Week Four

    For the first time since joining Weight Watchers I am not nervous for this weeks weigh-in. I am excited; it feels great to be taking control of my life. I am feeling more confident in my body and even starting to notice changes in my figure. I have more energy and I am more positive and outgoing when it comes to all aspects of my life.

    Although this will be my last blog post, I want to ensure those of you who have been following my journey that it will not end here. When I first joined it was all about loosing weight, but as I started to notice changes in my attitude and feelings of increased happiness, I have realized that this journey is about more then just weight-loss. It’s about finding self-contentment and inner-peace.

    I am proud to share with you my last weigh-in story. I step on the scale. This week I am down 1 pound. Not as much as I have been loosing in previous weeks, but it’s still a loss and therefore a step in the right direction. After four weeks my total weight loss is 6 pounds. Weight Watchers really is working. Any scepticism that I had brought with me is no longer present, and I am willing to admit that I am a proud Weight Watchers member.

    Unlike most weeks where I blog about what I learned at that weeks Weight Watchers meeting, I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss my overall views and opinions of the program.

    Sceptical as I was about the ability of such a program to provide not only motivation to its members, but also a relatively easy means to an end (weight loss) have been proven wrong. Having to weigh in each week in front of a staff member provided the motivation necessary to continue participating. The information presented was basic and easy to understand, just enough information was given during meetings to educate members about subjects, and visual aids were also presented on a weekly basis in addition to verbal information. The enthusiasm that other members had over their progress encouraged new members to also be excited and see that results are possible.

    As I had stated in my first blog, this was not an advertisement for Weight Watchers, but instead the story of my experiences. However after this experience, I would suggest that anyone who finds themselves unhappy and seeking change in their lives should start making those changes immediately because the feelings that are associated with the changes that occurred are undeniably some of the most positive I have felt in a long time and will hopefully be the same for you.

Thanks to everyone who has followed my blog.
Happy living!

Dinning Out

    I love going out for meals and luckily for me society operates around food, but this is also a problem. The limited daily point allowances for Weight Watchers makes it hard to dine out without going over my 21 daily points. Along with the daily point allowance we are given an extra 35 points to use throughout the week. I normally save these extra points until the weekend so that I can use them on alcohol, but this week I have a date so I need to do a little planning.

    I was asked to go to dinner at Moxie’s Bar and Grill Restaurant on Friday night and I am very excited. Before joining Weight Watchers I would have thought nothing about going out for a meal, but since then have realized that if I want to stay on track and continue to see progress it is important that I take some time to think about dinner options.  At a Weight Watchers meeting we discussed eating out. It seems like for every event food is involved. When we want to do something special it always involves food, so we must be equipped with tools to tackle the situation.  In order to prepare for my date, I decided to use the internet to research Moxie’s menu selection. This way I will be able to put together a healthier meal before hand and not feel embarrassed in front of my date when pulling out my points guide to see how many points each item was worth.

     My favourite meal at Moxie’s is the Ranch House Chicken Burger. I am going to go through it and look for ways to reduce the points but still be able to enjoy my meal. The online menu advertises the burger like this:

ranch-house chicken
with pancetta bacon, peppered havarti cheese, lettuce, mayonnaise & tomato
served with our fabulous fries, if you would prefer one of our other great sides, please ask your server.

    I start by looking up chicken. It has 3 points for one boneless skinless breast. Bacon has one point per slice but I would imagine there are at least 3 pieces worth on this burger. Lettuce and tomatoes have 0 points because they are raw vegetables, and I don’t eat mayonnaise so that will reduce my points.  One slice of cheese has 1 point. Bun has 3 points.

    Now to decide on a side dish, I love fries but because I am doing such a good job at loosing weight thus far I think I will choose something healthier. I know from experience that Moxie’s has a side baked potato which according to my Weight Watchers Point book would have about 3 points. I will ask for my potato without butter and sour cream on the side. One Tbsp has 1 point.

    This brings the total point’s value for my main entree to about 14 points. Depending on how I am feeling I might not eat the bun, this will lower my points to 11.

