(Yep. I changed the name of this weekly feature. Go with it.)

Remember two weeks ago, when I said I was going to lose weight on my own by becoming a healthier person? And I was going to take small steps but didn’t feel like counting calories? Remember that?

Well, I lied.

Because after a week and a half of doing absolutely nothing right and feeling like an absolute failure and waste of space, I woke up bright and early on Sunday morning to attend a Weight Watchers meeting.

My mom had decided, after gaining some of her weight back over the holidays, decided she had to go back because it’s a program that works. And as I sat on my couch on Saturday, drinking my second can of Coke before 2 p.m., I knew I needed a kick in the pants. I needed something that would give me the motivation I needed to lose weight and learn how to eat healthier.

And when I thought about it, there has been one time in my life where I have been successful at weight loss. It was in 2007 and I was attending Weight Watchers. I lost 20 pounds, dropped from a size 8 to a size 2, and felt so great about myself.

Amber also left a comment on that blog posting that stuck with me. She said: “You know, it takes TIME to make those healthy habits stick. When I first lost weight in the spring of 2008 I did it by counting calories. It’s just now, almost 2 years later, that I’m finally at a place where I can eat intuitively and not have to worry about tracking all my food!” And she’s right. It does take time and if I knew how to do it on my own, I wouldn’t find myself in this position.

So I’m back and I’m not going to worry about all the other times I’ve failed. I’m going to focus on this time. My mom re-joined, too, and we’re both on board with eating healthier, being more active, and supporting each other. I’m not going to beat myself up if I have a bad day or even a bad week. This time will be different.

It’s funny but this week I have felt the most in control of my eating habits this week, more than I ever have this entire year. I feel more on track now that I have to count every morsel of food that goes into my mouth and exercise regularly. I’ve been drinking more water than I ever have and eating pretty well. Not perfect, but better than before. So I guess this is what I needed to kick-start my new, healthy life.

It’s going to work this time. It has to.

A few weeks ago, I started a weight loss blog. And then I found out how hard it is to maintain two blogs. (And for anyone who can do this, I applaud you.) So I’m in the process of shutting down that blog and have introduced Trim Thursdays here at Stephany Writes! Catchy, huh? (No?)

Anyway, I want to talk a little about my approach to weight loss this time around. In the past I’ve tried a few different diets. I’ve tried the old-fashioned way of counting calories and exercising, which lasted for a few weeks. I’ve tried the Slim Fast diet but I could never stomach the shakes. They just taste plain nasty to me! And I’ve tried Weight Watchers, something I was fairly successful at.

In 2007, I tried a combination of counting calories and Weight Watchers and lost close to 20 pounds in 6 months. But when my schedule got super busy and chaotic, all my weight loss goals fell to the wayside and I gained those 20 pounds back – plus some more!

To say the least, I’m a little fed-up with dieting. I’m sick and tired of following some diet regime and failing after a few weeks. I don’t want to feel like a failure anymore.

So I’m taking a different approach to my weight loss this time around.

I’m not counting calories. I’m counting exercise points. I’m not writing down every little thing I put in my mouth. I’m not joining a weight loss support group. I’m not restricting myself.

I’m choosing instead to live a healthier lifestyle. And while I’m not trying to fault anyone who is doing the above, it’s just not for me. I’ve been there, I’ve done that, and I’ve failed miserably. Instead, I’m just going to think like a healthy person.

I’m going to watch what I put in my mouth and start cooking and preparing more healthier foods. I’m going to see what foods fuel me through the day and which ones leave me lethargic and sleepy by mid-afternoon. I’m going to incorporate more water, more fruits, more veggies, and more lean protein in my diet. I’m going to stay away as best I can from soda, greasy chips, and sugary foods.

I’m going to aim for 3-4 days of exercise, at least to start with. I’m going to train for a 5K and start lifting weights. I’m going to run a few races this year and prepare to run a half-marathon in 2011. I’m going to stop making excuses of why I can’t exercise and just get out there and do it! Because I know I’ll feel better if I do.

I’m going to stop weighing myself every week. Once a month, I’ll step on the scale to weigh myself. And losing even a pound will be considered a victory – because that’s one pound I didn’t gain that month.

My weight loss will be slow. It won’t come off like a Biggest Loser contestant. It may take them one week to lose 10 pounds, and it may take me 5 months to lose 10 pounds. But this is my weight loss and my approach to healthy living.

While the weight loss is great, I just want to be healthier. I want to feel lighter and more fit. If I’m 10 pounds overweight but can run a 5K in under 30 minutes, that means so much more to me than weight loss.

