The Holy 8

One of the most important aspects of either WW plan (Flex or Core) is following the 8 Good Health Guidelines. The Guidelines are as follows:

1. Eat at least five servings of vegetables and fruits each day.
2. Choose whole-grain foods, such as brown rice and oats, whenever possible.
3. Include two servings of milk products – low fat (1%) or fat-free – each day.
4. Have some healthy oil (olive oil, canola, sunflower, safflower or flaxseed) each day.
5. Ensure that you are getting enough protein by choosing at least a serving or two of meat, poultry, fish, eggs, or dried beans each day. Many dairy products are also good sources of protein.
6. Limit added sugar and alcohol.
7. Drink at least 6 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
8. Take a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement each day.

Using these guidelines as a basis for planning your meals makes everything come together so much more smoothly. This week I have been strictly following the guidelines, making sure that I get them all in, and not worrying so much about points or calories. Once they’re all in, I feel pretty satisfied but I also know there is still room left for a snack if I need one.

This is why I have never understood why they are so rarely even mentioned during Weight Watchers meetings.

If I was a WW Leader, I would be shoving these guidelines down the collective throats of meeting attendees at every possible opportunity (imagine flash cards and repetitive drills and perhaps a well-placed wooden ruler to the hand). I would gently remind them to eat junk food only if and when the guidelines had been fulfilled. I would discourage conversations that dwelled on how to get the greatest amount of junk food into your day while using the fewest number of points.

I would probably eventually be talking to myself after the class makes a mass exodus to Super Wal-Mart to load up on Weight Watchers' 1 point, 1 inch chocolate cakes.

Keeping it all in black and white

Over the last few months there are many good habits that I’ve let fall by the wayside and I’m slowly working on getting them back. One of these is journaling.

Writing down everything you have eaten for the day not only helps to keep you accountable, but it can be a great resource if you feel your progress is not what it should be. Looking back at what you’ve eaten over the last week or two can usually pinpoint where your problem lies.

When I first started with Weight Watchers, I thought journaling was a rather large pain in the ass, but I did it because I was determined to do everything exactly as I was told to do it. It didn’t take long for it to become a habit – and one that I actually kind of enjoyed.

Oh, I was a great journaler. Not only did I journal it, I journaled it in advance. I planned everything I was going to eat for the week, including snacks, did my grocery shopping and then recorded it. I then only needed to review and tweak where necessary.

So my “back on track” goal for this week is to once again start recording every single thing I eat. Now I only hope I can find my journal.

The Fear Factor

Although I’m a Lifetime Member of Weight Watchers, I haven’t been there to weigh in for over a year. At first it was because it was summer and I couldn’t motivate myself to get out of the house at 7:30 on a Saturday morning.

For the last few months though, the real reason has been fear. Fear and embarrassment. I am ashamed of myself for getting so far off track and I am afraid of the possibility that I will fail.

The thing is, to be successful in losing weight and maintaining that loss, you have to really want it. I mean REALLY want it. You have to want it more than you want pizza or birthday cake or an Awesome Blossom.

And sometimes I’m afraid I just don’t want it that much anymore. Because it’s hard.

Lately I have been wavering back and forth from thinking, “eh, at my age who cares if I’m slightly overweight,” to feeling that it’s crucial to my self-esteem, not to mention my health, to be in the best shape I can possibly be in…for my age.

I’ve been giving it a lot of thought and have decided that I worked way too hard to lose this weight to just give it all up. Because if I do, eventually I’ll get disgusted with myself and have to do it all over again. And I don’t think I have that kind of energy.

To maintain Lifetime status, you have to be within two pounds of your goal weight when you weigh in. I originally set my goal weight fairly high (i.e., the highest I would ever be comfortable weighing again) and I think I’m still okay there. And I will remind myself that people return to Weight Watchers all the time – probably many of them have done worse than I have – and there is really no shame in that. Life happens.

And yes, it will be hard. But most things worth having usually are.