Tag: #wwfamily

Do One Thing Different

On By TerriIn Inspiration, Mindset, UncategorizedLeave a comment

“If you always do what you’ve always done, then you’ll always get what you always got”

That mantra has been rolling around in my head for a couple of weeks now.  I first heard it when I was in the middle of my 5th journey with Weight Watchers, the journey that finally resulted in my reaching my weight goal and achieving Lifetime status.  That was a long time ago, now.

This quote is so accurate.  And it is one of the keys to success.  Doing something different….making changes, the kind of changes that become habit, is key to success.  And necessary.

I have been on a rollercoaster journey the past few years… up… down…. topsy-turvey……. It has been a difficult journey at times. 

A couple of months ago, a group of ladies and I started meeting virtually each week and in person once a month, to support each other on this journey and to discuss various topics.  Our own support group and accountability group.  Boy have I missed them and meeting as a group.

Through this group and our discussions I realized my why, and how to keep it close (more on that soon) and I revisited “the basics” that help on this journey.  You know, ALL those things I used to do and the things I KNOW work for me.

But I was still stuck.  Up and down and all around…… I just wasn’t getting anywhere.

And then my husband and I went on vacation.  A 3 week roadtrip…. 4100 miles driven….. 6 states…… lots of family and long-time friends visited….. and GREAT food (especially in San Francisco!). 

Yes, on vacation.  I told myself that I was NOT going to gain.  I had a plan.  I packed healthy snacks.  I prepped the cooler and loaded drinks and fruit.  I was ready.  But I had been on vacation before.  And I knew what happens…. 

Vacation mode.

Well…. something was different this time.  The long hours on the road led to long discussions with my husband.  And my desire to reach my goals and my reminder of my why were strong…. Very strong.  So….

I did not deprive myself because saying no and deprivation would only backfire.  So, I had a few cookies over the days in San Francisco…. Amazing cookies my son made for us.  I had sourdough bread, and pastries and pasta and croissants and so much more.  I had dessert in WA.  I had burgers, fish and chips, wine and beer. 

And I maintained.

How?

I go back to the quote at the beginning of this post— I did not do what I always did.  I stopped telling myself that tomorrow was another day, so what I was eating today wouldn’t matter (because tomorrow NEVER comes and it DOES matter).  I shared meals with my husband.  I ate half of my meal.  I listened to my body instead of my head and that made a HUGE difference.  When I was full I turned down dessert.  After dinner I stopped eating.  I didn’t buy soda and chips and candy bars for nighttime snacking in the hotel rooms. 

I DID something DIFFERENT. 

In order to get a different outcome, we have to stop doing the same things we have always done.  And that is HARD!!  Very HARD!! 

Doing what we have always done, doing the same thing is comfortable.  It keeps us in our comfort zone and then we end up with the same result. 

In order to get that different result we HAVE to do something different- just ONE thing will make a difference.  Something outside that comfort zone. 

That is what helped me maintain on my trip and what has helped me to lose 3.4 lbs in the week after returning home.  I am just doing things different.  Getting out of my comfort zone. 

What are you doing that you have always done, but it is holding you back and keeping you stuck?  What is one thing you could do different today?  Just one thing! 

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Finding My “Tribe”

On By TerriIn Inspiration, Uncategorized1 Comment

Support is so important on this journey of losing weight and becoming the healthiest version we can be.  But I am not just talking about the support from our family and close friends, which is very important. 

I am talking about the support and the accountability that is found in a group.  A group of individuals who are all on a similar journey.  A group of individuals who “get it”.  They have been there.  They understand.  And there is NO judgement.

Finding that kind of group is priceless.  And if we are lucky enough to find a group where we can find support and understanding and accountability, where we can nod and think, “yes, I too have felt that way” or “yes, I have been there too”, then we really need to hold on to that group, cultivating relationships that will last.  Relationships built on shared experiences, and a shared journey.

That group experience is what drew me to Weight Watchers in the first place. 

And Weight Watchers is where I found a group like that in 2005 when I joined for the 5th time.  The members in that meeting were my “tribe”.  We celebrated together, lifted each other up when we were down, shared ideas, shared tips, shared our journeys.  We laughed together and sometimes cried together.  We were all on this weight loss journey, a similar journey, yet an individual journey, too.

That group helped me to reach so many aha’s…. those lightbulb moments.  That group and the leader helped me to believe in me and helped me to reach my goals. 

And then I had to leave. 

I have found other groups here and there in the many places I have lived over the years.  And as a coach for WW, I met many individuals who inspired me to continue to work on being the best version of me that I could be.  I found people I connected with in those groups I lead.  They were a part of my tribe, but leading was not the same as being a member, a part of the group where we all shared our struggles, challenges and successes. For 12 years I have struggled to find my “tribe”, that group where I could just be a member, contributing and connecting with others, who are on this shared journey.

Until now.

2 months ago, a group of my friends and ladies I had met through WW workshops, and those who had become my walking partners and 5k partners, decided we all would like and needed more accountability and support. 

So, we started meeting every Monday night via zoom.  And we met in person, once a month.  This has become MY tribe.  The tribe I had been missing.  The tribe that is helping me reach the goals I am setting for myself.  When I am struggling, they “get it”.  They just “get it”.   NO judgement. 

Oh, how I have needed this.

These ladies inspire me so much!  We support each other throughout the week and check in to see how we are all doing with the commitments we make to each other.  We discuss topics that are of interest to us, our challenges and our successes.  We celebrate each others success and we understand each persons challenges.  We ALL “get it”!  We are friends.  We are a tribe!

