The infamous question: "How did you do it?" "What works?"
The answer...
Ominous clouds that had darkened the skies parted as a ray of sunshine poked through from the heavens....silence filled the air as the crowds waited for the little cherub to speak...
WEIGHT WATCHERS (OR **ANY** OTHER SOUND PROGRAM) WORKS IF YOU WORK THE PROGRAM!!!
A collective "Ahhhhh" escaped their lips which soon turned to mayhem as the crowds searched for a refund *grin*
In all seriousness, that's pretty much the answer. Weight Watchers is an incredible program. It was created by a bunch of smart people who researched, tested, and researched some more for our benefit! It is flexible enough to fit into anyone's lifestyle so long as he or she takes the time to figure out how to make it best work for them. Below is a list of things that worked *FOR ME* while following the Weight Watchers plan. It is all in the materials, there is no magical secret and it may not work for all of you reading this. I hope someone can benefit from this information and so I offer it up to whoever seeks it.
Added: There are several *great* programs...it really depends what you are looking for and what will work for you. There is no rule that says you have to choose one and if that fails than forget it! You can take the good and combine it with the good in another program. The more you read and the more you are accountable to yourself, the more you will be able to tailor design your own personal success plan. For the most part I fall back to WW because it's what I know like the back of my hand. But I have read a lot of weight loss, nutritional and fitness literature. This influences how I work the points for me.
Let me preface this by saying that my losses up until the stall had been steady and now are somewhat steady but they are still definitely cyclical - meaning I do not lose every week no matter what I do. My gains/stay-the-sames have nothing to do with "blowing it", "losing it", "going off program" or "failing". They all have to do with heat, sodium, water retention, intake before weighin, stress or my favorite from the 100+ forum - ALIEN INVASION! (Thanks NYTimes!)
I have tried lots of diets including weight watchers when you had to eat liver once a week and the idea of "danish" was a piece of toast with cottage cheese on it sprinkled with cinnamon...BLECH!
I think my successes now have a lot to do with:
1. Weeding my garden: picking the right people to be around me who support me in my personal journey and "weeding" the negative influences or those that do not. This sometimes includes people who are the nearest and dearest ie family. This is extremely important!! Keep your distance from the doomsdayers, the naysayers, the diet police, the overly crital etc. Embrace the people who will support you and love you for wanting to make a very difficult change in your life. This is work!! Dieting is simple, but it's NOT EASY. You can't ask for things from people who don't have the capacity to give it!! It took me a long time to figure this one out :) And in my experience, a lot of time insecurity rears it's ugly head as BITCHY SNARKINESS/COMPETITIVENESS...especially in women. I saw it when I was singing and I see it with weight loss. Like my dad used to say, "Don't let the turkeys get you down!" Anyone who makes a comment trying to make you feel bad is only trying to make themselves feel better. Don't play into it!!! Try to let it roll off you...I know it's hard. I am a sensitive soul and one of the reasons I gave up on singing for profit is I couldn't stand the competitive nature of the business and the cattiness of the people around me at the time. I wasn't secure enough in my talent to hold my head up and be strong. It doesn't take much to make me feel hurt by someone's either thoughtlessness or deliberate snarkyness, but I'm getting better and you can too!
2. Staying on a program as much as possible and taking the time to sort out how it works best for me. Any program is like a road map and it's up to each individual to pick their best route :) I allow myself to not be the "perfect dieter"...after all I'm certainly not perfect in other areas of my life! I don't spend Sundays chopping up veggies and par-broiling chickens for the week. I don't measure every single ounce that goes into my mouth nor do I have a panic attack when faced with a restaurant I've never been to. What I do is I try to be absolutely accountable....in my journals, in my support attendance (originally in meetings and now online), in my attitude. Motivation comes and goes...persistence and consistance ultimately win the weight loss game. Eastern philosophies embrace the idea of living in the "now"...very hard for an impatient gal like me!! I try very hard to live for the present as opposed to dwelling in the past and trying to predict the future (ie. if I lose x amount in x weeks, by x time I will be a skinny minny and everyone will love me!). Focus on the future, but live in the moment. And..if it's not working, CHANGE SOMETHING! Don't be afraid to try something new. If 28 points worth of popcorn is working for Betsy and not for you, than you need to do some research!
