Intimidation

So I have been really getting into Weight Watchers the past week. I documented every day (this is the first week that I did it EVERY day). I am starting to feel better b/c I am eating better etc. I really only had one bad day this week. And my day was bad for several reasons. First, I really wanted some chocolate at lunch, so I got 2 chocolate chip cookies (1 would have been plenty), and then I felt guilty and thought I had ruined my whole week. For awhile in the afternoon all I could think about was those 2 damn cookies!! Then I got scared. I was like I am going to have to count points every day for the REST OF MY LIFE. I dont wanna do that. It seems to hard. Then I stopped for fast food on my way home from work. YIKES!!

But, the reality is, I am going to have to count points for the rest of my life. I dont see any other way that I will be able to keep my weight in tact. And that is not so bad.... I would rather count points everyday than have to take medication everyday!! So after my minor freak out I was able to get back on track.

It is much better for me if I only think of one day at a time & not the rest of my life when I eat 2 cookies (& man were they good) :)

Motivation...

I have had these weeks too and I always get so mad at myself! Like I'm eating just to eat! Some weeks I am ahead in my points (even with special events) and I've exercised more than ever... And then there are other weeks where I can't pinpoint why it is so hard to get/stay motivated whether it be with food or exercise! I guess the first place I should start is to try to find out why I am eating everything in sight! Maybe I'm bored? Maybe I'm hungry because I'm not eating enough or the right things at my proper meal/snack times? Lately, I feel like part of my excuse is that I am becoming more and more confident and comfortable with the way I look/feel, so I start to let things slide a bit, when I still have so far to go! Then the next thing I know, I'm watching the scale creep up! Seeing that usually helps me find motivation because I know that I NEVER want to go back...never go back to my old physical self, my old habits, or my old confidence-level. But the point I need to work on the most is finding other motivations, not just watching the scale creep up to get motivated... Some days, weeks, months are better than others, but when I need some encouragement, I remind myself of something someone said at a meeting one time: 'I didn't gain all of this weight in a bad day, bad weekend, or even a bad week!' So, tomorrow is a new day where I can get back on track!

Week of the Gain

So, Heather, I feel your pain. I gained 2 lbs last week, and I expected it. Now, I came up with a few excuses that my mother (lifetime WW member) said are very normal. I had my period for one - my mom said she never lost weight on these weeks. What about you guys?
I started catching a cold also, so I was downing cough drops like crazy (and thanks to Heather leaving a bag in my vehicle at Christmas time - I had extras when I needed them!!)
Now this weekend Brandon's mom came to visit, and we ate out just about every meal. So, I really have to try hard the rest of the week in order to make any improvement.

Fortunately for all of us it's veggie season!! Heather, I highly recommend finding a Farmer's Market. As long as you can avoid the bakery booths, it's hard to find any food that is high points, and it's all so good now!

Disgrace

This week has been really bad for me. I cant imagine what the weigh in tomorrow will be like. I have eaten poorly almost everyday. And mostly for no good reason. I hope someday I only eat bad when I have an event or something to celebrate. I ate over my points almost everyday, and I am not sure why. Maybe b/c I am bored with myself. Maybe I am rebelling and do not want to get my money's worth out of WW. Maybe b/c I cannot make responsible food choices w/o a gun to my head. Maybe secretly I do not want to lose weight or I am afraid?? I have no idea, but hopefully I can figure it out soon. Because everyday I eat poorly I am mad at myself - - b/c I feel like I am not even trying. Keeping within the points is not that hard, why am i purposefully eating crap i don't even want. i really think the numbers tomorrow are going to be brutal. ok - enough whining........hopefully next week i will not be so weak & i will make better choices & maybe not be so upset with myself.

Do you typically eat your activity points (AP) or try not to?

I do try to NOT eat my activity points, but if some evenings, when I have stuck to my base points and want a dessert, then I may use 1 or 2 points of my Activity Points for that…

Or sometimes if I had an intense workout with lots of weights and cardio, then I may eat some (but rarely all) of them if I’m still hungry after dinner or if I feel deprived or woozy. I really believe your body will tell you when it needs more nutrients. Another thing to keep in mind, depending on how many daily points you get, you may not feel like it’s enough for how active you are in day-to-day activities, so some people have to eat their activity points to keep their metabolism going. But even then, I would still try to make better choices like incorporating a glass of milk or some veggies/fruits I didn’t get enough of earlier in the day…

Believe me though, there are also those nights when I go out to dinner or I had a heavy lunch or I'm just starving, and I have to eat every one of my activity points! That’s what they are there for anyways!

Do we always have to eat our daily recommended points?