Yes, I have needed this.

Our group has grown a little and each new face is welcomed as if they are an old friend.  THAT is what a tribe is like.  THAT is what I have been looking for.  And THAT is what I have found with these ladies, my friends. 

Do you have a support group for your journey?  A group outside your family?  Maybe you found your tribe in a WW Workshop?  Or through another friend who attends a group? 

This journey is HARD!  Really HARD!  But doing this journey with a tribe of others who are also somewhere on that same journey, well, it makes it just a little bit easier.  

My tribe has made this perfectly imperfect journey easier for me!  And that makes it perfect for me!

Weekly Accountability- February 25th

On By TerriIn Inspiration, UncategorizedLeave a comment

It’s Thursday.  The day I choose as my weigh-in day.  The day I choose to restart my week. 

I thought for extra accountability, that I would share here, each Thursday, how the week went and how my weigh-in went.  I also will share what I have learned, what worked and what didn’t.

Here goes for this week-

I stepped on the scale this morning before attending a virtual workshop and I was down 1.4 lbs! 

Happy Dance!!  Woohoo!!

I have to admit that I do like seeing the scale go down, yet I know it won’t always go down.  The scale just doesn’t always match the whole picture.  But this week, I was down!!  I will take that!

So, what was different this week?  What did I do differently?  What did I learn? 

–This week I tracked!  Yes, I tracked!  EVERY DAY!  EVERYTHING I ate!  Last weeks workshop inspired me to track.  And that is what I did different this week!  7 days!  (and today is day 8 of my streak!  How long can I keep this going?)

–I learned that I do NOT have to be perfect in my food choices.  As long as I am aware and I am mindful, there is no deprivation.  If I track it, then I am aware.  This week was not a perfect week—but I did not feel deprived, and I made choices for myself (vs the Saboteur on my shoulder pushing my choices).  THAT is empowering.  I tracked the low point and 0 point items and I tracked the high point choices like the Apple Fritter (well worth the 23 points!), pizza night (2 slices and a bread stick) and Raising Canes (2 chicken fingers, ½ serving of fries and a piece of bread).  I got to choose!  I was in control! 

–I learned there is no guilt when I track the food and own the choice.  How empowering is that?

–Tracking keeps me aware and awareness keeps me on track.  It also makes me eat more mindfully.  Mindless eating is my downfall.

–The Saboteur on my shoulder whispers every day, multiple times and I don’t have to listen.  Much easier to make the choices I want to make for me when the Saboteur on my shoulder is not so loud.

My scale success this week encourages me and gives me a boost.  It feels good to be back in control!  Will I always be in control?  No.  (that is just the reality of things)  But that is okay, because I can get right back to it, with the support and inspiration I get through workshops, my friends, my tribe and my family.  I got this! 

But even if the scale had not gone down, I would still be proud of myself and proud of the week I had.  I tracked this week!  And that is something to be very proud of and to celebrate.  This journey isn’t just about the scale, it is also about establishing healthy habits that will be there for the rest of my life. It is about changing my mindset and my thoughts to more helpful and healthy ones.  It is about living my life my way and making this healthier lifestyle fit into my life, rather than me fitting into some program. 

I may not be perfect.  And that is okay.  A journey that is perfectly imperfect is the right one for me! 

What are you celebrating this week?  What are you proud of?  What did you learn? 

What Success Looks Like to Me

On By TerriIn Mindset, Uncategorized2 Comments

A couple of weeks ago WW asked a question in the weekly given to members each week (currently online versions only) as part of that weeks topic.  The same question I asked of members in my workshops when we would discuss goals—seasonal, holiday, long-term, short-term— and it had me thinking.

What does success look like to you??

We are in the midst of uncertain times.  Days are filled with stress, worry, interrupted routines….. life does not look the way it did a few months ago. Change is hard.  Emotions can make the journey of weight loss and being healthy difficult. Old habits can creep back in, unnoticed at first and then…. Well, before we know it old habits are the go-to, taking the control from our newer, healthier habits.  And we wonder what the heck happened!

I have been asking myself every day for the past couple of weeks—What does success look like to me?  What will make me feel good and successful when this pandemic is over, the stay-at-home order is lifted, and life gets back to “normal” for me?  Where do I want to be on my journey when I get to be back in my comfort zone?  Ahhh…….THAT comfort zone.  Where I feel safest, where things are easy, where change doesn’t happen…. But, as I have said before, stepping outside my comfort zone is where the greatest growth happens.  Maybe, just maybe, defining success for me and what it looks like, will help me to navigate this uncomfortable area, give me a goal and a focus for taking care of me and help me continue down the path of being the healthiest and best version of me that I can be… 

What does success look like to me, now?  An important question.  Asking it makes me look at my journey, and what I want, what is important. Without asking and defining success for me, I cannot set goals or identify the steps I need to take that will help me move toward that success.  Without asking and defining success, I am essentially choosing to let emotions and old habits take over…. I would be traveling down a road with no plan, no map, no eventual destination, eventually ending up in a place I do not want to be.

So, I have been asking the question every day.  And the answer hasn’t been easy to find.  I know that long-term I want to be at or below my goal weight.  I want to be healthy.  Don’t we all?  So WHY is it SO HARD to define and picture what success looks like for me—success at the end of April? The end of May? The end of this pandemic? 

