After my daughter was born, on December 31, I lost 25 lbs immediately. It was terrific. I have always struggled with my weight, so I felt I was off to a great start. I was breastfeeding as much as possible and eating very healthy. Then I stalled and just didn’t lose any more ( I only had 10 more pounds of baby weight to go). I was barely sleeping and running after a toddler and taking care of a baby who had an adversion to sleeping at night. When I finally did get to eat, I ate the wrong foods. I needed to do something. The only thing that came to mind was Weight Watchers. I had done it before (with varying degrees of success) and I knew it was the way to go.
As their commercials say, "Diets Don’t Work" and "Stop Dieting, Start Living". To me, it’s a way to control my portions and what I put into my body. I see it as a way to help myself stay on track and as as sensible way to eat. No, I don’t feel like I’m dieting. The support you get at meetings from other members really helps (even though my husband is supportive, he has never had a weight problem and just doesn’t understand that I can’t eat everything I may crave).
I started two weeks ago. So far I’m down a littlle over 5 lbs.
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First week I lost 2.6 pounds. Second week I lost 2.8 lbs. I’m going to meetings and using their online companion, Etools (you can also do Weight Watchers online too). I knew I needed to see a scale weekly, even if it is a little scary. I specifically chose a "Mom and Me" meeting, so I could take my kids with me. The only thing I wish was that the group would have been only made up of new moms, but everyone was very sweet about children attending. No one batted an eye when my daughter started crying. The leader was great and did mention things that pertained to me as a mom.
I’m doing the Flex Plan. I get a certain number of points a day and then 35 extra points to use over the week. You can get points if you exercise to use during the day. For the first week, they even give you a menu for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks, plus recipes. You can buy the Food Companion and the Dining Out Companion, which will tell you the number of points in just about every food under the sun. I am eating a lot more salads, low fat cheeses (I love cheese), more fruit. But the most important thing is that I am learning portion sizes. Okay, I can’t go to Mickey D’s and order whatever I want, but I can have a hamburger and fries (a small hamburger is 5 points, the small fries are 5 points). I could have a garden side salad with that for 0 points, with the low fat balsamic or low fat italian dressing for 1 point. The recipes are wonderful. Their Creamy Pasta with Bell Peppers is now a family staple (whole wheat pasta, sauteed bell peppers (I actually substituted zucchini), tomato sauce and 1/4 cup of fat free ricotta on top). Keep in mind, that a serving of this is 7 points (using a cup of cooked pasta). It isn’t huge, but you can either save some points up during the day so you could have more pasta, or you could have a huge green salad with it. Steamed or fresh veggies are very low to no points.
There’s also the Core Plan. According to the Weight Watchers site, "The Core Food List is based on the science of energy density. It contains foods that are low in energy density, meaning they contain a small number of calories per ounce. That means they’ll make you feel more satisfied while you are actually consuming fewer calories. You can mix and match these foods as much as you want, and you’ll learn to stay aware of hunger and fullness, so you won’t overeat." You don’t count points, but you can only eat certain foods (but there is a wide variety). You can switch between plans (but the company recommends doing it after you get weighed in (don’t switch in the middle of your week). I think I will try this for a week soon to see how I do with this. So, I’m off to a good, steady start. I don’t feel deprived. In the coming weeks, I will report more on my progress and how I am tackling eating challenges (like family barbecues, parties and going out to dinner).
For more information on Weight Watchers, go to Weightwatchers.com. You can go to your first meeting for free or sign up for a free trial on Weightwatchers Online).
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