Odds and Ends

• I tried writing my weigh-in post today, but the words just wouldn’t come. I hate when that happens. The past two weeks haven’t been weeks to be proud of, but they have been weeks that I can learn from. I’m back to tracking, drinking water, and eating healthy foods. I’m scared to step on the scale, so I’ll leave that for my meeting on Wednesday.
  
  
• I spent the last week uploading all of my Project 365 photos to Flickr. I’m up to Day 73! I’ve never made it this far and the weekly updates on my blog can get cumbersome. Once I get my new blog launched, I’ll have a sidebar showcasing my photos but since most of them post to Twitter and I sprinkle them throughout my posts, I decided to do away with the blog updates.
  
  
• I started a new boot camp class last Saturday. Through Living Social, my mom found a deal for four boot camp classes for $20. The instructor is only former NFL running back, Michael Pittman. After the terrible experience I had with my first boot camp, I was very apprehensive about this one but people love boot camp! They can’t all be terrible, right? Well, yes and no. Yes, because it was terrible. As in, hard and tough and made me want to pass out. And no in the fact that it was over an hour but the time flew by and the instructors were fantastic. Encouraging but tough. I need someone who’s going to be tough on me, make me work for it, and not let me quit. The instructors at my other boot camp gave up on me quickly. What I’m trying to say is that if you’re watching The Biggest Loser this season, Conda ain’t got nothin’ on me. And I need a Dolvett-like trainer to push me past what I think my limits are. After just one class, I’m seriously considering canceling my gym membership so I can afford going to this boot camp every Saturday.
  
  
• I’m reading L.A. Candy right now by Lauren Conrad. The writing isn’t great but there’s just something about that book that I can’t get enough of! Is it time for lunch yet? I need to get back to my book...
  
  
• Speaking of books, I recently found out I can borrow books from the library for my Kindle. I can only request four at a time and only get a week to read each book, but it’s still pretty exciting! I love my Kindle but I never used to buy books before – I always went to the library. It’s been quite a financial burden, with the way I go through books.
  
  
• Tuesday, I was dealing with girl problems and it took everything in me to head to Bible study instead of going home and curling up in a fetal position. I hadn’t finished my homework for the week and was feeling lousy. But man, I am so glad I went! The message Beth Moore gave spoke right to my heart, exactly to what I am dealing with right now. The wheels were turning in my head through the entire message and I can’t wait to share some of what I learned with you guys soon!
  
  
• My running has sucked lately. Su-u-u-u-cked. Running has never been a favorite activity of mine to begin with, but I had been doing good for a few months there. I’m not sure what is going on, but I have a 5K to run in April. And I want to beat my time from last year’s 5K. So I need to figure it out and get to training!
  
  
• I’m also thinking of running walking the Disney Princess Half-Marathon next February. But I’m still not sure I have what it takes to get through 13.1 miles. It’s not an easy feat, for sure!
  
  
• I’m so happy it’s Friday. I have boot camp tomorrow morning and big shopping plans, since I got a nice little bonus in my paycheck this week. I’m trying to be smart with the extra cash, but you can’t fault a girl for wanting to treat herself a little! Wheee!
  

Have you ever done a boot camp? What was your experience like? What are your weekend plans?

Oh! And a little reminder for #twookclub members! Sunday, I’m closing the discussion for our March book pick and putting up the poll to vote. If you haven’t given a suggestion yet, do so before Sunday at 8pm EST. We have a lot of great suggestions so far, but I’d love for some books that have been suggested to get another nod!

What’s So Special About January?

December is typically a month where I go a little crazy. It’s at this time of the year I realize I’m not anywhere near where I promised myself I would be in January and decide to use December as my “free for all” month and start fresh in January. After all, there’s too much temptation in December! January starts a new year and then I can get serious about my health.

But while this year hasn’t been a year where I dropped a bunch of weight and finally started feeling that healthy living is a possibility, I’m refusing to let myself undo the small amount of work I did do. Yes, I’m still unhappy with my body and the way I eat. Yes, I’m having a hard time considering this year a monster success because I’m still struggling with my weight problem. But I know I took measures every single day to live a healthier lifestyle. It may have been as simple as not having dessert at night or drinking water at work, but it was something. I have no doubt in my mind if I hadn’t tried my best to follow a healthy-living regime, I would be at least 40-50 pounds heavier than I am right now. That’s too scary to even contemplate.

This year, I did not run a half-marathon, but I did exercise at least once but more often than not 4-5 times a week.

This year, I did not “cure” my addiction to Coke, but I started drinking water on a regular basis and I learned that I’m not so much as addicted to soda, as it is a comfort and normality for me.

This year, I did not find a healthy living mindset but I did chase after healthy living goals every week. I may have had more downs than ups, but I never gave up trying.

While I am hoping 2012 will be a year I finally grab hold of what healthy living needs to look like for me (with the help of “12 Changes in 2012”!), I don’t want to let any of my healthy goals slide in December. And I’m not talking about treating myself to yummy treats or delicious holiday meals, I’m talking about the other days of the month. They vastly outnumber the days filled with parties, baking, and holidays. Those are the days I need to keep my focus on healthy living. The days when I need to down water like it’s my job and fit in a killer workout and eat healthy, filling meals. The days when I need to ease up on sweets and soda and fatty foods. I’m not looking to use December as a month to drop weight, but as a month to remain focused on my overall goal of a healthy lifestyle.

At the end of the month, I want to be satisfied with myself and the choices I made throughout the month. I don’t want to spend the month in a constant cycle of guilt and disgustingness (yes, that is a word).

I may have not fulfilled my resolution of reaching my goal weight but I have tried my best. And I’m still going to keep trying. As one of my favorite movies once quoted, “Don’t let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game*.” I’m not going to let my fear or history of failing keep me from trying. Because one of these days, it’s all going to click.

*That would be A Cinderella Story. And yes, it’s one of my favorite movies. Don’t judge!

Ten Days of Thanksgiving - Day 4

• Day 1
• Day 2
• Day 3

Today, I am thankful for my ability to exercise.

I’ll admit I am never the one to bound out of bed in the morning to run or even to look forward to working out. I have daily debates in my head whether or not I want to go to the gym after work and have a million excuses why I can skip my workout for the day.

But I lace up my shoes 4-6 times a week and get my body moving, even when my whole mind is protesting against it.

Why?

Because I feel better when I do and worse when I don’t. Because I’m striving to live a healthy life and exercise is a part of that. Because it makes me feel strong and powerful. And because there will be a time in my life when I won’t be able to exercise. I’m hoping this time is far, far in the future but it could happen in an instant.

It was an instant for my mom. It was an instant for Ashley.