Worry, sadness, loneliness, stress, anger, anxiousness…… those darned emotions!  Uncertainty.  Not knowing what is going to happen.  Not being able to CONTROL what is going to happen.  Being outside my comfort zone where I have little control over events.  Yes, these are the things that make it difficult to focus on my goals, on me. 

Yet, I have NOT lost all control.  I control my choices, though the choices are limited and different right now, I still have a choice.  I control my attitude and how I react to the things that are outside my control.  I GET to choose what success looks like for me, despite the current circumstances I find myself in.  So, I have not really lost ALL control. 

Once again, I go back to that question asked a couple weeks ago—What does success look like to you?  For each of us, it will look different—losing weight, maintaining weight, not gaining more than a few pounds… or not weight related at all, instead success is a behavior—continuing to move every day even if it is in a different way, or controlling portions or any other behavior that moves us toward health and weight loss.  Defining what success looks like will help us to set a goal and then the plan for how to get there can be formed.

Taking everything into consideration, I have finally come up with what that looks like for me.  Success for me is NOT going to be focused on weight, though weight loss will be a benefit of achieving my success.  And frankly, focusing on the weight right now is just too darn stressful. So I am taking a break from the scale and removing some stress at a time when stress is so high. INSTEAD I am going to FOCUS on something a little less stressful for me. Success for me, when this is all over, will be that I tracked most days.  Success means I paid attention to my portion sizes, sticking to small portions, weighing and measuring them. 

I CANNOT control much right now, but I CAN make a CHOICE to be mindful when I eat, even if the food is higher in points.  Portions and tracking are key to success for me.  When this is over, and I look back on these months of uncertainty, I will be proud of myself for tracking and for controlling my portions. I know I won’t necessarily be perfect, which isn’t what this is about. As long as I track and pay attention to portions MOST days, FORGIVING myself for the times I slip a little, then that is TRUE SUCCESS! And I will feel successful, no matter what the scale says. 

Because, sometimes success IS NOT about the scale.  Sometimes success is about a BEHAVIOR. Especially when that behavior gives me some control at a time when life is feeling so out of control.  And right now, controlling what I can and letting go of the rest is most important.

My goal through this is to track, weigh and measure my portions and make the best choices I can, for me right now.  Now I can set my course, map my route and create a plan. 

FIRST STEP is just to track ONE meal and the portions.  Focus on ONE meal.  My food scale and measuring tools are on my counter to remind me to pay attention to portions.  First step.  One step. 

Going to just take this one-step-at-a-time.  One-day-at-a-time.  One-meal-at-a-time.  One-choice-at-a-time.

The benefit is that I will be more mindful, more present, more focused.  And we all know that the scale follows along, eventually.   

What does success look like to you?  What will make you feel successful when this lockdown is over, and life starts to get back to normal?  Where do you want to be the end of April?  The end of May? 

Once you decide what success looks like for you and what your goal is, then ask yourself, “What is ONE thing I can do right now, TODAY, THIS WEEK that will get me on the path toward success?” 

CAN you do that one thing?  WILL you do that one thing?

One step at a time.  One day at a time. One choice at a time.

Surviving the “Eating Season”– The Holidays pt 3– PIE!

On By TerriIn Food, UncategorizedLeave a comment

Only two more days!

I am amazed at how fast the year has flown and how quickly Thanksgiving has arrived.  2 more days!

I love Thanksgiving!  It is a lot of food prep and work for me to cook the holiday meal for my family, though the past couple of years have been a bit easier….less food and less prep.  Tomorrow morning, I begin making pie.  And I love pie!

Pie is a staple of Thanksgiving!  Apple pie, Chocolate Cream Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Pecan Pie….. oh, there are so many pies to choose from! 

For years I made three types of pie every Thanksgiving—Pumpkin Pie (either one deep dish or 2 regular pies), Chocolate Cream Pie (with an Oreo crust) and Pecan Pie (for my husband, as I do not like Pecan pie).  I would have a slice of Pumpkin pie and Chocolate cream pie on Thanksgiving after dinner (from which I was over-stuffed and really had no room for pie).  And then as I watched a movie later at night I would have another slice of Pumpkin pie.  Breakfast the day after Thanksgiving was always easy for me—Chocolate Cream pie and Pumpkin pie. 

Pie all day long until it was gone.  And the size of the slice varied, depending on what meal and how many pies I was eating at that time. 

I really did not pay attention to portion sizes or what a true portion of pie looked like.  Why should I?  It was Thanksgiving Day….. weekend….. week…. And I was surprised when I would gain 10 or more pounds over the “eating season”?!  Maybe the excess pie had something to do with it (and the cookies in December, too!).

Then I joined Weight Watchers in March of 2006 for the 5th time.  That first Thanksgiving I went to the workshop and made a plan…kinda…. But not really.  But I did pay attention.  It was that workshop where my then leader showed us the plate and how we could use that plate to really see a true serving size of pie.  WOW!  THAT was a HUGE eye-opener!  Because, what she showed us was the same size as the small piece of pie I would cut when I was having both Pumpkin and Chocolate Cream pies…. I thought my 2 small pieces were less than or equal to one piece of pie.  Boy was I wrong!

It was not until Thanksgiving 2007 that I took that lesson to heart and really paid attention to my portions for Thanksgiving and for Pie.  My leader again showed us the plate demo for a pie slice and I again was amazed.  But this time I was serious and determined to reach my goal….I was so close and so I stuck to that serving size of pie—one slice. 