Yes, I always make sure to eat AT LEAST my daily recommended points, I think it’s very important to get the minimum in because otherwise your body will feel deprived and try to store the food you did eat.

One thing I do when I have points left over is to just try to make better choices (food groups I may have neglected during the day ~ have a glass of milk or something with a lot of protein like sliced turkey/ham) if I’m scrambling around for something to finish them…

You’ll find a good balance eventually, but another suggestion is trying to incorporate more of your points into the first half of the day (breakfast/lunch/snacks) since your body will have more time to burn through and use them.

Try to also have a decent snack 30 min. before and after you exercise. I've heard that it's good to have a relatively high-carbohydrate, moderate protein, low-fat meal before working out so I try to keep Fiber One Oats and Chocolate Granola Bars (Target has a generic copy also), Hummus/Carrots and Weightwatchers String Cheese/Reduced-fat Wheat Thins on-hand or in my purse for before my workout. And since I eat dinner soon after I work out in the evenings, then I just try to eat a high-protein dinner (like Teriyaki Grilled Chicken Breast or some of the WW Smart Ones and South Beach frozen meals generally have lots of protein). Protein is not only important in helping keep you feeling full and more satisfied, but also essential in rebuilding and repairing your muscles!

Lunch Ideas...

I continuously have to play around with lunch ideas because I can’t stand monotony and really like variety for all meals, even lunch (mixing it up helps me feel satisfied especially since I’m a cravings eater)… A lot of times, I will cook two servings of everything when I make dinner in the evening and bring leftovers for lunch the next day. Below are a few suggestions of some of my lunch staples, but it’s really going to depend on what products are available in your stores (but generally you should be able to use the point calculator that I sent you for your phone in order to find very similar substitutes for products you can’t find from my list).

Sandwiches:

• Sara Lee “Delightful” 100% Multi-Grain Bread – Wheat w/Honey ~ 1 pt./slice
• Alvarado Sprouted Sourdough Bread ~ 1 pt./slice
• Healthy Choice Honey Ham or Turkey (7 slices) ~ 1 pt./Serving
• WeightWatchers Cheese Singles ~ 1 pt./Slice
• Kraft Singles Pepperjack 2% Milk Cheese ~ 1 pt./Slice
• Light Mayo ~ 1 pt./1 tbsp.
• 0 pt. Condiments (up to certain amounts): Mustard, Ketchup, Soy Sauce, Barbecue Sauce, Fat-Free Mayo
• Veggies (Tomatoes/Mushrooms/Lettuce/Pickles) ~ 0 pts.
• Sliced Avocado ~ 2 pts./¼ medium
• Morningstar Farms Spicy Black Bean Burger (Frozen) ~ 2 pts./patty
• Amy’s Burgers ~ 2 - 3 pts./patty

Salads:

• Lettuce (any type) ~ 0 pts./up to 7 cups (not that you’ll eat that much)
• Tyson Diced Chicken Breast (3 oz./½ Pouch) ~ 2 pts.
• Tyson Seasoned Steak Strips (3 oz./½ Pouch) ~ 3 pts.
• Welch’s Berry Medley ~ 2 pts./Serving
• Chopped Nuts (almonds, pecans, peanuts, pine)
• WeightWatchers Shredded Cheese (pre-measured packs) ~ 2 pts./pouch (I sometimes use half the pouch and save the other half for another meal)
• Crumbled Blue Cheese ~ 1 pt./1 tbsp.
• Sliced Avocado ~ 2 pts./¼ medium
• Wish-Bone Salad Spritzers (Raspberry Bliss Vinaigrette/Ranch/Honey Mustard Buzz/French Flair/Italian Vinaigrette/Caesar Delight) ~ 0 pts./10 sprays
• Veggies (Tomatoes/Mushrooms/Peppers/Cucumbers/Snap Peas/Carrots) ~ 0 pts.

Miscellaneous:

• South Beach Refrigerated Wrap Kits - loads of protein (Turkey & Bacon Club/Grilled Chicken Caesar/Sesame Chicken/Southwestern Style Chicken)
• Baked Potato w/Spray Butter or Sour Cream/Chives/Salt&Pepper
• Pretzel Sticks (Rold Gold or Snyder’s) ~ 2 pts/Serving (typically 1 oz./approx. 42 sticks)
• Cheetos Asteroids 100 calorie packs ~ 3 pts./pouch
• Pringles Minis ~ 3 pts./pouch
• Jell-O Sugar Free Gelatin Snack Cups ~ 0 points
• Baby Carrots w/2 tbsp. Athenos Hummus (any flavor) ~ 2 pts.

