What Does Losing 60 Pounds Look Like?

I did it! I went to a WW meeting this morning to learn all about the brand new program they launched today...more on that later! In order to get my new daily points allowance, I had to weigh in. I wasn't planning to weigh-in today since I usually do on Thursdays, but I had to in order to know how many points to eat each day on the new system. I lost 2.2 pounds since Wednesday, which took me to -61 pounds! I'm thrilled with that progress. Tomorrow is my 7 month WW anniversary, so that averages out 8.7 pounds per month, or 1.9 per week. I'm right on track and am losing this weight at a healthy rate, which is the most important thing to me. Here is a slide show of what losing 60 pounds looks like on me!

61 pounds = 244 sticks of butter

61 pounds = 3 bags of my dog's food

61 pounds = 12 5lb bags of potatoes

61 pounds = my dog + my two cats!

61 pounds = 976 ounces  (ooo....I should calculate my weigh-in's by ounces! Hehe)

Okay, now I'll write a little about WW's new program. I'm not going to write out the formulas to calculate points or figure out how many points you should get (WW didn't even give us that info anyway!). I AM going to encourage you to JOIN WEIGHT WATCHERS if you need to lose weight. It works. It really, really works and it is easy to do! I promise I have not suffered while losing this weight, not at all. I have no paychecks coming from Weight Watchers, I have no stock in the company. I am just the average Weight Watchers who believes in the program and wishes that everyone who needs to lose weight would just join and do the program so that they could enjoy the same success I have! It is worth every penny! What I will tell you about the new WW program is this, science has changed what we know about our bodies and food and how they relate. Because of new knowledge, the points system has changed. Fresh fruits and veggies are now zero points! That's exciting because a regular banana used to be two points. I now get more daily points than I used to and everyone gets 49 weekly points rather than the prior 35. Food costs more points, though. My yogurt used to be zero points, now it is one. My snack bars used to be one point, now they're two. Some foods go up by a lot, some a little and some didn't change at all. Instead of being calculated on calories, fat, and fiber, points are now calculated by fiber, protein, fat, and carbohydrates. That's it, that's all the information I'm going to share. I hope that you'll consider joining WW if you want to know more about it. IT WORKS!!! If you're unsure, go to my Progress Pictures page or my NSV's page and see the results.

Gaining Momentum

 I had a gain this week. After suffering a stomach bug the week prior and losing 3.6 pounds as a result, I was hungry and had a gain. It was only 0.8 pound and only my third gain in the nearly seven months that I've been losing weight, so I'm not too upset about it. I'm over the stomach bug, but now I have a cold! I haven't been to the gym for a few weeks and I really want to get back (I've been sick since the 7th!). Hopefully this cold won't last long and I can get to the gym this week. I'm ready to start losing again and I think changing things up will be exactly what I need to do that.

Weight Watchers is changing up their program! They say it is the biggest change in over 13 years to the program! DH and I are going to the introductory class on Sunday to learn about the new program and I'm looking forward to it. I read through WW's website that fruit will now be FREE! I've read, and heard from my meeting leader, that people who are already doing this new program are having great successes with it. I'm excited and think that a big change like this is exactly what I need right now.

I made the list!

Do you need extra support on your weight-loss journey and are looking for a list of amazing blogs to read?  Today I was told that I made a list of 60 Amazing Blogs for Weight Watchers Support!! Click HERE to see the list and find other great blogs to read!

Weigh-in Results and Thanksgiving

I lost 3.6 pounds this week!! Although I'm thrilled with the results, I'm not thrilled with how I got there. I had a stomach virus that started on the 7th and is still giving me just a little bit of a hard time. I felt much better yesterday and today, but know that I'm not 100% better quite yet. Yuck!! Not a fun experience at all, but on the bright side I lost 3.6 pounds this week! I hope that I can keep it off this coming week. I'll weigh-in on Wednesday next week since Thursday is Thanksgiving, so I have 6 days to keep it off. I hope that I can keep it off and lose at least 0.4 next week, too, to get me to 60 pounds down! Wish me luck!

Speaking of Thanksgiving...I'm excited for it this year!! My mother-in-law is coming and I think she's pretty great as she's been doing WW along with my DH and I, so I won't need to worry about pleasing anyone who isn't on WW since it will just be my family and her who I'm cooking for. Sure we'll have stuffing (dressing), potatoes, turkey and pie, but we'll make sure to keep on track and have a reasonable meal with good portion sizes and limited snacking. I'm not worried about Thanksgiving at all this year!

Are you worried about Thanksgiving this year? What is stressing you out? How are you going to handle it?

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Willpower or God's power?

Webster's dictionary defines willpower as:

 

will·pow·er

noun \ˈwil-ˌpau̇(-ə)r\

Definition of WILLPOWER

: energetic determination 

 

 

I've had several people comment to me that they wish they had my willpower when it comes to weight-loss. An "energetic determination" to make a change is what is often needed to make such a life change as losing weight and bringing exercise and healthy habits into one's life. However, willpower isn't how it all started for me. You see, I wanted another baby. I prayed for another baby. I begged God to answer my prayer and give us another child. It was what I wanted. God didn't answer that prayer, though. So, instead of complaining to God about it, I started listening to what He wanted for me. Then my prayer changed and I asked God to either give me another baby or help me lose weight and get healthy so that I could fully enjoy the child I already have. My prayer was slowly answered as my desire to have another child weakened as I gave that desire to God. Instead of praying for another baby, I prayed to God to lead me and use me for his glory. I asked him to guide me. God answered my prayer one day in April when I was at the doctor for a bad ear infection. There was a Weight Watchers pamphlet on the desk in the exam room and while I waited for the doctor to come in I read it. I had done WW online in the past, but this pamphlet was about going to meetings and, with a doctors note, having flex benefits money pay for the meetings. I asked my doctor about it and she said that WW is the only weight-loss program she recommends to her patients, she wrote a prescription for WW right then. God gave me a way to pay for the meetings, something my husband and I, at the time, couldn't have afforded otherwise, and a doctor who was excited about it for me. I joined WW a few weeks later and haven't looked back. Now that I've lost 55.8 pounds, I find that I'm a better mother. I play with my son so much more than I used to. I have the energy to be calm with him when he's pushing my buttons. I still want another baby...someday, but I know that right now isn't the time that God has planned for us to have another. Perhaps we never will, but I trust Him with that and know that His plan is flawless. Knowing this, I don't need willpower to carry on, I already have God's power!

 

Goal and Changes

I finally reached my -55 pound goal! I reached it at home earlier in the week, but my weigh-in at WW this morning made it official!

The last six weeks I've lost 1 pound each week. After having weeks of 2-3 pounds, or sometimes more, one pound at a time has proved frustrating for me. Instead of focusing on that frustration, though, I'm changing things up! Here's how:

• My DH and I joined a gym this week.  I went yesterday and walked a 5K on the treadmill and spent 20 minutes on an elliptical. I plan on going back tomorrow, early morning, to start working out before my DH has to go to work. (Thursdays are my off day since they're my WW meeting days.)
• I'm going to focus more on filling foods, rather than just point values. That means a lot more fruits, veggies, dairy and whole grains. I believe that is how we're all meant to eat and it is what I've learned through WW meetings, it is time to get serious about making that more of a focus.
• I'm going to cut my soda intake to just one a week. I'll have one on Thursdays, which is my "cheat" day, though I still count my points and stay on track. 

If those changes don't bring me a little more success on the scale, then I'll be happy with the changes I'm making in my life and celebrate each pound,