My body has gone through some changes these last months. I'm actively trying to lose weight and I am doing just that. I don't always see the changes that have been made. It's hard for me to see the "new" me when I look in the mirror. I still see the old fater version of me but I'm learning to let go of her. I'm learning to see what's in front of me and not what I think is in front of me.
People ask me how much I've lost and I tell them like it's no big deal because I'm not exactly at the spot I want to be at. I'm not at goal, I'm not close to goal but I AM getting closer every day. If I sit back and actually think about how much I have lost, 30.5 pounds, it IS a big deal. I've worked really hard to get that number to go down. And I should be a lot prouder of myself than I am but for some reason I haven't been. Thirty pounds! It doesn't sound like a huge amount to me, but in reality that's a lot of weight! I was thinking it wasn't a lot but an event that took place the other day kind of placed me back into reality.
The other day, I bought the big bag of dog food for my dog. I hiked it up on my shoulder and carried it from the car to the house. I struggled walking up the steps because it was so heavy- i thought to myself that it must be a fifty pound bag, but it wasn't. I looked at the weight of it when I put it down and it was 35lbs. That is 4.5 pounds more than what I've lost so far. And I thought about that. I thought about how I used to walk around that much heavier and couldn't believe that is what 30 lbs feels like! (okay, i know it was 35 pounds but close enough for my comparison). That is the day that I realized how much of a big deal it really is. I should be so proud of myself for shedding that unnecessary weight off of my body. I have more energy and more desire to do things now and it's because it is easier for me to move! When I had that bag of dog food on my shoulder it was HARD to walk up the stairs. That is, in fact, what it was like for me everyday when I had that extra weight on my body, only I didn't realize that. I honestly couldn't believe that's what I've lost, but it is. And it made me proud of myself. I am happy with the changes I have made so far and I should be.
There is also another event that took place this week which made me realize how very far I have come. I was packing some of my summer tank tops and shorts away and I came across a pile (4 pair) of pants that I kept in hopes of fitting into them again someday. Two pairs of jeans and two pairs of work pants. My favorites of all time that I have not been able to wear in oh---about 5 years. I decided to pull them out and look at them. To be able to wear them again has always been a goal of mine- that's why I've hung onto them for so long. I impulsively decided to try them on, knowing there was no way I was even close to fitting into them again. And. They. FIT. At first I thought I was hallucinating but pair after pair fit me. My favorite pair of jeans fits me again, however, they will fit and look better if I lose another 5 pounds, but the point is-that they fit and I didn't quite think I was at that point yet.
I did a happy dance around the room...and then I took them off and put them in my drawer instead of in the pack away box and that felt really great.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Points, Points, Points
Some of you may be wondering what all this points and Weight Watchers garbage is about. I haven't really gotten into how it all works so here is your crash course. When I joined Weight Watchers online I learned what all this "point" talk was about. All food is given a point value determined by calories, fat, and fiber. You are also given a target point value for the day. You must eat food and track how much of what you are eating to add up to your target point value for the day. You are not supposed to eat less than your target point value or it won't work. Believe me, been there, tried that.When you eat less than your target point value you are in a sense starving yourself-your not eating enough-therefor your body goes into starvation mode and won't budge. Obviously you shouldn't be eating more than your target point value either. You also get an EXTRA 35 points a week to use any way you like it. You can use them on a night out, throughout the week, on drinks, on whatever your little heart desires. If you don't use your weekly points it does help you shed weight faster, but it does become harder to not use those points as time continues.
All the food you ever need to look up is in the weight watchers food bank. If you can't find the food you are eating, you can still find out the point value of it by entering the calories, fat, and fiber into the points calculator. Then you add it to your day! So simple. After awhile, you learn how many calories and fat roughly equal how many points. I'm not to bad at guesstimating the points values when I'm out on the go and aren't close to a computer to look it up. I think that's the point. In all this tracking and figuring out points, you learn yourself what is good to eat and drink and what is less desirable.
