PointsPlus

Well I gained 4 lbs in 2 weeks (the birthday celebratory weeks) and then lost almost a pound thanksgiving week (i made a pact with my ww buddy that we would loose SOMETHING over thanksgiving - I was so excited about my own loss, i don't know if she lost anything or not, I know I'm a bad friend)

And THEN comes the new PointsPlus plan.  I have been reading everyone's opinions like crazy, and, as I knew it would, the plan is getting extremely mixed reviews.  The two biggest complaints I don't understand

1) People are struggling trying to eat all their points.  I don't know about everyone else, but my leader emphasized that we absolutely should not eat our points if we are not hungry.  It's one of the new things about this plan.  Yesterday was the first day I actually ate all mine, and that's because I was having a sweet craving so I had a piece of cake, and probably counted way too much for it because I still don't have my head wrapped around how points are figured out, and it wasn't something that had the NI directly on it somewhere.

2) People are struggling staying within thier points.  I learned in the getting started session on monday that 29 is the least amount of points someone can have, and the way it's figured out now, everyone currently on weight watchers went up in points - most people significantly.  I went up 7 points myself (i know, i know, pointsplus, but what a mouthful that is, you know everyone is going to call it points anyway).  Not only that, but we get a whopping 14 more weekly points.  And people who just don't want to use those extra points - come on people, weight watchers didn't give us those to mercilessly taunt us.  I also feel like people who are starving after using thier 29 just aren't using them wisely.  I mean, 0 point fruit people.    I could understand when you could get down to 18 - that was sort of brutal.  But somehow I don't think the people who went from 18 to 29 are the ones complaining.

I'll admit, I'm struggling with taking of my old system hat off and putting the new one on.  0 points for a banana?  what?!  I am totally one of the people that would not reach for a banana ever because I didn't want to spend the 2-3 points.  Now they are probably the reason I am staying under my points every day. 

So far I love love love this plan - I am feeling refocused, counting everything and pulling out my calulator or complete food companion at the drop of a hat.  After doing the WW on and off for years, this was exactly what I needed.  Now, I have no idea if I will actually loose on Monday, but I'm feeling relaly good and proud on myself and in control again.  This came at the perfect time for me, and I'm sad that there are so many people who can do nothing but complain - when they haven't even tried it.  Come on people, give it a shot at least.  One of the biggest arguments for WW I've seen out there is trust them.  I may be nieve, but I don't think WW is doing this to make morte money - there are probably tons of people who left in a huff over this. 

Well, that's my rant and take on the new pointsplus system, 2 thumbs up, at least until I get on the scale!

?!?

i just chose a banana to go with my diet dr pepper when i was in that mini mart. That's like...epic.

breaking the pattern

I just updated my weight, and looking at it, I'm a little nervous about this week.  According to recent patterns, I will gain this week.  I am going to try to keep that in mind all week as a goal to break that pattern.  Unfortunately, Sunday is my birthday.  In the past, I always just ate whatever that day, but I can't do that AND have a loss this week.  So maybe I'll push my birthday food by a day to Monday post weigh in.  I'm not talking about going nutso food crazy here, just about giving myself permission to have have something I love that normally I wouldn't choose because it's not worth it.  Usually General Tso's chicken wins out. 

This having candy in my house is not really working out for me.  My roommate has a small son who is in our house half the week, but his dads house candy is in our house all the time.  I asked his dad to hide it, but he hasn't, so I think I'm going to have to revisit that request.  I'm exhausted from tech week and when I am exhausted, I tend to make incredibly bad choices.  Plus I think I'm going to take a vacation day friday, and the thought of being in the house all day with all that candy is a little horrifying. 
This week, goal: breaking the pattern, can I do it?  Stay tuned!

at last at last

yahoo! i lost a pound yesterday, pushing me just over the 35 lost mark! its wierd because i read and hear a lot of people who have lost weight talking about going down in clothing size, but i have not shrunk out of a single piece of clothing yet. However, my clothes def fit me better, i must have been bursting at the seams before. How retroactively embarrassing.

