Sunday, November 03, 2013

A New Approach

I've already blown the Post-a-Day in November challenge.  Saturday was just too busy and then I fell asleep on the couch.  Here's Saturday's post on Sunday:

There is no way around it.  I'm fat.  I have struggled with this all my life.  But for a brief period in my teens (anorexia) and again before I got married for the second time (he was in to biking and climbing), I've always carried a little (or a lot) something extra.  Even at my thinnest I had a little pot belly.  After having my son, the extra just never went away.

I've dieted and exercised and given up a hundred times, but this time I may be on to something.  It's an old something that I resisted for a long, long time.  When I was a kid, my parents did this and my lasting impression was of cottage cheese with pineapple on top. I can't eat pineapple and cottage cheese just seems wrong, but here I go.

I'm talking about WeightWatchers. 

Know this:  I am not an easy sell.  I did not join because of Jennifer Hudson.  Or a fancy system with a cool name.  I did begin considering it though - because I have a number of friends who do WW and have had good success with it.  And it didn't make them do crazy things or eat yucky food - they could even eat out!  I still balked at the cost.  As I arrived at the drive-through the pharmacy, I bemoaned the money I spent on prescriptions and a little light bulb went off in my head.  Most of my medical problems are caused by weight issues.  High blood pressure - check.  Cholesterol problems - check.  Diabetes - check.  Aching joints - check.  The money I spend in a month on various medications could pay for WW meetings AND I wouldn't die any faster because of them.  The only side-effects?  Lost weight and a healthier life.  I could get on board with that.

And as if the universe was reading my mind, I saw a commercial for WW that touted a free registration!  I mused about this on FaceBook and one of my FB friends said that if I joined, she'd join too.  We live in the same neighborhood and would ride together, ensuring attendance.

We joined.  We picked the 7:30 Saturday morning meeting.  Both of us get up early and don't want to "blow the morning" by having a meeting right in the middle of it.  And so we began.

I feel like we lucked out.  Our leader, Dee, is awesome.  She's energetic and upbeat and gets everyone engaged during the meetings.  The people who chose this particular meeting are a lot like my friend and me - get-up-and-go people.  They don't hesitate to share what works and what doesn't for them and I learn a lot from listening to them. 

These last two weeks, I've gained a pound a week - in spite of watching what I eat and exercising.  In the past, this would have signaled that it's time to give up because doing all the right things and still gaining would tell me that I'm doing it wrong (again).  At this last meeting, one of the guys got a 10% badge and a 50 pound charm spoke up when I talked about this frustration.  He said that happened to him too.  And it was frustrating - but he knew that eventually he'd start to lose again.  He just had to accept that he was on a plateau and his body was adjusting to this new routine.  It did and he just celebrated 50 pounds at that meeting.  It was comforting and inspiring.

I continue to do what I'm supposed to.  I track my food.  I exercise as much as I can, fitting it in wherever I can.  I try something new.  Last night I had a smoothie for dinner made of kale, frozen berries and water (with some added splenda - I didn't have honey on hand).  It was surprisingly good.  I may make that one meal a day.

I'm trying something new.  I'll live and learn, and hopefully next Saturday, I'll also lose!

6 comments:

Pamela said...

I need to do this too. However, I am always turned off by the "diet freaks."

I've run into so many over the years that it makes me turn away and shake my head.

What got my attention was the pharmacy $. That is something I need to think about.

SwampAngel65 said...

I am just like you! Maybe we're sisters from another mother! The thought of joining WW or any of the other weight loss deals has never appealed to me. We have a gym nearby that I'm thinking of joining, if anything, to be able to use a treadmill during the winter. BUT, after reading your experience with WW, I think I may consider it. There is one very close to my house...can I ask how much it costs? I think that may be the deal breaker for me.

karisma said...

Good luck. One of my friends years ago had great success with weight watchers and she had some medical issues that were actually causing her weight problems so it was so good for her.

I am not keen on most diets myself other than eating healthy, unprocessed foods. I did give up all wheat based products and most gluten foods a while ago as it was effecting my health. I knew for years that I was slightly gluten intolerant but ate it anyway and suffered. Now I try not to eat it but of course slip on a regular basis as I do so love chocolate and icecream. :-) OH and cheesecake.

Yes I know one can get gluten free varieties but everyone else in my house tend to buy the gluten rich ones and sometimes I just cannot help myself. I have to say though when I am strict and read labels and stick to my guns, the weight just falls off me without effort. I can even eat full fat everything else. As I sit and write this my stomach is bloated and yucky as I have been very naughty this week. ;-)

One of my friends is doing the juice diet. She juices everything, drinks the juice daily and then uses all the pulp to make other foods. She is losing weight quickly however I wonder if she does not stick to this diet will the weight stay off? Maybe as she is learning better eating habits at the same time.

Anyways, good luck with it. Hugs xox

karmyn R said...

Good for you. I am struggling right now, myself...and every time I drive by that WW building, I think about it.

KaThYinCoLoRaDo said...

You Go Girl and hang in there. This is the week I hope to get back into some kind of exercise routine again. Having a cracked rib tends to curb the motivation to do much. BUT, keep it up and you'll see a difference soon and feeling good about it.

Jill said...

good luck -- any kind of diet is hard at first, but the substantial changes that can be made like walking (esp. since your weather is good-er than ours year round)--- is definitely a plus!

I know I had aunts who were on WW and they could still eat a lot of fruit and salad and stuff, which was good for summer. I wish you the absolute best!