If I know I'm going somewhere specific I like to plan ahead. I look at their website and get an idea of the menu and calories and fat of the items and then figure out what I like, how many points I can spare, and what I'm going to order. This is very helpful when eating out because most places don't include calories and fat on their menus. Weight watchers is ALL about planning ahead. Planning is very important for me now. When I used to just eat on the fly or grab something from the store for lunch, now I have a highly thought out eating plan. It doesn't take much effort, just a little time.
Weight watchers is all about learning to eat healthy and learning to get healthy. It also encourages exercise. For all the moving you do you get points to. Every activity point you earn is determined by how long you did it for and your current weight. I'm not exactly sure how they figure this out using these two things, but that is what happens. If you use all of your 35 extra weekly points, you then can use your activity points you've earned. I always find, for me, that if I use my extra points AND some of my activity points I don't ultimately lose a lot. BUT if I rack up activity points and I don't use them, I lose more.
Finally, I want to say that for every 10 lbs I lose, I lose another point value. So for example, if my target point value was 23 and i went down to the next weight bracket, I would lose 1 point making my new target point value 22. Then I would stay at the point value of 22 until I lost another ten pounds and then it would go down to 21. Losing ten pounds doesn't happen overnight for most so your body has time to get used to this adjustment just fine. Now, I'm still losing weight so I'm not sure what happens when you are in the maintaining phase, but I will do a little update, when I get there!
So there you have it, the basic idea of weight watchers online! If you are thinking of joining, I highly suggest it. It has really helped me to become an all around healthier person and happier.
All the food you ever need to look up is in the weight watchers food bank. If you can't find the food you are eating, you can still find out the point value of it by entering the calories, fat, and fiber into the points calculator. Then you add it to your day! So simple. After awhile, you learn how many calories and fat roughly equal how many points. I'm not to bad at guesstimating the points values when I'm out on the go and aren't close to a computer to look it up. I think that's the point. In all this tracking and figuring out points, you learn yourself what is good to eat and drink and what is less desirable.
If I know I'm going somewhere specific I like to plan ahead. I look at their website and get an idea of the menu and calories and fat of the items and then figure out what I like, how many points I can spare, and what I'm going to order. This is very helpful when eating out because most places don't include calories and fat on their menus. Weight watchers is ALL about planning ahead. Planning is very important for me now. When I used to just eat on the fly or grab something from the store for lunch, now I have a highly thought out eating plan. It doesn't take much effort, just a little time.
Weight watchers is all about learning to eat healthy and learning to get healthy. It also encourages exercise. For all the moving you do you get points to. Every activity point you earn is determined by how long you did it for and your current weight. I'm not exactly sure how they figure this out using these two things, but that is what happens. If you use all of your 35 extra weekly points, you then can use your activity points you've earned. I always find, for me, that if I use my extra points AND some of my activity points I don't ultimately lose a lot. BUT if I rack up activity points and I don't use them, I lose more.
Finally, I want to say that for every 10 lbs I lose, I lose another point value. So for example, if my target point value was 23 and i went down to the next weight bracket, I would lose 1 point making my new target point value 22. Then I would stay at the point value of 22 until I lost another ten pounds and then it would go down to 21. Losing ten pounds doesn't happen overnight for most so your body has time to get used to this adjustment just fine. Now, I'm still losing weight so I'm not sure what happens when you are in the maintaining phase, but I will do a little update, when I get there!
So there you have it, the basic idea of weight watchers online! If you are thinking of joining, I highly suggest it. It has really helped me to become an all around healthier person and happier.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Satisfying Snacks
Since I've joined Weight Watchers I have had to change my eating habits completely, including what I snack on. Of course the best snacking options are going to be healthy ones like fruits and vegetables... but I've stumbled across a few snacks that keep me going when I am wanting something sweet.
Skinny Cow white mint truffle bars- these are seriously amazing and at only 2 points a bar there is no guilt associated!
Quakes Multigrain Blackberry Pomegranate- these are the perfect mix of sweet and crunchy and at 2 points for 13 quakes it's a great little filling snack.