And I was satisfied with one slice…one true portion of pie!  Who knew?!  I did not need the excessive amount of pie.  I did not feel deprived eating a portion and sometimes even smaller.  And I could enjoy my pie.

Over the years I have adapted recipes and found ways to enjoy pie without the guilt…. Always paying attention to the serving size.  Last year I made a slow cooker Crustless Apple Pie from skinnytaste and it was delicious!  It is now a staple for my Thanksgiving and for other times of the year.  I still make the Chocolate Cream pie for my son and have a slice and that satisfies me.  I don’t make Pumpkin Pie because I am the only one who eats it and I don’t need the whole pie…instead I make a Pumpkin Spice truffle with Pumpkin Pie yogurt, crushed graham cracker and whipped topping.  Oh…it is good!  And this year I will be using Pizzelle cookies to make pie shells for the slow cooker apple pie filling and for the pumpkin yogurt…..very low in calories and smartpoints and delicious!  I can enjoy a treat or two or three and still feel in control. 

And when I have that one slice of Chocolate Cream Pie, I will have that true serving size based on this plate demo—this is what my leader showed us all those years ago and what I shared with those who attended the Weight Watcher workshops I led every year –

Take an 8-inch paper plate—This represents an 8 inch pie.

And fold that plat in half— No that is not a serving size of pie….. we may want it to be…but…..

Fold the plate in half again— okay, this looks like my kind of pie slice….but this is NOT a true serving size of pie, Not the size slice of pie that those smartpoints are based on…. So…..

Fold the plate in half again— Now THIS, THIS is a true portion of pie.  1/8 of an 8-inch pie is what the smartpoints are based on.  This right here is a true portion of pie…doesn’t look too small….until you place it in your hand or on a dessert plate…with the fork next to it.  And those Costco pies?  Well this is a pretty small slice of that pie!

This Thanksgiving enjoy your pie.  Eat it.   Savor it.  Before enjoying it, practice this plate demo…..Being aware of what a serving size of pie looks like, helps us with portions and helps us to not feel guilty! 

Happy Thanksgiving to you all!!

Surviving the “Eating Season”– the Holidays (part 1)

On By TerriIn Food, Inspiration, Uncategorized1 Comment

We are smack-dab-in-the-middle of the “eating season”.   The season that kicks off on Halloween and ends with the New Year.  The Holiday Season.  The challenging season. 

I refer to this as the “eating season” because of all of the food that abounds during these two months… the parties, the celebrations, the gatherings and the holiday….. ALL centered around food!  And THAT is a challenge for me…. for anyone who struggles to lose weight and/or maintain their weight.

So how do we navigate the holidays?  How do we get through them without feeling like a failure? 

More importantly, how do we survive this “eating season” and feel successful?

First, we must define what success means to us through the holiday season.  What will make you feel successful when January 1, 2020 arrives?  For me success has looked different through the years.

Back in 2006, success through the holidays for me was to not gain more than 10 pounds.  In 2007, success meant I would lose weight, any amount would count, even .2 lbs.  In 2008, my first holiday season at goal and as a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers, success meant maintaining. 

Some years I didn’t think about it, didn’t think about setting a goal.  Some years I set goals based on what success looked like to me.  By defining what success meant on January 1st of the coming New Year, I took away the power that guilt held over me and gave myself the power to control my choices.  I was in control.  And defining what success meant to me, it gave me a focus, something to work toward and gave me flexibility.  My choices followed whatever my definition of success was. 

This year, success through the holidays looks like a loss at the scale.  It doesn’t matter to me the amount, just that it is an overall loss on January 1st. 

But how am I going to do that when there are so many temptations?  When there are so many challenges? 

That is where the second step comes in.  Once you decide on what success looks like to you, you can then set your goal based on that.  The holiday goal is what success looks like to you.  My holiday goal this year is to lose, at least a little.  To step on the scale that first week in January 2020 and see a loss from where I am today.  That is my goal.

Then once you set your holiday goal, ask what steps you need to take to get there.  What will help you to get to that goal?  What will help you to achieve success? 

For me, having a loss over the holidays does not mean that I HAVE to deprive myself.  It does not mean that I won’t get to enjoy the holidays…all the events….all the gatherings….all the celebrations.  And it does not mean that I won’t be able to enjoy my favorite foods and treats.  Because, if I deprive myself….if I don’t enjoy the holidays…..if I stress about the celebrations and parties and holiday gatherings because I tell myself I CAN’T have this or that…..if I deny myself my favorites….. I am doomed!  I am setting myself up for failure.  I am setting myself up for a big slip down that slippery slope.

So, how do I enjoy the holidays without over-indulging?  How do I enjoy the holidays and all that they bring and STILL reach success as I have defined it for myself? 

I do it by setting my holiday goal, and by figuring out what will help me to achieve that success! 

I know that eating mindfully is important for me, especially during challenging times.  And mindful eating means that I am tracking.  Tracking gives me awareness of how much I am eating, and what I am eating.  And mindful eating and tracking also means I am paying attention to portions.  So, tracking and portion control will help me to reach success.  But I need more to help me as well.  Moving will help.  Exercise will help.  And movement and exercise are two different things.  Exercise for me is intentional.  It gets my heart rate up.  It works my muscles to exhaustion.  So, exercise in the form of my bike, strength-training, and walking (fast) will help me to get closer to that holiday goal.  But I need to do more than a workout.  I need to move during the day.  I need to not sit so much.  Moving in the form of parking farther away, cleaning house, getting out in my garden, going for a leisurely walk after dinner, dancing around the house to my favorite holiday music, and making sure I get up out of my chair every hour will help me move closer to my holiday goal and help me to reach success.  And going to workshops will help me.  I need to step on the scale.  I need the accountability and I need the inspiration and support of others traveling this road we are on. 

