What I’ve Learned After A Year At Weight Watchers

I’ve been a Weight Watcher for a year as of this week (tomorrow officially). I weighed in this morning and I was down .4 for a total of 59.4 pounds lost this past year. After last week’s 3.6 pound loss, I was very happy with .4 lbs.

I was thinking this morning on my way home from weigh in about all the changes I’ve made this past year. Not only do I eat sooo much healthier 95% of the time, I finally understand all the hype about regular exercise. It’s still tough to get going some days, but the feeling during and after are well worth getting off my butt for!

They say it takes 21 days to break a bad habit and create a new one. If you are on a getting fit journey, you’ll know that it can take 21 seconds and a piece of chocolate cake to undo that new habit.

I’ve been at this for a year, and I know that to continue to my goal weight and maintain my new healthier body, I will be at it for a lifetime. It may take 21 days to create a new habit, but the reason for the habit is always lurking in the background, ready to undo all the hard work at a moment’s notice.

I’ve learned so much this year and I can even go as far as to say I am grateful that last July  I weighed 230 pounds. If I wasn’t so overweight where it was starting to affect my health and ability to do the things I like to do, I would never have started on the journey in earnest. I know that because I’d stopped and started so many times before.

Before I started Weight Watchers last  July, I wasn’t suffering from body image issues. I didn’t hate my body or the way I looked at 230 pounds. I’d come to terms with that many years ago. I didn’t feel inadequate because I was carrying extra weight. I had a lot to offer and I concentrated on those things.

I’ve learned more about myself in this past year than I thought imaginable at 50 years old. I’ve pushed my body well beyond it’s limits and it has done very well. I’ve really looked inside to try to understand how I got to this point in the first place and have surprised myself with the answers.

I started on this journey because I didn’t want to turn 50 feeling unhealthy and limited. What surprised me is how much I was missing because I was heavy. More than the smaller clothing sizes and compliments, I’m thrilled with my fitness progress. I don’t get winded going up stairs. I can run. I’m swimming again. I have energy. I sleep better. I have better concentration most days. I get outside every chance I get. Racing is fun. I’m happier. I feel balanced.

I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to experience these changes if I hadn’t been 230 lbs. last July or found my way to this point. And for that I’m grateful.

What’s Holding You Back?

Every time I’ve decided to get healthy, as I’m getting started, I think of a bunch of reasons why maybe I shouldn’t. Let’s face it, change is daunting.

I know all the reasons I should be fit. Every fat person knows why they should start eating healthy and exercising more. To avoid health problems, to live longer, to have more energy, to look better and feel good about ourselves. The list goes on.

But then come the excuses that lead to stopping before we start or very shortly after we get started. If we can identify those things we use to hold ourselves back and push them aside, then maybe we have a chance. At least, that’s what I told myself this time as they crept in when I was starting.

So I made a list. Why shouldn’t  I lose weight and keep it off? Here are my top ten and how they’ve played out so far:

10. Money is tight. How will I buy new clothes?

Well, the weight doesn’t fall off overnight so new clothes are not a problem right away. And really, how many new things do you need to get through the week? Guess what, when I needed new clothes I found the money to buy them. Oh, and it’s fun to buy smaller sizes.

9. I’ll get bored. How can I eat the same thing day in and day out?

Eating healthy can get boring. So can unhealthy eating habits. The difference is you don’t feel like crap after eating a healthy boring meal. I make sure I have options for my meals. Nothing overly exciting mind you, but enough so that I’m not completely sick of turkey, lettuce and tomato at the end of each week.

8. I’m too busy. I don’t have the time to plan, cook and exercise.

Bah. I exercise for a half an hour to an hour each day. So I miss a little TV. Actually I get up early so it’s done with before my day starts. And if your day is really that busy, fit in little 10-minute walks three times a day. I hear that works just as well.

As for food planning, I’m not a planner. And I tend to eat on the run. With all of the choices out there now, this is no excuse. How long does it take to microwave a Lean Cuisine? It’s faster than waiting in line at McDonald’s. And  anything tastes good on a high-fiber, low cal english muffin. Make sure your pantry and fridge are stocked with on-the-go good choices like fruit, eggs and high-fiber snacks, and you won’t need to plan too much.

