Week 1 down, a Lifetime to go!!

Well, I finished my first week of Weight Watchers (WW). I will not lie: it was hard, it was challenging and I was hungry at times. (Well, at least I thought I was!!) This was a rough week, as we started WW on a Monday night. We had no healthy, low fat foods prepared and of course, that looming thought of “is this really going to work this time?” was in the back of our minds as we left the meeting. Later in the week we had a family member get drastically ill and we ended up at the hospital several days, lots of worrying and of course, a challenge to eat better. My family had a planned trip to Indiana to go on the Polar Express this weekend, and not only was there horrible storms with tornados predicted; the train ride was cancelled once we got up there. GREAT!! I am an emotional eater. I know this, so anything that throws a wrench in my day or week, I tend to eat (happy or sad, good or bad). So this past week was a big challenge for me to not eat my through my stress!!


I feel it is very important to know when and why you eat. Just like a person that is addicted to alcohol, nicotine or drugs; overeating (or under eating) is an addiction/condition that needs to be dealt with. Now, let me state that I have never gone to professional counseling or searched out actual clinical help for my eating habits. I have been to WW in the past and I have had Weight loss Surgery, but neither offers(ed) professionally trained counseling or therapy as to why I have eaten the way I do over the years. WW, however, does help by offering tools to make you more aware and definitely gives you other options to think about rather than eat a cookie!  I know why I eat. Besides the fact that I LOVE food, I love to eat when I am happy, when I am sad, when there are times to rejoice and when there are times to mourn. I eat. My family eats. Everything that is around me, on most occasions, involves food.


What has helped me this past week is blogging and logging. This is my new favorite phrase. I have held myself accountable by blogging. I have put my weight out there for all to see. Weight, like age, is sometimes (ok, most times) a very touchy subject for most women. My age doesn’t bother me. It never has (well once, when I turned 30, but that’s another story). I am proud of my age. I celebrate birthdays!! I am thankful for each day that God is allowing me to be on this earth. However, weight is a different story. I like to lie to myself most days about how much I weigh. So putting my weight out here, for whomever to see, is a big step. But it’s real. And if I want to lose weight, get healthy and maybe, motivate others, I have to be real. That’s the first step, I think, of making a change. At least it’s my first step.


I highly recommend logging your foods. I was amazed last week, as I stood in our gift shop at work, searching for a snack that wouldn’t eat up my points. I calculated every chip, candy bar, Cheez-it and peanut in that place. I walked out empty handed. I almost felt defeated! Now, I could have gotten any of them, and eat half the bag (as most were 2 servings) but I know me, I have no control. I would have eaten the entire bag. That’s what I do!! So I found a single serving bag of baked lays BBQ chips, they were 4 points, they did the job. I am actually sickened about the foods that I was putting in my body. Logging has kept it real, it’s not always pretty, but it’s real!! Log your foods; I think you might be amazed!!


So, my big news is I lost 3.6lbs this past week!! Not a huge loss, but for the first time in months, I didn’t gain—and that is HUGE!! A healthy weight loss is 1-2lbs per week for someone who wants to lose it and keep it off. This week was full of sacrifices, changes, logging and blogging. It was full of fruits and vegetables and much less of chips and chocolate. I wasn’t as active as I would have liked to be but I was more active than I was in the past. It’s a step, in the right direction, in the permanent lifestyle change that I want for myself. I am excited for the weeks, months and years to come. I hope you are too.


Here is a list of Food with Principles that I read on the back of my WW meal today. I thought they were a great way to start looking at the way we eat and the foods we eat. I hope this list helps you:

1. Portion control so you can eat the foods you love
2. Breakfast is crucial, because it starts your day right & helps control hunger
3. Smart Eating includes a variety of foods with protein
4. Whole grains, fruit and vegetables can keep you fuller, longer!
5. Smart deserts and snacks can help you stay on track
6. Support and knowledge are critical to making smart food choices.