It has been 10 months since I started weight watchers and almost a decade since I decided to lose this weight. In 6 pounds I will be down 100 pounds, 60 since I joined WW. I am finally getting to where I want to be.
I am not sure why WW is the program that seemed to click with me. I have been logging my foods for years, but with WW you just do points. Actually I still log my food on my fitness pal every day also. I need the accountability. Things I have noticed using WW is they are death on any type of smoothie, carbs or meat other then fish, chicken and turkey. You eat regular bread and bam, 17 points. I one had a piece of buttermilk pie since I had never tried it before, yikes, 33 points. I get 23 points a day. That was a day and a half with one small slice of pie. I made the mistake of eating before checking the points. I check first now.
This has been the longest journey. Many stops and stalls along the way. I always kept active which helped since when I did gain I never gained it all back but it got harder and harder to get it back. I am not getting younger. I had to have several surgeries which really stopped my progress and my exercise. Also several seriously terrible times in my life made me not put my health on the front burner and I spiraled down a deep hole of despair. But, I can't stay down for long and was not happy with being that sad fat person so I would climb on my trusty bike and start logging food again. And that is the secret to success. Never giving up.
When I first started WW I made a few mistakes. They have over 200 free point foods. I once ate a bag of grapes, great grapes because I kept thinking they were free, in fact I ate several free foods in great quantities. Fortunately common sense and logging on my fitness pal woke me up. In proper portions those foods are free, but they do have calories and many people, myself included made this mistake. Eat a normal portion though and it is great. Now a days I don't do many free foods, I have found out eating too many fruits will make me stall. Even eating what they say you should eat a day will make me stall. So a couple a day work for me.
The first couple of weeks I had a headache from getting the sugar out they say. I have to admit I was eating way to many treats. I was also hungry and staying in my points was a challenge but it is easy now. I have points left over in fact most days. Another thing I don't do, but many do with success is eat my weeklies, extra points often. I learned the hard way that I found myself exercising more so I could eat more and that is the beginning of making bad choices and eating too much for me. I always ate healthy but too much. The ole guy always cooked to much and I hate to waste food. Just an excuse but it is the fact of the matter.
I also made changes in WW. When I started back to the gym and was working out a lot plus riding my bike and down 35 pounds I was bummed I still didn't feel better, I was tired all the time, no energy. I expected to feel great. After reading though my old journal I found a entry about micronutrients and the importance of fat and carbs for energy so I have added some more carbs, in reason and good fats like olive oil and coconut oil to routine and now have the energy I need to make my workouts counts.
I am now considered overweight. No longer morbidly obese and it feels great. I can wear medium clothes and shop in normal sections. That is a thrill. Things I have noticed. Being bony hurts, I have banged my shoulder blades which used to be covered in flesh. My tailbone hurts on my bike and I had to get a new seat. Sadly also since it took me so long to figure out this weight loss thing instead of getting tone and looking great I now have a lot of saggy flesh. Sagging neck, sagging arms and saggy gut. But, I have muscles and my biking calves are amazing and I feel amazing and fully clothed I don't look too bad. So win win.
Well, that is my update. If your thinking of weight watchers and wonder if it works it does. The weight loss is slow, which is better as it keeps you from feeling deprived. Everything you want to eat you can with planning. If I now I am going out to eat that night I eat a zero or low point breakfast and lunch, eggs are free and save my points for supper. I try to plan before I get there what I can eat and figure out my points first. I have pizza once a week, but do the thin slice mostly veggie kind. I had a piece of heavenly strawberry rhubarb pie but had a small slice which still tasted great. Finally I am doing this weight loss thing. Correctly. Yippy to me.
