Weight Watchers Review
Aug. 8th, 2014 06:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
altarflameI'd like to say, first, that I don't think there's anything wrong with loving yourself just as you are, thin, fat or otherwise. I OFTEN see weight loss before and afters where I feel the before pics are more attractive, to my own subjective tastes. We're all much more than our looks, and don't owe looking a certain way to anyone, regardless. And I know health can be - and is often - very unrelated to size. So this entry is in no way meant as a scolding or a prod at anyone. Nobody is under any obligation to be trying to lose weight, and I think it's important to say that sometimes because there's this subtle but constant pressure on women to feel like they are.
I always feel uncomfortable about adding to the omnipresent cloud of "diet talk" that permeates every corner of modern society, because, eww.
That said, if you are someone who is trying to change your body, for whatever personal reasons, or you are just curious about what I'm doing with mine and how it's working out - here we go...
I've been using Weight Watchers for 5 1/2 months now. As longtime readers know, I've tried a lot of strict and rigid restriction-style diet plans over the years (being vegan, or on the Eat To Live program that is basically fat free vegan, going gluten free, saying no sugar or white flour ever, etc). They all work well but none of them have been sustainable for me. I am too much of a foodie to cope with knowing any sort of lovely indulgent thing is off limits permanently. Or even semi-permanently. In some health and ethics related ways, this is definitely a flaw - BUT. It is what it is, for now at least.
I feel like I could do this - Weight Watchers - basically forever.
I have a long history of compulsive and emotional eating and really lost any ability to regulate food intake by hunger cues as a child. As a result, this points-system guidance is extremely helpful. It actually feels like magic that I can use this tool to change my body. All I have to do is stay the course and be patient.
I have tried just counting calories before, and had the (free) MyFitnessPal app at the suggestion of my therapist for that last year, but I hated it for a few reasons:
-*way* more math and research time on my part, vs the simple and built in points system for everything from restaurant menus to my own recipes that I put in.
-no differentiation between healthy and non-healthy calories; WW has made daily points limits lower than they used to be because unlimited fruits and vegetables are now zero points, which automatically encourages you to eat healthier. They are also calculating points values for other things on an algorithm that involves fat, carbs, fiber and protein, rather than just calories.
-I didn't like it just being on me to feel like I failed when I occasionally decided to splurge. WW has 49 "weekly points" built into the program that are above and beyond your daily point limits - you can eat them all at once as one crazy buffet dinner, or spread them out as glasses of wine and scoops of ice cream throughout the week. I suppose I could have worked out some sort of similar system for myself, but instead I usually just figured a day or week was shot and gave up on it, when I went over my max calories. With WW I really feel like there's nothing I can't have. This is hokey, but I often think "I can eat anything I want, I just can't eat everything I want."
-This may be bs, but a lot of research suggests that people actually lose weight much more often when they use a program that costs money, because the investment gives the whole effort more accountability. It would be nice to just psych myself out that I'm smarter than that and can milk a free program, but I think it's true. Subscribing to this plan that charges our bank account makes me feel like it's real and not just in my head (or my phone, or whatever).
I also enjoy all sorts of things Weight Watchers offers, like the weigh in days, chart that shows my weight loss over time, the recipes searchable by point values, and the forums. Those things are sort of incidental, though. I do not go to meetings or buy any WW brand products (which honestly seem pretty gimmicky and silly to me, and often not very healthy at all). I am also aware that Weight Watchers may well be the least punk thing I've ever done in my life.
I've lost 29 pounds so far, since late February. I feel better, which I've written about before, but there are other tangible differences too that have been noticeable, lately:
-My ASOS plus leggings are now baggy around the knees and over, for me (which is actually a tragedy, I don't have many clothes, love them, and can't really afford more at the moment).
-Bras I was using band extenders for, for years, can now be worn on their own again.
-My hip measurement, which includes my hernia bump, has gone down 7.5 inches.
-I can actually see it when I compare old pictures to new, now, which is wild for me since I really haven't felt I can SEE much difference in the day to day.
