Definitely Will!

Summer and the chaotic days of school/work getting underway again have been tricky.  There was even one week at Weight Watchers where I went up a couple of pounds rather than down.  Demoralizing.  Immediately after came Labor Day, which meant no WW meeting that week.  And the next week I had to miss for a funeral.  So three calendar weeks went by without an official weigh-in or the support of my group.  Oooo, I felt myself slipping.  The negative thoughts were flying.  I thought it was working this time, but I guess not.  Maybe I just can't do this.  I started avoiding the smaller clothes I'd been wearing.  I didn't get on the scale at home.  Items I really didn't need started finding their way into my grocery cart.  (Hello again, Ben and Jerry.)  Finally this week's meeting arrived and all I could hope for was some encouragement to keep fighting.

I lost 1.6 pounds.

It wasn't much of a loss for three weeks, but under the circumstances I was thrilled.  Then when I got to thinking about it, I realized I'd been walking consistently.  (A hilly, three-mile loop at a speed of a little above 4mph at least four times a week.)  And I realized most of the snacks and meals I go for naturally now are good choices.  All those things were second-nature and easy but kept me on a relatively good path even when I made a few bad choices too.

At our WW meeting this week, there was a question for all of us...

How likely are you to achieve lifetime weight-loss success?
A.  Definitely will
B.  Probably can
C.  Maybe, with some luck
D.  Sure hope so
E.  It would be a shock

I realize that most of the time I'm B.  At every WW meeting I have a surge of A.  If I go too long without meetings, I fall into C and D.  My good habits are buoying me up, yet my attitude is so important.  I know from articles and books I've read that visualizing is a trick many athletes use for motivation and training.  I'm trying to remember to visualize success every day now, courting the "definitely will" mindset that will combine with my better choices to get me where I need to go.

Tracking

If somebody asks me the pros and cons of a weight loss program, I usually mention that I don't like tracking what I eat.  It is a pain in the patootie.  It feels a little self-stingy, self-absorbed, and labored.  Who can remember to do it consistently?  While I'm brushing my teeth in the morning I often realize with a jolt that I've got to figure out everything I ate since breakfast yesterday.  And how do you even begin to estimate what is in a dish or serving size if you ate at a restaurant?

But I've noticed something.  If I track, I lose weight much more consistently and I eat better too.  It doesn't even have to be done perfectly -- just doing the best I can.

My weight loss has been much slower and less consistent since summer began, which I find stressful and frustrating.  My Weight Watchers meeting is on Mondays, so this week I promised myself I'd track every day to see if that would make a difference.  Now I'm on day seven and it is starting to feel second nature.  My scale says I am solidly down a couple of pounds.  I did eat more healthy this week.  And there were some treats that I might have longingly avoided (with inner grumbling and stress) but tracking allowed me to fit them in using a reasonable portion.

Is tracking really such a pain in the patootie?  The truth is that now that WW offers so many options on its smart phone app, tracking is quick and easy.  Most of the time I am eating familiar foods that I've stowed on my "favorites" list.  Whenever I have to look up a new food or find something reasonable to eat at a restaurant using the WW list, I learn something new.  Yup.  The WW app builds health knowledge and promotes self-honesty.

I think tracking is my new best friend.

10 %

As of this past Monday, I've lost 10% of my body weight since February.  That percentage is known as sort of a magic number because it is the level of weight loss where researchers begin to see significant health benefits.  Man.  That feels good.

Persistence and Milestone

In May, I took over the leadership of the parents' organization for my child's school and the whole month seemed to vanish in the swirl of the end of the school year.  Our family also had several weekend trips.  Each special event felt like a wave coming in from the ocean.  When you're body surfing, you have to face the ocean and adjust to each wave or you'll get knocked down.  I planned ahead for each event as well as I could, but I didn't lose much weight over May.

I'm beginning to accept what a slow journey this will be.  After over four months of Weight Watchers, I'm still not quite 25 pounds down.  On the other hand, I find myself much more flexible than I've been in the past.  When I am much more strict about what I eat, a trip to the amusement park, a weekend with friends, or an ice cream social may be enough to completely sideline me.  What I am doing works and is sustainable.

This weekend I at least had a small milestone that gave me encouragement.  I haven't been able to slide my engagement ring off my finger in over five years.  Yesterday it came off without too much effort and I stood there for a moment, staring at it loose in the palm of my hand.  A very good feeling.

Speed Adjustment

I'm still here!  The hard part for me is that I want to be further along than I am.  I've been at this about twelve weeks and I'm sixteen pounds down.  My clothes are looser, yet I'm not really able to wear new things yet.

I know there are faster ways of going about this... yet every time I gravitate to them I then start to get frustrated about the food I'm missing out on or mealtime monotony.  I feel restricted.  When I ease off once more and am willing to lose about a pound a week, I hit my stride again.  I stop feeling stressed about food and my body is at peace with the amount of exercise I'm putting in.  I also feel at peace that I'm not on the cycle of losing muscle and gaining back fat.

Stay the course!

Navigating Easter

Ugh.  The lure of chocolate eggs and marshmallow bunnies.

We traveled over Easter, spending time in two households and a hotel.  There was even a big Easter party with friends -- that included a pot luck and lots of Easter basket treats.  At first I did pretty well, but by sunset on Easter I had to admit that my little snacks, nibbles, and taste tests added up to quite a bit.  I really should have tracked my Weight Watchers points; that honesty would have helped me stay on a more even keel despite declaring it a splurge day.  The next day was my meeting and weigh-in.  For the first time since joining in February, I was up instead of down.  It was only a half pound gained, but it was demoralizing.  For a couple of days I skidded and spun, craving sugar like crazy.  I've had sugar all along, but only in isolated bits and after a meal.  I also splurged and had several Diet Dr. Peppers.

It was kind of miserable, really.  I badly wanted sugary, carb-laden, over-processed foods but at the very same time I knew that they weren't satisfying me.  I'd eat one thing and immediately want another.  I gritted my teeth and stopped the treats cold turkey.  After two days of eating well and good exercise, I felt normal again.  And the scale is dropping again.

Whew!

I don't want to go back there again.  I think those sugary treats are almost always going to have to be isolated, separated by good food so they don't become a downward spiral.  And any sort of smugness I felt about these changes being permanent is gone.  I'm going to be careful.

Still Here!

I've been doing Weight Watchers for nine weeks.  This past week I lost 3.6 pounds, bringing my total to just under 15.  I'm thrilled that I've lost every week, but I have to be honest that right now it feels like such slow progress.  I'm down a dress size but still don't see a very big difference.  That said, I'm finding WW easy to follow and feeling great -- a lot more energy but also steady and consistent energy all day.  And where I'm seeing a very big difference is in my thought patterns.  A sugar hound most of my life, I'm finding it easier to ignore now.  I'm finding it easier to decide rationally which foods are worth eating and which aren't.  I'm going to keep on keepin' on!