7. I can’t afford to eat healthy.

Yes you can. Twinkies and Entenmann’s cakes are expensive too. When you stop buying those and trade for healthier choices, the food bill stays about the same. It might go up a bit in the beginning as you are finding your rhythm, but it goes back down.

Oh and when you unload some of those prescriptions and over the counter medicines from the ailments that the weight is causing (like Zantac for heartburn), you can spend more on food.

6. My family, friends, whoever won’t like me anymore if I lose weight.

Anyone who begrudges you finding your way to a healthy lifestyle is not someone you want in your life. If they love you now, your friends (even your fat ones who are envious because they wish they were doing what you are doing), family and whoever will still love you. And they will be proud of you too. You, after all, are accomplishing something spectacular.

5. I might be heavy but I’m in proportion. If I lose weight, I might lose unevenly and end up with a small top and big butt (or skinny legs and big belly…take your pick).

Whatever your body shape is, that’s what it will be when you lose weight. I really worried about this. Guess what, I’m the same proportion, just smaller and tighter. And if you don’t like your body shape, this is your chance to shift it. Exercise! Cardio is a must but also find targeted exercises that work those trouble spots.

4. I can’t afford a gym membership.

I couldn’t. Not in the beginning. But I could afford cheap sneakers and I was able to walk around my neighborhood. Start now while it’s light out in the morning and late into the evening and you’ll be exercising for free before you know it. And you can’t tell me you don’t know how to do a crunch or even a pushup. Those don’t cost anything either. And now, lots of gyms are running great specials to get you to join (they figure we’ll never go anyway). Take advantage if you really want to join a gym.

3. My boobs will shrink down to nothing.

Ok, this one happens. But again, it’s in proportion to your body size so it’s really not that bad. I never had a large bust until after I had children and was 100 pounds overweight. The boobs were the first thing to go as I started to lose weight. They are smaller now, but they actually look so much better on my frame, and my fear of losing the girls was somewhat irrational. They are still there, and while smaller, since my tummy is smaller too, they actually look so much better! I will say though that I’d be lost without underwire!

2. My personality will change.

You know it just might. But do you really think it will be for the worse? My personality hasn’t changed so much as shifted some. I’m still the same person with the same insecurities (I still feel fat a lot of the time even) and same inclinations. What has changed though is I think about me once in a while now. I do things for me. I smile more. I have more confidence. I take a few more risks. I have met goals and accomplished more in this past year than I thought possible. And if I can do this, I can do anything, can’t I? And there’s nothing wrong with that.

If you are a nice person, you will still be a nice person. The only difference is you might just be nicer to you. Getting fit is liberating. Enjoy it.

1. Saggy Skin!

We’ve all seen the plastic surgery commercials. The gastric bypass patients who’ve lost 100 pounds in six months. Look at all that skin! I’d rather be fat! No, you wouldn’t.

I really worried about saggy skin. I even figured when I started getting fit this time if it got bad, I would stop wherever it was that was comfortable. I’d rather be a little overweight than have loose skin. News flash. If you lose weight slowly, 1-2 pounds a week, and you exercise and drink water, saggy skin isn’t so much of a problem. I’m 60 pounds into an 80-pound weight loss, and I can tell you that the sagging skin isn’t nearly what I imagined it to be. Yes, I do have some, but I had it before too. And the only one who ever even notices it is me. All of the other changes in my body, like a waist and legs that like to run are well worth it.

Those were my top 10 reasons for not getting fit. And I have a bunch more. The reasons to get fit though so far outweighed them that I chose to ignore them this time.

Try to focus on the things that may be stopping you and write them down. Since they are usually only whispers in the back of your mind, they can be difficult to hear but they are there and they are insidious.

Then write down an equal number of reasons to get fit. There are more of these than there are excuses. Consider how you will feel when you’ve conquered your fears and misgivings and have started to meet your goals.

There are good days and bad days when you are getting fit. I was having a tough day today. And I needed to revisit why sometimes it is so easy to get off track. By checking in periodically with how far I’ve come and identifying the reasons I try to sabotage myself, I take the power away from my fears and excuses. I have the power, and with that power, I win.

The Key To Running Success: Persistence, Not Perfection

Since I started triathlon training, I have concentrated on the run the most. And it’s paying off. Since it was the one thing I’d never done before, it was also the one thing that freaked me out and made me hesitate about even trying.