Currently, my daily points target is 35. Under the cut is
I got up at 7:30 and had a banana (0) and two squares of Lindt sea salt dark chocolate (3), before driving the girls up to camp.
Awhile after I got back and hung out with the other kids, I made what I've been calling "hobbit brunch," lately. Basically, a few sliced mushrooms and a lot of chopped spinach (all 0) cooked in almost a tablespoon of butter (2), two fried eggs with cooking spray (4), a fat italian style Harvestland chicken sausage (3), and a couple of small tomatoes cut up and salted (0).
Before it was time to go watch the girls' skits and pick them up, around 1:00, I had chai with a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of almond milk (1) and one of Grant's homemade caramels (2). After we got back, at 4, I had some grapes (0).
Just now (5:30) I was getting hungry again, and we eat dinner pretty late, so I had a snack - two Applegate turkey rolls (1), 3 cubes of sharp provolone (2) and a handful of five or six green olives (1).
In a couple of hours I'll drink a glass of red wine (4) while I make a kale, sausage, and bean, italian style soup that I basically made up as I went along in the WW recipe builder (7 for a bowl). I'll have it with diced avocado and tomato on gluten free crackers (5).
Everything there is food that I love and would have anyway. None of it is new food I switched to because of this program. Lots of people think things like real butter and full fat cheese just aren't worth the points and immediately switch to fat free - or what I like to call "fake" like a real snob - versions. That's definitely an option. I'm sure some people would be prioritizing red meat or cream for their coffee, or whatever.
I don't always plan out the evenings in advance, but my daily points went down by one this week AND I'm out of weeklies, so that makes it a little more important to do so. I used all of my weeklies Tuesday on a toffee latte with whipped cream, a giant pile of cheddar popcorn, and getting totally sloshed on most of a bottle of wine (49 - all worth it). I usually try to save some of my weekly points for the weekends when Grant and I often go out, or collaborate in the kitchen (or both). Since I didn't this week, and I know he's making killer jambalaya that we've got fresh local shrimp for (14), I'm going to be having a careful breakfast/lunch/snacks tomorrow, so that will work out.
There are still times when I get anxious or moody because I can't just binge eat - I do think going through counseling as I do this is part of my success thus far. Intensive counseling before I even started has been pivotal, because I really understand that I was self sabotaging like a motherfucker since I know that losing weight is a path that ends in the OR, for me.
I've learned, partially through the points system, that I don't actually enjoy food at all when I eat compulsively or binge. I enjoy the lead up sometimes? But it's this mindless hand-to-mouth thing that's very disconnected from enjoying anything, I almost feel dissociative when it's happening. I suspect this is similar for addicts of all types. For me, though, I FEEL like I'm really enjoying food much more because I'm enjoying all the food I have, rather than just some of it, or enjoying it in my mouth but not my stuffed stomatch, or liking it but feeling emotionally bad about it, etc etc.
Also, it's important to point out that I got my B-12 levels back up before I started... deficiencies like that, as well as all kinds of hormonal and thyroid troubles, and med side effects, can make weight loss REALLY FUCKING HARD/semi-impossible, even when you are "doing everything right."
I saw someone on facebook the other day who has lost over a hundred pounds and kept it off for several years talking about how he hates when people make excuses - you just have to want to do it. He talked about how walking is free, and jump ropes are cheap, and it was just too angering (and complicated) for me to even go into there. Obviously chronic health conditions and mental health conditions can be huge obstacles that require MEGA RESOURCES to tackle, that not everybody has got. Ultimately that's about him anyway, and not anyone else.
I read a lot for my Health Psych class about how the most successful treatments for people with obesity involve cognitive behavioral therapy that starts with writing down every single thing that you eat. I reminded myself of that often in the early weeks of Weight Watchers, when logging points ANYTIME I ate ANYTHING still seemed like a hassle. I do think it's part of what's helpful and what works, about the program (built in food journaling). These days it's very automatic and not a big deal at all.
:)
I always feel uncomfortable about adding to the omnipresent cloud of "diet talk" that permeates every corner of modern society, because, eww.
That said, if you are someone who is trying to change your body, for whatever personal reasons, or you are just curious about what I'm doing with mine and how it's working out - here we go...
