Watching

For the past six or seven years, my weight has stayed pretty steady, except when I was pregnant.  I'd bounce around the same 5 lbs or so and  my jeans size didn't change in those years.  I'd pretty much accepted that this weight was where my body was comfortable.  I was pudgy, but not overly so and my health didn't seem to be suffering, so I wasn't really worried about it.  I'd occasionally get upset with myself for being out of shape, but most of the time, I just accepted that this who I am and what I look like.  No biggie.

This past year or so, I've put on a few pounds, gone up a pants size and lost some flexibility.  At first, I just attributed it to getting older and being less active over the winter.  But as the weather warmed up and we started walking the nature trails near here, I realized just how out of shape I'd gotten; for the first time in years, I was having to stop and take a rest every time we hiked and I was feeling a little like The Blob.

So about a month ago I did something I told myself I wasn't going to do.  I joined Weight Watchers.  I'm not a joiner by nature, so the idea of going to meetings and being forced to participate really didn't appeal to me.  Then someone showed me the WW online program and it looked like something I could really do.

They happened to be having a really good deal on the day that I was checking it out, so after talking to Bryant, I decided to go for it and sign up for three months.  I'm a couple of days from one month in and so far, so good.  Sure, there have been a few times when I wanted to give up, but since those feelings are hormone related, I'm finding ways to plan for and deal with them.

Someone recently asked me what a typical day looks like on WW and I wasn't sure what to tell her.  The plan is so customizable that my typical day may not look anything like someone else's.  But, in an attempt to answer that question, here's a rundown of my food choices from one day last week:

Breakfast: (4 pts)
1 egg + 1 egg white omelet, filled with onion, bell pepper, mushroom, 1/2 slice ham and 1 slice low fat American cheese with a handful of fresh raspberries and a large glass of water.

AM Snack: (3 pts)
Fiber Plus Dark Chocolate and Almond bar

Lunch: (9 pts)
1 thin slice of turkey breast, mixed greens, red onion slices and mustard on a homemade bagel sandwich with a handful of baby carrots and more water.

PM Snack: (1 pt)
1 string cheese and an apple, sliced.

Dinner: (13 pts)
4 oven-fried chicken tenders, 15 honey barbecue potato chips, veggies from a veggie tray and 2 tablespoons of salad dressing for dipping and more water.

I always keep a bottle of water with me and I drink quite a bit more than the WW Healthy Checks recommendation, but it's an amount I'm used to and comfortable with.  I've also found that drinking so much more water, my "need" for Diet Pepsi has dropped pretty significantly.  Yay!

When I first started WW, I wasn't sure how to organize my points so that I'd get enough food all through the day (I do not deal well with hunger), so I began planning my day ahead of time.  Each morning after breakfast I sit down and plan out my food for the next day.  Doing it this way gives me time to figure out how many points will be in the foods I make from scratch and let's me choose my menu when I'm not ravenously hungry.  When it comes time for snack, I simply grab my notebook, flip to the appropriate page and all the decision-making has already been done!

There's wiggle room in there, too, so if my day takes an unexpected turn, I know I can play with the point distribution and adjust for real life. 

So there you have it.  My WW experience so far. 



Oh, and I've lost just barely shy of 12 pounds already!