It’s a different approach, and maybe one you’re not taking. But I think it’s the only way I can be happy with myself, my life, and my body if I do it this way.

Week #2 on the program didn’t fare so well. I actually gained half a pound. I knew a 3-lb weight loss was too good to be true! I’m not sure if the “second week curse” applies to normal folk as well as Biggest Loser contestants, but I’m using it for the reasoning behind my weight gain!

Other factors were at play:
1. I didn’t track well. In fact, the first time I tracked was on Monday, four days behind. Not good. I had to try and think back to what I ate and I’m sure I miscounted or forgot food.
2. I didn’t use up all of my extra points. While many people don’t even touch these beautiful lifesavers, my mom found out in her go-around with Weight Watchers that she lost more weight when she used up all her extra points. I think I still had around 15 or so at the end of the week.
3. I didn’t eat enough, and what I did eat wasn’t “filling foods”. Filling foods is the cornerstone of Weight Watcher’s Momentum plan, in which if we eat more foods that are filling, we are less likely to snack on junk. I mainly snacked on junk.
4. I weighed in a day earlier! Hey, this could be it! I’ve been a Thursday weigh-in girl for a few years now so weighing in on a Wednesday may have messed with my system. (Although we’re thinking of switching to Wednesday meetings now. I love the leader we had!)
5. I didn’t eat breakfast all week, which has always been a problem for me. I’m not a breakfast eater. Even though I get hungry for breakfast, it’s never anything more than a granola bar. I read an article in Shape magazine that breakfast should actually be our biggest meal of the day which makes total sense. Dinner should be our smallest meal, when it’s usually our biggest. What we eat for breakfast will fuel us for the rest of the day. Dinner is just fueling us as we wind down for the day and hit the hay.

I’m really going to try to track a lot better this week. I’ve been tracking all of today and marking off any healthy guidelines I make.

I also need to start eating breakfast, obviously. This is my other goal I’m working on this week. I want foods that are high in fiber and protein. So I’ve made a short list of some breakfast items I’d like:
1. Whole-wheat bread, toasted, with peanut butter
2. A hard-boiled egg, without the yolk
3. String cheese

I don’t have time to sit down and eat, even when I’m at work. I need something I can make and eat on the way to work or take nibbles at when I am at work. These three options are my best bet, but I thought some of my lovely blog readers could help me out.

What do you eat for breakfast? What kinds of things could I add onto my list?

First week of Weight Watchers went really, really well. I did feel like I was on a diet but I never really felt deprived. I know I need to get serious and this time, it has to work because I want to be thin and healthy and fit. And I know the plan. I know what I need to do.

5 Good Things I Did This Week:
1. I drank a lot less soda this week. Also, I didn’t drink any at work this week! I’m really happy about that since soda is my one vice that’s going to be really hard to cut back on.
2. I stayed within my Points range and also didn’t use all my Extra Points! (35 extra points given a week, tagged onto one’s daily Point range) I usually use all of them, and then some!
3. During my Tuesday night class, we played a game. And games in college usually equal chocolate prizes. And yep, my teacher definitely brought in a bag full of Hershey chocolates, Reese’s, Kit-Kat, and Almond Joy. The bag went by me 3 times and I only got a candy once! This, for me, is something to smile about since I usually forgot who I am and what I’m doing when I see chocolate.
4. I took the stairs at school this week! I even parked on the fourth level in the parking garage and still took the stairs! It made me huff and puff and feel really weak (and realize how out of shape I really am!) But I felt good about taking the stairs!
5. I tried to choose healthy snacks instead of the usual 100-calorie packs that never fill me up. Instead, I bought some Goldfish and Milano cookies which I think filled me up better and tasted better! I don’t think I snacked too much on junk food this week, which is awesome!

5 Things I Want To Work On This Week:
1. Drink more water. I did good this week but not as much as I need to. I knew I’d have trouble drinking enough water but I’m doing better than I was! So that’s a positive.
2. Exercise more. I only got in 1 good workout this week on Sunday. I’m shooting for 3 workouts this week but hoping for 5.
3. Eat a more filling lunch. Part of the reason I didn’t exercise as much was because I was so hungry by the afternoon! I know I wasn’t eating enough so I have a more filling lunch planned for next week!

So, I know each and every one of you is on the edge of your seats, wondering how much weight I lost this week. And I did really, really well. More than I’ve ever lost in a week.

3.2. pounds!

That’s a lot for me! I’m super happy about it but who wouldn’t be? Hence the title of this blog…I am a loser!