I've been using Weight Watchers for 5 1/2 months now. As longtime readers know, I've tried a lot of strict and rigid restriction-style diet plans over the years (being vegan, or on the Eat To Live program that is basically fat free vegan, going gluten free, saying no sugar or white flour ever, etc). They all work well but none of them have been sustainable for me. I am too much of a foodie to cope with knowing any sort of lovely indulgent thing is off limits permanently. Or even semi-permanently. In some health and ethics related ways, this is definitely a flaw - BUT. It is what it is, for now at least.
I feel like I could do this - Weight Watchers - basically forever.
I have a long history of compulsive and emotional eating and really lost any ability to regulate food intake by hunger cues as a child. As a result, this points-system guidance is extremely helpful. It actually feels like magic that I can use this tool to change my body. All I have to do is stay the course and be patient.
I have tried just counting calories before, and had the (free) MyFitnessPal app at the suggestion of my therapist for that last year, but I hated it for a few reasons:
-*way* more math and research time on my part, vs the simple and built in points system for everything from restaurant menus to my own recipes that I put in.
-no differentiation between healthy and non-healthy calories; WW has made daily points limits lower than they used to be because unlimited fruits and vegetables are now zero points, which automatically encourages you to eat healthier. They are also calculating points values for other things on an algorithm that involves fat, carbs, fiber and protein, rather than just calories.
-I didn't like it just being on me to feel like I failed when I occasionally decided to splurge. WW has 49 "weekly points" built into the program that are above and beyond your daily point limits - you can eat them all at once as one crazy buffet dinner, or spread them out as glasses of wine and scoops of ice cream throughout the week. I suppose I could have worked out some sort of similar system for myself, but instead I usually just figured a day or week was shot and gave up on it, when I went over my max calories. With WW I really feel like there's nothing I can't have. This is hokey, but I often think "I can eat anything I want, I just can't eat everything I want."
-This may be bs, but a lot of research suggests that people actually lose weight much more often when they use a program that costs money, because the investment gives the whole effort more accountability. It would be nice to just psych myself out that I'm smarter than that and can milk a free program, but I think it's true. Subscribing to this plan that charges our bank account makes me feel like it's real and not just in my head (or my phone, or whatever).
I also enjoy all sorts of things Weight Watchers offers, like the weigh in days, chart that shows my weight loss over time, the recipes searchable by point values, and the forums. Those things are sort of incidental, though. I do not go to meetings or buy any WW brand products (which honestly seem pretty gimmicky and silly to me, and often not very healthy at all). I am also aware that Weight Watchers may well be the least punk thing I've ever done in my life.
I've lost 29 pounds so far, since late February. I feel better, which I've written about before, but there are other tangible differences too that have been noticeable, lately:
-My ASOS plus leggings are now baggy around the knees and over, for me (which is actually a tragedy, I don't have many clothes, love them, and can't really afford more at the moment).
-Bras I was using band extenders for, for years, can now be worn on their own again.
-My hip measurement, which includes my hernia bump, has gone down 7.5 inches.
-I can actually see it when I compare old pictures to new, now, which is wild for me since I really haven't felt I can SEE much difference in the day to day.
Currently, my daily points target is 35. Under the cut is
I got up at 7:30 and had a banana (0) and two squares of Lindt sea salt dark chocolate (3), before driving the girls up to camp.
Awhile after I got back and hung out with the other kids, I made what I've been calling "hobbit brunch," lately. Basically, a few sliced mushrooms and a lot of chopped spinach (all 0) cooked in almost a tablespoon of butter (2), two fried eggs with cooking spray (4), a fat italian style Harvestland chicken sausage (3), and a couple of small tomatoes cut up and salted (0).
Before it was time to go watch the girls' skits and pick them up, around 1:00, I had chai with a teaspoon of sugar and a splash of almond milk (1) and one of Grant's homemade caramels (2). After we got back, at 4, I had some grapes (0).
Just now (5:30) I was getting hungry again, and we eat dinner pretty late, so I had a snack - two Applegate turkey rolls (1), 3 cubes of sharp provolone (2) and a handful of five or six green olives (1).
