Feb 25, 2011

Introducing...The Saturday Skinny - My Weekly Weight Loss Journey


Hello and Welcome to The Saturday Skinny! As some of you may have noticed from my Facebook page lately, I started a weight loss program at the end of January. My first ever 'real' diet. So, I've decided to add a new Saturday feature to my blog where I will chronicle my progress, obstacles I may encounter and my exercise routines. I'll also be featuring some good-for-you recipes and tips that you may want to try. With Spring around the corner, now is the time to get active and get on the right path for a healthier you!

Let me first start by telling you that the program I've joined is Weight Watchers Online but I don't consider it a diet, per se. I don't even like the word diet. This is more of a healthier way of life that I will continue with long after I've reached my ultimate goal. Most diets typically don't work because they have unrealistic expectations and once you go off of them, you gain the weight right back. This Weight Watchers Online program teaches you what to eat, how much to eat and what foods you have to be careful of. You don't have to give up that chocolate cake forever - just be mindful of how much of it you put in your body.

Exercise is another very important factor. As readers, we all know we're not getting any exercise flipping those pages or hitting the 'next' button on our Kindles! So, we have to make up for that immobility. Since I've had to retire, so-to-speak, I've put on at least 20 pounds. My doctor recently asked me what I'd been doing for fun and I said, 'Reading a lot of books' and he frowned and said, 'I meant for exercise'! Oops! The WW program (and my Doctor) suggests that we get at least 30 minutes of exercise every single day. And one of the best ways to exercise is simply by walking! Who doesn't enjoy a nice walk, right?

I've completed 4 weeks of WW and I've lost 7.6 pounds! I've found that the PointsPlus System works for me. Upon joining, they give you a PointsPlus calculator that you enter nutritional information into and it converts it to Points. This is very helpful in learning portion sizes and what foods to eat. Each week after you weigh in, you are given your PointsPlus Target. As you lose the weight, they reduce the number of daily points you can eat. I'm sure a lot of you already know how this works. I've been 20-25 pounds overweight a lot in my life and I've tried counting calories, eating all low-fat foods and nothing worked for me. But this PointsPlus System along with their fabulous eTools keeps me on track. And when I get discouraged I remember that I didn't gain this weight overnight and I'm not going to lose it overnight. It takes time and dedication. I'm doing WW with my good friend, Brenda, and we lean on each other and when our weigh-ins don't turn out like we'd hoped, we support each other and try harder the next week. We also walk at least 1 mile every day and sometimes 2 miles. I've even recruited my mom and sister to walk with me.

I hope that you will stop by each Saturday and if you are doing your own weight loss program, leave a comment and let me know how you are doing. We can encourage each other. Thanks for visiting today and i hope you'll come back soon!


7 comments:

  1. Lisa, congrats on your success so far. I agree, it's not a diet per se, it's a healthy way of eating. I started WW in mid-December (again) and am very pleased with my results on the new PointsPlus. The older women get, the harder it is to drop the weight but I'm seeing a nice, consistent loss. I'll be sure to look for your Saturday posts each week!

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  2. It sounds like you're doing great! Keep up the good work!

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  3. Congrats on your success! I've tried the Weight Watchers before and I always thought it was a great lifestyle change rather than a diet. I really need to get back on track with it. I'll have to let you be my inspiration!

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  4. I'm so glad we are doing this together!!

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  5. Anonymous aka Brenda - I am so happy we are doing this together as well! Thanks for the inspiration!

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  6. Yay for you Lisa!! I haven't converted to this new plan yet totally but I know the gals at work have and really enjoy it. I'm waiting for nice weather to start getting active again...yes, I know it's an excuse!! Let's cheer each other on!!

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  7. Way to go! I am having a hard time on WW this time around. To be honest, I am not all that motivated so it will be good to have you as a role model.

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Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a comment! I look forward to hearing from you again soon!