Inching closer to goal weight and beyond

It’s been awhile since I last reported on actual weight loss results. I shied away from making any announcements in “the morning after” because the news was, how shall I say, lackluster? For two weeks in a row I stayed the same. The scale wouldn’t budge. I hate that scale. I know it could have been worse. “At least you didn’t gain” is what I heard people say, but I was more than a little disappointed and confused. I worked this program like nobody’s business! As far as I can tell I followed the plan to a T. I stayed within my points range, recorded every morsel that went into my mouth, and walked longer distances around town. What more do I need to do?

The one thing that has kept me committed to staying on the program, in spite of the achingly slow slide to a better me, is that I do feel slimmer, trimmer, and more energetic. Without the structure of Weight Watchers I would actually be in a worse jam – so quitting isn’t an option. Today, I am so much more comfortable in my skin. I have to keep going. So after two weeks of hovering around the same weight, I dropped two pounds and then another pound and a half. So far I’ve lost 13.5 pounds in ten weeks. I’ve got less than ten pounds to reach goal. I’d personally like to get below 140 pounds and stay there forever.

While we’re on the subject of forever, I’ve been thinking a lot about the days, weeks, months and years ahead of me (G-d willing) and how my eating habits will have to remain the same as they are today. For the rest of my life, I will need to carefully select the foods that I eat. What more evidence do I need? I have already proved in countless “experiments” that I am not one of the lucky people who burn food faster than they can eat it. It’s sad, but truer than anything I’ve ever known. It means that I will always have to bypass huge sections in the supermarket, scan restaurant menus for the lower fat, lower calorie alternatives, incorporate and ingrain all I’ve learned from my days at Weight Watchers. There has to be no time off from mindful eating. I can live with that. What about you?

Routines – a Cornerstone of the Weight Watcher program

Everyone by now knows that the benefits of eating breakfast are huge. Many studies have shown that breakfast eaters tend to weigh less than breakfast skippers. One theory suggests that eating a healthy breakfast can reduce hunger, and help people make better food choices at other meals. I absolutely adore eating a healthy breakfast. It’s worth it to me to wake up in time to enjoy a morning meal before the craziness of the day begins. My teenage kids and busy husband can’t always join me but my morning routine is a constant in our house and we have all come to rely on it in different ways – even Rambo – our dog, who loves any opportunity to eat.

5 PP Breakfast – coffee and water not shown

It wasn’t always like this. When my kids were little I would eat on the fly if at all. I would force myself to complete a myriad of tasks before I could even think about feeding my face. Then WeightWatchers happened and every meal became a celebration and a complete joy. Even a lower calorie breakfast can be satisfying and delicious. It was the one good habit that stayed with me – no matter what. Every morning I start the day with a serving of fresh fruit, an english muffin (or some other delicious bread), a serving of cheese, and coffee. Some days I’ll have cereal, or an egg, or peanut butter (instead of cheese), but the theme stays the same: coffee, fresh or frozen fruit, bread and protein. It satisfies me all the way to lunch. So proud am I of this routine that I found myself bragging about it to the WW lecturer this week when she broached the subject of Routines.

As it turns out Routines are the cornerstone of the Weight Watchers 360 program. Routines are as important as tracking what you eat. According to WeightWatchers.com they are simple, easy tasks that help you take the guesswork out of healthy choices. The goal is to ingrain these healthy living routines into your every day life until they become second nature. WW eTools tries to make it easier for its members to re-train themselves to the point where healthy eating habits are a way of life.

You can find more information about Routines on the WW website, but here are some other routines to adopt and track each day, “We [WW] suggest that you try three at a time, and see the impact they make. As you figure out which ones work for you, you can move on and try some new ones.” At first glance, my resistance to making more changes reared it’s ugly head. Suddenly, I felt like I was in psycho-therapy, rather than being on a diet. But, after a second and even third look, I am ready to incorporate more of these into my daily routines. How about you? Which routines are you already doing? How has it been helpful? Do you see yourself doing these for the rest of your life? Which one(s) are you most resistant to do?

Eat Breakfast every day
Eat vegetables or fruit with every meal or snack
Wait a bit before reaching for seconds
Wear an activity monitor all day, every day
Plan the PointsPlus® value of your next meal
Walk at least five minutes each hour
Eat all your meals at a table
Always have comfortable shoes with you
Eat all your meals free of distraction
Try standing up for your usual sit-down activities
Get 7 to 8 hours of quality sleep each night
Ask yourself: Is this worth the PointsPlus® values?
Know what you’re having for lunch
Put your fork down and sip water between bites
Always have a healthy snack on hand
Know how you’re going to be active tomorrow

Sunday mornings are more special and I recently learned how to make the blueberry pancakes pictured above for Sunday with the family.
Five Points Plus Pancake Recipe
1/2 FiberOne Buttermilk Pancake Mix
Add Water to the desired consistency
Pan coated with cooking spray
Blueberries
2 tbsp ReddiWhip
1 tbsp Log Cabin Sugar Free Syrup