Weekly WI

So I had my WI last night and I am delighted I was down 2.5lbs. I really wanted 3.5lbs so I could reach my first mini goal; 13st 13.5lbs. I probably was a little too ambitious with that target though. What I really wanted this week was to lose more than what I had gained last week. I gained 1.5lbs last week so I am happy to have that off again along with another pound. When I was updating my weekly results in the side bar, I did get a bit upset. I have only lost 1.5lbs in the first 4 weeks and only 4lbs in 5 weeks. Now don't get me wrong, 4lbs down is still 4lbs down, which is good. However when you hear of others losing a stone in a month etc. it does get a bit disheartening. Being honest though, the first few weeks I wasn't as good as I should have been. This week I did try really hard and I enjoyed my week and it showed on the scales. It is time to put that effort in every week and I know if I do, I will get the results I want. I have six weeks until my holidays and I'd really like to get my first stone by then. 10lbs in 6 weeks. A bit optimistic but as long as I am sticking to the plan every week  and losing every week, I am happy.

Along with the challenges I set for myself this month, I am also setting myself a new one this week. I have realised I am a bit obsessed with the scales. Every time I am in the bathroom, I hop on them. Ideally I would love to put them away but I am not the only one that uses them. Digital scales are also sensitive to movement so its best just to leave them where they are. So I am going to use every bit of willpower in me to avoid the scales until Saturday. I will take a sneak peak then as I found last weekend, when I saw I was down, it helped me stay on track for the weekend. I will then stay off them until my WI on Wednesday. I am liking setting myself challenges, as I find they help me stay on track. So if you are struggling, set yourself some weekly goals or challenges. Keep them small and simple such as trying new foods. It really does help :)

Week 4 WI

Week 4 and only 1.5lbs down :( I'm annoyed at myself and at work for my 1.5lb gain tonight. I was working late all last week and while I tried my best to stick to points and stay on track, obviously it wasn't enough. It is really frustrating when you try your best and you don't get the results you want. I missed my WI last week due to work, and to be honest, I probably should have had a gain last week. If I had made an effort to attend another meeting last week and accepted the gain, I would have had a loss this week. It just goes to show how you should always attend your meeting, as it does set you back if you don't. I'm still on track for my May Challenge. Okay 8lbs is now looking unrealistic but there's no reason why I can't achieve my silver seven during that time. I have all my meals planned for the next week, so I thought I would share them with you all:

Wednesday:
Breakfast - spinach, banana and milk smoothie 4pps
Snack - Grapes 0pps
Lunch - 4 ryvita original, low low cheese triangle, 30 low low cheddar cheese, 4 slices ham, tomato 9pps
Dinner - 2 eggs, 10g flora light, 30g low low cheddar cheese, onion, 2 rashers, red pepper, glass of milk 14pps
Treat - Malteaser bar 5pps
Total 32pps


Thursday:
Breakfast - 40g porridge, 300ml milk, 1/2 tsp sugar 8pps
Snack - Grapes 0pps
Lunch - 4 ryvita original, low low cheese triangle, 30 low low cheddar cheese, 4 slices ham, tomato 9pps
Dinner - spiegel, chicken fillet, 20g flora light, onion, balsamic vinegar, roasted veg, glass milk 10pps
Treat - Malteaser bar 5pps
Total 32pps

Friday:
Breakfast - spinach, banana and milk smoothie 3pps
Snack - Grapes 0pps
Lunch - eating out so whatever soup they have. I point it as 8pps
Dinner - 2 poached eggs, 20g flora light, balsamic vinegar, spiegel, onion, 150g beef, glass milk 17pps
Treat - Malteaser bar 5pps
Total 33pps

Saturday:
Lunch - 200g colcannon mash, 60g bacon, veg 11pps
Dinner - 2 spiegel, 150g beef, balsamic vinegar, 30g flora light, onion, roasted veg in olive oil 14pps
Alcohol - 3 vodkas and diet drink 9pps
Total 33pps

Sunday:
Breakfast - spinach, banana and milk smoothie 3pps
Snack - Grapes 0pps
Lunch - 200g colcannon mash, 60g bacon, veg, glass of milk 15pps
Dinner - 2 spiegel, 150g beef, balsamic vinegar, 30g flora light, onion, roasted veg in olive oil,  15pps