On Saturday, while my mom was on a long run for her marathon training, I got a call from her about 90 minutes into her run. She had fallen and her knee was hurting. She needed me to come get her. While her knee is fine, when she fell, she used her arms to break her fall and ended up re-injuring her elbow that she broke last year. It’s just a bruise, nothing major, but she hasn’t been able to run since then or do anything but low-impact exercise (recumbent biking and walking). When she was hit by a car, she couldn’t run for three months. She was in the middle of marathon training at this point so it severely disrupted her training program.

My worst injury to date was a sprained ankle two years ago and I was only out for a week. I couldn’t imagine having to take months off exercising or going from Ironman-fit to barely able to walk. It’s a scary thought and it’s something that could happen. So I need to take this time, when I am healthy and young, to be thankful I can exercise and to stop the complaining.

I am thankful for my body that is strong enough to carry me through weight-lifting classes, spin classes, and runs. I am thankful for healthy lungs and a healthy heart that can keep up with how I push my body. I am thankful for strong legs and arms. I am thankful for the endorphins and happiness a good workout brings me. I am thankful for sweat, racing hearts, and being out of breath. I am thankful for my ability to exercise.

*Inspired by Lisa

Fighting a “Losing” Battle

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I can get easily caught up in everything I’m doing wrong on my journey to a healthier lifestyle. I can get caught up in the fact I am nowhere near my goal weight I set for myself back in January, or that it’s still a struggle for me to go to the gym after work, or that I’m still not drinking my recommended ounces of water daily. I could go on, but you know what? Why dwell on that? Why beat myself for up for everything I’m not doing when there are things I AM doing right.

I exercise at least four times a week.

Every since I joined a gym, exercise has become a part of my everyday routine. I never thought I would be able to call myself a gym rat, but I totally am. My gym membership doesn’t come cheap, but I get way more out of exercise than I did when I didn’t have a membership. When I didn’t have a membership, I was “running” a few times a week (never longer than 30 minutes), using our apartment gym (consisting of a treadmill, elliptical, and stationary bike), and occasionally using exercise DVDs. I got in my exercise, but my gym membership allows me to do so much more with my workouts. And I now feel as if a 30-minute workout is taking it easy.

I am mindful of my portion sizes.

One of the best things I ever learned from Weight Watchers was measuring out portion sizes. About two years ago, I bought my mom a food scale and I implore anyone who is looking to lead a healthier lifestyle to buy one of these. It makes measuring out correct servings of meat and noodles so much easier. Before I got a food scale, everything was done by eyeballing food and that was never giving me accurate sizes. I measure out just about every single food I eat and believe me, it was a little scary when I saw what a 1 oz cookie really looks like. It’s time-consuming and not always fun, but it’s extremely necessary in my journey to lose weight and be healthy.

I drink less soda.

I’m still not completely off soda, although I want to be! I’ve tried the cold turkey route but I go through bad withdrawals when I do that. I know you just need to get over that hump, but I’ve never been able to. Instead, I’m cutting down on my intake. I do ridiculously well during the week (one can a day) but falter a little on the weekends. But it’s still less than what I was drinking before. On average, I would probably drink about 4-5 sodas a day so dropping down to one a day is a major accomplishment. And I’m also starting to go days without one at all! (This is HUGE for me!) I know I am addicted to drinking soda, so it’s hard, but I’m also learning it’s doable.

I am mindful of what I eat.

Sometimes, I have major slip-ups. (Like a month ago, when I bought a box of Pop-Tarts to eat for breakfast. Not the healthiest of selections but I haven’t had Pop-Tarts since I was a kid!) But more often than not, I look closely at the nutrition facts and ingredients in a food. There are certain foods I don’t even think of buying due to their fat or sugar content. I know what qualifies as healthy and what qualifies as unhealthy. (Which can sometimes be tricky, thanks to questionable packaging.)

I am not giving up.

Through all of this, the ups and downs, the slip-ups and the losses and gains on the scale, I am still doing it. I’m not giving up, I’m not quitting. Even if I “quit” for a week or two, I brush myself up and get back on the horse. I keep going, I keep fighting. It’s been the hardest battle I’ve ever faced, but I will not give up on it. My health is too important to give up on.

What is the hardest battle you’ve had to face?

Boot Camp Graduate

Six weeks ago, I signed up for boot camp. My mom and I had “cash” to spend as a sort of signing bonus for joining our gym and had the option of using it for two personal training sessions or a 6-week boot camp. We wanted the boot camp.

I haven’t been exactly silent about my feelings of boot camp and six weeks later, I can firmly say I was not happy with my experience and will not do another boot camp through my gym. We went on Mondays and Wednesdays for an hour. Mondays was with a small group (the biggest group we had was 4 people, including my mom and me) and Wednesdays involved a much bigger group.

I hated Mondays. Hated them. They were more like a personal training session, but boot camp style which meant we were moving from exercise to exercise and all the focus and attention was on us. There were half-mile runs and never-ending burpees and lunges across the gym. There were a lot of “Come on, Stephany”’s if I tried to take a 10-second break and more push-ups than anyone should have to do in a one-hour window.

Wednesdays were my favorite, if I had to pick a favorite. The group was bigger, there was music blaring, and stations set up. The trainers focus was divided between everyone and it was a fun atmosphere. It was still incredibly hard, but the different stations made the hour fly by. That said, Wednesdays were also incredibly unorganized. The trainers were more focused on the more fit girls, making sure they were always together and always at the right station which meant my mom and I were pushed aside and ended up repeating stations a lot. I’m not trying to be whiney about it, but it was just very annoying how the “0% Body Fat” girls got special treatment.

I consider myself a somewhat fit individual. I can make it through a spin class without fainting. I can easily keep up in Body Pump (weight lifting) and Body Combat (karate-style) classes. I’m not a newbie to exercise. But boot camp is a completely different ball game. It made me cry. It made me almost pass out (mostly due to improper fueling, but still). It made me have deep respect for every Biggest Loser contestant. It showed me I was weak, but also showed me I was capable. I was capable of sticking to something I didn’t like. Capable of working hard, even when my lungs are screaming at me to stop. Capable of my breaking point. Capable of being willing to being pushed past my breaking point.

When all was said and done, I didn’t lose a lot of weight. (Just goes to show you that nutrition tells more of the story than does exercise.) But I did lose inches. The funny thing is, I was on cloud nine after doing my measurements and the minute I saw what my weight and body fat percentage was, I was so disappointed in myself. I quickly made myself snap out of it, because the scale does not tell the whole story. This little table proves that:

Area	Inches Lost (from 8/8/11 to 9/12/11)
Neck	-.5 inches
Chest	-1 inch
Left Arm	-.5 inches
Right Arm	No change
Abs	No change
Hips	No change
Left Thigh	-1.5 inches
Right Thigh	-1.5 inches

 

So maybe I still have a ways to go with my major problem areas (darn abs!) but I am getting somewhere. Even when the scale isn’t budging, there are more pieces to the puzzle to look at. And you know what? Even if I hadn’t lost inches in almost every area of my body, at least I went out there and did it. I did something completely out of the my comfort zone and I let them push me. And since my word for 2011 is risk, I would say I’m living up to that.

