I did it. After months of hemming and hawing….I joined Weight Watchers.
This is not a big deal. I’m treating it like a big deal because otherwise I wouldn’t have a blog post right now, but in general, not a big deal. I’ve done Weight Watchers before. I even still have my bulky binder, cleverly disguised as a day planner and filled with magical numbers that compiled with an ancient formula passed down from thin person to thin person for generations.
Or at least that’s how the WW folks treated it.
They also used to say, “Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.” I think they just haven’t tried enough foods yet…
I was a WW member like 6 years ago and I just did not like it. Not the plan, the plan was okay at first, but the meetings made me want to die. We usually went before lunch, so not only did I have to sit through a class where we talked about portion control, I spent the whole time thinking, “A serving of pasta is the size of your fist. Ooo, pasta….” And it wasn’t that I didn’t already know this stuff, it’s just I had a hard time applying it.
But then even the plan got to me. It forced me to think about food ALL THE TIME, because I had to track, plan and consider everything I put in my mouth. Which is good. However, it also forced the same of my co-workers, which meant we TALKED about food all the time. I think we were all a little nutty by the end, just grateful that we could eat a sandwich and not be plagued with the guilt of how many points it was and did I write it down and, did remember to write down those crackers, oh crap, were there for or five of them and oh GOD, is this not fat free cheese on my sandwich?!?
It didn’t help that around that time I was having health issues and dropped 30 pounds in a month. Not gonna lie; I felt like crap, but I looked awesome. Sickly, kinda pale for a colored kid nd moved real slow, but ignoring all that, I was hot. After that, it was a matter of me eating at ALL, much less dieting. Then they took my spleen out, restored my appetite and left me with a giant scar and the ability to gain pretty much all that weight back, plus some more. Wasn’t that nice??
Anyway, after talking to and reading about Lizzie and Lauren‘s own turns with Weight Watchers, I decided to rejoin the fold. It’s so much easier now, though all my previous points experience has been thrown out the window.
Now Weight Watchers is hip. Jennifer Hudson lost weight on it! Which pains me, but it’s her body. She sings Nina Simone while she sways in sassy outfits she would have never worn before! Even though she was beautiful before…but she’s an Oscar winner!!! I thought she was stunning the way she was, but she felt the need to lose weight for herself and her health and…God,I CAN’T STAND IT, it’s not right!!! Her head is too big for her body and I can’t envy her/have a crush on her when she looks like a Bratz doll!!!!!
*ahem* Sorry. Anyway, Weight Watchers is hip.
You can use apps to track your points, instead of doing math at your table during happy hour as you try to see if you can have one more Washington Apple and still have points for dinner. You can track them online also, so when people ask you out to lunch, you can figure your points before you head out and know what to order ahead of time. It’s fancy.
Right now, I’m just figuring out the ropes. I’m not making major major changes this first week, I’m waiting to see how my normal diet stacks up and make substitutions from there. And so far, it stacks up pretty crappy. I used all but 2 points up by 2pm and I didn’t even eat fast food. My first two changes? Put stevia in my tea instead of sugar, and realize that just because it’s Kashi doesn’t mean it’s not a bajillion points.
I also realized that when I have limitations placed on me, I rebel like a 5 year old. Tell me I can have whatever I want and I’ll still probably pick something leafy or green. My favorite thing to have for lunch is a Whole Food salad or a sandwich from Subway when I’m feeling fairly daring. (I’ll still stuff my face with candy, don’t get me wrong; the candy will just come after a salad with lots of spinach and some tofu.) However, tell me I can’t have something and suddenly I WANT EVERYTHING. I went shopping for groceries shortly after starting WW and I was met with a sudden urge to start buying terrible foods that I’d never eat. I was about five minutes away from snatching pork rinds and EZ cheese off the shelves, hiding in some back corner and start shoveling them into my mouth.
And at least I don’t have to give up my beloved Coke Zero. That, right there, would be a deal breaker.
And at least WW isn’t like this anymore.
But don’t worry, I won’t start blogging about it all the time. I know from experience – nobody wants to hear what you put in your mouth unless it’s nummy or scandalous. Or both. And pics or it didn’t happen.
So, moppets, anyone got a Weight Watchers story they want to share?