Once we are aware of what we need to do, of the tools that will help us to achieve our success, then we can set small, weekly goals to help us get to that bigger holiday goal…. One-step-at-a-time!  Each week, ask yourself, what can I do this week that will move me a little closer to my holiday goal?  What one thing can I do this week that will help me reach my success?  And set that smaller weekly goal.  Just one thing. 

For me, this week, tracking will be key.  Tracking every day.  Tracking every food I eat.  Tracking the portions.  Tracking my exercise.   Tracking will give me the awareness I need about my food and exercise habits.  And tracking will give me the information I need to make adjustments next week… adjustments that will help me reach success!

How do we navigate and survive this “eating season”?  By defining success as it pertains to each of us.  Then setting our holiday goal based on what success means to us.  Once the goal is set, coming up with the actions that will help us to reach that goal will give us a focus.  And then we ask what we CAN do this week that will move us closer to our holiday goal.  Once we answer that question, we set a smaller weekly goal to get us moving in the direction of success.  This is how we survive the holidays.  This is how we reach success; whatever success means to each of us.

And then one final question—after asking what you can do, and setting the smaller goal ask yourself–WILL you do it?  Because we all CAN do it, but the real question is Will we do it!  And that is where the commitment and power lie!

What does success this “eating season” of holidays look like to you?  What will make you feel successful when January 1, 2020 arrives?

This Change Gives Me Control

On By TerriIn Food, MindsetLeave a comment

I love that WW (formerly Weight Watchers) is now giving us a choice….making this the most personalized program I have seen in my many years as a member of WW. 

This week, WW is launching the new program—My WW.  And I am excited.  Why?  Because there is choice!  Weight loss, weight maintenance and healthy living have never been a one-size-fits-all way of life.  Every person is different.  And what works for one may not work for another.  So, we find what works for us.  Any food/exercise/health plan needs to fit into our lives so that it is livable.  If the food plan is not livable will we be successful….maybe in the short run but not for the long run.  And the long run is what makes us healthier for life! 

WW realized this and implemented the new program this week, offering a choice of three food plans so that members can choose the one that will work for them in their life.  Every couple of years WW changes the program, and the changes are always backed up by science.  And as you probably know, science changes, we learn new things and adjust.  In the past, the program changes meant getting rid of the old, even if it worked for members and moving everyone to the new plan.  There was never an option to stay with the previous plan, the tools all supported the new plan.  There was no choice.

Not this year!  Not this change!  With the introduction of My WW and the offer of 3 food plans to choose from, WW is also providing the tools for each plan.  We get to choose what works for us, which makes much more sense to me, because the only person who really knows what works for me is me!  And now I have the support of WW and the tools to go along with my choice. 

Before I get into the changes and the choices I want to talk about what is staying the same— the things I loved about Freestyle—freedom and flexibility.  That comes from the weekly extra points budget and roll overs.  Those are NOT changing.  I love that the rollovers are staying.  Those rollovers give me a lot of flexibility.  The option to save some of my daily budget for holidays, weekends, my birthday or anytime I need a little extra.  And that provides me with less guilt.  I can enjoy an indulgence without the guilt because I have planned and saved for those indulgences.  Those weekly extra budget points also allow me to enjoy going out to eat with family and friends and they will give me the freedom to enjoy a piece of pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving. 

There is also no change in how food points are calculated.  The points are still smartpoints and take into consideration calories, saturated fat, sugar and protein in assigning point values to food.  No change there!  And, no change in how we figure our daily smartpoint budget—it is still based on age, height, weight and gender. 

Fitpoints earned for activity and exercise is not changing either.  And the ability to choose whether or not you swap those Fitpoints for smartpoints is not changing—we still get to decide whether or not to swap and that helps us to personalize our plan.  I love to earn Fitpoints, but I don’t like to swap them.  My choice.  And one that works for me! 

So, then what is changing?

We now have the choice of 3 food plans—Green, Blue, and Purple!

Green is equivalent to the old smartpoints, Beyond the Scale plan…the plan before Freestyle.  On green you get a higher daily smartpoint budget (the minimum is 30 daily points) and there are fewer 0 smartpoint foods.  Fruit that is fresh, frozen or canned in its own juice is 0 smartpoints and most vegetables are 0 smartpoints (starchy veggies are NOT 0 sp—think potatoes, corn, peas, legumes, etc).  If you need more parameters—tracking, portions, points—then Green is for you. 

Blue is equivalent to the current Freestyle plan.  On blue you get less daily smartpoints for your budget (23 daily points is the minimum) and there are 200+ foods that have 0 smartpoints.  Blue means less tracking for those who don’t want to track everything.  If Freestyle worked for you and you loved it, then Blue is for you!  You do not have to change anything!

Purple is, in my opinion, very close to the old Simply Filling or Core programs.  On Purple you have the least amount of daily smartpoints for your budget (16 is the minimum daily points) and there are 300+ foods that are 0 smartpoints.  There is less tracking to do which gives some that sense of freedom.  If you like that freedom and can eat to satisfaction and stop, then Purple is for you!

All three plans still allow rollovers and give you your weekly extra smartpoint budget.  With all three food plans you only “have to” track the foods with points but can track everything if you want to.  These plans all give us freedom and flexibility so that we can live our lives, our way and still lose weight, maintain and get healthy.  Which one you choose is completely up to you!

