Tag: #WW

Vetting Habits for Weight Loss

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I encourage you to vet your habits to see if they are serving you well on your weight loss journey. It is a simple litmus test, long-lasting habits share three important qualities:

  1. Little Time
  2. Little Effort
  3. Have Close Proximity

To provide some context for this topic, here are three of the daily habits that are working well for me.

Successful Habit #1 Daily Weigh-In…

I weigh myself each morning: It takes a minute to do this. There is little effort I get on the scale and record my weight on my WW app. My scale is by the dining room table not far from where I pour my morning cup of coffee.

Successful Habit #2 Drink 64 oz Water

I space out drinking the water over time so it is easy to take sips throughout the day. My water bottle dries overnight next to the coffee machine so it is convenient to grab in the morning. (I’m noticing a pattern around coffee lol).

Successful Habit #3 Food Tracking

I use an app on my phone (the Weight Watchers App). I can scan bar codes, or type in items, it takes little time it is convenient, and my phone is always on hand.

All of these little habits are making weight loss happen for me. If it is working for me, chances are really good it will work for you. If your journey isn’t going so well, it could just mean some habits need tweaking. Weight gain is a complex issue and yet weight loss rests on having a network of simple habits.

Phone a Friend

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A friend sent me today’s cover image. She is traveling with her husband in their RV across the country. Driving on highways and local roads gives an intimate perspective of the land that air travel cannot give. They are experienced RVers who have done this every summer for many years. They know the ropes for how to pack, they can calculate how long it will take to get to their destination, and they know where to make reservations for the better campgrounds. They have an understanding of how this process works, and so they have clear expectations for what will happen along the way.

Knowing what to expect and having the capacity for doing what needs to be done, makes a successful journey possible. This thinking works for weight loss too. For so many of us, we know what to do to plan for successful weight loss, and yet we stop ourselves from actually taking the journey. Why? A reason might be because although we get close we never make it to the ultimate destination. Another reason might be that we reach the weight loss goal but can’t sustain it. Yet another reason may be that something significant changed in life, and now the systems to achieve a healthy lifestyle had to change.

Where are you on your weight loss journey right now? Maybe you’re all packed up and seeing the sights. Maybe you had to take a detour and are figuring out your new route. Maybe you took a pit stop and now your vehicle won’t start, you’ll need the tools to fix it. No matter where you are on your weight loss journey, please believe that you are the one who holds the keys. You are the only person who can decide what happens next to you.

When thinking about all the possible scenarios that could inhibit weight loss if you find yourself in the worst situation; like you’re stuck on the side of the road, your tire is flat and it’s raining... all is not lost. Sometimes, the best choice is to call in help from a friend. It’s true that this journey is one of self-reliance (only you can decide to take the trip) but it doesn’t mean you have to have all the answers. Sometimes the best thing you can do to get yourself moving again is to ask a friend for help.

Weight Loss in the Real World

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Someone said the most amazing thing this morning, “I’m eating pizza and beer and I’m still, losing weight.” That is the secret to making a lifelong change. No one should have to stop having fun or doing social things with friends just to lose weight. Issues with food are especially complicated because food is both necessary and social. I’m happy to say, as a member of WW I am really learning how to strike that balance.

When it comes to weight loss it’s easy to be overwhelmed, if you don’t have the right mindset and tools. When making decisions about how to lose weight, be sure to find a program that offers education about nutrition and the benefits of being active. Learning how to: counterbalance eating out, recipes, and meal planning, portion sizes, and understanding what macronutrients are and why they matter.

Not all calories are created equally – what a person eats is used by the body in different ways. A bowl of cereal may be as many calories as a slice of avocado toast, but the avocado toast will be more filling because of the macronutrients.

Celebrations Happen…

Today is a special day for my family. It is my 34th wedding anniversary and the 25th birthday of our twins. There will be eating out, there will be cake and a glass of wine. Looking back I know where I lost my perspective about food, stress and convenience were big factors that lead to weight gain for me. Thinking about the future, I am filled with gratitude for the people who support my weight loss efforts, and I hope these blogs are useful to you in yours.

Start With One Every Day

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Healthy people eat mindfully, work out, and stay hydrated, they know how to use moderation when it comes to food. How do they do it? Habits. The habits we keep reveal our real selves to the world. Well, I hate to burst the bubble but this is old news! If you belong to WW we talk about habits all the time.

Habits create systems for weight loss, and success comes from knowing how to establish and keep helpful habits. What if one day, you made a commitment to a daily water goal? What if the next week, you made a commitment to weigh yourself once a day? What if the week after that you added keeping a food diary? Then, what if you got a fitness monitor and decided to do some kind of activity (even if it was just for 10 minutes) every day? You would lose weight.

If weight loss is what you’re after give this some serious thought. Maybe you need a visual reminder – leave a note to initiate your habits. It might be that you need an auditory cue – set an alarm.

You can do this, and I hope you know that I am here rooting you on! Do someone a solid, and be a cheerleader for them too. The success of others is worth celebrating even if you’re not there yet. Kindness is a magnet it brings us together.

Honesty & Negativity

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February 18, 2023, was fourteen weeks ago. I have worked out every day for the past 14 weeks. In that time we have changed seasons, moving from winter and are headed toward the end of spring. I can (mostly) keep up with my Peloton classes, and I feel much stronger and more fit and that feels like progress. At the same time, I feel like all the extra weight I am carrying around with me, has amassed in my torso. So while I feel my muscles working I also feel like they are completely submerged in excess fat. So even though I feel good when I’m working out, I’m also a little bummed out.

