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I am trying to lose 20 pounds before New Years!! No one said it was going to be easy. But as I said before, I am willing to work to get my body back!! I'm following Weight Watchers, exercising and trying to stay motivated. I know that many of you many have a lot more than 20 pounds to lose, but remember whether you have 20 or 120 we all have to do the same thing. We have to make changes in our eating habits. There is no finish line. If we want to maintain the weight loss, we have to continue eating healthy and consciously all the time.
For the next 8 Mondays, I've lined up Guest Bloggers to share their weight loss success and how they overcame some of their struggle. ( If you would like to share your story email me vegyid2@yahoo.com)
Today's guest blogger is Wendy who has done a fabulous job taking off over 17 pounds in the last 3 months on Weight Watchers. Here is Wendy's story:
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After having two children within 3.5 years, I didn’t feel right about my body. I felt heavy and uncomfortable and none of my clothes (besides maternity clothes) fit me anymore! I did lose some of the baby weight from my second child, but even with exercising and eating what I thought was healthy and low calorie, the weight wasn’t coming off.
My best friend had success with Weight Watchers (WW). Therefore, I decided to give it a try. Based on my current weight, I get 26 points for the day. Once I started determining the point values of my favorite foods, wow was I in for a wake up call!
No wonder I had stopped losing weight. The cereal bars I had been previously eating (2-3 a day) were worth 4 points each! The chai latte drink I had been drinking in the am was a whopping 5 points (just for a drink!).
I’m happy to report that within 3 months, I have lost 17 pounds. My goal is to lose 20 pounds total and keep it off! Keep reading to see the changes I made and the new habits I formed to get the results!
Before Picture
After 17 pound weight loss
Before Picture
After 17 pound weight loss
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Why I love Weight Watchers
The main thing that I love about WW is that even though you do have to count points, you are not counting calories (calories are obviously included in the point calculations, but you are not focused on them). You can eat what YOU want. It’s EASY to eat healthy and feel satisfied and stay within your points range. Fruits and vegetables are 0 points.
My husband (who, by the way is not on the plan and has lost 10 lbs since I have started) likes to think of WW as a budget. Someone gives you $100 for the day and it’s your choice how you choose to spend it. If you want to blow all of on a pair of heels, then go for it and have nothing else to wear! But if you want to bargain shop and buy lots of things on sale, you will get more for your money. For example, I was eating something as part of my lunch which was 4 points. My best friend told me about a similar product that was only 1 point each. So I’m saving 3 points on lunch and therefore treat myself to something else in the evening!! Eating out was definitely challenging/scary when I first started WW. See my tips below for my favorite go-to meals when I am out.
I am currently doing the WW online program.
I do not attend meetings, but I know that many WW successes have attended them and learn great things. With working part time and with two little ones at home, it’s hard for me to find time to attend the meetings. But I have the Weight Watchers app on my iphone, and I use it to track everything I eat so I feel accountable and I enter my weekly weight on Wednesday mornings. It’s great because when I go food shopping, I use the points calculator on my phone right in the supermarket to figure out the points of whatever food I want to buy.
Here is a typical breakfast for me (I told you I am constantly eating!):
Breakfast - Oatmeal with fresh berries (3 or 4 points) and 1 cup decaf coffee with fat free creamer and stevia (1 point)
AM snack – banana (0 Points) and WW cheese stick (1 point)
Another AM Snack – Red pepper slices (0 Points) and or Greek Yogurt (3 or 4 points)
It doesn't always go so well
There are definitely those days that I just want to eat whatever I want and forget to track ( record what I'm eating) and I do eat whatever! It’s important to give yourself some days off. Otherwise you will go crazy. If I overindulge one day or even for an entire weekend, I do my best to get back on the WW train the next day or Monday morning!
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| Recipe for a Weight Watchers Style overnight no cooking required oatmeal- so easy, convenient, healthy and delicious |
Here are some of my habits/tips since starting WW
· Every week, I plan my menu and make my shopping list for the next week. I have to stay organized and always ensure I have the proper foods on hand so I can easily eat healthy.
· I use my crock pot at least once a week every week. I make recipes that include lean protein, veggies and carbs. The recipes are healthy, easy and my husband and both of my girls enjoy it. I prep veggies the night before and throw them in the crock pot in the morning.