Total 32pps

Monday:
Breakfast - 30g porridge, 300ml milk, 1/2 tsp sugar 7pps
Snack - Grapes 0pps
Lunch - 2 ryvita original, low low cheese triangle, 30 low low cheddar cheese, 2 slices turkey, tomato, 2 slices ham 8pps
Dinner - spiegel, chicken fillet, 10g flora light, onion, balsamic vinegar, 2 poached eggs 11pps
Treat - homemade pear, apple and cherry fruit juice 0pps
Options hot chocolate with 300ml milk and purple snack bar 7pps
Total 33pps

Tuesday:

Breakfast - 30g porridge, 300ml milk, 1/2 tsp sugar 7pps
Snack - Grapes 0pps
Lunch - 2 ryvita original, low low cheese triangle, 30 low low cheddar cheese, 2 slices turkey, tomato, 2 slices ham 8pps
Dinner - spiegel, chicken fillet, 10g flora light, onion, balsamic vinegar, 2 poached eggs 11pps
Treat - homemade pear, apple and cherry fruit juice 0pps
Options hot chocolate with 300ml milk and purple snack bar 7pps
Total 33pps

 

So that's my plan for the week. I am going to work really hard and hopefully I will see a nice little loss next week. I just have to keep reminding myself of this

That Dreaded Time of the Month and Weekly WI

You do everything right; you plan, you track, you exercise and you drink your water. Yet when you step on

that scale at your WI your worst fear comes true; you are up. There is no explanation for it. Or its there? Is the dreaded time of the month (TOTM) the cause? Most people will put their gain down to that reason. However scientific research has found that the opposite should in fact happen; you should lose weight. I know you are probably cussing at the screen right now, not believing a word I am saying. I would have been one of the first to blame it on the bloating and the water retention until I read this article.
http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/index_art.aspx?tabnum=1&art_id=42321&sc=801

Now it should be noted that I have looked into this further and there appears to be conflicting evidence regarding this. It may or may not be true. However this article gave me some hope that I may just get a loss last week. The main causes of weight gain during TOTM are water retention and increased appetite which can both lead to bloating. There are ways to possibly overcome these causes. To prevent water retention; you should limit your sodium intake and increase your water intake. This also applies to processed foods which are high in salt. Avoiding heavy carbs may also help prevent bloating and high fibre foods will help with bowel movements.

That sounds easy enough right? Well this is the hard part; say NO to your cravings. Stick to your plan, do not allow yourself to succumb to temptation. If you are feeling hungry, then snack on fruit or drink some tea, particularly green tea. Do some exercise. Exercise will not only help you ignore the cravings but will also aid in preventing a weight gain. If you were to look back over your tracker from a TOTM week you will most likely find you had gone over your points; and that does not include the items you did not track!

It is important to keep track of your weight loss pattern during your TOTM weeks. You should always highlight or mark the weeks you have your TOTM on you weight loss tracker. I always highlight the date so that I know that particular week I had my TOTM. Before I did it to prevent me from being disheartened over gains. Now I am doing it so I can monitor my eating patterns during those weeks. Some people may think this is excessive obsessing with WW. If you are like me and would like to see a consistent loss every week, then it is important to keep track and to make necessary changes. I have looked back over my old weight trackers from the last time I did WW. I was kind of surprised at some of the results and it does show you can lose during your TOTM. The weeks I gained I have no doubt that other factors i.e. eating crap, played a role in that gain.

Week 1 - +0.5lb
Week 2 - STS
Week 3 - -5lbs (not sure what happened that week!)
Week 4 - +0.5lb
Week 5 - STS
Week 6 - +1.5lbs (more due to lack of following the plan)
Week 7 - -1.5lbs
Week 8 - +1.5lbs (was the beginning of my plateau and yo-yoing)
Week 9 - -1lb
Week 10 - -0.5lb
Week 11 - -1lb
Week 12 - STS
Week 13 - +0.5lb

So why am I stressing out over TOTM? Last night I had my WI but I did not reach my weekly target of 2.5lbs. I only lost 0.5lb. I really do not want to see a gain next week as it would set me back as I am only down 3lbs. 3lbs in two weeks is good but not so good if I see a gain next week. So I really want to see a loss. Although, if I am being honest with myself, the reason for such a small loss this week was that I was only about 60% good; so to get any kind of loss was a good result. I also found myself writing off my weeklies, more than once. This is a bad habit to get into and it is what happened to me the first time around on ProPoints. The weeklies are the reason I am not the biggest fan of ProPoints. It does not help that I caved to the cravings this evening.