**Image from here.
Kind of a Mess 
I’ve never done WW, but I can relate to the feeling of rebellion. A couple of months ago (the New Year Push, of course), I started tracking my calories through the LoseIt app on my iPhone. Which was really cool. Loved it. HOWEVER. I think I gained weight, because all the tracking of calories made me obsessive, and the obsession really made me want to rebel. I never ate at Chili’s so many times. And almost everything at Chili’s is like 1,000 calories. So I stopped tracking.
Good luck with WW! Don’t deprive yourself too much 😉
I’ll have you know that I’m just now responding, but every since I read your comment yesterday, I’ve been thinking about Chili’s. What is WRONG with us?? 🙂
Ugh, the tracking would be the downfall for me. I once tried to track everything I ate in a day (for my midwife) and was a total disaster about it. Good luck (and I think that you look amazing already, chica).
Aww, thanks you!
The app makes it easier, but still it’s still a pain in the patootie.
Not WW, but I once did the 14 day Wild Rose Cleanse. (4 supliments, very restricted diet, spent most of time in bathroom.) And by day 12? I would have happily killed for a chocolate chip cookie. I have never had such strong cravings in my life.
I have never done another cleanse. No one should be homicidal for cookies.
“No one should be homicidal for cookies.”
Morgan, I think I love you.
Ditto.
Aww, thanks guys. 🙂
yay! i’m so glad you’ve rejoined the cult. WE MISSED YOU ALYSSA. come back to us, alyssa….we won’t even say things like that anymore…we….love….youuuuu….
okay, sorry about that. lots of hunger going on in my belly at this moment. (WHAA, full circle). anyways. i’m excited for you to be in as much pain as i am. bwa-haha. but really, i miss cereal.
good luck, lady, you’re going to ROCK IT and with that and your couch to 5k program? you’re gonna be epically healthy.
It’s totally you that pushed me over the edge. I was like, “If Lizzie is still doing it, I totally need to.”
It works. Isn’t that their motto? But for reals, it does. I’ve lost 80 lbs over the course of a few years, most recently 20 since early January. Tracking sucks. Talking about food sucks. Thinking about it all the time sucks. But it works.
Congrats for rejoining – it’s a great thing, b/c it’s re-learning how to take care of yourself, and ultimately, that’s the best thing.
BTW, you know who came up with “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels?” KATE MOSS. I rest my case.
Congratulations!! That’s so cool….I’ve got about 60 to go, but if I do 30 I’ll feel like a rock star. Possibly even 10…
Ha, that whole JHud rant really did it for me this morning. Merci.
I’m weird like this, but I love to read obsessively about someone’s lifestyle change – whether that’s health or diet or addiction related or whatever. I find it fascinating to follow a process like that, so write away. I’ll read ya.
Thanks! I also don’t want to write too much about it so that in case I fall off the wagon, y’all don’t call me out. 🙂
Good for you on re-joining WW! I’m glad it’s better this time around. (Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels? That is SICK. As in DEMENTED.)
*sigh* I’ve got to do something myself, but I just don’t know if WW would be my kind of thing. Perhaps I should actually read those Zone books and maybe try that…and getting back on that C25K bandwagon should help. Why is it so HARD to do things that keep you healthy???
Ok, whinge binge over. Sorry about that. I’m just mad that I started my 30 Day Shred later than I should have this morning and had to quit halfway through because I thought my starving stomach was going to either eat me or make me ill.
UGH, that feeling is the WORST. I’m okay at night, but if I run in the morning I have to have an apple or a piece of cheese or I’ll DIE.
Why do our bodies hate us!??
Le Sigh.
I’ve been on WW since December and the first month and a half eft me with…maaaybe a 2 pound weight loss. Which meant I went from tracking compulsively every day, to every other day, to forgetting days and then scrambling to remember what I ate exactly, to now I’m not even sure what my log in name is. But I’m paying for it, so I’m going to start using it again. TODAY. Thank you Alyssa. Sort of.
A little.
Maybe.
In my defense, I felt like a crazy person when I was doing it every day- I was always thinking about food, and that made me eat more and crave delicious, fatty food. Ironic, maybe? I don’t know, my definition of irony has been forever altered by Alanis.
Alanis has done us all a little wrong. But she did have Ryan Reynolds for a while, so she must have been doing something right. (Dear GOD that man is pretty.)
