Tools I use...Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers is definitely the best "diet" plan that I have found. It has taught me how to eat what I already eat but do it in moderation. I like being able to eat what my family is eating. I don't want to have a separate menu every day for me. Even when I did make up my own menus, it was food that my family was already eating. I didn't make up some weird rice paper wrap stuff that I had to choke down every night. I ate what I liked!!

There are several ways to do Weight Watchers. There are meetings that you attend once a week. There is an online version. I used the online version for a month (got a free trial) and loved it. It let me type in my own recipes (which was great for me because I cook a lot of casseroles) and then it would give me the point value per serving. As much as I liked it, I couldn't justify the expense just as I couldn't justify the time and expense of the meetings. So I just purchased the books and the calculator and have done the program on my own. I bought mine directly from Weight Watchers when I had the free trial. I don't know if you can purchase directly from them if you are not a member, BUT you can get just about any of their stuff on EBAY for about the same price.

My friend bought a starter kit on EBAY and the lady she bought it from actually sent a detailed list of instructions on how to use the program, calculate points, calculate the point value of exercise...I actually copied her instructions because I was just kind of winging it! The most basic started kit I could find on EBAY also included a recipe book and a 1 month food journal. The kit I purchased from WW also came with these two items but I have never used them. But I have found that it is cheaper to buy the starter kit than to buy the two books I actually use and the calculator.

The calculator makes it so I can get the point value of any food that I have nutrition information. Unfortunately, meats and fresh fruits and vegetables don't come with preprinted nutrition information. This is where the books (or the cool food scale that I have) come in handy. I don't think I have come across a food yet that isn't listed in the books.

The books obviously don't list casseroles but I just find the point values for each of my ingredients, add them together and then divide by the number of servings. It is a pain to do this the first time around but then I write the point values (and number of servings used to calculate those points) on the recipe and then I always have the point value.

The Dining Out Companion is so-so. It has a lot of restaurants that I have never heard of and doesn't list a lot of my favorites. The restaurants it does have don't have a complete menu listing but I can use it to get an idea of what the point values of some places are. I have found that most national chains will have their nutrition information posted online so I go online before I go out and figure out the point values using my handy dandy calculator. This also helps me make better choices when ordering if I know that I will use up my daily allotment of points eating one six dollar burger!

Using this program has been a real eye opener for me. We still eat our favorite foods but some of them we have switched to only eating on special occasions now that we really know what we are eating!! I would highly recommend Weight Watchers even if you don't have the money to invest in their monthly options. If you purchase from EBAY, make sure you are getting a calculator with your kit. Some have them, some don't. I have found that most complete starter kits are around $60 right now.

Who really eats this stuff?

I get a lot of emails from weight loss websites. I got one today that said it had recipes for losing the wasteline. I was all excited because that seems to be the one part of my body that just doesn't want to let go. So I opened the email and here are a few of the recipes that I found:

Rice paper-wrapped salad rolls
Blackberry spinach salad
Pecan & gorgonzola greens salad
Pollo en Escabeche
Carmelized onion and white bean flatbread

COME ON!! Who really eats like this? Oh, I know, it's the people that are already health nuts, don't need to be on a diet, and even know what this stuff is! Give me some stuff that I'll actually eat!!

I AM DA WINNA!!

Well, I won again but I have to say, it wasn't as fun this time. Last time, it was a faceless name that I didn't know so it was easy to get all competitive. This time, I did the competition with a friend so while I was still competitive, it wasn't fun seeing her not win. BUT, even though she didn't win, I have to say, she still did AWESOME!! She lost 17 pounds in 12 weeks with two family vacations in the middle of all of it! Way to go!!

So here are my stats since January:

I have lost 39.6 pounds (22% of my body weight) - yeah I was trying SO hard to get to 40 pounds by the final weigh in. I was DANG close, but it was still good.

I have lost 11% body fat

I went from a pant size 16 to a pant size 8!!! That is half!! I was very excited about this one.

My overall goal was to get to 145 so I would have 5 pounds to play with so I can stay under 150. I was 140.8 at today's weigh in!!!!

Now I have to maintain.....