· About twice a week, I roast vegetables and use them as fillers in my wraps for lunch or as a side dish for lunches or dinners. My favorites are butternut squash, mushrooms, eggplant, onions, zucchini, and summer squash. I use PAM spray and season veggies with salt free seasoning such as Mrs. Dash. I eat leftover roasted veggies as an appetizer while I prepare dinner.
· I snack on lots of fresh veggies – peppers, carrots, sugar snap peas and baby tomatoes. I don’t snack on useless snacks anymore that provide no nutritional value and/or fiber to fill me up – for example, pretzels, crackers, chips, cookies are totally out.
· I’ve become conscious of serving sizes. When I make a crock pot recipe and the serving size is 1.5 cups for 8 points, I really do try to just eat the 1.5 cups of the recipe. I also eat on our appetizer size plates, not our gigantic dinner size plates.
· Let’s face it, sometimes I am still hungry after a meal. If so, I try to eat vegetables or a banana or fresh fruit like pineapple, cantaloupe or honeydew.
· I eat constantly throughout the day, about every 2 hours. I don’t go anywhere without snacks for the kids and myself!! I never let myself get super hungry because then I make poor choices.
· I drink a lot of water – I aim for 64 oz/day.
· I love spaghetti squash and use it in place of pasta. I make pasta for my husband and girls and I use the same sauce, but on top of spaghetti squash.
I roast in the oven for about 45 minutes on 375.
· I love reading blogs of others who have success on WW and have become addicted to researching recipes!
· I exercise about 2-3 days a week and take group fitness classes.
· If I eat lunch out, I try to order the following:
Egg white omelet with veggies; veggie burger and salad.
Tip : A trick that I use to help me stay on track is to plan my meals/snacks for the entire day in the morning. I log all of my foods that I plan to eat for the day into my points tracker on my iphone in the morning and it shows me if I have any extra points to use for the day and this way I can plan accordingly.
0 point Appetizer : Here is a quick snack or appetizer idea that my best friend Melissa invented -
Trader Joe's veggie mix which includes chopped carrots, cabbage, celery, peppers and other veggies too. Top veggie mix with balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard and a few dashes of Frank's red hot sauce for a 0 point delicious snack or appetizer.
My favorite blogs/sites for recipes and motivation are:
Please leave a comment and Please let Wendy know if you could identify with and enjoyed her story? Do you have any tips that help you and could help others?
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Food is my passion. I am gluten intolerant, busy. and strive for a healthy balanced lifestyle. It has taken me many years to develop and discover easy healthy recipes that meet gluten free, vegetarian and real food standards. On my blog I share my journey, my struggles, my discoveries, and my new recipes. I hope you find ideas, resources, and recipes that will be helpful to you. Come Back soon.
Author: Judee Algazi
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What a great story! I have lost a lot of weight, but I am still trying everyday to make good choices and lose a few more pounds. Thanks for the motivation!
ReplyDeleteGreat post. Both of you are doing great. I have been on Weight Watchers (repeat offender) over a year now and am down 86 lbs. You are right, it doesn't matter how much you have to lose. You really do have to make healthy choices and changes for it to become a lifestyle change. This weekend I will be running my first 10K. Last year I had a hard time even walking around the block.
ReplyDeleteWow what a great idea for a meme! You look great! Healthy oils like coconut will help a lot too.
ReplyDeleteFound your post on Show me what you got link party. I am not using WW but I do count calories and it has helped me loose 23lbs. I love the Skinnytaste website. Great job on your weight loss.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing! I lost 30 lbs doing WW and would recommend it to anyone! Congrats on your success and being an inspiration to others :-)
ReplyDeleteYay for getting healthy and losing weight... I have lost 25 pounds since January. Although I didn't use weight watchers all the tips you shared are things I am doing as well... Here's to getting and staying healthy! :) stopping by from WFMW blog hop, If you have a chance check out my recent post A Plank A Day!
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how eating healthy makes such a difference to how we feel as well as our appearance. Congratulations on your weight loss.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations! Great tips, thanks for sharing! Came by from Katherines.
ReplyDeleteNew follower from blog hop! You look great way to go and inspire others. My blog is a mom blog with lots of healthy products and fitness tips. Would love for you to follow back! Congrats again!