I signed up anyway because I can always walk if I have to. I had to in my last race. I had to walk a lot. For the race coming up on August 1 though, I won’t have to walk. I may have to run slow, but I won’t have to walk. I can run now.

Saturday, I ran a full 5k in my neighborhood. I took a new route that I’d mapped out the night before in my car (it’s also kind of my bike route). 3.1 miles. Mostly a flat run with 3 hills (or maybe I should say inclines, but decent ones). I woke up later than I’d planned on Saturday and almost bagged this run too because I had other stuff to do. And then I considered running my usual shorter 2.5 miles. But I wanted the change, and I wanted to challenge myself. My thinking is that if I can run 3 miles, then the 2 miles (even right after the bike leg) won’t feel so bad on race day.

So I did it. I walked .2 miles to warm up and started jogging. It was hot because it was already 9:00 am. But I kept going, kept my pace slow so I didn’t kill myself and I finished in 38 minutes, which running-wise after a walking warmup, was probably about 11:30 to 12 minute miles. I was happy with that because at one point in the run, I didn’t think I’d even be able to run the whole way. It still amazes me how a run can feel great one minute, crappy the next and then good again. I was so thrilled that I completed the distance without walking that I even threw my arms up into the air a little as I turned into my driveway!

This morning I went running again. It was my usual 2.5 mile run. Until I get more comfortable with the distance, I’m keeping the long run to once a week. After race day, I’ll kick that up. This morning’s run was probably the best run I’ve ever had. It was early (6:00 am) and cool and dry. I think it’s the first run I’ve had in a while where there hasn’t been stifling humidity. This morning, I knew I was running a distance I’m comfortable with (amazing how much of a difference half a mile makes) so I decided to open it up a bit. When I’ve been running, I go pretty slow and bump up the pace at least once or twice during the run to get used to a faster pace. IThe faster pace actually feels more natural, (trust me, it’s not that fast), but  it’s been tough to keep up for very long. This morning was different though. I don’t know if it was the crisp weather or how I was feeling, but I opened up and only slowed down on one hill. I even got the thumbs up from a couple of walkers, which made me smile and then run faster. I ran 2. 5 miles this morning in 26.30 minutes, a little over a 10-minute mile pace. For me, that’s sprinting.

I was so pumped after this morning’s run. It felt amazing and I actually can’t wait to go again on Wednesday, although I rarely get the same results two runs in a row.

Thursday is my one year anniversary with Weight Watchers and serious blogging. I was looking back at some of my earlier posts this weekend. I felt triumphant when I went from walking a mile to walking a mile and a half.

Now I’m running three miles and working on going farther and running faster. I would have never thought this was possible a year ago.

MaggieApril, from Taste Not Waist, commented on one of my blog posts recently “Persistence, not perfection. Good Lesson.” It’s so true. My running experiences have been far from perfect. It took me seven months to complete the 9-week couch to 5k program. But I have kept at it and kept at it.

And look, I’m a runner now.

Drumroll Please…..

The Plateau is officially broken! One week before my one-year anniversary with Weight Watchers, the scale finally showed me some love! Would you like to know how much love?
3.6 pounds worth! Hard work paying off.

I lost 50 pounds from July 2008 through the beginning of April. It was slow but consistent and I was happy with that. I had my first race on April 18, and after that it was like my metabolism decided to just take a break. From April 18 to July 3, I lost 5.4 lbs. total. Not one of those weeks were losses without a decimal point in front of the number. But I stuck to it. And about a month ago, I started making changes each week to see if I could make the scale move. Nuthin, or at the very least, very little.

So last week, after my weigh-in (I stayed the same after a very rigid couple of weeks), I let it go. I decided I would focus on my triathlon training, part of which meant paying closer attention to the quality of the food I am eating, rather than making sure I stayed in points. After all, this is about being “fit,” not the number on the scale.

Fourth of July, I had Godiva chocolates (3 truffles), a killer dinner (more than usual points but all really healthy stuff) and even ice cream. Real Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. None of that light stuff. I paid attention to my portions. I tracked everything. I made points a secondary focus. I didn’t get hungry. And I really enjoyed my food.