Weigh in

Sorry for the lack of posts. Last week was pretty crazy so I didn't get any posts done. We had a weigh in Monday. I gained 1/2 pound but I was kind of expecting that. Last week's loss was somewhat artificial. But if you take my total weight loss for the two weeks (3 pounds), I still lost a pound and a half per week which is still pretty good.

I think stress must be a good fat burner though because I lost 2 percent body fat! I'll take it!

In the next couple of days I will get back to my "Tools.." posts. I still have a few more I want to do.

So, we have the final weigh in less than a week away and guess what I did tonight? I went to an all-you-can-eat buffet! DUH!!! It was my daughters birthday dinner so I couldn't really argue...

Ugh, I didn't do as well as I had planned, hoped, etc. But I didn't do TERRIBLE either (I guess some of that would depend on your definition of terrible though). I'm hoping it won't bite me in the butt come Monday!

Weigh in

So we had a weigh in yesterday (had to do it a day late) and I lost 3.6 pounds! I think a lot of it was stress so it will be interesting to see what the numbers are next week. I did gain fat again though. Not quite sure what is going on with that one...

Tools I use...food scale

I LOVE this scale. When I first started this whole diet thing, I was using a cheap little one pound scale . It did the job, sort of.


Then my husband did some research and found my Kitrics Digital Nutrition Scale. It comes with 999 foods programmed in (and a book to look them all up). I can program 99 of my own favorite foods. It will let me keep a running total of the nutrition information for everything I eat in a day.

One feature that I love is that I can put my plate on the scale and zero out the weight. Then I can put my meat on, weight it, and zero out the scale again and add my potatoes. With the other scale, I was having to find my lightest container (so it didn't tip the scale) and weigh one item at a time.

Another great thing about this is that I can type in my own foods and then make my own 100 calorie packs. Once the nutrition information is entered in, I just put food on until I reach 100 calories and voila - 100 calorie snack packs!

This scale actually shows calories, calories from fat, carbohydrates, protein, fat, saturated fat, fiber, sugars, cholesterol and sodium so I know the calories, fat and fiber for my Weight Watchers points. (I am starting to feel a bit like a typing infomercial).

We paid $50 on Amazon.com with free shipping but right now it is $45 with free shipping:
http://www.amazon.com/Kitrics-0120-Digital-Nutrition-Scale/dp/B000U67EI0/ref=pd_sbs_hpc_1

Tools I use...body fat scale

I use a weight/fat/water scale when I weigh in. I prefer this type of scale because it shows my weight loss AND my body fat loss. These scales have been proven to not be 100% accurate on the actual amount of body fat but as long as I weigh in at about the same time, it gives me an idea of whether my fat levels are going up or down. I have learned that body fat levels go down during the day, some days by as much as 3% by evening. So if you buy one, keep that in mind. Oh, and if you have a pacemaker, don't buy one. ;D

The scale I use is a TANITA brand. I did a lot of research before I bought one and found this one to have the best reviews and the most consistent/accurate results. TANITA does sale a scale that has the works. It will tell you your weight, body fat, body water, muscle mass, bone mass, metabolic age, calories required to maintain your current weight, visceral fat levels, and physique rating. This was the type of scale used by my hubby's work and I LOVED it but I couldn't justify the expense. So I went with the same brand with the basics.

I bought my scale from Target for $50 on sale but I can't find it on their website so I don't know if they sell them anymore. I did find what I am guessing is the newer version of what I have on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0009V1YPK/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=304485901&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B000094ZGG&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=101XK4Y09NJAG7NK1910

I have seen a lot of other scales that are weight/fat/water but make sure you read reviews before you purchase them. Some of them seem pretty bad based on the reviews I read before deciding on this one.

Tools I use....a buddy

Lately, I have had several people ask me how I have lost all my weight. So I thought I would do a few posts that tell what I have used (worked or not), where I got them, how much they cost, etc.

My first tool, and in my opinion, the most important one, is some sort of "buddy". I have tried and tried to lose weight on my own and it has NEVER worked. For me, the buddy had to be someone I was accountable to (ie. more than just a friend who was also dieting). I guess maybe I should say "someone to be accountable to" because that is more what I mean, but "buddy" is easier to type!

