I reactivated my Weight Watchers online account yesterday. I last used it from 2003 to 2004. For the brief time I participated in the program, it worked well. Then, I slipped away, weighing more than when I started, but I don't blame Weight Watchers for that. I was responsible for my failure.
When I saw my doctor in December, he suggested I do something -- he wasn't particular about what, but he recommended Weight Watchers and one other popular system -- I think it was one of the low carb advocates. I wasn't quite ready, but I was getting there. The beauty of Weight Watchers is you can incorporate any popular philosophy into it (short of gorging oneself, and you can do that, too, but don't expect Weight Watchers to produce results). No foods are off limits. And my inner child is particularly sensitive to being deprived. She refuses to be deprived. (The inner child is the Mouth Trap augmentation -- but we all have that inner child who gets us in trouble when we ignore him or her. Mine is named Natalie or Nat, by the way.)
For my journey, it's very important that I can eat what I want. This means I may not be able to eat as much as I think I want. I've been spending a lot of time working through these things lately, and for me, these are the important things:
- Eat what I want
- Regain a sense of portion sizes (break everything down into a single portion, eat that, and, if I want more, get another portion)
- Record everything (WW helps with that, but the site is still slow. Mouth Trap has the Consumer Report, which I am also using.)
- Another Mouth Trap inovation; record what I resist eating. So often, I may eat too much, but maybe I've resisted eating even more? Natalie wants credit for when she does something right. I tried to figure out how to do this easily, and this morning I established a recurring task in Things titled, "What I didn't eat today." I'll record what I really wanted but decided not to eat there, check it off at the end of the day, and get a new task the next day.
- Establish a fresh understanding of what I really want and an awareness of the emotional and habitual triggers that cause me to munch (The Mouth Trap is walking me through this process).
- Don't eat after 8pm. I am not a midnight snacker per se, but I do have a habit of waiting for hubby to go to bed and eating half a can of mixed nuts and drinking a Pepsi Max or two.
- Continue to try to take the smallest bite possible and chew as long as possible before swallowing -- makes a HUGE difference.
With the Points Plus program, Weight Watchers has changed since I was last involved. This change appears to be for the good, because by registering all fruits and most vegetables at 0 points, it encourages us to snack on fruits and veggies. It's a subtle way to encourage us to get our "five a day." I thought it was interesting that they recommend nine a day if you weigh over 350 pounds. How cool is that? (No, I don't weigh over 350 pounds, but I could see it coming up behind me in the mirror. I don't want to go there, but if I did, Weight Watchers is there for me.)
Much of weight loss is common sense, but the techniques to implement what you know are a challenge. So is, for me, working through the emotional causes of overeating. I think I'm finally ready to address this issue (and the related issues) in my life.
Now, I need to get back to Polar Bear on the Loose for a little while more, then I'll head over to help hubby at the shop.
7 comments:
Glad you're back to it! So far I'm enjoying it, but I'm having a hard time getting all my points in for the day. The free fruits and vegies help a lot! I just ate half a pita with Canadian bacon, spinach, tomato, green onion and part of a wedge of spreadable cheese for 2 points. (Since I didn't do the whole wedge, I didn't count it yet. I'll eat the rest later with some crackers and count it then, but it's only 1 point.) I thought I would be hungry, but I'm not. Not even close. I think I could eat for days on the list of power foods.
I love the "What I Didn't Eat Today" list. I think I'll start one in Things, too. It should help a lot when cravings hit.
I'm craving something right now. Had a cup of baby carrots -- tasty but not satisfying. That pita sounds exactly like what I want, but I don't have the ingredients.
Maybe I'll check the power foods list again.
Sounds awesome Jean! {{huggs}} I'm guessing the inner child concept is working for you? I tried it a few years ago and couldn't find one. Anywhere. Maybe I'm too boring and repressed or something.
Keep up the great work!!
Well, my inner child has a lot of resentment. She resents always having to be so grown up, so I think she acts out by doing what she wants in eating. I see some childlike behavior. There's a lot of "It's not fair!" "Other people don't have to do that!" And probably any other whiny kid statement you can think of.
Just keep reminding Natalie how much more she'll get to play after you've lost some weight.
Yeah. She really wants to be able to stride from one place to another instead of lurch. So far, she's been pretty happy with things.
Part of that is the newness, but we're seeing results. That part is always exciting. She likes the attention she's been getting, too, of course.
I'm hoping to get to the WW store when I'm out running errands today. I heard a rumor that the WW turtles are fabulous. Will report back post-recon.
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