This entire week I went walking, running, biking, swimming. I did abdominal work…all the stuff I’ve been doing, although I may have ratcheted it up a notch because I’m getting closer to my race date.

It was an epiphany for me because even though I was going over points some of the days, the number on the scale actually went down. I realized I had gotten myself into a weight watcher’s rut of  sorts. I was staying in points but maybe not making the best food decisions. So all this week I focused on the quality of my food. After all, the ultimate goal is good health. I’m going to continue with what I did this week into next week and beyond to see how it goes, although after this week’s loss, I’ll be content to stay the same next week.

175 was a comfortable weight for my body. I have been stuck here before many years ago. But now that my body has let the number go, I’m hoping to keep moving downward until I get to the weight that’s comfortable for my head.

I know getting healthy is not about a number. I do. But when the scale reflects our hard work, it feels good. It really, really does.

Swim, Bike, Run

I am not one to exercise for exercise’s sake. Never have been. I needed some sort of motivation other than “It’s good for you.” So I signed up for a triathlon. When I could barely walk a mile, I set my sights on triathlon. The reason? In my vast weight loss knowledge (cause I’ve lost and gained so many pounds so many times before), I know it’s better to vary the exercise routine because it works different muscles, you don’t get bored, etc., etc.

So since I needed something to train for that would give me the motivation to do more than one type of exercise, I picked this multi-sport. Did I mention I’m not really fond of exercise? I figured I can swim, I can bike, and well, even though I couldn’t run at the time, how hard could it be? Boy was I in for a rude awakening.

And my brother is a triathlete, so I had someone to turn to for information.

As I get ready for my first triathlon (I raced back in April but it became a duathlon because of pool problems), I’m so excited to see how far I’ve come. I can actually run two miles  now. I couldn’t in April (not on the road anyway) and I can bike the six and swim the 400 meter distance. I realized though, I’ve been lax in my training up to this point. While I’ve been practicing all three disciplines, I haven’t been doing them enough together, mostly because of time constraints. I can tell you from my first experience, running after a six-mile bike ride is a whole lot more difficult than just running for running’s sake. I don’t care how slow you go. Off the bike, jello legs tend to make that first half mile of a run a doozy.

So for the next three and a half weeks (the time before my next race on August 1st, I will be training all three segments close together through the week, with bricks (bike and run together, swim and bike together, you get the idea) on the weekends where I have more time. Last night I ran, despite all kinds of delays (didn’t actually get out on the road until 7:45 pm). I had biked the night before and I was determined to run to work those muscles in succession.

This morning, I swam. Tonight I bike. Tomorrow morning, I run. Tomorrow night, I collapse. It’s the way the race goes. Swim. Bike. Run. Collapse.

By themselves, I extend my distances because someday soon, I’d like to do longer races, but the plan is to get the muscles working in the right order. It’s much easier to get in a pool and swim after a run than the other way around.

I’m glad I chose triathlons as a place to start. I know they aren’t for everyone. But even if I never competed in a race, it pushed me to train in several different exercises, I think giving me a good balance and helping to prevent injuries. Besides, after this 5Ks may feel easy.

My first race is the Mini Mighty Man Sprint in Eisenhower Park, East Meadow, NY, August 1. It’s powered by eventpowerli.com if you’re interested in something like this. They offer a bunch of different races at all levels.

This starter tri is a 400-meter swim, 6-mile bike, 2-mile run. Wish me luck. I’ll need it!

By the way, I don’t look nearly as fierce as the triathletes in the picture!

Ch…Ch…Ch…Ch…Changes

So this week I threw my points to the wind, sort of, and decided instead to concetrate on what types of food I’ve been eating. Remember, I’ve been at a plateau now pretty much for the last three months.

I went pretty far over points on Thursday and Saturday. Not great on Friday either. I return to counting points on Sunday though. Here’s the thing. After my frustration with the scale on Thursday this week, I decided (when I finally let it go) that this week would not be about counting points and it would not be about losing weight. WHAT?, you say? Has she gone over the edge?

Nope. I feel like I’ve been letting my frustration with my “weight” really take away from all the healthy changes I’ve been making. I’m thinking my obsession with what the scale says could even be one of the reasons I’m not losing. So I decided to stop letting the scale rule.