The first go round, I had my hubby's work as my "buddy". With hubby's work, I knew that I would be weighing in, it would be recorded, and people would know whether or not I lost weight.

Again, for me, it helps if the buddy comes with some sort of reward. The reward with hubby's work was $300 dollars. Yeah, GREAT motivation. If you can get a big group of people together, I would definitely recommend this strategy. Each person chipped in $20. The third place winner got their money back. Second place doubled their money ($40). And the winner gets the rest of the pool. The trick with this one is that everyone has to be willing and able to weigh in at a specific time each week on the same scale in the same location (believe it or not, the floor underneath the scale can make your weight vary by as much as a full pound).

This go round, my buddy is my neighbor. Every Monday, we weigh in at my house. It makes me be accountable. I can't just tell myself that I'll get back on track next week because no one will know because she will know. This blog has also helped with that because I am accountable to whoever may be reading it. I had to throw in a little reward though. The winner gets to go out with their hubby while the other one watches all the kids (there are nine total).

So, if internal motivation is not your thing, find something external. There is nothing wrong with that! I was worried that having the external motivation would make me less likely to keep the weight off. But now that I have lost it (and worked so hard to do it), I am DETERMINED to KEEP IT OFF!!!

Weigh in

I just realized I never logged my weigh in this week. I lost a big whopping....are you ready for this one.... 2 tenths of a pound (yup, that's .2 pounds). Woopee!! Okay, a loss is a loss...right? Oh, and did I mention that I gained fat? I don't know why I am having such a hard time with that this go round.

3 weeks to go....

Diet Mistakes #11

Found the link but had to keep you in suspense:
http://www.webmd.com/diet/slideshow-diet-mistakes?ecd=wnl_wlw_072509

#11 Avoiding Exercise

When you don’t exercise, you place the entire burden of weight loss on your diet. If you become more active, you can eat more of the things you like -- and still lose weight. The key is finding an exercise you enjoy. If the treadmill seems tedious, try swimming, ballet, biking, or Ping-Pong, all of which burn more calories than walking. Spend time at different activities until you find one you want to do on most days.

I LOVE this one!! I exercise not to lose weight faster. I do it because it gives me a couple more points to play with during the day AND it tones. Dieting alone WILL NOT tone your body. And I have really enjoyed doing different activities. I have several workout videos and I walk, run, and bike as well. Find what works and go for it! There are several workout videos that are 20-25 minutes (which is a must for me with 5 little kids) so they really don't take much time out of your day.

Diet Mistakes #10

#10 Setting Unrealistic Goals

Telling yourself you’ll lose 20 pounds your first week is probably setting yourself up for failure. If you know you won’t be able to do it, you may never start your diet in the first place. If you do diet and lose 5 pounds in a week, instead of celebrating, you may feel discouraged that you didn’t reach your goal. A realistic goal is vital to successful dieting. If you’re not sure what your goal should be, talk to a dietitian.

This is a hard one. I have done this before. "I am going to loose 30 pounds in 1 month." Yeah right!! I have found that setting realistic goals is so much easier because you get a feeling of accomplishment when you actually achieve them instead of total frustration when you don't. My first go round, my goal was to reach a "healthy" (based on BMI) weight which meant 22 pounds in 12 weeks. That may have even been pushing it because the guidelines are 1-2 pounds a week after the first week. But I lost 6 pounds my first week so that left 16 pounds for 11 weeks. And I actually did accomplish it.

This time around, I had less to lose so my goal was 16 pounds in 12 weeks. So far, I am on track.

However, don't set goals that are so low that you could do it in your sleep. I heard a lady once say, "I always set a goal for weight loss and I never achieve it. So this year, I am not going to set a number. My goal for this year is just to be healthier." What kind of a goal is that? Set a real goal and then find ways to keep yourself on track (like a specific diet and exercise plan). If you just say "I am going to lose 5 pounds this month and don't exercise or change eating habits, it's probably not going to happen!

Diet Mistakes #9

#9 Weighing Yourself Every Day

Weighing yourself daily is a recipe for frustration and doesn’t yield useful information. It’s more important to look for a long-term trend with weekly weigh-ins. If your goal is to lose 1 or 2 pounds a week, you’ll be satisfied to see those full-pound drops when you step on the scale. The result is more motivating than the confusing swings that may accompany daily weigh-ins.