ReplyDeletehttp://naptimeshopper.blogspot.com
I too did weight watchers soon after I took my first desk job out of college (10 years ago) and found myself facing the plus size section.
ReplyDeleteWeight Watchers was great. I lost 25 lbs over the summer and weighed right smack dab in the middle of the recommended weight range for my height.
I gained about 5 of it back and then maintained for years. About five years ago I got into the real food movement and started to question things about weight watchers. They are excellent for portion control and encouraging the choosing of veg and fruit as main components of diet, as well as exercize.
However, they are very anti-fat. So much so that I would choose all processed sugary foods, or fake sugar foods over a traditional food with a significant amount of fat. Anything with more than a couple grams of fat per serving felt off limits.
Then, a couple of years ago I switched to only natural sugars like maple, raw sugarcane and honey. These were very much in moderation. I left the diet cokes behind and felt I had an even better diet.
Then I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and had to learn to eat as a diabetic. It was a huge ego blow because I thought I had been eating well for years. Several meeting with a diatician showed me there is always room for improvement.
It took some reading and research, but I am no longer afraid of fat. I choose animal fats like tallow or lard or simple pressed oils like olive over processed yellow oils.
I've been able to control my blood sugar by portioning my food (specifically carbs) out through the day and taking a daily walk. The recording and measuring aspect feels very much like weight watchers. I plan to continue eating this way even after baby.
The point I am circling around to is that Weight Watchers is a valuable tool. Learn what you can from it, but be aware that it's not just about what size your clothing is, but how your body uses food as fuel. Weight Watchers is best as part of a solution for a healthier life.
Losing weight is such a challenge, especially as you get older, but WW is as good a way as any as it is a realistic way of eating.
ReplyDeleteGreat guest post. Great tips. I do a lot of these things, they helped me to lose about a 100 pounds! The frequent meals will help jump start a slow metabolism. I like to walk everyday as well for exercise and to relax. Thanks for sharing, keep up the good work.
ReplyDeletecongratulations on your accomplishments for better health and thanks for sharing
DeleteKatrin,
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 86 pounds of weight loss. What an accomplisment!
Congratulation s, well done! Hugs and thank you for joining in the hop fun. xo
ReplyDeleteGreat tips! I'm always trying to drop some weight and need all the inspiration I can get. Congrats on your weight loss! WW is awesome!
ReplyDeleteWow, that is really really motivating. I just recently went to the WW site and at first I didn't see where I got to add in points for my current weight. I thought I was going to have to survive on like 5 points. :D I really need to slow down when I read. :D Anyway, I agree that it is a more common sense way to a life style change. Thinking about what we are actually eating is the biggest hurdle. Thanks for sharing your blog post this week on BeColorful.
ReplyDeletepam
Wendy,
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for this informative and motivating post. Your ideas are so benecial.
Congratulations on your weight loss.
Thanks for sharing all this info on your successful weight loss program-well done! Delighted you linked up to Seasonal Celebration Sunday! Rebecca @ Natural Mothers Network x
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharring importent information in this blog.
ReplyDeleteWow! Very inspiring and great achievement.
ReplyDeleteI can't handle to lose weight over 17 lbs. in just 3 months. I envy you Wendy. You could be an inspiration to everybody that nothing is impossible.
The only way to lose weight is by creating a calorie deficit. It's really only safe to lose a couple of pounds a week. And it's unhealthy to create more than a 800 calorie deficit because it will slow down your metabolism. Use a calorie tracker and a fitness tracker to stay on track. An app or program like the livestrong calorie tracker works well.
ReplyDeleteBe careful though, don't overdo it.
Eating disorders are traditionally seen as a problem for women, not men. However, the number of men and boys being diagnosed with the disorder is on the increase. It is estimated that boys make up between 10-20% of all sufferers in the U.K. A recent study published in the “International Journal of Eating Disorders”* suggests that nearly as many men may be suffering from binge eating disorders as women, but are less likely to seek help. This could mean the actual percentage of men suffering is a lot higher, but they do not seek help due to the stigma of having a mental health issue, or being seen as “weak” or “unmanly”. Teenage boys and eating disorders The triggers of eating disorders…
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