Weight Watchers Update

Well I had missed 3 meetings in a row, so not good! I am really trying to get over a huge weight gain that happened since Thanksgiving. I weighed myself before I started last week and I had lost 3 pounds this week, although that will not show because I missed the week before. I have made a commitment this year to get serious. I know I've said that before. One of the things that really helps me is this blog. When I keep it updated, it really helps to keep me motivated so you may see daily posts during the week. Hopefully, you all will benefit with new recipes.

Weight Watchers is doing a new thing this year, they are giving weekly newsletters, these are different from the weekly books, that are supporting the Momentum 20010 Challenge. These are really nice because they have information on the topic for that week, real life stories, recipe ideas, and even coupons. This is a 10 week challenge. Each week we commit to a small challenge. Last week was to Track what you eat. Tracking has been a huge resource for me. It makes losing weight kind of like a fun game to me. This makes Weight Watchers easier for me. It also really helped me understand portion controls. So, I know when I do not track, I gain. I started tracking really well again last week and my efforts showed some results.

Week 2 is all about choosing foods that satisfy you. Weight Watchers calls these filling foods, and like the name says these foods keep you fuller longer. Filling foods are low in energy which means they pack fewer calories for their weight. This makes them make you feel more full with few calories. There is a place on your tracker that allows you to mark filling foods. These foods also help in meeting the Good Health Guidelines, which are part of Weight Watchers. So, look for these foods to help you stay fuller. So, this week I am going to commit to choosing more filling foods for my meals and snacks. We'll see how it goes.

Meeting Notes and Weekly Goals

Tonight our topic was on moving more. Our leader had a bag full of different things and pictures. Some included tennis shoes, treadmill, bicycle,can of soup, a jump rope, a towel, a ball, and a dumbbell. Our leader was trying to show us that we could use any of those things to help us move more. Many of them really did not even cost a lot of money. So, you can exercise even on a budget. I know I need to move more and I am only having one goal this week. I want to move more. Today, I got my Wi back out. I did a 3 minute warm up with the basic step aerobics and then I did 30 minutes of the advanced step aerobics and then back to the 3 minute basic step aerobics for a cool down. I did that this morning and it really made a difference in my energy level today. I did not feel as tired and I still do not feel that tired. I feel energized and it is almost midnight. Don't worry, I'm going to bed soon! I know a lot of people say you can't get a good workout with the Wi, but I always break a sweat doing the things I do!

I am really happy with my weigh in this week. I feel like I am getting back on track and going in the right direction! I lost 2.4 pounds this week! I hope these two weeks can continue, so I can get to my 100 pound goal a little faster! I'm sooo close!

Meeting Notes and Weekly Goals

This week the theme of the meeting was Stages of Change.

5 Stages of Change
1. Pre-contemplation- Unaware or denying there is a problem or not seeing it as serious.
This time for me was when I was having children. I kept saying after I have all my children then I will worry about what I am eating.

2. Contemplation- Becoming aware of a need to change. Deciding to change and weighing the pros and cons.
This time for me was when I cut my finger in the kitchen and had to go get stitches and found out what my weight was and that my blood pressure was super high. This was my "wake up" call!

3. Preparation- Gathering information, equipment, supplies, learning the "how-to's", learning to weigh/measures food, journaling food etc.
This time for me started by learning everything I could about Weight Watchers online. I did it on my own for 2 months and decided I needed the meetings. I started measuring food, writing down everything I ate.

4. Action- Starting to practice helpful behaviors, recording what he/she is doing, noticing what does/doesn't work, keep practicing until it was "normal"
Most of the big changes I have made, I continue to do or they have become a lifestyle for me or "normal."

5. Maintenance- Sustaining new behaviors, (new habits) over time.

6. Relapse- Experiencing a full or partial return to previous behaviors, often accompanied by negative feelings and a return to earlier stage.
I think this happened to me at Christmas time! I let myself eat whatever I wanted for about 5 weeks and I paid for it at the scale. I am just now recovering from that mistake!

"The elevator to success is out of order. You have to use the stairs....one step at a time."

"Change comes from within."

I lost 2.8 pounds this week, which made me feel so much better.

Goals for the week
1. Journal!
2. Exercise!
3. Eat my 5 servings of fruits and veggies!

Meeting Notes and Weekly Goals

Well, it's Tuesday again, the day I go weigh in and get some information that usually motivates me. I had a bad week. I had a bad cold and could not breathe so that made exercise hard. Oh, here I go with an excuse but that's really true. I stayed the same this week. Which is okay by me! I just really want to lose some weight this week! I needed a good meeting and that's what I got.