I’ve Been Doing It Wrong

I quit Weight Watchers this weekend.

I hate to admit that, but I have to be honest on my blog. I quit. When looking over my weight record from the past 2 months, I realized I had been paying $40 a month (ended up around $120 total) to gain weight. In the past two months, I’ve gained around 2 pounds. Is it terrible? No, not at all. But it is when you forked over $120 to lose weight.

My heart hasn’t been in it. I’ve been searching long and hard for reasons why. Am I just not cut out for weight loss? Do I just not have the motivation within me to do this? What is missing in me that is found in others who can lose weight?

On Saturday, it felt like a light bulb went off in my head. It’s not that I have no motivation or the right stuff to lose weight. It’s that I’ve been approaching my health in the wrong way. It’s been more about being skinny than being healthy and satisfied with who I am. For as long as I can remember, I have had body image issues. I have never liked the way I looked, even when I was younger and had a normal, healthy body. I didn’t start gaining weight until high school, but I have always felt awkward in my body. My body image issues have gotten worse as I’ve grown older. At 23, I want to believe I am done with worrying about how others perceive me and feeling as if I don’t measure up to others standards because I have 30 extra pounds sitting on my midsection, but I’m not. If anything, my body image issues are worse now than they were 10 years ago.

For the past few years that I’ve tried to lose weight, I’ve been approaching it more from the perspective of being skinny and feeling more comfortable in my body. And I think most people who have lost weight or are trying to lose it approach it, at least in the beginning, from that same perspective. We want to lose weight because we are unhappy with the way we look and feel. I don’t feel like I have ever crossed the line to more intrinsic rewards found in healthy eating and weight loss.

Ever since I joined Weight Watchers, I’ve been approaching the program from the wrong angle. I think it is the best weight-loss program there is and you can find success with it - as long as you do it right. If you don’t follow the plan, you’re not going to lose weight. Simple. As. That. But for me, Weight Watchers was about being “good” for 6 days of the week and then having one day of cheating. But why can’t being “good” be my normal?

The truth is that I need to take a step back and reevaluate. Weight Watchers isn’t working for me right now. (Because of me, not because there are flaws in the program.) I need to start learning to love my body for what it can do for me. I need to stop seeing my size as a detriment to my character. The size of my body has nothing to do with who I am as a person. I am a smart, funny, driven, pretty amazing individual. Being overweight does not take any of that away from me. Being skinny does not make me a better person. Change has to start on the inside.

Changing your entire lifestyle is hard. Heck, any change is hard. Changing how you approach food and health involves more than just what you put on your plate for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It’s about how you deal with your happy moods and your sad moods. Holidays and special events. Those days when you feel like doing nothing but sitting on the couch but know getting your butt to the gym will make you feel 1,000 times better. It’s about throwing away the scale and deciding that your health is more important than your waistline.

I don’t have a firm plan in place on how I’m going about this. I do know that it doesn’t involve tying up my success in what the scale is telling me. Whether or not that means throwing out the scale (or at least my weekly weigh-ins) remains to be seen. Sometimes, it’s nice to have that as a way to track how I’m doing but it only gives a small piece of the puzzle yet I have a tendency to make it the biggest piece. I do know that I will still be tracking what I eat, but in a completely different way. And I also know I need to learn to appreciate the body I have now. I have to stop hating the way I look, just because it’s not as slim and trim as I want it to be. While I intend to work hard to change it, I also need to really work through my body image issues and discover how to love who I am because of who I am, not because of the size of my jeans. The truth is, if I don’t work on loving my body as it is right now, it’s probably not going to get much better once I have lost the weight. Change can happen on the outside, but it means nothing if change also does not occur on the inside.

So, yes, I’m overweight. It doesn’t make me any less capable, any less beautiful, any less remarkable. It just means my stomach curves out more than I would like it to.

This Weight Loss Thing is Hard

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I hate feeling like a failure. I hate sitting here, eight months after I promised myself I would make big changes to find that I’m no different than I was then. I find this in all areas of my life but the biggest area is with my health. It’s the most noticeable part, so it’s not surprising that it gets the most attention. Or lack thereof.

Weight loss is hard. It’s a long and arduous journey of ups and downs, highs and lows. It’s a completely transformation of yourself, both inside and out. It’s reforming what your brain has been ingrained to tell you to do and eat and say for the past 20-something years of your life.

Yet I know it’s possible. I have seen others do it and I have had firsthand knowledge of the power it can have in the transformation of my mom. She went from a woman who could only shop in plus-size stores, who was winded from walking up one flight of stairs, and who was afraid the next time she went to an amusement park, she wouldn’t be able to fit in the rollercoaster to someone who doesn’t even resemble that person. She’s lost 80 pounds and kept it off. She’s run a marathon and is training for her second. And while she still struggles with being healthy, she makes the better choices more often than not.

I live with this woman. I have all the inspiration, motivation, and support behind me. So why is it still so hard? Why am I still struggling? Why can’t I get this right?

There are weeks when it doesn’t feel like such a struggle. Healthy eating and gym time feels normal. But then there are those weeks when everything I do feels like a battle. Cravings crop up when I least expect them and my ability to withstand temptation is at an all-time low. I don’t want to give in, but it’s just easier than dealing with the tempting thoughts 24/7.

It’s not that I don’t know what I need to do to lose weight. I do. Drink lots of water. Eat lots of fruits, veggies, and lean protein. Indulge every so often. Exercise. Track what you’re eating, plan out your meals. Yadda, yadda, yadda. I know what to do, but it’s the implementation and seeing it through to the end where my brain gets trippy.

I read a quote a while back in one of the fitness magazines I read:

Don’t trade what you want most for what you want at this moment.

What an incredible statement. I need this to be the mantra for my life. I need my focus to be on weight loss and leading a healthier lifestyle. I need to stop looking at what’s going to satisfy me in the here and now and start imagining how much better I will feel when I hit my happy weight. And remember how much better I feel when I’m following the plan and working out consistently.

I’ve noticed how a lot of people seem to have a problem with letting their eating habits become obsessive and controlling when they track what they eat. Everything revolves around what they are eating. In a way, I need to embrace an obsessive tendency towards tracking and what I’m putting into my body. What I’m doing right now is not working. I’m letting my past control my future. One of my Weight Watcher Leader’s favorite sayings is “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always got.” I’m the poster child for that statement.