    Now for drinks, I will order a glass of pinot noir and water. A glass of wine (125 ml or 4 fl oz) has 2 points. I might have two and I think that most glasses are 6oz. If Moxie’s had cheesecake on their menu I would be tempted but they don’t, so I can say with confidence that I will not be eating dessert.

    If I stick with this dinner order the total points for my dinner date will be 20. This is a lot, seeing as normally I would only eat 21 points a day, but if I use the extra 35 points allotted for this week I will make the point allowance.

    Figuring out the points values for my dinner was not very hard or time consuming, and now I can get excited about my date. The harder part will be figuring out what to wear!

Week Three

    I am once again feeling nervous for this weeks weigh-in. I have been following the point system, eating only 21 points a day.  I am feeling much better about myself even though it is still early in this weight loss journey. I step onto the scale down another 2.5 pounds. That brings me to a total weight loss of 5 pounds this far. I am very happy. 

    When members loose certain amounts of weight, set values, their accomplishments are recognized during the meeting and they are given a gold star. I am supposed to be recognized for my 5 pound loss, but I request not to have my name announced to the group, instead to just quietly accept my gold star after the meeting. In a way I am still ashamed and embarrassed about being part of Weight Watchers. I guess the general stigmas around weight loss programs are what cause these feeling. Maybe when I loose ten pounds I will let my successes be acknowledged by the group.

    This weeks meeting is about exercise. The general rule of “energy in has to be less then energy out” for weight loss is presented. On Weight Watchers when you exercise you are given extra points. Of course these extra points allow you to eat more. The idea behind this is that you will need the energy that is provided by the calories. The pocket guide we were given during registration contains a exercise points tracker, this tells members how many points they can add to their diet that day based on the amount (time) and intensity of physical activity they did and body weight. 

    I have been working out at local gym 4-5 nights a week. I was not adding extra points to my diet because I was not feeling hungry. I am going to continue working out but increasing the intensity at which I do. Hopefully I will continue too see positive results and keep a positive attitude.

    Sometimes the hardest part about exercising is getting started. I find that joining a group or fitness class is the best way to make the commitment to physical fitness. Check out the University of Guelph’s website for a schedule of fitness classes or a local gym in your area that offers varieties of classes that interest you.

Grocery Shopping With The Point System

    Grocery shopping is a chore and I normally tend to avoid it at all costs but because of my determination to lose weight on Weight Watchers I thought it would be a good idea to head over to the grocery store. I brought my pocket guide with me, which lists almost every food imaginable and the points value associated with it and a copy of the Canadian food guide.

Fruits and Vegetables

     Like most people I started off in the produce section. It was relatively easy to make healthy point choices here and most uncooked fruits and vegetables have a point value of 1. I decided to get only one or two of each item so that I could have a variety and not worry about it going bad before I could eat it. It was becoming obvious that if I was going to stick to the program I would have to visit the grocery store more often to get fresh produce.

Milk and Alternatives

     I am lactose intolerant, so when I shop for dairy I have to be careful as to how much I purchase. I can eat cheese and yogurt in small amounts. Cheese is higher in point’s values; I grab the fat-free. Yogurt is also high in points; I get the low calorie fruit kind.  Soy milk has a relatively low point value per cup, I take a carton. Like the produce section I don’t want to buy too much and have it go bad. I think smaller, frequent trips will benefit me and my weight loss goals.

Grain products

     At a weight watchers meeting we learnt about choosing whole grain products because of the lower point value. I normally choose whole grains anyway because of the nutritional benefits. I decided during this trip to the grocery store to buy the Weight Watchers whole grain bread. The slices are smaller so I could have two instead of one. I am hoping that this mind game works and I will feel like I have eaten more and therefore feel satisfied. I am a pasta lover but when I eat it I eat too much, so today I do not buy any. I don’t want to tempt myself.  I already have brown rice at home, so I pass this, taking a mental note of what I could cook with it for a dinner meal.

Meat and Alternatives

     I discovered Kraft peanut butter that was whipped. It was lower calories and fat then the creamy version and because it was whipped it spread more easily and less was needed.  When it comes to meat choices I normally love ribs and wings and sausage, but on this lifestyle plan I will have to limit my consumption of those as they are fatty. Instead I get lean ground beef and skinless boneless chicken breast. Fish would be a great choice, but because of my fish allergy I have to stay away from all fish products. Lean ham has a low point value. I’ll get this during my next visit to the supermarket.