This week was on Tracking. Our leader started off showing us her calendar for March. It is already filled in for almost everyday. She said she had to write down what she had to do or she would never remember. That's kind of like what tracking our food is for us. We track our food for several reasons or advantages.

Advantages for tracking food
1. Limits amounts of food you eat.
2. Increases awareness of both eating and activity.
3. Helps you stay accountable.
4. Gives you valuable feedback.
5. Helps explain what happens at the scale.
6. Gives you a history of success.

We then talked about the different ways to track. Weight Watchers provides us with a lot of them including the paper tracker you get at meetings, the 3 month journal, the points calculator, the new points clicker, and e-tools. All of these track in different ways. I favor tracking what I ate by writing it down. Some prefer to just use the calculator or the new clicker.
We then talked about alternatives to tracking. Personally, I never tried the CORE program, so I can't give any advice about it, but the new Simply Filling Technique is suppose to be a lot like that program.

Simply Filling Technique in 3 Simple Steps
1. Eat simply filling foods.
2. Eat portions that feel right.
3. Use your weekly points allowance.

Simply Filling:
Keeps you feeling satisfied longer between meals.
Prevents you from overeating.
Helps you lose weight.

Someone also gave the pumpkin fluff recipe. I have had this and it is really good. I like it with gingersnap cookies.

Pumpkin Fluff
15oz can pumpkin
1 pkg. fat-free sugar-free vanilla instant pudding mix
1 c. skim milk
8 oz. container Cool Whip Free, thawed
2 tsp. pumpkin spice
Using a mixer, blend pumpkin with dry pudding mix and milk. Fold in Cool Whip. Chill.
Serves 6
Nutrition Information: 116 cal., 0.3 fat, 2.9 fiber

Our leader ended with these quotes: "The first step toward change is awareness. The second step is acceptance.
and
"Monitor yourself....Improve.

Goals for this week
1. Stay on points
2. Exercise.........
3. Be positive.
4. Try to get out of the slump that I am in!!!!

Meeting Notes and Weekly Goals

(This picture was taken after my meeting on Tuesday.)

I tried to get on here yesterday, but my computer would not let me log in to any site. I finally found that the problem was K9, a program that helps us protect my son when he is on the computer.

This week we talked about being successful. Successful people don't quit. so, the next time you feel like quitting remember you won't be successful if you do. We reviewed the Habits of Highly Effective Members. These are found in the Weight Watchers book 3. There is a quiz in there to help you know which ones you need to work on. I took the test the first time with the Flex Plan and since being on Weight Watchers for awhile, I took it again when I got my new book 3 for the Momentum Plan. Here are some that we reviewed and how I am working on them.

Habits of Highly Successful Members

1. Ask for help-I feel like I am okay on this habit. I know what I am not doing. I try to keep myself around motivating people and that helps me too.

2. Learn from experience- Maybe I need to take some time to reflect on what was working in the past to stop the yo-yoing? I know what I was doing in the past worked, so I need to rely on that.

3. Manage your environment- With kids this is kind of hard for me. I have tried really hard though, to surround us all with healthier food choices. The whole family eats the same dinner as I eat. My kids and dh have been wanting foods that I have stayed away from like macaroni and cheese, and other things. But I think I have done pretty well in this area.

4. Manage your feelings- I know that I need to work on this one. I do sometimes eat for my feelings and I need to watch this one more.

5. Manage your thoughts- We talked a lot about this one. Trade negative thoughts for positive ones. Sometimes I say, I'll never reach my goal it seems too big. I need to look more at all of the positive stuff that I have accomplished.

6. Monitor yourself- I do pretty good with this. I love counting points and writing down what I eat. There have been a few days when I do so good and then just mess up at night and not write it all down.

7. Prepare yourself- I feel pretty good about this one. I try really hard to plan my menus and know ahead of time what I am going to eat. If I go out to eat, I like to know what I am going to get before going. I think this has been one of the key things that has helped me stay successful- PLANNING!

8. Take care of yourself- As a mother of 4, I often neglect taking care of myself. This is one I know I need to work on.

After taking the quiz this time here are the areas I need to work on:

Taking care of yourself was my highest (which was also the same as the last time I took it) Managing your feelings was second, and Managing my environment was third.