Changing your lifestyle is scary stuff. It’s not for the faint of heart and takes more grit and determination than I feel I possess. I see how others have transformed and just wonder how they maintain motivation over the long haul. How they don’t let things like vacations and celebrations get in the way of their lifestyle. The answer is easy, of course. It is their lifestyle. It is their normal.

I don’t know where I’m going with this post. I just know I’ve been on the program since the early January and I’ve lost 6 pounds. Six freaking pounds. It defeats me when I see a sentence like that. I know that it’s good that I’m still trying and still at a loss, but it still defeats me. To hear of people who have been losing weight for the same time and have lost three or four times the weight I have is defeating. I know I have my own journey to go through and I knew it would take a lot of kicking and screaming before I finally submit to being healthy and losing weight. I’m a stubborn individual and I don’t like change.

The truth is, I need to take a long, hard look at my eating habits and change what doesn’t fit. What isn’t helping me towards my goal. What is losing the battle for me. I can tell you easily that it involves not drinking enough water, not eating enough in the morning, snacking on things that don’t fill me up, and allowing little things to trip me up like bad news or big celebrations. Plain and simple. Bottom line. I need to start thinking skinny and remembering my number one goal. I want to be healthy and I want to look at my body and be proud of it.

Right now? I’m just defeated.

I Found The One

For the longest time, I’ve been searching for The One. I think most of us are. Other people have found it. Some have no desire to even start searching. And there are those, like me, who go after finding The One with a vengeance. They will not stop. Nothing else matters but The One. They envy others who have found it and try methods that they have used. They moan and gripe and cry, wondering why they haven’t found this love. They want to know what they’re doing wrong.

Until one day, magic happens. And they find The One. It may have been a fluke accident or it may be something that’s been brewing for a long time. But finally, finally, they found it.

This has been going on for a month or two, but I can now safely say that I have found The One. A love that makes my heart beat with excitement and where I leave every encounter more full of love, happiness, and joy.

Oh, and perhaps also a shirt soaked with sweat.

I found love. And I found it on a spin bike.

Oh, spinning, how I love thee. If you’ve been around this blog enough, you know how desperately I chased after a dream of becoming a runner. And not just any runner, but someone whose entire life revolves around it. I subscribed to running e-mail lists, got fitted for proper running shoes, and even started training for two half-marathons before I realized I needed to be honest with myself: running sucked. I hated it. I would go out for training runs, hating every pound of the pavement and the feeling of defeat that clogged my brain when I ended up walking more than I ran.

When I signed up for a gym membership in June, there was only one thing on my mind: I wanted a place to spin. I had only taken two spin classes previously and they were hard as hell, but I felt powerful, strong, and amazing afterward. I loved the intensity, loved how it made me hurt. Ever since then, I’ve wanted to take more spin classes to see if this is something I love.

I found out that this is more than love. I am actually excited to go work out, where previously I felt dread. I am finding the same emotions my mom has for running in spin classes. I love the way I sweat like a pig, the way I stretch myself to do more than I thought I could at a higher intensity, and the way my body hurts afterward. I love the feeling of accomplishment. And I love how it is completely go-at-your-own-pace and I’m not worried at all about the people who are spinning faster or harder than me. With running, I was constantly comparing myself. People say it’s very individualized but I never felt that way. I was always questioning why I wasn’t running faster or longer or harder. Why it felt so hard for me, why I didn’t love it, why I didn’t have a passion for it the way others did.

Truth is, running wasn’t the right thing for me. I wanted it to be, tried desperately to make it so, but it was time to seek out something I loved more.

In spinning, I have found The One. The exercise love that thrills and excites me. Every class is tough and mentally bruising. And there are some classes that I absolutely dread, but go anyway because I know I will feel better afterwards. It doesn’t take every ounce of willpower for me to get to the gym and find a bike. It just takes knowing how much I love it to keep me going back.

Have you found The (Exercise) One?

Two Sides to Every Weight Loss Story

I’m losing my weight the old-fashioned way: through healthy eating and exercise. I’m using Weight Watchers as a way to help me maintain motivation and have a support system to lose the weight and learn to live healthier. Weight Watchers is basically like counting calories, except you count Points Plus values. Every single item of food is assigned a Points Plus value depending on fat grams, carbs, protein, and fiber. Every single food being labeled means nothing is off limits. Weight Watchers doesn’t teach about deprivation but about portion control.

I’ve been on and off the program since the summer of 2007. So I know the program backwards and forwards. I know what works for me and what doesn’t. I know that the program works if you do it correctly. As one of my all-time favorite Leaders always says, “Let the Program work for you. Don’t work the Program.”

This week, I saw a gain on the scale. Truthfully, I knew it wasn’t going to be a stellar weight loss week for me because of one issue: eating.

My exercise was fantastic this week. Three days I exercised for over an hour (twice hitting the two-hour mark) and two days I hit the gym for an hour. And since I had previously been exercising for 30-45 minutes a few days a week, this is a lot of exercise for me.

But I love it! I love being in the gym, love the classes, love the atmosphere. It pushes me to keep going and pressing forward. I would love to spend two hours in the gym every day but it’s not always feasible. But those days I do? I feel amazing.

But the other side of the story is where I feel not-so-amazing. I grew very lax on tracking what I ate and eating the good stuff, giving myself leeway because of all the exercise I was doing. The week before, I decided not to count my exercise points towards my daily total and it worked out good - I lost 3 pounds. This week was a whole ‘nother ballgame.

If it’s one thing I know, it’s that weight loss requires healthy eating and exercise. I have the exercise part of the equation down pat. And now it’s time for me to get the healthy eating part down pat.

Stats
Starting Weight: 159.2 lbs
Current Weight: 152 lbs
Net Difference: -7.2 lbs (+.8 this week)
Body Fat: 27.57% (+)

Drastic

This week, I decided I had to do something drastic. My water consumption is pitiful and I will admit to days when I don’t drink one ounce of water at all. And it’s because of soda. I love soda and I drink way too much of it. Since joining Weight Watchers, I’ve been doing better on drinking less but it’s still a huge issue. It means I’m wasting 4+ points a day on soda and not getting in the correct amount of water.

I have to drastically cut it out of my life, because what I’m doing isn’t working. And no, I’m not excited about this at all.

At first, I thought about giving myself a specific amount of water to drink, starting at 24oz. I would shoot for drinking 24oz of water a day and gradually bump the amount up until I was drinking 70-80 ounces a day. …And that barely ever happened. Even though I have two pretty nifty water bottles that measure out to 24oz, water is not my favorite thing to drink. And if I have the option to choose water or soda, I will choose soda 98% of the time. This way wasn’t working.

So then I started setting aside days of the week where I wouldn’t have any soda, calling them “No Coke Days.” Since starting back at Weight Watchers in January, I’ve only done this a few times and it’s only been for one day. It was going well and I was hoping to add more days without Coke, but then shingles happened and all healthy eating flew out the window for a week. I’ve been able to get back in the swing of things with my eating, but not with my soda intake.