Instead, I chose to pay attention to the quality of the food I was eating and enjoy it, even the Godiva chocolates. [Side note: my hubby and I took a lovely ride into Greenport on Saturday to hang down by the docks, look wistfully at the boats, and walk around the quaint little town. We ended up in a store called Sweet Indulgences, where they sold...wait for it....candy, among other things. I bought three Godiva truffles and enjoyed every last bite. No guilt. Not even a little.]

I am a self-confessed snacker though and I tend to eat lower-point meals sometimes to fit in my “treats.” So this weekend, instead of focusing on points, I re-evaluated what I was eating instead of the point value. I realized I was eating a little too much bread and maybe not enough lean protein. I actually cooked this weekend, a lot. Bay scallops, rice with cream sauce, barbecued chicken, fresh veggies… Saturday night I even had real ice cream!

I paid attention to my portions and cooked healthfully and I continue to track everything. I made some easy changes and have been choosing better quality snacks (grapes instead of a weight watchers cookie for example). Although if I want it, I’ll still have the WW cookie. I’m paying attention to my actual, physical hunger and trying to decipher what my body is craving. Mindful eating? I realized I’d become a Weight Watchers robot, eating the same things at the same time every day, focusing only on not going over those points.

I don’t know if it was the boost in points over the weekend or the changes in WHAT I’m eating, but the scale seems to be moving in the right direction. I’ll let you know how that goes on Thursday when I weigh in.

In the meantime, even when I wasn’t checking the scale (I managed to stay off of it from Thursday through Monday) I felt less anxious about my food intake and just better in general.

It’s also home stretch for triathlon training. Three weeks to go! The healthier food choices will definitely have a positive impact on my performance on race day!

The Key to Lasting Weight Loss

Let’s face it. If we are overweight, obese or even morbidly obese (I was, even though my family would cringe when I said it), we know what we need to do to lose weight. We need to eat less and move more. Period. Less calories in, more calories out. Anybody disagree?

And then as our bodies become smaller and more efficient, we need to eat even less and move even more, which is kind of unfair. But as we get healthier, our bodies get more efficient and come to expect us to keep treating them right. And just think of all the cool things you can do with a lean, healthy body. Not to mention you look hot and get to buy new clothes.

Different plans work for different people, but those are the basics, and anyone trying to lose weight or get fit, whether on low-fat, low-carb, diet pills, a healthy balanced eating plan and exercise (i choose this one), will still need to take in less calories than they expend to reach their goals.

There is a great article by @BodyForWife (I just love Twitter and all the cool people and information I can find there) busting metabolism myths. bodyforwife.com/metabolismmyths.html The article is designed for men, but so much of this information is about metabolism and weight loss in general, it works for women too. And it just makes sense. Common sense. Go figure.

Bottom line is it’s impossible to lose 20 pounds a month, month after month, and be healthy. Oh and those nasty little plateaus? We can thank our own efforts for that. Those are our bodies’ way of rewarding us for working hard for them. To get to the next level, we just have to work a little harder. And be patient. But if we want it, we can do it. I’m off to the gym!

The Privilege of Being Fit

West Meadow Beach, Long Island Sound

Not too far from my house is a beach – West Meadow. It’s a small town beach on the Long Island Sound, which offers rocky shores and calm waters. There’s a great playground and when my children were small, it was the perfect way to spend a summer day.

The cool thing about this area though was not so much the town beach as the mile and a half stretch of road just past it. That was dotted with about 20 beach cottages positioned right on the beach. They didn’t even have running water. As a young girl, my aunt’s parents owned one of these cottages and I was fortunate enough to spend a couple of weeks living on the beach, sleeping on a screen porch and fetching fresh water from the well up the road a piece. Salt water ran through the pipes.

Two years ago, the town took the land back and razed the cottages amidst outcries from the owners and those of us who while we didn’t live there, loved the step back in time that little stretch of road offered. I know as an adult, whenever I was having a bad day or just needed a break, I’d take a drive down the little road to the end where there was a jetty and a glorious little inlet and tiny island in the sound. When the county took over the land, it promised that there would be no building there (we were all worried about condominiums) and it would be turned into a nature preserve. So far they have kept their word.

For me though, this created a dilemma. The road was closed. I couldn’t get to my favorite spot anymore. I wasn’t in any shape to walk the mile and a half and then back again, on the beach or on the road. I’d attempted it a couple of times, but could never make it the whole way.

