Hello, scale
Yesterday, I rejoined Weight Watchers. Its been about a year and a half since I’ve been to a meeting – I couldn’t seem to find a meeting time here that I could actually make it to on a regular basis – and, well, I thought I could do it on my own.
The reality: I’m not doing so well on my own here. When we first moved here, I met the lovely sausage roll, and it proved to be my undoing (of all the weight I had lost pre-move). When I saw the fat/calorie content (and nearly had a coronary), I was able to back away from the sausage rolls. I’m still a stress eater, and this move has been an adjustment. (And, well, I love chocolate.)
However, there is one thing that really helps:
Guilt.
I need that accountability – that weekly step on the scale and staring down the woman writing that weight down in my book to really motivate me.
Since, apparently, my skinny jeans aren’t getting any bigger on their own.
Anywho, the local (as in 17 miles away) meeting group started a morning meeting, which I can make, so my excuses are over. Exercise alone wasn’t doing it. (Funny enough, I haven’t been to the gym in a few months, and I haven’t gained weight, either – but that could be due to the long walks I need to take Macy on so that she doesn’t eat the house out of excess energy.)
Here’s the rub: we’re really spoiled in the U.S., as we have reduced-fat, fat-free, reduced sodium options in nearly everything. Here? Not so much. I have yet to figure out what a substitute for fat-free half-and-half is (since they don’t have half-and-half here at all). If I want a reduced-fat chicken broth (stock), I have to (gasp) make it myself.
What-the-huh?
Girl don’t have time to make it. That’s what Swanson is for.
Oh, and the other thing? They weigh you in STONE. For those of you unfamiliar with this, a stone equals 14 pounds. I’m still trying to get my head around the fact that I weigh (a lot) of stone and 12 pounds. I don’t know why it bothers me, because saying “I need to lose two stone” sounds a heck of a lot more manageable than “I need to lose 28 pounds”, so seeing my weight in stone shouldn’t be so disconcerting.
Perhaps its just the simple fact that, since having kids, I can no longer do math in my head, so looking at my weight just makes my head hurt.
In the meantime, I’ll be looking for a way to best support my chocolate addiction AND lose weight at the same time. If you need me, I’ll probably be out walking the dog….again.
3 Comments
cat
Read the books – or just one of them and you’ll see that I am not just on about weight!!
See you around!!
cat
This will be my one missive on here I promise (I don’t intend to nag!), but there are bits in here I HAVE to respond to. Your half fat, or fat free options in the USA are NOT the answer and any Personal Trainer who is worth their salt will tell you this (I know PLENTY from the USA too!). Otherwise why, as a whole, is the USA leading the world in obesity? (with respect). All the leading nutritionist see this as VERY old hat Jenn, I can assure you as I read their type of literature daily.
Any gym worth visiting (!), will give you the kind of work outs (Tabata, High intensity Interval Training, RBT (rest based training) – based on working to fatigue, for short times, that will GUARANTEE weight loss, but you need to hook in to this type of gym (and I happen to know there is an excellent one pretty close to you!!), you only have to look at the timetable and/or ASK!! Walking the dog will always be good for both of you, but it won’t cut really the mustard in the same way.
WW is ok (nuff said), as at least it gives you the support you need, but some of us DO deal in kg, and are qualified in this field.
If you really do have a chocolate addiction it will almost definitely be down to a zinc/ magnesium deficiency, and the best way to get this (for the mag. at least), is through a spray-on Magnesium, available on line). You can also use it for sports injuries too, or neck strains etc. The best way forward is to eat clean organic food, take out wheat, sugar, dairy, reduce alcohol, and exercise with HARD BITS IN!! + drink lots of water. YOU CANNOT FAIL. ANd try not to weigh – think more in terms of losing body fat and gaining muscle (which boost your metabolism anyway)
Where have I gotten all this info? Well other than 13 years of study, many qualifications (5 in nutrition and weight management), and Personal Training etc as you know, I have also got the BEST information from 3 books all coming from different angles but all landing more or less at the same conclusion. Trust me, in about 5 years time the general public, and who knows even weight watchers (!!), will finally catch on to this and the entire world will benefit. Obesity, CHD, diabetes, cancers and many other diseases will fall automatically. TWO of these books are USA and if you’d like to get well ahead you could get these: The pH Miracle (USA): Dr R Young, The China Study, (USA) Colin Campbell, and Health Wars (UK), Philip Day. Of then all I’d go pH as the others are really heavy reading but absolutely revetting if this is your passion (as it is mine). Can you tell?! Anyways, good luck. As I said – last missive!
Jenn
Ah…but Cat…I LIKE chocolate. I don’t WANT to give it up — and I don’t have to, to lose weight. Everything in moderation.
My problems are more about making good choices – I know what to eat, its just following through. I have lost the weight before (with WW) and don’t have to change my eating dramatically. I just simply can’t cut out all wheat, sugar and dairy – that, to me, IS too much like a diet, and not a lifestyle change I can sustain.
I get the exercise bit, and I’ll try harder in the future.