Soda is my biggest problem when it comes to getting healthy. I do fine with exercise, sticking within my points range, and eating only when I’m hungry. But soda? Forget it. It’s an addiction. And since I only drink regular Coke, it means I have to count at least 4 points for each serving. My mom drinks Diet Coke, but I’ve tried to stay away from diet soda because I know it would only cause me to drink it even more. At least with regular soda, I have to account for it and it makes me stay somewhat in control. (Or at least that’s what I tell myself.)

But the time has come to gain control over this area. I want to stop wishing I could cut down on how much soda I drink and just do it. And I am. I am giving myself a limit of 3 sodas a week. As of right now, I’m not going to count Wednesday night into this equation, although I might as the weeks go by. I am no longer going to buy it, because it only causes me to reach for the syrupy stuff more than water. I can choose to have it three times and once I’ve had it those three times, that’s it. No more. I think cutting it out this way is better in the long run because I’m leaving room for cravings, but it’s also going to be a big cut in how much soda I drink on a weekly basis. For example, last week, I had around 11 servings of Coke (12oz/serving.) This doesn’t count what I had on Wednesday night, heh. Going from 11 to 3 is going to be a drastic shift.

My main reason for quitting the Coke is to have more energy. I know the amount of sugar I have in each Coke isn’t helping anything. It will also free up a lot of my points! 11 servings of Coke = 44 points. Sickening, really. And hopefully, this will lead to another great week of weight loss. :)

Stats
Starting Weight: 159.2 lbs
Current Weight: 150.8 lbs
Net Difference: 8.4 lbs (-.8 lbs this week)
BMI: 27.6 (-.1 this week)

Sources: 1, 2, 3

Sometimes, I...

...buy a bag of Robin Eggs and finish the entire thing in a 24-hour time period. And try to feel guilty about it but can't, because they are just that good.

...forget to charge my iPod and a scheduled run turns into an unscheduled walk.

...stop tracking my food deliberately and feel completely out of control.

...realize how much tracking helps me stay accountable and, most of all, more in control of my body.

...experience anxiety on weeks when I'm not working as hard as I need to be at this weight loss thing, worrying I will never be able to control myself and always be labeled as fat.

...get annoyed by the perfectionists in my Weight Watchers meetings.

...think the best part of my week is after weigh-in, when I get to eat whatever I want and not worry about points values.

...experience major exercise guilt, either from not working out or not working out as hard as I wanted to.

...think about quitting soda cold turkey, but I know I would be miserable.

...get really jealous of others' weight loss successes.

...make a really good, healthy choice over a really bad, unhealthy choice and feel completely satisfied and proud of myself.

...forget how good an early morning workout feels. I wish I could do that every day.

...think I have a really bad week and will never see successful weight loss...and end up losing more weight than I thought I could.

Stats

Starting Weight: 159.2 lbs

Current Weight: 151.6 lbs

Net Difference: 7.6 lbs (-3.2 this week)

BMI: 27.7 (-.6 this week)

On Quitting 13.1

I didn't want to write this post.

I didn't want to admit that I took on a challenge too big, that I couldn't do something it seems everyone and their mother has done or will do in the upcoming months. I hate failure more than anything, especially when it comes from myself. Past experiences have led me to an obsession with achievement and winning, never failure.

I've been training to run the IronGirl Half-Marathon for a few weeks now. At first, I was incredibly excited. What an amazing accomplishment this will be! I told myself to enjoy the process, not worry about how long a distance of thirteen miles is. This was for the experience, not for any sort of time goal. The important part was to enjoy it.

At first, I was shooting to finish within 3 hours. If I could make it within that time frame, I would be incredibly happy with myself. Then I started to realize how hard it would be to keep up that pace, when I'm walking a good portion of it. I'm not a fast runner by any means and neither am I a fast walker. (Darn short legs.) I began to tell myself to forget about finishing within 3 hours. Instead, focus on finishing my miles and preparing my mind for race day. Enjoy the experience.

I wasn't enjoying anything. My runs were painful and almost every long run made me cry and beat myself up in frustration. Every run made me question why I was doing this. Why did I shoot for such a lofty goal when it's still hard to run just a mile? Is this something I want to do or am I doing this for other people? Am I doing this to fit in to this crazy blogging world where everyone seems to love running and training for marathons? (At least in the healthy-living world. And not that there's anything wrong with that.)

I stressed myself out to the point of shingles. My body had to physically let me know I was under major stress and needed to make serious changes before things got worse. My low immune system also played a role in this, but so did stress. Stress about training, about the race, about how others would view me as a quitter if I dropped out of the half-marathon.

To be completely honest, I didn't want to admit on this blog that I was quitting again. I didn't want to let everyone down. I had so many people rooting for me, telling me I could do this. I hate the connotation of being a quitter, but I guess it's a label I have to take on. Because I am. I'm quitting. I'm dropping down to the 5K, from 13 miles to 3.

When I made the decision, it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders. I felt free. I felt as if I could finally breathe again. But it also sucks. I know I'm going to feel awful come race day with all the half-marathon runners and me - still running baby 5K races. But I also know it's the best decision. My body - physically or mentally - isn't prepared for 13 miles. As much as I pushed myself, my body finally pushed back and told me enough is enough. This isn't a decision I made lightly or in the heat of the moment. It's a decision that feels right.

My plan is to keep running, but keep the distances small. Build up my stamina and endurance so my body will be ready to tackle a half-marathon some day in the future. Start with one-mile runs and gradually increase, as I feel my body getting stronger. I want to give this running thing its fair shot because I so badly want to be a runner. I want to be one of you guys.

April 10th doesn't feel like Doomsday anymore. It feels like a normal day where I will go out and try to kill my previous PR of 42:32. So maybe it's not quitting. Maybe it's just being smart.

Sources: x, x

Not Quite a Setback

I had a feeling about this week. About halfway into the week, there was just this feeling that it was going to be one of Those Weeks. While I was staying within my Points and not even using as much of my Extra Points as I usually do, my body was rebelling.

I could pinpoint just what I did wrong. Not enough exercise (only 3 days). Not enough water (although I did drink my 24oz 3 out of the 7 days). And the biggie: eating bad points. While I stayed within my limits, I wasn’t eating the good stuff. The problem with staying within your limits with the bad stuff is that you tend to undereat during another meal to make up for it. So if I had a 20-point lunch, I could only have a 5- or 6-point dinner, unless I wanted to use up the vast majority of my extra points.

It’s never a good idea. But it wasn’t a big setback, just showed me I have to be careful of what I’m eating and whether or not it’s a Power Food that’s going to be good and filling for me. I tracked my food, but would conveniently “forget” certain things I ate.