In a couple of hours I'll drink a glass of red wine (4) while I make a kale, sausage, and bean, italian style soup that I basically made up as I went along in the WW recipe builder (7 for a bowl). I'll have it with diced avocado and tomato on gluten free crackers (5).
Everything there is food that I love and would have anyway. None of it is new food I switched to because of this program. Lots of people think things like real butter and full fat cheese just aren't worth the points and immediately switch to fat free - or what I like to call "fake" like a real snob - versions. That's definitely an option. I'm sure some people would be prioritizing red meat or cream for their coffee, or whatever.
I don't always plan out the evenings in advance, but my daily points went down by one this week AND I'm out of weeklies, so that makes it a little more important to do so. I used all of my weeklies Tuesday on a toffee latte with whipped cream, a giant pile of cheddar popcorn, and getting totally sloshed on most of a bottle of wine (49 - all worth it). I usually try to save some of my weekly points for the weekends when Grant and I often go out, or collaborate in the kitchen (or both). Since I didn't this week, and I know he's making killer jambalaya that we've got fresh local shrimp for (14), I'm going to be having a careful breakfast/lunch/snacks tomorrow, so that will work out.
There are still times when I get anxious or moody because I can't just binge eat - I do think going through counseling as I do this is part of my success thus far. Intensive counseling before I even started has been pivotal, because I really understand that I was self sabotaging like a motherfucker since I know that losing weight is a path that ends in the OR, for me.
I've learned, partially through the points system, that I don't actually enjoy food at all when I eat compulsively or binge. I enjoy the lead up sometimes? But it's this mindless hand-to-mouth thing that's very disconnected from enjoying anything, I almost feel dissociative when it's happening. I suspect this is similar for addicts of all types. For me, though, I FEEL like I'm really enjoying food much more because I'm enjoying all the food I have, rather than just some of it, or enjoying it in my mouth but not my stuffed stomatch, or liking it but feeling emotionally bad about it, etc etc.
Also, it's important to point out that I got my B-12 levels back up before I started... deficiencies like that, as well as all kinds of hormonal and thyroid troubles, and med side effects, can make weight loss REALLY FUCKING HARD/semi-impossible, even when you are "doing everything right."
I saw someone on facebook the other day who has lost over a hundred pounds and kept it off for several years talking about how he hates when people make excuses - you just have to want to do it. He talked about how walking is free, and jump ropes are cheap, and it was just too angering (and complicated) for me to even go into there. Obviously chronic health conditions and mental health conditions can be huge obstacles that require MEGA RESOURCES to tackle, that not everybody has got. Ultimately that's about him anyway, and not anyone else.
I read a lot for my Health Psych class about how the most successful treatments for people with obesity involve cognitive behavioral therapy that starts with writing down every single thing that you eat. I reminded myself of that often in the early weeks of Weight Watchers, when logging points ANYTIME I ate ANYTHING still seemed like a hassle. I do think it's part of what's helpful and what works, about the program (built in food journaling). These days it's very automatic and not a big deal at all.
:)
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no subject
Date: 2014-08-12 03:28 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-08-13 01:27 am (UTC)We've accumulated a list of tons of minimal point meals (zucchini pasta with marinara and sauteed mushrooms, lettuce wraps, rice paper wraps, lentil soup) that make it so easy to balance things out such that you can have bacon and eggs for breakfast and cake in the afternoon...and still love everything you're eating...and lose weight. I'm never hungry (I mean maybe because of some weird poor planning like I got caught up running errands and didn't eat for too long, but not because of WW).
Sometimes I get nervous about my points continuing to decrease, but it happens gradually enough that I hope it won't seem like some huge adjustment. So far I've dropped from 39 to 35 and it's only really a thing the first week I have a new number, and then it feels normal. I follow someone on tumblr who has gone from 72 to 56 (I think she's went from 490 to 350 so far, or something like that), that claims to not really be able to tell the difference, so that's encouraging.
no subject
Date: 2014-08-12 03:29 pm (UTC)