Okay, so this one is me to a tee. Not really. I actually weigh myself three or four times a day! I am SOOOO bad with this one! I will get so frustrated because the scale shows that I have gained a pound or two but I have actually lost weight at every official weigh in but one. I REALLY need to work on this one. I have tried. I think once I even made it for two whole days without weighing...

Diet Mistakes #8

#8 Taking the Drive-Through Bait

The drive-through is convenient after a hectic day, and you can always order the salad or other healthier option. But once you’re there, can you resist that milkshake or other treat? And if you allow yourself the ease of fast food once, it could become a habit. According to one long-term study, people who ate fast food more than twice a week gained 10 more pounds than those who had it less than once a week.

I can honestly say I don't have a problem with this one. We very rarely go out to eat. But one thing this doesn't point out that I think is important to point out is that you need to check the calories even if you are ordering a salad. I have been SHOCKED at some of the caloric/fat values of some salads. Some of them are worse than a cheeseburger! So don't think that just because you are getting a salad, all is well.

Diet Mistakes #7

#7 Ditching Dairy

Milk, cheese, and ice cream are taboo for many dieters, but ditching dairy foods may be counterproductive. Some research suggests the body burns more fat when it gets enough calcium and produces more fat when it’s calcium-deprived. Calcium supplements do not appear to yield the same benefits, so dairy may have other compounds at work as well. Most dietitians recommend sticking to nonfat or low-fat milk, cheese, and yogurt.

Haha!! No problem here! In fact, I actually did have to ditch some dairy to get my diet to work. I was pretty much living on dairy - milk with every snack and meal, cheese on everything, ice cream, yogurt. Yeah, I have cut back but I still get plenty and I try to make sure it is low fat (most of the time).

Diet Mistakes #6

#6 Drinking Too Little Water

This is one of the simplest diet blunders to fix. Water is essential for burning calories. If you let yourself get dehydrated, your metabolism drags -- and that means slower weight loss. Research suggests adults who drink eight or more glasses of water per day burn more calories than those who drink less. So try adding a glass of water to every meal and snack.

I have a BIG issue with this one. I don't know what it is but I just cannot remember to drink water. I have tried every trick I have ever read (drink water with every snack and meal, keep a water bottle filled up so you can keep track of your drinking, ....). The biggest problem is then at night, I am so thirsty that I drink away and then I am up all night in the bathroom. Getting a good night sleep is another weight loss help! I really need to work on this one!

Diet Mistakes #5

#5 Sipping Too Many Calories

When counting calories, many of us tend to overlook what’s in our drinks. This is a big mistake when you consider that some fancy coffees and alcoholic beverages have more than 500 calories. Even the calories in fruit juice and soda can add up quickly. What’s worse is that liquid calories don’t curb hunger. You’re not going to eat any less after a high-calorie drink.

Again, not an issue here. I am not a flavored drink person. I do like juice and chocolate milk but knowing the chocolate just adds calories, I try to stay away from it and drink skim milk. I have mentioned in earlier posts that I do drink V-8 and V-8 Frusion to get my fruits and veggies in but I know I would be getting more for my points if I ate the actual fruits and veggies.

If you do favor flavored drinks, there are a lot of zero/low calorie alternatives: diet soda (I personally like diet A&W, and Sprite Zero), Powerade Zero, Crystal Light (and a whole bunch of generic versions), and FUZE Slenderize are all drinks that I have tried and liked. One tip with the Crystal Light (especially if you use generic) is to use less water than it calls for. This gives it a much better flavor.

Diet Mistakes #4

#4 Loading Up on Low-Fat

Low-fat products can play an important role in your diet. Just remember that low-fat isn’t the same as low-calorie and it’s not a license to take second and third helpings. If you pile your plate with low-fat cake, you may end up eating more calories than if you had a smaller slice of regular cake. The best way to know how much fat, sugar, and calories you’re getting is to check the nutritional label.

I haven't had a huge problem with this one. My problem is more getting fats into my diet. I am very hung up on the low fat stuff and I know that it is important to get some (good) fats in your diet.