So I am setting myself a challenge this week to try and get a loss on the scales at my next WI, on Wednesday.  I am going to lower my sodium intake, make sure I am drinking 3 litres of water a day and I am going to make sure I reach my exercise target over the weekend. I am also going to make a big effort to stick to my daily points and to only use a few of my weeklies for a girls night on Saturday. I am going to make sure I am getting enough sleep and avoiding all fizzy drinks. These are two goals I set myself a few weeks ago. As I have said before weight loss is not just about the results on the scales but also about the other changes you make in your life. Here is to a good week and hopefully a good result on the scale.

Here We Go......Yet AGAIN

So I have a confession to make! Last week I rejoined WW for what must be the thousandth time. I know I must be a pain but it was something I felt like I needed to do. I went back to the meeting I went to when I originally lost the weight. Why did I not go back there initially? Because I was embarrassed. I should not have been as the leader could not have been more welcoming. She has always taken a keen interest in my weight loss and could not have done more for me when I hit a long plateau. It felt so good to be back and it was nice to see some old faces as well. I weighed in at 14st 4.5lbs which meant a whopping 5lb gain since the week previous. Anyway I am not stressing about that and for the first time in ages I look forward to WW. Tonight was my first WI and I  was down 2.5lbs. That was my target so I was delighted. I am now back out of the 200lbs and I am not going back. As you will read down further that really scared me. Next week I want to get out of the 14's so I am aiming for another 2.5lbs. A bit optimistic but I am going to try really hard. Last week, I went through a lot emotionally, and I know she probably is not reading this, but I could not have got through it without a very close friend. Anyway I actually wrote the following last week but  I just did not have the nerve to post it. I guess I was embarrassed about rejoining again but I am doing this blog for me and any others who may be in the same position as me, so here goes.

Since January, I have been like a broken record. I have restarted WW nearly every week. I keep saying it

has finally clicked yet it has not. Until tonight that is. Well I am hoping it has. Tonight I realised that I am nearly 24. I hated myself for letting my weight ruin my teens. I vowed I would not let it ruin my 20's. Yet here I am, hating life because I am fat. I was away in London at the weekend and it was a very emotional weekend away. I hated the photos from the trip. I look huge in all of them. I met an ex boyfriend (of all the people to bump into) whom I had not seen since I put back on the weight. None of my clothes fitted comfortably on me and I hated the sight of myself in the mirror. One of my friends made a comment about how she could not reach her shoes over her fat belly. This girl weighs 8.5 stone. I know this because she constantly moans about how fat she is at 8.5 stone.

Try being 14st 4.5 lbs. This is what I am. A whopping 14 stone 4.5 lbs. Why is tonight different from my other 'light bulb' moments? It might not be but I discovered a few things today. My size 18 work coat is starting to get tight. In the space of two weeks I have gained 7.5lbs :O Some of that is due to legitimate reasons but not all of it. I stepped on my scales at one point and it read 14st 9lbs. Holy crap, I was only 13st 8lbs just before Christmas. I am inching closer and closer to 15 stone. I have officially tipped into the 200 lbs. It is no longer a matter of I want to lose the weight, but now more that I HAVE TO.
I also realised that I have gained nearly a stone since January all the while supposedly doing Weight Watchers?? How does that happen. Besides the wasted money, it is wasted time. I have been faffing around with classes and leaders and I have decided once and for all to go back to my original leader. Yes I know you heard me right, I am rejoining Weight Watchers for what will be the third and LAST TIME in the space of 4 months. I think I need to do this. I now have 2 months free of major social events (other than usual Saturday nights!) so that will give me enough time to get settled into Weight Watchers. I did not have this the last two times. The first time I joined was two weeks before Christmas. The second time was the week before Paddy's weekend and then of course Easter. I know, excuses, excuses. I have something now that I did not have before, fear. I am terrified of the scales getting higher.

