You’ve lost how many pounds @ Weight Watchers??

Health

Weight watchers

Editor’s Note: it was noted in the comments that my statements regarding the original meeting I attended were hurtful. I apologize for any feelings I might have hurt inadvertently. I’ve adjusted my post below.

I joined Weight Watchers on January 10 of this year because I was tired of not liking how I looked in photos, only feeling good when I was wearing sweatpants(!), and worried about how my health now would impact me in the future. I realized that while I know how to lose weight, I was having trouble staying motivated and accountable. A friend suggested WW as a way to help me set goals and have greater success.

It’s now been 11 weeks, and I’m officially down 17 pounds as of last week’s meeting which averages out to 1.7 pounds a week. Or, as my girlfriends like to point out, that’s the equivalent of a medium-sized dog. I like to think in chihuahua terms, so that’s roughly 3 chihuahuas. ????

I am so proud of me! I was over 200 pounds that first week and it was so discouraging, seeing that number on the scale. I went straight into the WW bathroom and sat down on the floor, totally discouraged. In my heart, I knew it was going to be a high number because of the size of clothing I was having to buy, but still. Seeing that number on the scale made it all too real. It was a galvanizing moment – time to take charge and do something.

My overall goal is to get down to the weight I was when I married Simon, a total of about 40 pounds. I can’t believe I’m almost halfway there! Those first few weeks, it felt like I’d never see the scale budge past a pound or two, but over time those small losses are paying off into a big loss. Someone on Instagram wanted a post on how I’m doing it, etc., so I thought I’d answer a few questions here.

ARE YOU ON A STRICT DIET?

No, not at all. My biggest issue was portion control, so this has helped me stay on track. We love eating well, but I was eating really good stuff, and a whole lot of it. I eat mostly the same things now; I just eat less. The thing I’m loving most is that WW is not a diet along the lines of Whole 30, or something that’s temporary. It’s a lifestyle readjustment to your thinking. I get 30 points a day to eat, and all raw fruits and most veggies are 0 points, so in stead of snacking on crackers and chips like I used to, I’m getting way more whole foods and fiber into my system. Physically I feel so much better

DO YOU FEEL DEPRIVED?

No. I know I have so many points to “spend” during the day on what I eat, and I like that WW leaves me in control of what I want to eat. In other words, if I want to eat a bagel sandwich or donuts or whatever, I do it if it’s really worth it to me. But it means that I probably won’t have very many points left over for the rest of the day. I’ve had to become intentional about splurging. At 35, I can’t splurge in the same way I did when I was 25. It’s so much harder to keep the weight off as I’m getting older.

My husband was a little worried that I was going to make us all suffer under my new Weight Loss Regime™ (HAAAA) and while I have attempted a few sneaky swaps (cauliflower rice, btw, did NOT go over well) we’re all benefitting from having way more fruits and veggies on hand to munch on during the day.

All that said, it ain’t cheap to eat well.

ARE YOU EXERCISING?

I haven’t set foot in a gym. I realized I simply don’t have the margin right now to get to the gym with my kids being the ages/stages they are. But I do eat 3x a day, so if I could start making changes with what I put in my mouth, that would be the easiest way for meaningful change.

I do love riding my bike, walking, and I used to run (once upon a time). I’m hopeful that once Archer gets a little older, I’ll be back at it.

DO YOU STILL EAT OUT?

We LOOOOVE eating out. Overall, I eat out less than we did before, but we still love to check out new places. I usually try to find something light and high in protein. Grilled chicken, salads with the dressings on the side, etc. I also tend to eat a lot of Chickfila with the kids, so I’ve swapped my chicken sandwich for grilled nuggets and a side of fruit.

On the cruise, I didn’t necessarily stay within my points range (especially by the end of the week – whewww was I stress-eating!). But I didn’t go too far off the wagon, and focused on eating tons of fruits, veggies, seafood, etc. And pina coladas. LOTS of pina coladas. 😉

DO YOU GO TO MEETINGS?

Simon asked if the meetings are basically a Bible study about food. I said yes, except there’s no Jesus, no snacks and you have to step on a scale, soooo …. No. It’s the worst Bible study ever in that respect.

My friend who initially encouraged me to join said that I should plan on attending meetings for at least the first month to keep me motivated and on track. The first few weeks I went to the meeting nearest me and it was underwhelming.  I heard that the meeting up in Edmond was much more positive and there were moms with small kids there, so now I haul it 20 minutes away and it has made all the difference. Overall it’s more upbeat.

I love going to the meetings now. It’s positive, encouraging, a little cheezy, but a good motivator. I look forward to seeing the familiar faces and friends who were already there, much to my surprise. And it’s really gratifying to have your progress literally cheered on by everyone else in the meeting.

A FEW MORE THINGS…

For me, I need to weigh in daily to keep me on track and to not be afraid of having that weekly weigh in at my meeting. If I go too long without weighing, I mentally freak out about stepping on the scale. It’s kind of like checking your bank balance every day, if you will. I don’t obsess over it; but I do keep track of it and it helps me to see how what I ate the day before affects my body. Simon bought us this Withings scale that syncs automatically to our phones.

Ok, hope that answers some questions and encourages any other WWers out there. The biggest thing I’ve learned is to just keep on going. Some weeks are better than others, but overall I feel so happy to be a part of such a positive organization and I’m proud of what I’ve accomplished!

with love,
Rachel

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