In my last blog entry, I had stated that I wanted to lose 10lbs by my birthday (June 5). I'm happy to report that I came within about 0.4lbs of that! I was extremely excited. And it's all thanks to Weight Watchers.
I never in my life thought I'd say that. I never really wanted to try WW and I put it off for years. Like another friend of mine put it, I felt like if I weren't just doing it on my own with proper diet and exercise then it didn't really "count". I'm glad I got over myself and gave it a shot. WW is amazing. I've always had the accountability of weighing in with my own Jilly's Losers group every week, but after so many years of that I felt I needed a more personal form of accountability. Weighing in face to face with a WW coach every Friday has made such a huge difference. I still weigh in every Tuesday with my group and having two weigh-ins a week actually helps keep me on track!
With WW, I never feel hungry. Because I'm heavy to begin with, I'm given 42 daily points to use (41 now that I've lost some weight). That's already a lot. But add to that the fact that I'm a nursing mother and I automatically get 14 more. It's a lot of points! And "most" fruits and veggies are freebies. I've found that I'm eating a lot more of both and I feel great!
Another thing that's really helped is that in the current Jilly's Losers season, we've been tracking points for various things like fruits/veggies/exercise...and the hardest one...no sweets. But after being off the wagon for so long with my pregnancy, it feels good to finally say that I've regained control of my sweet tooth. For the past month now, I've managed to keep my treats to ONE a week. I look forward to my treat day all week long and then I enjoy it so much more when it comes! One of my biggest challenges is reminding myself that I don't have to eat like there's no tomorrow. I can always get another brownie or carton of ice cream or whatever it may be. I don't have to have 10 helpings.
By no means am I losing weight at a rapid pace. Sometimes I wish I could lose large amounts of weight in a week, but I'm not willing to give up all the things I'd have to to do so. There are a couple women in my group this season who lost huge numbers the first week and it was amazing! I asked how they did it and was told they'd given up dairy, grains, sugar (including fruit) and other things. I admire their dedication. I really do. But it's just not for me. I would be able to sustain that for a little while and probably lose a ton of weight....but I know me. When the competition was over, I'd come crashing down and regain it all and then some. I need my treats. I need the flexibility to eat the things I enjoy as long as it's in moderation. So I truly love Weight Watchers. I'm losing between 1.5 and 3lbs a week and I feel fantastic. Baby steps. That's how I lost the 122lbs the first time around. I just need to do it again. Baby steps feel small, but in time they add up...and in my case, I'm far less likely to take any of them in the backwards direction!