Vitalicious Vitatops- These are a little expensive but oh so worth it for a chocolate craving! You can find them at Price chopper or stock up on their website and enjoy a whole lot of flavor options. My favorite is the mint chocolate! Only 1 point for a vitamuffin and there is no need to feel guilt for eating this chocolaty treat because it is packed with all sorts of good vitamins and fiber.
sugar free, fat free instant pudding made with fat free milk. Low calorie, great taste and at 1 point you can't go wrong.
Funky Monkey- Applemon. I found this at Target one day and decided to try it because it sounded like a healthy snack. I wasn't disappointed. Funky Monkey is freeze dried fruit in a pouch. One pouch is equivalent to three servings of fruit! I have to say it doesn't look like much but it is definitely filling! They sold three different flavors at my target: applemon, bananamon(bananas and cinnamon) and carnival mix. I've tried all three and the applemon(apples and cinnamon) is my favorite but they are all good and worth a try. Great for bringing on a car trip for healthy snacking!
Weight watchers chocolate raspberry bars- I like chocolate and these are raspberry ice cream covered in a hard chocolate shell. Very good, but a small snack for 2 points.
Only 8 Frozen Yogurt-I found an ice cream stand near me that sells the brand Only 8. Only 8 means there are only 8 ingredients in the yogurt and 1 CUP, yes I said 1 cup, is only 1 point. The ice cream stand near me has about 40 different flavors. I've been getting it all summer (not every day of course) and I haven't gotten the same flavor twice. This yogurt is seriously to die for and a must for me when I want soft serve. If you have an independent ice cream shop near you (not a franchise) click on the link to see how you can get your store to carry Only 8 and if you see it offered anywhere don't feel guilty getting served up a full cup's worth of this amazingly low fat and low calorie treat.
Well there you have my favorite "sweet tooth" snacks. Suitable for anyone. Go ahead and try something new, I know you want to!
Skinny Cow white mint truffle bars- these are seriously amazing and at only 2 points a bar there is no guilt associated!
Quakes Multigrain Blackberry Pomegranate- these are the perfect mix of sweet and crunchy and at 2 points for 13 quakes it's a great little filling snack.
Vitalicious Vitatops- These are a little expensive but oh so worth it for a chocolate craving! You can find them at Price chopper or stock up on their website and enjoy a whole lot of flavor options. My favorite is the mint chocolate! Only 1 point for a vitamuffin and there is no need to feel guilt for eating this chocolaty treat because it is packed with all sorts of good vitamins and fiber.
sugar free, fat free instant pudding made with fat free milk. Low calorie, great taste and at 1 point you can't go wrong.
Funky Monkey- Applemon. I found this at Target one day and decided to try it because it sounded like a healthy snack. I wasn't disappointed. Funky Monkey is freeze dried fruit in a pouch. One pouch is equivalent to three servings of fruit! I have to say it doesn't look like much but it is definitely filling! They sold three different flavors at my target: applemon, bananamon(bananas and cinnamon) and carnival mix. I've tried all three and the applemon(apples and cinnamon) is my favorite but they are all good and worth a try. Great for bringing on a car trip for healthy snacking!
Weight watchers chocolate raspberry bars- I like chocolate and these are raspberry ice cream covered in a hard chocolate shell. Very good, but a small snack for 2 points.
Only 8 Frozen Yogurt-I found an ice cream stand near me that sells the brand Only 8. Only 8 means there are only 8 ingredients in the yogurt and 1 CUP, yes I said 1 cup, is only 1 point. The ice cream stand near me has about 40 different flavors. I've been getting it all summer (not every day of course) and I haven't gotten the same flavor twice. This yogurt is seriously to die for and a must for me when I want soft serve. If you have an independent ice cream shop near you (not a franchise) click on the link to see how you can get your store to carry Only 8 and if you see it offered anywhere don't feel guilty getting served up a full cup's worth of this amazingly low fat and low calorie treat.
Well there you have my favorite "sweet tooth" snacks. Suitable for anyone. Go ahead and try something new, I know you want to!
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