I am sure you can guess after my last blog post which plan I am going with— Green.  Why?  Because the parameters of points and portions gives me control.  I don’t have the ability within me to cut-off food, to know when I am satisfied vs stuffed.  Less tracking and less foods with points means I could eat as much as I wanted of those because they were 0 points and then eat my daily points too and most weeks my weeklies.  That didn’t work for me.  I need guidance.  I need the safety net of portions and points.  I need to know that ALL foods count!  So, for me it is Green.  That is not to say that one day I may be in a place with my relationship with food that I could try blue or purple….. and let me tell you purple appeals to me because Potatoes are 0 smartpoints!  I almost chose purple for those “free” potatoes.  But that would be dangerous for me!  Right now, where I am at currently in my relationship with food, “free” foods are like kryptonite!  So, I am going Green!  Because 0 smartpoint foods ARE NOT “free”!!  And until I change that mindset I need to count points for most foods! 

Mindset plays a huge part in my choice.  I know me.  I know where I trip up.  I know what tempts me and sends me down the hole…… I am choosing Green today because the parameters of points and the accountability of tracking along with portioning all foods takes the control from the food and gives it back to me!  I am back in control!

I am really excited for this new plan.  My WW is the most personalized plan I have ever seen.  I am excited for where this is going to take me, and I am excited to see where others go with this new choice in food plans!  Whether you choose Green, Blue or Purple, make sure you choose the one that is right for you, not the one that is right for someone else!  Only you know what is right for you!

Let’s take this perfectly imperfect journey together—-after all, whether we are Green, Blue or Purple, we are in this together and we are better together!

How Cookies led to Self Forgiveness

On By TerriIn Food, MindsetLeave a comment

Just one of those days…..

Last night I met with a group of ladies for our weekly book club (I will be sharing about the book and our group in a future blog post) and our discussion was about stress—how it affects our bodies, our weight and how to begin to change the response habit to stress and create stress relief habits.  It was a great discussion.  And I was ready to work on how I deal with stress…..

We had met at Panera Bread and I had bought a bagel, my favorite, to take home to have for breakfast this morning.  I planned my day ahead so that I could make that 10 SmartPoint bagel work.  And it was good! 

But…..

I got up way too early this morning, ate my breakfast way to early this morning and then started my day.

I was exhausted before the day started and well, exhaustion does NOT bode well for healthy choices!

And the stress hit…. appointments to take my son too (2 before 10 am) and waiting time in a waiting room.  Lots of to-do list items that I needed to take care of, and I was getting pretty stressed about them, while waiting in the waiting room. 

Rushing to appointments so that we are not late STRESSES me! 

Having no control over my schedule and life STRESSES me!

A million things on my to-do list (that may be an exaggeration) STRESSES me!

Starting my day without my quite reading time STRESSES me!

Ugh!  Let’s be real….  EVERYTHING STRESSES me when I am EXHAUSTED!

So, that plan I had for my day to stay on track and make me a priority while enjoying a favorite bagel…. well….. it got lost somewhere between the soda and the cookie isle in the grocery store…..

And the Pepperidge Farm Milano Pumpkin Spice Cookies found their way into my cart, at the register and then in the car heading home.  Once home, the cookies found their way to the end table next to my favorite chair and there I sat, exhausted and stressed.   And I ate a cookie.  Then another…. And another….. and another and before I knew it 2/3 of that bag of cookies was gone.  And I hadn’t even tasted them.  What the heck?

At that moment I stopped.  And I threw the rest in the garbage.  And I remembered what was said in workshops this week about our character strengths and using one of those strengths to help us to reach a goal this week….. I hadn’t chosen which I would use yet.  But today I choose mine while I was sitting there thinking about what I had just done and how it undermined my progress… And before I could beat myself up, I decided that my strength would be forgiveness.  

I am great at forgiving others, but me, not so much.  It is hard to overlook my mistakes, and even harder to let them go without some pretty harsh words directed at me.  So, forgiveness was my character strength this week, one I could use to help me forgive myself.

And I did!  I forgave myself!

I realized that forgiving myself for letting old habits pop up to deal with exhaustion and stress was another way I made me a priority!  I am never going to be perfect.  I know that there will be times that stress leads me into old habits. There will be times that exhaustion leads me into old habits.  I know that there will be times that life throws me curveballs and best laid plans, well they fall apart.  By forgiving myself, I end the cycle— stress, eat, guilt, eat, guilt, stress, eat…. I can then move on and get back on track.

The cookies are counted.  A light dinner had.  And I don’t feel guilty! 

THIS is how I make me a priority!  THIS is how I change old, unhelpful habits.  THIS is how I reach my goals! 

Today forgiveness gave me back some control on my perfectly imperfect journey.

Happy Dance!!

On By TerriIn Food, MindsetLeave a comment

Happy Dance!!  Happy Dance!!  Happy Dance!!

Can you tell I am happy? 

This morning I went to a workshop and I stepped on the scale to weigh in.  I weigh myself every morning (see my previous post here about weighing or not weighing) and I knew it would be down!  Down! 

After all of my struggles the past couple of years and especially this year, I am thrilled to see the number down.  But I have seen this before.  Shoot, the past year I have been up and down a million times.  So, what makes this week any different?  Why am I so happy?  What makes me so sure this is the beginning of continued downs on the scale?

Because things are different….. food choices, behaviors, thoughts, words I say to myself and my mindset….all different.  Finally!