This isn’t a big set-back for me that causes me to go crazy, cry, and doubt I’ll ever be skinny. I know what I did wrong and I know how to improve it. I want to really put my focus back on tracking and eating Power Foods, drinking more water (24oz a day, for now), and getting in exercise. I really want to strive to do some sort of physical activity every day of the week, even if it’s just a 20-minute walk. I get very lazy or busy with schoolwork that exercise can take a backseat to other things, but I’m going to work hard to do something every day.

Stats (Week 3)
Starting Weight: 159.2 lbs
Current Weight: 153.6 lbs
Net Difference: –5.6 lbs (-0 this week)
BMI: 28.1 (-1 total)

February

Growing up, February was my least favorite month of the year. The thrill of a new year was over and I was faced with a long month of no school breaks at all. Spring Break seemed incredibly far away and Valentine’s Day is probably my least favorite holiday. (Halloween is a very close second.)

February really doesn’t have much to offer itself to me. I have a long month of homework, half-marathon training, and regular ole work ahead of me.

But I’m also happier than I’ve ever been. I’m not sure why, but I’m going with it! There’s such joy in unexplained happiness!

Onto my goals for February…

Establish a bedtime routine. I don’t have much of a bedtime routine. I’m usually watching TV while reading blogs until 10:30pm, realizing how late it is and how tired I am and hurriedly rushing through my bedtime routine before collapsing into bed after 11pm. Since I wake up at 5am, I really need to get to bed by 9pm. I want to establish a better routine of shutting down my laptop, taking Dutch out, washing my face and brushing my teeth, as well as preparing my school bags and breakfast for the next day. I’m aiming to hit the sack at 9:30pm this month and hopefully inching my way up to the 9pm time slot by March.

Run 3 times a week, hitting my goal half-marathon pace at least once. Lately, I’ve been having some really, really good runs. I’m actually enjoying it, even if my time is slower than I like. I’m trying to take the focus off the numbers and onto just running and having fun. So far, it’s working. I’m shooting to run the marathon in 2:55, which puts me at a 13:21 pace. For me, that’s incredibly fast. (For others, incredibly slow. Ha!) Just once, I want to hit that pace to give me the confidence I need to be able to run this way on race day.

Begin to create recipe cards. Stefanie is the one who got my gears spinning on this one. My mom and I have the hardest time coming up with meal ideas and the problem stems from a) we are members of the National Society for Indecisiveness (well, maybe. We haven’t made up our minds yet.) and b) we don’t meal plan correctly. I’m hoping to be able to start a little collection of meal ideas so we can refer to them while meal planning, making the process so much easier.

That’s it. Just three goals, because I think it’s the perfect amount. They all seemingly have to do with health and fitness (sleep, running, and eating) because that’s all that seems to consume my thoughts nowadays. If I can complete all these goals, I am treating myself to an Otterbox cell phone cover. I’ve been coveting this for a while but it’s pricey so I want to work for it!

Do you have any goals for February? What are you hoping to accomplish this month?

This Time, it’s Different

I like to consider myself somewhat of a Weight Watcher expert. I’ve been doing the program, on and off, since May of 2007. I’ve tried out the Core Plan, the Flex Plan, the Momentum Plan, and now this new PointsPlus Plan. I love them all, but struggled with most with Flex and Momentum (which were the same program, basically). This new plan works so well for me, getting me to take in more fruits and veggies and make healthier choices. (Not just low-point choices.)

It feels different this time around. I started Weight Watchers when I saw how much success my mom was seeing on the program. And while my mom never pushed me to start attending, I guess I felt like this was her program and I was just tagging along. When she made good choices, I made good choices. When she made bad choices, I made bad choices. I’ve always looked at Weight Watchers as my mom’s thing.

It’s my thing now. It’s about me, my health, my weight loss. I have to stop riding on my mom’s coattails and start taking action over my life. I’m losing this weight for me, not because my mom already did. I am much more in control of my eating and my exercise. I’m not worried about how my mom is doing (although I care!), so much as how I am doing. I’m documenting everything I eat throughout the day and relying on my own self-motivation to keep me focused.

It feels different this time. Like it’s finally going to happen. This is the time I lose the weight for good, adopt healthy habits for good, and become a brand-new version of myself. It feels like it’s my time and I look forward to proving myself just how strong I can be every week. It’s not easy and I won’t say I’m even halfway there yet. But my baby steps are getting bigger and less wobbly.

Stats (Week 2)
Starting Weight: 159.2 lbs
Current Weight: 153.6 lbs
Net Difference: –5.6 lbs (-1.4 this week)
BMI: 28.1 (-1 total; –.2 this week)

Half-Marathon Training Plan

First and foremost, bloggers participating in the Blogger Book Swap: please make sure to get your books in the mail by this Sunday! And send me a tweet, e-mail, or comment when you do. Currently, I only know of two who have sent them so just keep me in the loop!

I’ll be running the IronGirl Half-Marathon on April 10th. I’m super nervous about it, especially since running is still a big struggle for me. But I’ve already registered so there’s no turning back now. Must. Do. This!
I’ve made a very tentative training plan, using Hal Higdon’s Novice Half-Marathon plan. I’m really not looking to do anything but complete 13.1 miles in a reasonable amount of time.

	MON	TUES	WED	THURS	FRI	SAT	SUN
1/17	REST	3 (5:2)	XT	3 (5:2)	1	STRENGTH	4 (5:2)
1/24	REST	3 (5:2)	XT	3 (5:2)	1.5	STRENGTH	4 (5:2)
1/31	REST	3.5 (6:2)	XT	3.5 (6:2)	2	STRENGTH	5 (6:2)
2/7	REST	3.5 (6:2)	XT	3.5 (6:2)	2.5	STRENGTH	5 (6:2)
2/14	REST	4 (7:2)	XT	4 (7:2)	3	STRENGTH	6 (7:2)
2/21	REST	4 (7:2)	XT	4 (7:2)	3.5	STRENGTH	5 (RACE)
2/28	REST	4.5 (8:2)	XT	4.5 (8:2)	4	STRENGTH	7 (8:2)
3/7	REST	4.5 (8:2)	XT	4.5 (8:2)	4.5	STRENGTH	8 (8:2)
3/14	REST	5 (9:2)	XT	5 (9:2)	5	STRENGTH	6 (9:2)
3/21	REST	5 (9:2)	XT	5 (9:2)	5.5	STRENGTH	9 (9:2)
3/28	REST	5 (9:1)	XT	5 (9:1)	6	STRENGTH	10 (9:1)
4/4	REST	4 (9:1)	XT	2 (9:1)	REST	REST	13.1

Now, some notes:

• I’ll be using a run/walk interval plan because it’s the only way I’ll get through this training cycle. The numbers in parenthesis on my run days is the interval I’ll be running. I will hopefully be up to doing a 9:1 run/walk interval on race day.
• On Fridays, I’m going to try to run these miles the whole way through. This isn’t on Higdon’s training plan, but it’s something I want to try out. I’m not sure if I’ll be up to 6 miles by March 28th, so these are very tentative.
• XT = cross-training. Generally, this will entail the bike and the elliptical.