Let me know if you need WW rant time. I’m on like day 3 and I’m already getting cranky. 🙂
I’ve been on WW since December. I have lost 20 pounds. These last two months I have maybe lost 5. For me it was a way to jumpstart a change in myself. Being accountable for my actions. It sounds way serious, but I felt like I was losing control of my life and I wasn’t fitting into my clothes and that really sucked. I view the food tracking more about learning to make healthy choices and retraining myself. I grew up with a mother that tried every fad diet there was. I was a microbiotic in third grade!! Needless to say, I rebelled and just ate overly-processed food for years. Now I cook almost every day from basically scratch and I love it. My husband and I have found that we have shrunk our stomachs and can’t eat like we used to without feeling sick. All that healthy-talk said, I still make some kind of cake or desserty thing for us each week and we make it last the whole week. We also indulge in cocktail hour quite frequently. Everything in moderation! You can do it and after the first sucky weeks it gets better. Running gets a lot easier too. I find I don’t jiggle nearly as much.
Running for me has been easy, so hopefully WW will be easy too. Hopefully. Please Lord….
I’ve never done WW but I did the south beach diet and got totally obsessive about carbs for a while. did not like what it did to my brain! I mean Phase1 really works, I lost weight, but transitioning to phase 2 and beyond was just impossible for me. I am all or nothing with sugar, apparently.
A few months ago I randomly decided to track all my food on fatsecret.com (WHO the hell came up with that url, no idea), and it made me a bit obsessive for a couple weeks for sure. but it definitely showed me where I was getting most of my calories from, and I consume way too much fat and salt. I stopped tracking everything, but I’ve actually maintained a Bit of a sense of how the food I eat translates into calories and all that. I got a lot better with portions.
I enjoy reading about things like this, if you want to share more feel free! it’s inspiring.
I tried South Beach for a while, but Jethro threw such an absolute shit fit about not having carbs that it made it hard for me to keep it up. *sigh*
I am having a little fun figuring things out, especially how much dang salad I can eat and still barely use any points. I was a salad eater before but this is taking it to a new level. Hopefully my colon wont’ rebel from lack of pizza…
We still have pizza on our WW plan – we buy the whole wheat dough from Trader Joe’s, and top it mostly with grilled vegetables, but always cheat and add some salami and plenty of cheese. Its still working for me though!
I’m doing WW now, too. I started at the beginning of May. I’m having a really, really hard time making it work. I don’t think I like it, but I paid for three months… so trying to like it. I totally feel like Ailee. Tracking make me crazy, but then I’m crazier when I try to remember everything that I ate the last three days. And I don’t have an iPhone, so I don’t get a fancy app to do anything. Anyway… good luck, to all of us!
I’m sticking with it for the 3 months too, just to make sure I like it. I also am going to make myself be a little more gung-ho about it; if I don’t I’m totally gonna quit, I know it…
I totally agree with you about Jennifer Hudson. I gotta say, I lost a bit of respect for her when I saw her all long-headed & skinny on the tv.
YES. I almost didn’t recognize her…
I lost 40 pounds using Weight Watcher four years ago. I still go to my meetings. Most weeks anyway. I think what has kept me going is my leader. I found one who didn’t annoy me. Who inspired me. And now if I can help it, I only go to her meetings.
You know, I’ve been on WW for three weeks now, and I like it. I do it all online. Haven’t been to any meetings yet, maybe I should, but I think I’m making some great changes with just the online tools. I really love the online tools, it makes tracking your food and activity so easy. I could lose about 10 pounds, not talking major weight loss here, but I was feeling like shit and decided to join as a way to be accountable for my food and activity choices and to learn a healthier lifestyle. I find that having to track my food and activity online makes it easier to stick to the program, when I can see how my choices add up over the course of a day. It’s really motivating me to eat better+work out more=lose weight and feel good. I have a lot more faith in my efforts when it’s all written down, and I can see just how mathematical the process is. I’m cooking differently, and a lot more often vs. eating out all the time, which is great, because this saves a bit of money! I’ve decided there are a few things I won’t compromose; I like regular butter and regular cheese, so I still use those things, just less of them. I like knowing how many points things cost, because it helps me make healthier decisions throughout the day. So far, I’ve lost three pounds in three weeks, and I think that’s a healthy start. Plus, I feel amazing, so I think that right there makes it worth it. The first weeks do suck, getting used to the whole system and hello, changing your lifestyle, but I think it’s worth it. Good luck 🙂