I committed these past couple of weeks to making me a priority.  And that means, I do the things that help me move forward.  It means I am tracking.  It means I am mindful of my food choices, the signals my body is sending me and the thoughts in my mind.  It means I go to a weekly workshop and step on the scale.  It means I meal plan.  It means I remind myself every morning that I am worth it.  It means I am taking care of me—mind, body and soul.  I am making me a priority.  (Seriously, why did it take me so long?) 

This past week I made some changes.  In my mindset, by making me a priority and in my food choices and awareness, which meant I tracked.  Every. Single. Day. 

Food choices were not always the best this past week, but they were made with me keeping in mind that I am the priority.  Each temptation, each meal plan, each food choice was predicated with the question to myself—“Does this make me a priority?”  If yes, then go with it but if not then what will?  The best example of this is on Halloween, yes, that challenging day filled with all sorts of candy temptations.  My husband and I went to a movie, and we got a bag of Twix bites to share.  Before this past couple of weeks, I would have just sat down and ate, without thinking, out of the bag.  And I would have eaten quickly to make sure I got my “share” before my husband could.  But this time, with this new mentality, I actually looked at the back of the bag at the label.  5 pieces were a serving and there were 4 ½ servings in the bag.  I calculated the points (7!) and decided that I could have 2 servings—10 pieces.  I told my husband that I wanted 10 and he could have the rest.  And I ate them slowly.  When I finished the 5th piece, I stopped.  I STOPPED!!  At that moment I knew I was good.  That the treat made me feel like a priority, but I didn’t need anymore.  So, I did not eat another piece.  I made me a priority—enjoying a treat without the guilt or overindulgence. 

The other part of my food changes came in the form of a lightbulb moment!  I realized that when Freestyle launched 2 years ago, that it just didn’t work for me, because I changed, drastically the way I ate.  When it first launched, I was teetering dangerously close to the edge of the cliff and needed to be talked off that edge by a friend and one of my managers.  I knew myself.  I knew that all of those 0 point foods, that used to be points, would be dangerous.  Because now I could eat all of those foods AND STILL eat all of my points!?!  I knew I would overeat.  I knew it would be dangerous for me.  But my manager and friend convinced me to look at it differently…..that those foods would fill me up and keep me from eating the other higher point things….. but for me, personally, that wasn’t how it would work.  But I tried it and convinced my members to follow it and to trust the program. 

Freestyle works for a lot of people.  But not everyone.  Weight loss is NOT a one-size-fits-all journey.  And each of us needs to find what works for us.  Because, we are the only ones who truly know us.  No one else knows what works for me, only I do.  And I often told members in workshops that they needed to find what worked for them, to trust the science and then make the WW plan fit their life.  Make it their own.  We are all on a similar journey, but an individual one.  And I needed to remind myself of what worked for me, so I pulled out my old trackers.  That is when I realized that I had changed the way I was eating.  When I brought out my old program materials and my old handwritten food journals, there it was, one of the missing puzzle pieces to my journey….. I had changed what I was eating and how much.  And I was still eating ALL those points too.  I was eating 4-6 eggs per day and counting 0 points, when in the past they would have cost me 8-12 points.  But they were 0 points now and I could eat them, as much as I wanted…….

Every time I heard a member say they could eat as much as they wanted I would stop them, and we would discuss that it was meant to be as much as they needed to fill satisfied.  And here I was with that same thought process, only I hadn’t realized it ‘til just last week.  No wonder I was struggling!  So, I told myself what I had heard my voice say when talking to struggling members, “just because they are 0 points does not mean they are free!  And it does not mean we need to change the way we eat, just because the food is now 0 points”. 

AHA!  BAM!!  The truth for me was that I needed to eat the way I had been eating for years, the way that worked for me.  And this past week I did just that.  I went back to my egg white omelets in the morning.  I went back to my normal lunch, instead of looking for the 0 point foods and gorging on them.  I went back to healthy snacks that were not just 0 point foods, instead of the sweets and chips that I was eating to use up all those points I had left because the other foods were 0 points.  And you know what, I felt great!  I tracked it all and I stayed on track.  Why didn’t I just do this sooner?  Had I continued eating the way I had been, then Freestyle would have worked fantastically for me!  Instead, my mindset around food changed and my choices did too.  How I wish I had realized this when WW first launched Freestyle, I would not be where I am today (maybe).  But this journey is about learning and growing and finding what works for me so that I can be the healthiest and best version of me. 

Like I said earlier, we each need to find what works for us.  And while I struggled, many others found great success, including a friend and former member of my workshops who reached lifetime today with a 105 lb loss! 

Find what works for you!  There are many things I love about Freestyle—it keeps me from feeling guilty or stressed.  It gives me flexibility.  I love the rollover points, so I can plan for those parties and special occasions and not worry about going off the rails.  But for me, the unstructured 0-point foods were dangerous….. Now that I know that, well I can get back to eating my normal way.  Instead of 2-3 cups of chili AND cornbread (usually 2 pieces, with butter and honey), I am having 1 cup of chili and a piece of cornbread.  Instead of 6 eggs in my day, I am having 1.  Instead of 6 oz of Chicken breast, I am eating 3-4 oz.  It works for me.

Those food realizations and changes, combined with my “make myself a priority” mindset, proved to be quite successful for me this week!

When I stepped on that scale this morning, I was thrilled!  I lost 4.6 lbs this week!!  (yes, I know a lot of it was water, but I LOST!)  And next week that scale will be down again.  Why?  Because I am now making myself a priority!! 