I am so frustrated right now. I see change, but I don't see it on the scale. I have been fighting to get out of the 240's since last October. Now I get to 244 only to go back to 248. I did not eat all of my points several days last week after getting a tooth out and having some problems with it. But, it just still kills me. I want to do better this week, but I have this cold and I just can't breathe! I have had times that I have gained that much only to lose like 5-7 pounds the next week, so I really do not know what is going on. I have not seen 244 since I went to the hospital with my little girl and now it starts creeping up again. I only gained 1.2 pounds this week, but somehow I am creeping back up again. The biggest thing that I can't get back in a routine with is exercise and I know that is what is preventing me from being as successful as I can so I really need to work on this. I just need to get over this nasty cold. My poor nose is so raw from wiping so much and nothing is really helping to get the congestion to go away. Yesterday, I just felt like eating all day. Why do we want to eat when we are sick? Maybe comfort? I took a picture after my last meeting though that I feel shows I am still losing, but I know in my heart that I am just not doing so well. I have had a lot going on the past two months, but I want some results. Right now I do not feel very successful so this was a good meeting for me. I just wish I felt well enough to do something about it!

Weekly Goals:

1. Take care of myself this week so I can get better.

2. Try to add exercise in this week. (I say try because right now I can't breathe)

3. If I recognize that I am eating for a feeling, I will go write about it in my journal instead of eating or if I already ate it write about what made me eat it and how I can stop doing that.

4. I want to have a good week and lose at least 2 pounds, but we shall see.

5. Read the new Weight Watchers Magazine that I bought at the meeting and write a review of at least one article that impressed me.

Weight Watchers Meeting Notes and Weekly Goals

Part one: What's in my lunch bag?

Last night our meeting started off with our leader showing us her, "lunch bag." Weight Watchers has a really cool new insulated lunch bag that the new member supplies for the year come in. So, I guess she was trying to promote it with this demonstration, but it was a really good demonstration. She took the food out of her bag. Here's what she had:


1 Twin pack of Little Debbie's Zebra Cake 8 points!

Instead of eating that here's what else she had in her bag that equaled 8 points

1 banana

1 cup of grapes

1 orange

1 apple

2 pieces light whole wheat bread

5 cups Fat Free Microwave Popcorn

You can have all of that food for 8 points. That's a lot of food. I think I'd be pretty full. On the new Momentum Plan, that is what you try to do eat more foods for your points. Usually those foods are going to be filling foods. All of those listed above, except the zebra cake, are filling foods. Filling Foods are foods that will keep you fuller longer. And get this, you can even eat that zebra cake if you want! Weight Watchers gives you the freedom to eat some "extras" with your 35 Weekly Points Allowance. I used to be scared to use those points, but they are built in the program. I still have a good weight loss when I use them and I don't feel deprived of my favorite foods. In fact, those points let me LIVE! This weekend is Valentine's Day, so that would be a perfect opportunity to use those points. I have a birthday party that I plan to use them at. I always cringe when people say you can't use those points and still lose weight. I know a lot of people who use all their WPA and lose better than they were when they were not using the points. If you watched Biggest Loser last night, Bob was getting one of his teams to eat more. Some people have a hard time with trying to lose weight and eating more, but your body needs the points you are given for a reason. Some people who exercise a lot tend to not lose a lot. There could be many reasons for it, but one is that they are not eating enough. Sometimes you need to eat your activity points to keep up with what your body is burning. I know it sounds crazy, but it really does work. So, don't be scared to use WPA and activity points!

Part 2: Liquids

Our meeting was about liquids. A lot of people have a big concern with what Weight Watchers has done with this Healthy Guideline. On the Momentum Plan you just have to have 6 cups of liquids. Although book 1 states that, Water is best," any liquid now counts toward this healthy guideline. Some things that count now are beer, wine, (neither of which I drink), colas, juice, tea, coffee, hot chocolate, and soup to name a few. The soup one kind of threw me for a loop! I think water does help in metabolism and is important for weight loss, but many dietitians will tell you that you can have weight loss without water intake. I also watched the show, The Doctors, while I was in the hospital and they said that there is a lot of new research out about water since a girl was in a water drinking contest and died because she drank too much. They said that your body will tell you how much water you need and you should listen to your body. I trust Weight Watchers and I know that they change their programs based on new research, so there has to be a reason for it. I also know that people seem to be losing more weight with the Momentum Plan than they were with the old Flex Plan so something must be right about it. I plan to still drink my water as part of my weight loss program.

Weight In Results: -1.2 pounds (After the week I had, I'm happy with that!)

Goals For this week:

1. Drink the recommended liquids for the week.

2. Exercise at least 5 days.

3. Use my meal plan as a way to stay on track this week.

Hope everyone has a great on point week! :)