Since the beginning of summer, since I’m now in good enough shape where this would be no problem, I’ve been wanting to walk/run on the beach and on the road to this little spot. The weather has not cooperated in the Northeast. At least, not until today.

This morning, I had planned to swim, but I got up a little late. It’s a perfect day here on Long Island: sunny, not too humid, low 70s. I decided to drive up to the beach, walk to the end and jog back. As of this morning, I didn’t know how far that would be. Some kind soul on roller blades let me know that the stretch was about a mile and a half. Cake.

I walked along the beach, past the piping plover nesting sanctuaries, watching the boats in the sound and just listening to the lapping waves and the birds. When I found a path, about a mile in, I scooted up to the road. I didn’t bring my iPod today, which allowed me to just embrace the sounds and smells of this now peaceful nature preserve. I made it to the end of the road, and I was greeted by the gorgeous inlet, soft breeze and incredible views that I remembered from three years ago. I felt like I was on vacation and could have stayed there all day. I stayed for a bit, sat on the jetty and considered how fortunate I am to have the strength and fitness level to get there.

I jogged back. By then, lots of people were walking, biking and rollerblading on the path.

It was the perfect way to start the day. I am so grateful that I’ve finally embraced a healthy, fit lifestyle and that I’ve been able to come as far as I have. I will keep that with me when I don’t feel like exercising in the future.  Think of what I was missing before.

Headed up to the Path

A Nod From Another Runner

This morning on my run I crossed paths with Gazelle Man again. This time we were going in opposite directions. Him flying by in all his barely dressed glory (sporting only running shorts and sneakers) and me plodding along about halfway through my run. Gazelle Man is young, tall, lithe– a running vision; heck, maybe even a running god. I mean the man didn’t even have an iPod.

As he passed me this morning, he nodded and held up his hand. The runner’s wave. I got the runner’s wave from Gazelle Man, validating my efforts as a runner.

So what if the scale won’t show me love? Gazelle Man acknowledged my running this morning and that was way more satisfying than a half pound loss!

So thank you Gazelle Man. And for all of us running out there, whatever level you’re at, remember to give a runner’s wave to the others you pass along the way, whatever level they are at.

Have a happy Fourth of July everyone!

Weight Loss Maintenance Practice

I stayed the same at Weight Watchers at weigh-in this week. And this makes me all whiny and frustrated. It also makes me want to eat. However, I refuse to let this scale stall get to me for long. I had my little hissy fit and indulgence this morning and I’m over it. Or I can pretend to be over it anyway. I’ll probably really be over it by tomorrow.

This was a good week. I ate  well (played around with my points some and tried to make healthier food choices to see if that would kick-start the weight loss again, but no). I got lots of great exercise. I even ran a full 3 miles for the first time. Huge accomplishment. I feel thinner and my clothes are fitting well.

I like the things I’m doing now. I can eat the way I’m eating forever, and I enjoy exercising (go figure.) I can even live with the weight I’m at. I like the way I look. When I started, I thought I’d be lucky to get to this weight.

The last time I was here (174.8) was 25 years ago, before I started gaining more. It was my first really “overweight” weight. And I was here for a long time. My body is comfortable here. I think I’m frustrated because I lost 50 pounds in 8 months and then I’ve lost only 5 pounds in the last three months, and I’ve been sticking to program all along.

So the two pieces of advice/sympathy I got this morning:

My WW leader, who has lost 100 pounds, said she went through the same thing. She said the first 50 came off easy (it was the new fat), but her body held onto the second 50. Eventually though, she lost it. Patience.

A friend at work, who has also lost 100 pounds on Weight Watchers, asked me how long I’ve been losing. A year. He said, “You’ve lost 55 pounds in a year. That’s great.” I said it’s not bad. Not bad? Nothing like turning a positive into a negative.  I need to celebrate my accomplishment rather than diminish it. Don’t we all do that?

So I’m focusing on the positive. I’m going to continue to make all the changes I need to live a healthy and fit lifestyle. I’m ready for my triathlon coming up in August. And just think, the slower the weight comes off, the better chance I have to maintain it.

I’m looking at my current plateau as maintenance practice. After all, someday, my goal will be to stay the same each week. I think I’ve got that part down.