I may not be perfect each day.  But I am perfectly imperfect on this journey to a healthier and happier me!

Halloween–Do Something Different!

On By TerriIn Food, MindsetLeave a comment

It is the end of October. 

Halloween is this week.

There are so many ways for me to sabotage myself during October.  But today I just want to talk about the challenges surrounding the holiday that kicks off the “Eating Season”—Halloween. 

Halloween can be a struggle for many of us.  Halloween IS a struggle for many of us.  The candy is everywhere!  And we buy candy to give out to Trick or Treaters.  The good candy.  The candy we like.  And we expect that we will be able to resist.  And then of course, there is the sales on candy after Halloween.  We are surrounded by candy….

And it is not like we can really avoid the Halloween candy in stores because they put it everywhere! 

Halloween for years was a struggle for me.  Before my 5th journey with Weight Watchers, I would buy candy the beginning of October.  The candy I liked getting as a kid.  The candy I still liked.  And the candy I still like.  I would buy the biggest bags so that I would have plenty to give the kids that would ring my doorbell in those cute costumes. 

And those big bags would be gone the first week of October, shortly after I bought them.  I don’t know how.  I only had a piece or two…… multiple times until the bag was gone.  Then my guilt would make me buy more because I couldn’t let my husband and sons know I had eaten ALL the candy.  (of course, they knew, but as long as I was in denial of their knowledge the guilt wasn’t quite as bad.) 

And then those next bags were gone before I knew it.  Seriously!?!  Surely they just didn’t put enough candy in the bags, that was why the candy all disappeared.  That was what I told myself, anyway.  Justifying my over-eating worked…… because it couldn’t be that I was really gorging myself on candy, that would mean I had a problem with food.  And I didn’t.  I was in a lot of denial all those years. 

But the shame and guilt were only making me eat more.  And eat in secret.  I became the queen of secret eating over the years.  I found ways to open a bag of Halloween candy on the seam that no one else could see.  No one knew the bag was open.  Therefore no one knew that I was eating all that candy.  And if no one knew then I could live in denial. 

In 2006 when I joined Weight Watchers for that 5th time, I wanted to lose the weight.  I joined in March.  Plenty of time to lose some pounds before the eating season would arrive.  That first Halloween on my 5th journey, old habits came back.  I wasn’t losing weight in October.  I couldn’t figure out why.  I was counting my points.  I was in my allowance.  I was tracking.  So why wasn’t I losing?  Could it be the non-tracked Halloween candy….the bags of Halloween candy I kept eating and replacing so no one would know?  And if I didn’t track it, well then it didn’t count.  Right?  That was my mindset.  But it did count.  And the scale showed what I was doing. 

The next Halloween, October 2007, I was determined to do it differently.  Because obviously, what I had done in the past didn’t work for me.  My leader had said in one meeting that “If you always do what you have always done, you will always get what you always got.”  And that stuck with me.  Those words came back to me when I was faced with the dreaded Halloween Candy! 

So, I did something different.

I did not buy Halloween candy at the beginning of the month.  Something different.

When I did buy Halloween Candy in the middle of the month, I bought candy I did not like.  Something different.

I put the candy in a cupboard where I kept the holiday dishes, so that I would not see it every time I opened the pantry.  Why?  Because despite not liking the candy, it was still candy.  And it was the beginning of the eating season…. Something different. 

And then on Halloween as we handed out the candy, I chewed gum.  With gum in my mouth there was no temptation to pop in a piece of candy.  Something different.

Doing those different things got me different results.  And I lost weight that October. 

I am grateful for those Weight Watchers meetings, where I could learn to do something different.  I could gain the tools necessary to change my behaviors and my habits. 

Now, I would like to tell you that I never went back to old habits at Halloween, but I am human and I am not perfect.  There were a couple of Halloweens where I found myself sneaking that candy.  And when I did I caught myself and stopped before I ate too many bags.  Old habits can still sneak in even after the changes we make.  Old habits are my comfort zone and when life gets crazy, stressful, messy…that is when I want my comfort zone. 

But there is a difference now.  I can stop sooner.  I can recover sooner.  I have the tools I need in my back pocket to help me overcome the challenges.  It is not always pretty.  It is not always perfect. 

For the past few years my husband and I have made some changes to Halloween.  We no longer have kids at home.  And where we live in our neighborhood, there are very few trick or treaters.  So instead of having the candy in our house and having a ton left over (like we did 5 years ago on our first Halloween here) we go out.  We go to dinner and a movie.  It works for us.  It keeps me from falling back into old habits fueled by a tempting season. 

In Weight Watchers meetings we share our strategies for getting through Halloween. Here are just a few of the ones I have learned over the years—

  • –Buy candy you don’t like
  • –Wait until Halloween or the day before to buy the candy
  •  –Avoid the Halloween isle in the grocery store
  •  –chew gum while handing out candy
  •  –Hide candy after buying it
  •  –Do not hand out candy while hungry—eat first
  •  –Don’t go to the store and buy the sale candy the day after Halloween
  • –Look up the point values of candy BEFORE Halloween so if you have candy, you know the points.  Knowledge is power!
  •  –donate left over candy (dentists will collect candy)
  •  –send left over candy to work with a loved one—get it out of the house

What would you add to this list?  How do you deal with Halloween?  How do you deal with the candy?  What do you do differently that works for you? 

How are you preparing for Halloween and the kick-off of the “eating season”?