Food Ideas & Helpful Websites

• Better’n Peanut Butter 1 tbsp. ~ 1 point (compared to regular peanut butter which is 2 points/tbsp.)
• Weightwatchers Giant Fudge Ice Cream Bars ~ 1 point
• Weightwatchers Cookies n Cream Ice Cream Bar ~ 2 points
• Western Bagel The Alternative Bagel (Roasted Onion/Cinnamon Spice/Sweet Wheat/Very Blueberry) ~ 1 point
• Sam’s Choice Stuffed Chicken Breast (Three Cheese & Jalapeno Stuffed) ~ 5 points
• Hungry Jack Easy Mash’d Creamy Butter Potatoes (just add water) ~ 3 points/2 servings (4 servings in pouch)
• Sara Lee “Delightful” 100% Multi-Grain Bread (Honey Wheat is my fav) ~ 1 point/slice
• Jimmy Dean D-Lights Turkey Sausage, Egg White, & Cheese on a whole-grain English muffin ~ 5 points

And here are a few of my favorite websites for getting the nutritional information of products, restaurants, etc.:

http://www.dwlz.com/ (WW points for restaurants, foods, menus, and recipes!)http://www.thedailyplate.com/ (restaurants and foods nutrition information)http://www.thecaloriecounter.com/ (restaurants and foods nutrition information)http://www.calorie-count.com/ (restaurants and foods nutrition information)http://www.calorieking.com/foods/ (restaurants and foods nutrition information)

Here’s a link for you to bookmark in your phone that I use when I’m in the grocery stores to find out the point values as I shop:http://www.webmilhouse.com/pointcalc.php

Recipes

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes (One of my favorite, really simple recipes that I make about twice a month and bring to the office to share)

Weightwatcher Points/Serving = 2 points
Servings: 24

• 1 Box of Betty Crocker Spice Cake Mix, 18.25-Ounce Box (You can substitute any cake mix flavor, but I’ve only tried Spice, Butter Pecan, Carrot, & Brownie mixes)
• 1 Can (15 oz) Libby's Pumpkin Pie Mix
• 2 Tbsp Cool Whip Free Whipped Topping, Up to 2 tablespoons/cupcake

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix pumpkin and dry spice cake mix thoroughly (with no other ingredients needed). Fill each cupcake paper cups 3/4 full. Bake according to the cake package directions. Top with Cool Whip Free whipped topping before serving. Store remaining cupcakes in the refrigerator to preserve moistness. Yields 1 cupcake and up to 2 tablespoons of fat-free cool whip per serving.

Edamame Salad (A great, unusual salad recipe ~ Courtesy of Theresa Long ~ that I make to eat during the week with meals or if I’m having a dinner party):

Weightwatcher Points/Serving = 3 points
Servings: 7

• 1 - 16-ounce bag frozen shelled edamame
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup fresh basil, cut into thin strips
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/8 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 4 ounces Athenos Crumbled Feta (Fat-Free)

Cook edamame in boiling salted water for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse under cold water cool. Pat dry. Toss edamame, cranberries, basil, olive oil, and pepper together in a medium bowl. Gently stir in feta cheese. Serve chilled or at room temperature.

Light Cheesy Chicken Lasagna (Yummy main dish recipe ~ Courtesy of Lindsey Anderson ~ that was lightened up to be WW-friendly):

Weightwatcher Points/Serving = 4 points
Servings: 12

• 1 ¼ cup Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Mushroom Soup, Healthy Request brand
• 1 ¼ cup Campbell's Healthy Request Cream of Chicken Soup
• 3 cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped
• ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
• ½ cup fat-free sour cream
• ½ tsp garlic salt
• 4 cups shredded fat-free cheddar cheese
• ¾ serving (8 Noodles) Healthy Harvest Whole Wheat Lasagna, Cooked
• ¼ cup Kraft Light Mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients except the noodles and shredded cheese. Grease 9x13 pan and layer:

• a very small amount of sauce
• 4 noodles
• 1/2 sauce
• 2 cups cheese
• 3 -4 noodles
• Rest of sauce
• Rest of cheese

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes. Let stand 10 min. before serving.

Caramel Apple Salad (A very filling, delicious dessert recipe)

Weightwatcher Points/Serving = 3 points
Servings: 6

• 6 oz Cool Whip Free Whipped Topping
• 2 Tbsp peanut butter
• 4 medium apple(s)
• 1/4 cup chopped pecans
• Splenda or Sweet 'N Low Granulated Sugar Substitute (optional)

Peel, core, and cut apples into bite-sized pieces and place in medium bowl. Add Cool Whip Free, peanut butter, and chopped pecans. Mix well. Sweeten with Splenda or Sweet 'N Low Granulated Sugar Substitute (if desired).