     The hardest part about this experience was staying away from frozen meals. They typically have high point values and although they are easier to prepare, I am willing to take the time to use fresh ingredients to ensure I will see the most success on the Weight Watchers program. For treats I have some reduced fat popcorn, almonds and graham crackers. I am going to make some trail mix out of it using Cajun spice to flavour it.

     I plan to grocery shop again in four days. I will schedule it in. This way I have no excuse not to and can not eat junk or fast food if I don’t have anything else available. Weight Watchers is a lifestyle change and this is the first step, making time to do things that keep me healthy is important. It’s going to take time and practice but I have the determination necessary to succeed.

Week Two

         It had been a long week filled with anxiety about the weigh–in.  I had not started to notice any changes in my body but I also knew it would be too soon. I went into the meeting, walked up to the scale and held my breath. I was nervous. I was down 2.5 pounds. WOW! I must have been doing something right. Weight Watchers was actually working. The staff member who weighed me wrote my new weight in the book and I went to sit down to wait for the meeting to start. As small as 2.5 pounds actually is, I was very excited. I kept opening up my book to look at my new weight written inside it. I was encouraged to continue with my Weight Watchers adventure.

      This week’s meeting was about emotional eating and the control that it has over us. We discussed reasons for eating other then hunger. It turns out that the majority of the members at this meeting ate for reasons other then nutritional nourishment, and most did not know what it felt like to be hungry. As an Applied Human Nutrition student it was interesting to hear people talk about this first hand. We study it in school but without actually experiencing or hearing first hand stories it is hard to totally grasp an understanding deeper then textbook knowledge. Members at the meeting listed almost every emotion possible for eating and tried to brainstorm ways to disconnect emotions from food.  In theory the ideas the group came up with were easy, but after studying nutrition for four years I knew that this was not the case.

      I recently read a book for a nutrition assignment titled “The End of Overeating: Taking Control of The Insatiable North American Appetite”, by David Kessler, which discussed the rising rates of obesity in North America and the food industries role in manipulating the consumer. Kessler reveals the food industries goals of adding sugar, fat and salt to make their foods more palatable and addicting a term coined oro-sensory stimulation. When we consume these three things, our brain tells us we want more. Kessler states that the food industry is not selling nutrition or satisfaction, but rather selling emotions. Through restaurant experiences, television advertisement and food packaging, the food industry is able to take advantage of the consumers most precious and fragile memories and manipulate them subconsciously.

     I am finding that the concepts taught at Weight Watchers are very basic, simplified nutrition facts but they seem to be working for its members and are proving to have worked for me so far. In school we study nutrition in-depth and I thought that to have a career in the field it was important to be able to give in-depth information to clients, but now I am wondering if giving the basics is the most effective means to end for the general public. Maybe this is only true for clients interested in weight issues. I am interested to learn more at these meetings and try applying them to continue succeeding on my weight loss journey.

Reference:
The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable North American Appetite. Kessler D, 2009. McClelland & Stewart Ltd, Toronto, www.mclelland.com, soft cover book, 324 pg., $21.00, ISBN 97807710955

Recipe for a Low Point Treat

This is one of the ideas that we brainstormed at the first Weight Watchers meeting for a healthier lower point treat. It replaces the original ice cream sandwich dessert.

FROZEN YOGURT SANDWICHES

 2 tablespoons sweetened flaked coconut, finely chopped

2 tablespoons pecans, finely chopped

1/2 cup vanilla fat-free frozen yogurt

8 Graham cracker cookies

1.  Combine the coconut and pecans on a sheet of wax paper.

2.  Place 2 tablespoons of the frozen yogurt on 1 cookie.  Top with another cookie,    gently pressing down.  Roll the cookie edges in the coconut mixture to coat then transfer to the freezer for storage or eat immediately.  Repeat with the remaining frozen yogurt, cookies, and coconut mixture to make 4 sandwich cookies. 