pump it up! or not

i need to figure out a way to get some concentrated activity back into my life. I just have so much more energy and feel bettter mentally. I seem to have it in my head that i either have to go 6-7 days a week or not at all. which is totally stupid. I keep telling myself that i am going to join the brand new Y that is across the street from where i work. i love love love taking classes - doing it in my living room isnt the same, too easy not to push myself (though i think i am the only person on earth who doesn't like Zumba - i think i have taken too many real dance classes. Or i have just had really awful teachers) i just dnt have the money right now, hopefully i will get a raise this year so i can.

Car Trip Conundrum

I am happy to report that I lost 1.8 this week! That means that I am only .2 away from my lowest weight again (this time!) and .6 away from -35. With Halloween approaching like a speeding bullet, and me having a tremendous sweet tooth, I'm taking this weeks meeting topic to heart. My roommate's son is with us 50% of the time, so this morning I asked him to please hide any incoming candy from me. I really don't think I'll go looking for it if I don't know where it is, esp. since I'm going to be so busy with shows.


The other major issue this week is that I'm going to The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in DC this weekend. This means a 4 hour road trip. We are leaving Friday noonish and returning Saturday evening. I am worried about how much control I will have over food. Let's see, if I eat before I leave, that means I have dinner Friday, and breakfast, lunch and possibly dinner Friday. Probably continental breakfast at the hotel, so that's a problem, but they usually have like cheerios or something. Well, I'm not too terribly worried about eating out, when in doubt, there is usually a grilled chicken sandwich. The main concern in the road trip, where you are bored with nothing to do but eat. I need to figure out a couple snacks I can bring that are yummy, but not too yummy. You know, something I'll eat, but not eat all of in one sitting. Fruits and veggies won't work, because I won't eat them if there's something more tempting (neither of my friends I'm going with is attempting to loose weight as far as I know and they both looove junk food) and I can't rely on will power when bored in the car for 4 hours. When I went to Florida, homemade low cal guacamole worked really well, but my one friend loves guac, and I'm afraid she'll eat it all, so I'll need something else as well. This will take some careful consideration.
PS I just looked up the hotel we are staying in and there is a fitness center! Here's hoping I'll find the time Friday night to use it!

Why does the scale taunt me so?!?

So I haven't quit WW, cause I know that's what I would be thinking f someone didn't past for a couple weeks. But I am extremely frustrated. I had this really good week, and I gained .4, which I was just devastated about. I feel like I have to be completely PERFECT to loose anything, which honestly I shouldn't have to be, who's perfect? Anyway, I wasn't derailed until I became extremely sleep deprived (tech week) and then I just got this who cares attitude and ate and ate and ate. The good news? I only gained .4 that week too! WHAT?!? So confused, honestly I deserved a 5 pound gain the way I was eating - but I got on the scale because, for me, if I don't, it snowballs. Getting on that scale in front of someone and having my weight officially recorded is like an auto reset for me. And I am so happy it did - a point 4 gain?!?!


So this week I am back on track. Cooking, eating leftovers, bringing in my little snacks to get me through the day. yesterday I went to Dunkin Donuts because I wanted to get a copy of the City Paper (there was a fabulous review of my current running show in it) and I got a coffee (brought my own cream - I always use one creamer in the morning and count it as a point, but really two of them are a point, so adding another creamer really added no points) and instead of getting a whole donut that I really wanted and would have been 5 points, I got 2 munchkins at 1 point each. I made fiber one banana nut muffins last night because when I come home from rehearsal late at night I often crave a little sweet snack. Normally prepared they are 3 pts each, but I substituted the oil with apple sauce, and I think that made them 2 points each - I tried to figure it out the best I could.

I am seriously considering changing my weigh in day to sat morning. I am not willing to give up my leader who only does my current meeting at that particular center, but Monday nights are hard, man. I have to be super careful over the weekend, and I always end up starving myself on Mondays to get a better weight. That can't be healthy.