Now, I find myself asking lots of questions like: Why did I let myself gain so much weight back? How long will it take to not feel so heavy? When will I see a decrease in my waist size? None of these questions are very helpful but this blog is a place, to be honest, and these are thoughts I’m having today. I would rather share them, and look at them than let them keep playing unchecked in my head. I think by reflecting on these negative thoughts, I can disempower them and relegate them to the background instead of letting them have center stage.

None of these feelings steal my joy of working out every day. I am so happy I am making time to do that and the habit is well-established now. There are ups and downs on a weight loss journey (hahaha I just read that back) but you know what I mean. Feelings are fleeting and the most important thing to do, when dealing with negativity, is to be honest about it – feel the feels and keep going.

Living the Plan

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Members of Weight Watchers know about “blue dot days”. Blue dots represent a range of points (all foods have specific point values) and when members eat within that range (a healthy eating zone) the day turns blue. It’s just another way to gather some formative information on the journey to lose weight:

I am living my life, and I’m losing weight. It really can be done. Sunday was Mother’s Day and for me, that meant using up all my extra weekly points (we get a set number of weekly points to use at our discretion). Then on Wednesday, I went over my daily allotment of points too, and that’s ok too. I’m not interested in feeling deprived or disappointed; but, this doesn’t mean it’s a free-for-all either. I am learning how to (I just can’t help myself) have my cake and eat it too.

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Morning Meditation

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Did you notice the wording on today’s mission? “Try” to meditate for 10 minutes. Meditation is one of those practices that continue to elude me. I want to meditate because I believe it would be good for me. It is a frequent guest on my habit tracker, I moved it from a daily habit to a weekly one, and I think it may get another demotion to a monthly status.

I did meditate this morning. I used my Peloton app to do a “Morning Meditation” (for 5 minutes). When it was done, I felt a sense of energy and calm. Walking down the stairs I felt completely conscious of my surroundings. I felt the benefit of doing it, so why don’t I do it more often? I can’t say. Even though I am an intermittent (that’s being REALLY generous) meditator, I recommend it.

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“You are…”

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If you have been blessed to be a mother, or are a special woman, who is making a difference in the lives of others, I honor you today. I can think of no better challenge than to ask you to give yourself a compliment. Be intentional, and use your internal voice (you know the voice that is often critical or worrisome) for something good today. This challenge is something you are doing just for yourself. If you want it to be private, yes. If you want to share it with someone else, yes. If you want to post it in the comments for other readers to see, yes. Whatever makes you feel good about yourself is the whole point.

Look for the beauty inside of yourself as well as others.
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Mix it up

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If only this post’s featured image was my kitchen. It comes from a beautiful blog called, The Spruce. What is it about looking at organized spaces that are so appealing? Perhaps it has something to do with the brain and patterns (the brain LOVES patterns). Maybe it has something to do with exercising control over the environment. Or could it be the appeal of having others think, “Wow, she really has her life all figured out.” Ha!

Whatever the reason, I do love an organized space. Yet, I’m the kind of person who, when she is working, makes a big mess. I pull things out, I make piles, and I don’t always make the best choices for how to store things away. My goal is to declutter one cabinet in my kitchen. I decided on one cabinet because I don’t really want to spend hours doing this, and I don’t want to feel overwhelmed. This is a doable goal for me, and if all goes well, I will do another cabinet tomorrow. Maybe.

Why the kitchen? Since I have been so engaged with my weight loss journey, my kitchen has been taking a beating with all the COOKING I’ve been doing. I actually do like to cook, and I do enjoy the food I make. I enjoy it when I have the time, I’m not too exhausted from working all day, and when I can find everything I need. So mostly, I enjoy cooking on the weekends and during the summer when I work a little less. In the meantime, I still have to cook on all those other days, and if I am a bit more organized I think it will help me.

Why have these daily challenges?

Simply, having small doable goals brings me joy. Small goals also spark momentum. Having a sense of momentum is especially important when you have a lot of weight to lose. I say this because a successful weight-loss journey relies on habits that form a network of predictable systems. I think of these daily challenges as a way to mix it up.

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Comfort Zones

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Ever notice how many people will say crazy things like, “It’s good to push yourself out of your comfort zone.” This is said without any real regard for the experiences that come about from having done the thing that pushed you out of your comfort zone. Sometimes those are rough experiences! I don’t think the “good” actually comes from the experience, To me, it only does good if I reflect following the experience.

I went to Manhattan for work, and all of it was out of my comfort zone. Now that it’s over, I can honestly say, I’m glad I went, but I’m really tired. Was it worth it? Did it help me grow? I’m not sure yet, it depends on how much the experience impacts my practice. So time will tell.

Speaking of challenges, is cutting sugar out of your comfort zone? My answer would be, no cutting out sugar is pretty easy. It’s easy because I have already put in the sweat equity into my habits. I don’t eat a lot of sugar these days, and I don’t really miss it. Without any real evidence; my gut, thinks limiting sugar/added sugar has been very helpful. The weight is coming off, I have more energy, and I am a happy traveler (for now) on my journey.

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