And, some questions:

• Do you see any problems with my training plan? I’m eager to do this right, and not injure myself in the process.
• Do you think I need the Friday training runs where I’m just running, or should I use them for rest days?
• At what mileage should I eat a Gu? Is there anything you would suggest, aside from Gu, to eat during a long run?

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway - a $55 gift card to CSN Stores. Giveaway closes at 7pm on Sunday.

If It Takes Me 300 Attempts, At Least I Never Quit

I’ve been going back and forth with myself on whether or not to post weekly weight updates on here. I’ve never been good at being consistent with these types of posts, but I feel like I need a place to write about the process, the good things and the bad things. I need a place to vent, a place to celebrate, and a place to share.

I’ve written about my history of weight loss in many, many, many posts. I won’t go through it again. Yesterday, I went back to Weight Watchers for what might be my 6th or 7th time. Granted, most of the times I’ve quit have been because of monetary issues but I took a nice, little 4-week hiatus from WW over the holidays because things got rather crazy. I went nuts with my eating and was constantly frustrated and disappointed in myself for not being able to control myself over the holiday season. I would end each day, saying, “I’m going to do better tomorrow,” only to continue the pattern all over again.

Over the past week, I’ve been thinking about all my WW attempts. I usually am very successful if I follow the plan, but eventually get tired of watching everything I eat and having to be so careful. It’s not as if I feel like I’m missing out or depriving myself, but rather that I just want to eat what I want, when I want. There’s a time and a place for indulging – and it’s not everyday. I look back on how many times I’ve quit and it frustrates me. Why can’t I just get it done in one fell swoop? Why do I constantly disappoint myself with these failure attempts? Here’s what I came up with:

So what.

So what if it takes me attempt after attempt after attempt? So what if I keep failing but brushing myself off and trying again? So what if it takes me another 5 years to lose just 40 lbs? This is my journey and it’s going to take me a long time to switch over to a healthy lifestyle. It will not happen over night, over the next few weeks, or even the next few months. I need to remember to take the baby steps and stop getting discouraged when I’m still living in the fat mentality three months from now. I need to celebrate the small victories and grow from the failures.

I know I would be tipping the scales at 200+ lbs if I hadn’t joined WW in 2007. It’s kept me at a steady, albeit overweight, weight. And I’ve learned so much in these 3 1/2 years of going to different WW meetings and learning from different leaders.

But I’m back. I went last night to my first meeting since the beginning of December. I was prepared to gain and prepared to gain a lot. And I did. But I’m ready to get back on the horse, take this one day at a time, and finally change my life. I’m ready to work hard and really delve deeply into what my body needs for fuel and what foods are just junk in my body.

Stats
Starting/Current Weight: 159.2 lbs
BMI: 29.1 (.9 away from obese! Holy crap.)
Net difference: +8 from my last weigh-in
Goal Weight: 120 lbs

Goal For This Week
I’ll only be giving myself one goal to achieve this week, building on the previous week’s goal (if I achieve it). For this week, my only real goal is to follow the plan and stick with my points. I want to get back on track and start feeling more in control of my body and eating habits again.

How was your eating like during the holidays? Did you overindulge, or keep it on track? How did you feel about it?

Twenty-Six Point Two

Well, the weekend is finally here. On Sunday, my mom is running her first marathon. She may not be prepared in the traditional sense of getting in the mileage she needs. (Her longest run has only been 13.1 miles.) But she’s prepared in the mentally. While she had to take a good 7 weeks off her marathon training to recover from her accident, the minute she got the OK to run, run she did. She’s kept up steady mileage since October. She’s ready.

We’re leaving today at lunchtime for Orlando where we’ll check into our hotel and then head over to the race expo. It’s going to be crazy over there this weekend. There are over 20,000 people signed up for the marathon. That’s nuts! Every hotel is booked and I know it’s going to be annoying to find somewhere to eat on Saturday night. (Especially Italian restaurants!) I’ve never been to a race expo so it’ll be neat to experience it all!

Saturday will be a fun day of sleeping in and hanging out around the hotel. We’ll keep it low-key since Sunday’s going to be insane. My brother, sister-in-law, and nephew are coming up on Saturday night to support my mom during her race. I am so, so, so excited they’re coming and I know it’ll give her the extra something-something she needs to finish her race.

Sunday is going to be crazy. We have to leave the hotel by 3am and head over to the park. (She starts at Epcot.) My brother and I will get to see her four different times during the race: at the beginning, at Mile 4, at Mile 12.5, and at the end. Luckily, the Walt Disney World Marathon has an excellent spectator guide so I was able to print off where I could spot her and how to get there. It’s a little bit different from a regular marathon since she’s running through all the different Disney parks, so it’s very helpful to have this information. My SIL and nephew will join us at the end.

I am so incredibly nervous for my mom. She’s scared of being pulled out of the race because her pace isn’t fast enough, although I think she’ll be OK. She has to maintain a 16-minute mile pace and she’s been averaging 13-minute miles lately. She’s hoping to finish  in 6 hours.

Our other big concern was the weather. Last year, it was 26 degrees. For wimpy Florida folk like us, that is cold. We were anxiously awaiting 10 days until the race so we could finally check the weather. It started pretty scary with a low of 43 degrees and a 20% chance of rain. But it’s gradually worked it’s way up to a low of 53 degrees, although the rain chance remains the same. As a spectator, I am thrilled. I don’t function well with cold weather but I can definitely handle 50-60 degree weather.

It’s an amazing accomplishment and I cannot wait to see her cross that finish line and prove to herself how much she is capable of.

I’ll finish with the quote that was featured in Runner’s World daily e-mails, "You can never be sure. That's what makes the marathon both fearsome and fascinating. The deeper you go into the unknown, the more uncertain you become. But then you finish. And you wonder later, 'How did I do that?' This question compels you to keep making the journey from the usual to the magical.” (Joe Henderson)

x, x, x

2010: A Year in Review

If I take a look back at my resolutions for 2010, this year would be a waste. I attempted to achieve them, but didn’t even come close. Yet when I think of all I accomplished, whether I resolved to or not, I can’t help but think this was a pretty big year for me. It was a year fraught with sadness, challenges, excitement, and a lot of stepping out of my comfort zone.