I had not intended on writing any of this. It does feel good to get it off my chest as I have been stressing about it since my meeting. The important thing is to forget the past on focus on the future. This time around I have set mini goals but I am not setting deadlines. I am taking it a week at a time and as long as the scales are down then I do not care. I am going to cross off each mini goal as I reach them, whenever that may be. I need to keep reminding myself, a lb a week is nearly 4 stone a year. So for what is the umpteenth time, here is to goal!

Post Easter WI

I normally WI on a Thursday but after checking my own scales this morning, I was considering missing my WI this week. I could come up with every excuse in the book (TOTM, being sick, on meds, messed up appetite) but the truth is I could have had better control over the weekend. It started with alcohol on Thursday, followed by hangover food on Friday, lunch with the girls and dinner out on Saturday, Easter eggs and roast dinner with the trimmings on Sunday. No-one or nothing is to blame for that except me.

I do feel guilty especially as I had finally got my motivation back. One thing I realised is that life is going to get in the way at times. After having conflicted emotions about whether to WI this week or not, I decided to go and get it over with this evening. I was up 2.5 lbs. Not my finest moment but I am so glad that I did it. Whether I weighed in or not this week, that gain would still be there. I would still have to battle to lose it for next week. However while I would love the whole 2.5 lbs gone by next week, even if is not, I should still see a loss next week.

It can be so easy to gain weight but it is harder to lose it. You may be lucky to lose the weight you gained and more within the space of a week, unfortunately I am not one of those people. No matter how hard I worked this week, I still would have seen a gain next week, albeit smaller. That can lead to a vicious cycle. You can get demotivated seeing a gain after having a really good week. You can forget the reason for the gain is a previous bad week catching up with you. This can lead you to have a bad day which can lead to another bad week and the cycle begins again. This is why it is so important to go to your WI. You never know you may just see a STS or a loss.

Am I glad I went? Yes. Am I disappointed with the gain? Of course. However the only thing a gain does is set your goal back a week. That will happen whether you weigh in or not. Missing your weigh in can lead to a lot worse.

Tips to Limit the Damage at WI

This time of year can be a nightmare for WW. We have had Valentines Day, Mothers Day, Paddys Day, Easter, bank holidays, Fathers Day all in the space of a few weeks. Not to mention it is Communion and Confirmation season as well. Before we know it we are into Summer and for the lucky people, this means holidays. Who knows what the weather will be like but even if the slightest ray breaks through the clouds that will mean BBQs and beer gardens.
What does all this mean for WW? It can mean gaining a stone if we are not careful. Some people will say you cannot let WW rule your life. On the other hand, I remember seeing this phrase at a meeting once, 'you must give up the life you have to get the life you want'. These are at different ends of the advice spectrum but I believe that it is about finding a balance somewhere in the middle.
So you have had a bad weekend and your WI is coming up either on Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Here is what not to do. DO NOT SKIP YOUR WI! That is the worse thing you can do. Weight loss is not linear. If you had a perfect week before your bad weekend, then that good week may just show up on the scales. Alternatively, you could get lucky and stay the same. Or the worse happens and you gain.
If you skip your WI, your bad weekend may still cause a gain the following week, no matter how good you are. This will only demotivate you and could lead to you giving up or going on a weeks binge. If you WI as normal, straight after your bad weekend, then if you are up you are up. You can draw a line under it and focus on losing for your next WI. At least then you do not have to fear your bad weekend catching up on you the following week and you will most likely see a loss.
Leaders are human themselves. They know that you have lives to live and that it is unrealistic to have constant losses week in week out. If you fear weighing in with your leader, if possible find another class. If you really do not want to WI then you can still attend your meeting, free of charge. I would definitely recommend attending as it will set you in the right frame of mind for a new week.

I have been gathering tips on how to limit the damage prior to a WI. These are not infallible and are not recommended by WW. They are just tips I have picked up from various sources.

