I’m closing in on my third week on Weight Watchers. To date, I’ve lost 3.4 pounds. I would love to lose 1.6 pounds this week to bring my total to 5 pounds in THREE weeks. That would be amazing.
But if I only lose 1 pound, or even just half a pound, I’ll be OK with it. And it all comes down to control.
For the first time in years, I feel in control. I don’t feel like I’m depriving myself and I don’t feel like I have to be so incredibly careful with what I eat. I feel free, but still in control. I drink water, even though I don’t really like it. I sweat it out at the gym, even though I’d much rather lay around and read in my bed. I keep my portions sizes low and measure out everything, even as I laugh at how much I thought a serving of chicken was. (Seriously, a serving is small!)
I feel like I did in 2007, when I lost tons of weight and felt great about myself. My past weight loss attempts have been like grasping at straws. I wasn’t in the right mindframe to lose weight then. I am now. I’m scared to be a girl people look at as obese. I want to get healthy and thin before I have one store to shop in and cannot even walk up a flight of stairs before getting winded.
This control feels good. I know what I’m eating and I’m not tempted to cheat. I have my breakfast lined up, my lunch lined up, and dinner has become fun to plan. Since my mom is doing it, too, (she’s lost 7 pounds in 2 weeks!) it’s been so much easier to plan and stay in control. We’re both in this together and have been scouring recipe cookbooks and websites to find new, healthy recipes to try.
And while I’m not doing everything right, I’m doing the best I can right now. I know I need to cut down on my snacking, drink more water, get in higher-intensity workouts, and find more filling breakfast options and lunch options. But I’m happy with the progress I’ve made so far. I’m happy with the way I feel. I’m happy that I can turn down donuts and brownies without even blinking.
And today I gave in to a temptation. We had pizza at work. I had 2 of the smallest slices I could find and I don’t regret it. It was a craving, I had it, I counted the points for it, and I’ve moved on. This is why I love the Weight Watchers program. It’s not about depriving, it’s about living healthier. Turning down temptations we don’t really need, learning about hunger signals and boredom signals, using correct portion sizes, and tracking what we eat. While it’s not impossible to lose weight without tracking, it’s easier and a better indicator of what you’re eating and what nutrients you’re not getting enough of.
I know I’m going to encounter plateaus. I know I’m going to have weeks where it becomes a chore to exercise and eat healthy. But the feeling of accomplishment this program has been bringing me is a billion times better than any brownie could taste. And I found a weight-loss buddy to check in with and call when those cookies seem to be calling my name. We text each other what we ate every night and give each other encouragement and praise. It’s something that’s really keeping me going.
What about you? Do you feel in control of your eating habits right now? When was the last time you felt completely out of control?
Way to go! Any progress at all is good, and the important thing is to internalize the lifestyle change.
Good for you! I have been carefully watching as well (though I am not on weight watchers). I do feel more in control and I agree, if I have a craving I induldge (just keep the portion small).
UGH! I was doing so good and then fell off…I blame it on my birthday week but come Monday I'm right back on! You should really look at http://www.myfitnesspal.com it lets you log calories and they have a HUGE database of food plus you track your exercise. I have a weight loss/blog friend doing it too (all the cool kids are!) and it's great! Keep it up girl!
Great for you! I am so proud! I've been doing swimmingly as well with my diet (no-carb) since I'm going to Hawaii in TWO WEEKS and I'm determined to look good in my bathing suit. I've always been good with diets but always had a hard time getting to the gym…and I've gone every day for weeks now! Some days I just do a little light elliptical, and some days I do an hour of cardio and weight training…but not matter what I do I feel great! Yay for us!
Eh… I feel more in control of my eating habits now than when I was working. Less high calorie coffees and delicious lemon poppyseed bread.
Great job lady!! I'm glad that you have such a good attitude about this, you're so right, it's a LIFESTYLE change! And nothing wrong with pizza 🙂
If it makes you feel any better I am a tiny and get winded after going up a flight of stairs. I take the stairs for one of my classes and it's up 4 floors and I am always winded.
You are an inspiration. 🙂
Good for you for eating the pizza and not feeling bad about it. It's definitely about a lifestyle change and a lifestyle is probably going to involve pizza every once in awhile 🙂 I've never done Weight Watchers, but it definitely seems like the best program out there for a lot of people.
I am happy to finally be in control of my eating habits. I am in great shape now but it took a lot of intentional looking at my diet and educating myself to get where I am. There was definitely a time where I was an emotional eater, eating not for the taste food but to fill some void or gap. I am happy to be beyond that now. And I am wicked proud of you, let us know how the next week goes!
Best,
Hannah Katy
This is AWESOME. I've had great success with WW in the past, but it doesn't seem to fix my under active thyroid, so it's not working right now. Good for you!
Great Job in what you've done so far, your attitude will keep you on the right path 🙂 I used to be 30 lbs heavier a few years back, and I felt terrible. Luckily, I was able to lose the weight through hard work, but mostly changing my attitude on life. Currently, I'm probably in the best physical shape I have EVER been in, and it feels GREAT, despite the countless hours at the gym, and general cutting back on foods I like (my weakness is sweets).
Keep up with your running, even though I know you hate it… it will definitely pay off. Last week I locked myself outside in the freezing cold, in shorts, and was glad I had the mega-endurance to run to the Walmart without a problem, before I froze to death. I then ran back too!
I agree with you about the whole deprivation thing. When you cut yourself off completely, you become so miserable, dieting just doesnt work. Healthy is a lifelong commitment, not a ridiculous diet for one month! Keep up the good work 🙂
I completely agree. I'm going through the same thing right now, and adoting healthy eating habits ad working out gives me the sense of control I need. Congrats on your success!