, but it’s my money, and I’ll have it how I please,
thank you!
BE CONSIDERATE OF HOW YOUR WEIGHT AFFECTS YOUR LOVED
ONES
Regardless of what your companion says, size will
eventually make a difference in your relationship. Be it, you can't ride
on roller coasters together, you can barely squeeze through doors together,
you can't safely have kids at a heavier weight, etc. Sure, he will love
you for you, blah blah blah (just like my fiance!), but you need to figure
out what YOU want. Do YOU want to be healthier or do you want to stay heavy?
Big choice to make. If you want to be healthier, then you have to stick
to the plan. There's no way around it. If you're fine being big, just quit
now and save your $. Just like marriage, WW requires commitment,
and unless you hold up your end of the bargain, things just ain't going
to work out. I've said this before, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE lose
this weight for YOU and not to fit into a special dress or for family or
your friends. This is a life change, not a temporary fix for one day. You
want to fit into that special dress 10 years from now, not just on one
particular day.