Diet Mistakes #3

#3 Losing Track of Your Snacks

Maybe you count calories meticulously at every meal, but what about all those nibbles in between? There’s the bag of pretzels at your desk, the little slice of cake at an office party, the taste of your son’s ice cream cone. All of this mindless munching adds up and could sabotage an otherwise well-planned diet. If you’re serious about counting calories, you may want to use a notebook to keep track of each bite.

Again, been there, done that. That is what I like so much about Weight Watchers. It you trains to keep better track of those little bites here and there. I am much more likely to throw my kids scraps in the garbage than munch on them because I don't want to waste my points on senseless munching. When I don't keep track, this is my downfall every time!

Diet Mistakes #2

#2 Skipping Breakfast

Skipping breakfast seems like a simple way to cut calories, but the result can be insatiable hunger the rest of the day. This may lead to unplanned snacking at the office and eating a super-size portion at lunch, making calorie counts soars. But breakfasts that are high in protein and fiber can reduce hunger throughout the day. In fact, studies show people who eat breakfast every morning are more likely to maintain a healthy weight.

I, unfortunately, also have experience with this one! I went through a phase where I never ate breakfast because I figured it would help me get thinner. I ate very little for lunch but as it says above, by afternoon, I was so hungry that I would snack "here and there" and think I hadn't had anything to eat all day so I can eat a bigger dinner.....and I GAINED weight.

I have actually been doing this "diet" in reverse. I eat most of my calories by early afternoon so when my evening winds down and I am not burning as many calories, I am also not eating as many calories. I think that has also helped keep my blood sugar more consistent which has helped with the cravings.

Diet mistakes #1

The other day, I got a slide show with an email that had some good diet tips. It was from WebMD but I deleted the email so now I can't link directly to the slide show. I did copy the tips though to have on my hard drive so I will share them on here. If I find the link, I will post it as well.

#1 Relying on Crash Diets

Determined to lose 10 pounds fast, you turn to a crash diet. Perhaps your plan calls for nothing but grapefruit or cabbage soup each day. You slash your daily calories to fewer than 1,000 -- and sure enough, the pounds melt away. But when you eat so few calories, you train your metabolism to slow down. Once the diet is over, you have a body that burns calories more slowly -- and gains weight more quickly -- than ever before.

I think I have already made my position clear on this one! I really found it interesting though how it said that you slow your metabolism down. I couldn't ever figure out why the crash diets had that effect. I figured it was more just eating bad when you stopped but a slower metabolism makes a lot of sense!

MAJOR milestone!!!

I haven't posted in a while! We had another weigh in yesterday. I officially weigh in the 140's!!! I have stepped on the scale at different times and been there but this was an official weigh in! This is a major milestone because my husband has never (including our dating) seen me weighing in the 140's. When we met I was around 160. A week before I wedding, I did a crash diet and lost 10 pounds putting me at 150. So this is a major thing for me!

Oh, and about the crash diet - that is EXACTLY why I am so against diet pills, shakes, crash diets, (ie. supplements). Within a month of my wedding, I not only gained the 10 pounds back but an additional 10 pounds that I really never took back off! Not this time! This time I have worked too hard and too long to let it all go. I may fluctuate a little but I can't imagine gaining it all back after working so hard and knowing that it is possible to be where I am. And dang it - I FEEL GOOD!!!

I have to say, I think there is just a point where I finally got past my "I'm a fat slob" feeling. The first time I did this, I lost 25 pounds and I never really felt any different. Then I gained 5 back and have now lost 12 pounds and I can't believe the difference in how I feel! And I don't really mean I have more energy because I don't have all this excess weight I am carrying around. It is more of a feeling of almost liking what I see in the mirror. That is a huge motivation for me to stick with what I have done and keep it off.

So if you're just starting out or have been doing this on and off (I have been there too) KEEP GOING. DO NOT QUIT!! You will get to a point where all your hard work WILL PAY OFF!! I never, ever thought I would get to this point. I thought I would always hate my body. Just to clarify, I don't, by any means, have the body I wish I had, but what I have feels healthier and tons better than it has for a very long time.

YOU CAN DO IT!!!!!!!!!!!