3. Mixing it up - I try very hard not to get into a routine/rut with food or excercise. I try new foods regularly - new recipes, new restaurants etc... I vary points and exercise when it's possible and try to listen to what my body needs instead of obsessing over whether the popcorn was 1 pt or 4 pts. I also try to eat "real" food in small portions as opposed to fat free everything in bulk. I want to like what I am eating! :) The word here is TRY. Some days are emotional "bulk" days and of course it's better to eat fruit and veggies over sticking my head in a pint of Ben and Jerry's Chunky Monkey!
4.Exercise - I do it. 4x a week for 30 minutes at least! Most times it's 5-6 times a week for 45 minutes to an hour and a half. I love it now and hated it at one time in my life. It makes me feel invincable and that is a good feeling. Activity helps me sleep better, promotes muscle growth, releases seratonin (the feel good hormones), increases my energy levels throughout the day etc. In general, IT MAKES ME FEEL GOOD AND MAKES ME FEEL GOOD ABOUT ME! You don't have to do one particular thing, you have to do *something*. Find an activity you like, and go for it with gusto! Don't like one class, try another! The body in motion, stays in motion.
5. Be accountable. I journal all the time even when I don't want to :) I told myself that this time I wasn't going to lie to myself and I was going to take control. Looking back I have to laugh at the times I would keep a journal but it wasn't a record of what I ate. It was just a "perfect" journal... in the famous words of Bugs Bunny...what a maroon! What was I thinking? And who was I hurting? Only me. Or better yet, not being able to face a meeting because I "blew it" and now it was over...one strike and I was out. Now I try to think "Fall down seven times, stand up eight". This also means get to the heart of not only what you are eating, but what is eating you. I didn't get to 338 by eating 3 meals a day...not even big ones. I got to 338 by eating through every thing that life threw at me. I got to 338 by depriving myself followed by binge eating and stuffing myself until I could no longer feel anything but numb. There was no moderation. I was either starving or stuffing. Though now I'm at a healthier weight, those demons still exist and need to be dealt with. In order to successfully lose weight or maintain a healthy weight, one must come to grips with abusing food.
6. Self love. This is shown by the previous five but I also try to take time to love myself and my body as is. I reward myself for honoring self promises, I nurture myself body, mind and spirit and for once I am really looking at myself in the mirror.
7. DON'T GIVE UP! Where does giving up get you? What is this race to the finish line? Why does it matter whether you lose 1 lb a week or 1 lb a month? The real rewards come from trying to be a better person mind, body and spirit than you were yesterday. That comes from honoring the temple (your body) and honoring your words. Bad day? MOVE ON. There are no calories burned from beating yourself up. You get up, brush the crumbs off your face, close the refrigerator door and start fresh with the next glass of water or intake of breath. Don't wait for the next meal, next month, next new year to make a promise to yourself. Being perfect will not happen at x number on the scale. The journey to a better you is the reward. Focus on the future, live in the moment.
I also want to add that it's been 6 years since I have started this journey. What you have read above has really not changed all too much in that time except for more knowledge, more tools, more acceptance and more maintaining experience (believe me it's useful for someone who never maintained more than one month at a time in the past!). The principles are the same, I have just elaborated where I felt necessary or made some changes in specifics. Though I'm not enrolled in WW any longer, I still believe in it as a program. I have just grown from that point. My reading library in nutrition and fitness have expanded several fold (recommendations in the FAQ), my athletic skill has improved, and I have expanded my thinking from "just" losing weight to being the best I can be. For me that means being healthy inside and out. WW was a necessary stepping stone and a solid foundation. If I attempted to do then what I am doing now, I would have probably given up. The bottom line is a sound program will work if you work it. When it stops working, arm yourself with knowledge to take it to the next level. Try different approaches and give those approaches time to work. If they don't work, move on. What you are looking for is something you can live with and a plan that is moving you in the direction of better overall health and wellbeing. As this website continues to grow and I continue to evolve, I will continue to share my successes and my struggles. I appreciate those who continue to find me a success when sometimes I don't feel that way. It's been a long, hard, road. But I've not given up. I'm still here plugging away, baring my soul and I'm stronger and looking better than ever. (worrying about the scale = ugly puffy face) That is my success and can be yours as well.
Finally, I just want to say that I hope I didn't offend anyone here. I certainly am not trivializing anyone's struggles. Eating is joyous, nuturing...a celebration. Dealing with food and weight issues is difficult. We are ALL to be commended for the bold strides we are taking to change our lives. We are brave and powerful people. Don't forget it!