 Points value 3.

Week One

    Tonight was my first meeting. I was nervous before I got there, but upon entering felt relaxed. I thought I was going to be judged by the coordinators of the program; instead I felt welcomed and at ease. All the Weight Watcher staff had been members themselves; they had all had a first time like mine. After registration I had my first weigh-in. It was painless and very confidential. No one except for the staff working the scale and myself saw my numbers. The staff then wrote in my book for week ones weight. Instead of picking weight in pounds to lose, the staff calculated a 5 and 10 percent goal based on my target goal weight range. After being weighed I joined the other Weight  Watchers  members who were sitting in a semi-circle waiting for the meeting to begin.  

    At the start of the meeting we were asked to write down some snack foods that we couldn’t turn down. I wrote down loaded cheesy nachos with sour cream and pizza slices. Perhaps the pizza slices might not be considered a snack food by everyone but for a university student it is considered one. I did not talk at all during this meeting, instead listened and looked around, as others shared what they had written down and as a group worked to make healthier low point substitutes… Oh yeah, I haven’t even mentioned about the point system yet.

    Weight Watchers uses a point system. Members can calculate their daily point allowance based on age, sex, and weight and activity level throughout the day. My point value was 21. All food has a point value. Luckily I was given a pocket book with an alphabetical list of foods and their point values. Literally every food you could imagine and cooked whatever way you would like is listed with a value.  It was interesting to watch members make substitutions to snack ideas based on points alone. I quickly noticed that while healthier choices normally tend to have lower points, it is not always the case and if something rich in sugar, fat or salt could remain in the snack it would. After the group tackled a few more snacks it was award time.

    Each week members who had made it to their target goals had their achievements acknowledged and received a gold star sticker. I really wanted a sticker!

    The meeting ended but I stayed behind along with a couple other new members for orientation. Here we learnt how to track our points, with emphasis being put on foods that are high in fibre.  From a AHN students point of view it was obvious as to why fibrous foods are good for you, but for the average weight watchers members they were only told that you can eat more for less points. The last thing the orientation guide showed us was a hot dog. One hot dog has 9 points, so I could only have two hot dogs and then I would basically be over my point level for that day. Needless to say, I will not eat a hotdog ever again.

    I am still sceptical as to if I will loose weight, but if the other members are seeing changes hopefully I will too. I am excited for next week to come to see if any changes occur, but nervous about how disappointed I will feel if I don’t have a change at the next weigh-in, in seven days.

The Decision

    I looked around and saw so many beautiful women, all of different shapes. Some smaller then myself but many quite larger; I saw the beauty in these women but then why couldn’t   I see any beauty in myself? Why was it that I felt so ugly, unappealing and “fat”.

     We are the hardest, most potent judges of ourselves but at the end of the day, it is only our contentment that really matters.  I was not happy with myself, and it was weighing heavily on my mental, physical and psychological health. During my annual doctors check up I decided to bring up the issue that I was having with my weight.  I was looking for an easy fix, a way to lose the weight as quickly as I had put it on. My doctor looked at me and my charts and said I was fine, as far as their medical records stated I was not overweight and her only advice was to eat less and exercise more. I was devastated. This was not the answers I was wanting, I am a Nutrition student “I know how to eat” and “I work at a gym”. What more could I do?

    I left the doctor’s office at my breaking point; I had decided that the only way to lose weight quickly was to stop eating. I knew how unhealthy this choice was and that I was acting irrationally but it seemed like my only option. I called my mom at work to tell her about my appointment and my decision. Realizing how desperate I was, my mom suggested I try Weight Watchers and offered to join with me for support. Skeptical as I was about joining, I knew that this was healthier then developing an eating disorder so I agreed to go with my mom. That night I googled Weight Watchers to find out where and when the meetings were located. My first weigh-in and meeting would be the next night. I was excited, nervous and embarrassed.

    Throughout the next four weeks I am going to share my experiences, successes, and failures as a Weight Watchers member.  I am not posting to advertise for Weight Watchers or suggesting that everyone joins it, but rather sharing my story and hoping that someone can relate and be encouraged to find their own way to reach contentment and happiness with themselves.