In 2010, I…

• Created a stunning 18-page magazine. This was by far my biggest challenge of the first four months of the year. I spent hours upon hours trying to make this magazine the best possible. I took days off work and asked big things of some special friends. I began with 18 blank pages in Adobe In Design (a program I previously had never heard of until January) and created a magazine I am fiercely proud of.
• Watched my grandma conquer cancer for the second time. In January, my family was given heart-breaking news that my grandma’s colon cancer had returned. She battled another 12 rounds of chemotherapy and was declared cancer-free in October. Later, we found out that my grandma’s doctor thought this round of cancer would defeat her and also, that the type of cancer she got the second time around has a 2% survival rating. I would say God’s still in the miracle making business, wouldn’t you?
• Ended the relationship with my father. After close to 2 years of not speaking to each other, my father finally initiated contact via a Facebook message. I e-mailed him a letter, detailing all the ways he had hurt me in the past and how much I missed him and our relationship. His scathing reply back made me realize he was never going to change, he would never take responsibility for his actions, and it was time to end this volatile relationship. In June, I replied back with a much nastier e-mail. I had given myself 2 months to calm down from his reply but I had to make my feelings known, for probably the first time in my life. Losing a parent is heartbreaking, but losing a parent because they don’t want you in their life? I can’t even begin to explain the emotional toll it takes on a person. I’m still not even close to dealing with my feelings on this.
  
• Played caretaker to my mom after she was hit by a car. The scariest day of my life happened on August 13, 2010 when my mom arrived home a mere 20 minutes after leaving for a run with blood on her face and all over her clothes. We spent 5 hours in the ER that morning and she emerged with 18 stitches above her right eyebrow, a broken left elbow, a sprained right thumb, severe abrasions on her knees, elbows, and palms, as well as multiple bruises. It was a long healing process, including her using a sling for 8 weeks, unable to work her second job for 10 weeks, and having to take 8 weeks off running (which totally messed with her marathon training). She is now back to normal, but will always have pain in her elbow if she uses it too much.
• Had my first ER visit since I was eleven. August seemed to be the month of hospital visits for my family. While washing the dishes one afternoon, a glass broke and then sliced my thumb as I tried to throw it away. I spent about 2 hours in the ER getting x-rayed and then stitched up by the real Dr. McDreamy. (Seriously, I had some rather inappropriate dreams about him weeks after my visit.) But with that visit came a hefty $2,500 doctor bill.
• Visited Orlando twice. I only took two vacations this year and they were both to Orlando, which is about 90 minutes from me. They were fun getaways, even if I did deal with a sprained ankle during one trip. And, in November, I visited Disney World for the first time since I was a kid!

• Started running. I am still hesitant to call myself a runner, but I did take up this sport somewhat this year. Over the past few months, I’ve been running pretty consistently (2-3 times a week). It’s been a struggle most days but there’s no greater feeling of accomplishment than finishing a run or crossing a finish line.
• Became a blogger. This blog is my pride and joy. It’s been the one place I can be real and honest. It’s become my mode of therapy as I write down my thoughts for the masses. I went through a lot of blogger crisis as I try to figure out where I fit in this blogging culture, but I think personal blogging is where I belong. I don’t think I’ll ever give up on being completely honest and transparent about my feelings and I like that about me. It’s hard for me to be this honest in public, so these posts have been extremely cathartic for me. And the people I’ve met through blogging makes it all worth it. I have big plans to meet a bunch of you this year, some way or another.

2010 has been a big year for me, even if it hasn’t been the best year. I can’t wait to welcome in 2011 because it’s going to be an amazing, full year with my mom running her first marathon, graduating college, and dealing with my anxiety and thoughts and feelings through therapy. And I’m excited to bring you all along for the ride!

Points Plus

I haven’t mentioned it on this blog, but in October, I went back to Weight Watchers. My mom and I made a pact to weigh in every week, even if we had a bad week. And recently, a new Weight Watchers opened up in our area where we can come and weigh in at any time. (Usually, Weight Watcher locations are only open during meeting times so this is very helpful on weeks we can’t make a meeting and can hop over during our lunch to weigh in.)

This week, WW unveiled a brand-new program called Points Plus. It is a completely new program so I thought I would take the time to outline the major changes for people curious about starting WW or long ago members who want to know what’s changed.

• Fruits and vegetables are now 0 points
  This is one of the biggest changes and I am so happy to see this! On Momentum, a large apple was 3 points and for me, it just didn’t seem worth it to “waste” 3 points on an apple. So I barely ever ate fresh apples. This plan allows for fresh fruit and veggies to be 0 points, giving members ample ways to fit in their F&V servings! This opens up a whole new world to me and I even bought my first fresh pineapple this week! There are exclusions, mainly for starchy veggies like potatoes and corn. And it has to be fresh fruit so those fruit cups are not free. I’m really excited to see how much more fruits and veggies I will begin to eat now that they have a 0 points value!
• So long calories, fat, and fiber! Hello, protein, carbs, fat, and fiber!
  There is a completely new Points system in town. No longer will you be calculating the calories, fat, and fiber of a food. WW have taken away calories and added in protein and carbs. I’m really excited about this change, because I think it gives a more accurate value on the food. Most of food values have changed. My 2 point oatmeal is now 3 points. A SmartOnes meal that used to be 4 points is now 6 points. I had to buy a new Points calculator, although they were on sale for $6. I believe the only way you can calculate your Points now is through eTools, the calculator, and the iPhone app. (I may be wrong, so please correct me if there are more ways!)
• With new Points values comes a new Daily Points Target, as well as more Extra Points
  Say good-bye to the old way of calculating your Daily Points Target, there is a brand-new scientific way that WW now calculates it. I get 29 Daily Points and that’s the lowest it can be. When I weighed in and got my sticker to put in my book, it showed my DPT on the sticker. And let’s welcome in the 49 Extra Points we now get with open arms! I use those extra points like they’re going out of style so I’m super excited about having 14 more. While it does all even out since Points are now more, it’s still nice to have more Points to work with!
• Exercise is different
  At your meeting, you’ll receive a big guide to the program, as well as a new Pocket Guide. In the Pocket Guide, there’s a new way to figure out your exercise points. The way to calculate is the same (time, weight, and intensity) but it’s not exactly the same. (Also, it’s more cut and dry than the slider so I can’t tell myself the pointer looks closer to the 3 than the 2. Dang.) Also, you can now earn up to 6 extra points, instead of the usual 4. Awesome!

I’m sure I’m missing something, but these are the biggest changes that are going to affect members. It’s been an adjustment, but I think I’m going to really love the new program! I love how fruits and veggies are now 0 points because it’ll definitely help me to get in the five servings I need, and hopefully more.

Tell me what you think of the new program, new or current WW members. And if you’re not on WW, I’d love to know what you think of the program in general – good and bad. If you have any questions on WW itself, leave them in the comments!