1. Increase your exercise and water intake (obvious I know!)

2. Try a 5:2 day. I will do a blog about this in more detail at a later stage as I will be giving it a go next week. It involves eating 500 calories 2 days a week and normally for 5 days. If you are following WW, then on a normal day you would stick to your daily allowance. It could be an option to do a day or two before your WI if you have had a bad weekend.

3. Reduce your dailies to 26 propoints. If you are on 26 propoints, this is not an option for you as 26 is the minimum points that you can consume. If you are on a high number of points, I would not recommend dropping to 26 propoints. Instead you should cut your intake by about 4 propoints. It is important to note that this is not a sustainable plan and should only be used every so often. If you use this regularly, your weight loss will eventually plateau.

4. Low carb, high protein and veg meals. Consider having meals such as grilled chicken and roasted veg. Zero point soups can be a life saver in this situation as well.

5. Goes without saying but avoid all junk food, fizzy drinks etc until after your WI.

6. Technically on the ProPoints plan you cannot save your daily points and carry them over. However if you are really stuck then it is an option. At the end of the week you will still have consumed the same amount of points (calories) and this is what matters. It is not a sustainable plan and it is only recommended as a last resort.

7. Detox. There are all forms of detox methods out there. Some people say that detox is a myth, unnecessary and does not work. I personally have never done one so I cannot comment either way. Google is your best friend for information on detox diets. For a more simplified 'detoxing', hot water with lemon or green tea are said to be good aids.

8. Avoid salty foods and excess salt. Salt can lead to water retention which may be a factor in your result on the scale.

If you plan in advance and you are clever with your planning, then you should not find yourself fearing your next WI. If you do then you have to ask yourself the question, was it worth it? If the answer is yes, then smile at the memories and move on. Go and weigh in. Take whatever the scale says and look forward to your next WI. If the answer was no, it was not worth it, then you need to decide if the life you are currently living is more important than the life you want. If come Monday morning you are regretting the weekend you had, then you need to take measures to plan and be more careful with your food and alcohol intake.
Everyone's life is different. Our weight loss journey is personal to us. No-one can do it for us and no-one can make our decisions for us. I'll leave you with one of my favourite quotes, 'nothing tastes as good as skinny jeans feel' Jillian Michaels, The Biggest Loser US trainer.

My Goals

After I had a big gain due to medication, I decided to rejoin yet again. I decided to put aside my fear and go back to my original meeting where I originally lost the weight. I love the leader and she always takes a keen interest in my weight loss. In the interest of starting a fresh I have redone my mini goals. If I reach my weekly target, I am going to put €3 towards a goal kitty and if I reach my monthly target I will put €20 into the kitty. Hopefully if when I reach goal, I will have a nice fund to go and buy all the gorgeous clothes I dream of!

Starting Weight: 14st 4.5lbs
1. Back in the 13's - 13st 13.5lbs - 24th April
2. 1st Silver Seven - 13st 11.5lbs - 8th May
3. 5% - 13st 8lbs -
4. 1st Stone - 13st 4.5lbs -
5. Obese to Overweight BMI - 13st 3lbs (BMI30) -
6. Into 12's - 12st 13.5lbs -
7. 10% - 12st 12lbs -
8. 3rd Silver Seven - 12st 11.5lbs -
9. 2nd Stone - 12st 4.5lbs -
10. 5th Silver Seven - 11st 11.5lbs -
11. 3rd Stone - 11st 4.5lbs -
12. Healthy BMI - 11st 0.5lbs -
13. 7th Silver Seven - 10st 11.5lbs
14. 50lbs - 10st 10.5lbs -
15. 4th Stone & GOAL - 10st 4.5lbs

For the first time in a long time I am excited about WW. This is a great way to know if you are in the right frame of mind. You need to look forward to every WI and hate when your meeting is over and you have a whole week to wait. My leader set me a goal of 21lbs by summer. 2.5lbs down 18.5lbs to go!

Edit 10/04/2013:
I reset my goals as I rejoined a new meeting. I know yet again but it felt like something I needed to do. This time is with my original leader. I realise now it was a mistake to not go back to her when I put the weight back on. I guess I was too embarrassed. Lesson learned and I am looking forward to the future.