Healthy Food

What Milestones Should You Be Celebrating For Long-Term Weight Loss Success? 🎉

April 9, 2018 By Paula 50 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 10

Celebrating Milestones

It’s time once again to reflect on the past week. Recently, we looked at how to stay motivated, smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, surviving the holidays while dieting, and the benefits of a 5% weight loss. Each week as I’ve explored these topics and shared them with you I’ve gained new skills to be successful on my WW Freestyle journey. When it comes to weight loss, a slow and steady pace always seems to win the race for long-term results and maintenance. However, that stable pace to the finish line can be frustrating at times, especially in the beginning of our journeys when the ultimate goal is so far away. The best way to avoid this frustration is to break up your goal into smaller, “milestones” that you can reach along the way. Having milestones and giving yourself recognition when you meet them, lets you reward yourself for the small changes and helps keep you on the right path to long-term weight loss success.

Celebrating Milestones

You commit to the journey.

Although it may feel premature to celebrate the very beginning of the journey, know that committing to change and becoming a better YOU is a big deal. Taking the first step is always the hardest. Many of us talk about doing however many of us never even give it a try. Once you’ve committed to making a change, write it down and share it with close friends and family. Which were the first two tips in the recent how to stay motivated post.

You complete your first weigh-in.

That first one can be grueling. It is a reality check. If you are like me and many others, you fear the truth and may prefer not to know. Even though that number might make you think negatively about yourself, try to see it as the starting line, a place to look back on to see how far you’ve come. I suggest that once you’ve completed your weigh-in that you take a before picture. You’ll appreciate having that photo to look back on. When you need encouragement, resolve, or inspiration, you can also look at the photo. Tell that person you’re moving on, making changes, and will never be back!

Your first wardrobe malfunction.

Maybe you notice that your pants start to slide down or droop in the behind or perhaps you look down and see that your shirts have some extra room in them that never existed before. When you have to tighten your belt a few notches. Whatever the case, when your clothes don’t fit anymore, you’ve passed another milestone and it’s time to celebrate. The best way to celebrate is to buy new clothes and get rid of old clothing. Goodwill is my go-to store for doing this.

You hit a weight-loss milestone.

Whether it’s 20, 50, 100 pounds lost or 5%, 10%, 20% of your body weight, whatever number you have in your head, you’re actually THERE. The benefits of just a 5% weight loss are significant and should be celebrated. Time to get a new outfit for date night with your special someone, take off your t-shirt at the pool, and be proud of what you’ve accomplished. When you hit a big weight milestone such as 100 pounds or 25% of your bodyweight it’s time to stop focusing on the scale and start focusing on getting stronger and faster.

You receive your first “progress” compliment.

You get your first “You look great, have you lost weight?” comment. Boy does it feel good! You might be well into your journey before hearing your first progress compliment, especially if you are wearing layers of clothing. But when you do, embrace the positive reinforcement. Write them in a journal or put a sticky note on your mirror or fridge to read whenever you need to!

You complete an activity that you couldn’t do or that felt awkward before.

You run in your first race and survive. It doesn’t matter where you finish or if you had to use two walking poles, you signed up for a race, you trained for it, and then you did it. You join a sports team, start exercising with people that you know or begin walking in your neighborhood. You might still end up at the end of the lineup, in the back of the pack, or getting passed by the little old ladies down the block but that’s okay. Maybe your “awkward” is cutting your toenails, bending to tie your shoes, sitting on an airplane or movie theater seat, playing with your kids, etc. When doing these things is no longer uncomfortable or no longer creates anxiety, it’s time to celebrate your success. It’s time to celebrate! Join a league with your friends, sign up for a charity run/walk, or take a trip to the beach or park.

You overcome a plateau.

If you’ve ever come to a plateau during your weight loss journey, you know how absolutely frustrating and unmotivating they can be. A plateau can last as little as a week or as long as several months. If you prepare yourself and understand that plateaus happen and that they are temporary, you’ll be better prepared to stay on track if and when you experience one. This is the time to take advantage of your support system; your friends and family. Remind yourself that your body is still changing on the inside regardless of whether you’re seeing results on the scale during a plateau! Once you do push through a plateau, treat yourself to a show, manicure, and celebrate with a fun get-together with the people who helped you stay strong through it.

You notice change on camera or in the mirror.

When I don’t feel good about myself, I avoid looking in the mirror, except when necessary. They say the camera adds 10 pounds, so that is something else that I avoid as much as possible. So if you are like many of us, you also find yourself avoiding being in photos or mirrors. We do this when we don’t feel comfortable with our appearance and weight. Although it may not be a fun experience, I highly recommend that you take photos at regular intervals throughout your journey so that you can see the progress as you experience change. Once you start to see the changes, you can really start appreciating the transformation that you are making. Celebrate by having a makeover or posing for a professional photo to display in your home.

People start to ask YOU for advice.

When others see our success, they will often ask for advice so that they can obtain it also. When people ask for advice they actually think you’re smarter and more knowledgeable. Those who give advice effectively wield soft influence while still empowering others to act. When people start asking you how to do push-ups properly, about eating healthy, or how to get rid of a muffin top, embrace your star power. Treat yourself to a gym membership, a class at the local Y, or a season pass for the community pool.

You fit into your skinny jeans.

Dress, jeans, shorts… We all have that certain piece of clothing stashed in the closet from our thinner days that we want to be able to fit into again. There is something about that piece of clothing that makes us feel good about our appearance. When it fits, celebrate by doing something else that also makes you feel good about your appearance. A haircut, manicure, massage, waxing, whatever you choose, it should make you feel great and boost your self-esteem! For more non-food ways to celebrate your milestones check out this post.

Be sure to capture your magical moments at home! You can get some beautiful backdrops that are very affordable to capture your milestone memories.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

After my setback two weeks ago and my recovery last week, I started this week with a new determination. Even if there was still candy in the house from Easter, I was determined not to let it get the best of me and stay focused on my next milestone. I’ve already lost 5% of my starting weight and have now lost over 20 pounds in the first 8 weeks. Now in my tenth week, I’m now working on reaching a 10% loss. I know that it will take time so I will celebrate smaller milestones along the way.

After surviving Easter and my Mother’s birthday at my parents’ house without any major food bombs, this week was busy and challenging. Our twin grandchildren came home with us Easter Sunday. Our grandson went to his great-grandparents Tuesday but our granddaughter stayed for her entire Spring break. Two days were spent traveling for appointments and rain kept us inside for a few days. We did get to work in the garden and plant seeds before the rain came. Now, we just have to make sure they stay watered for the next few weeks and wait. The week seemed to fly by and before I knew it was Sunday afternoon and the moment of truth was here. I got on the scale for my weekly weigh-in. I was pleased to find that I had lost 2 pounds! Grandchildren and rainy days – survived! Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

Where are you?

Where are you on your journey? What milestones do you celebrate? Have I forgotten any?

Share your thoughts below or on my Facebook fan page.

I am not a medical professional. The contents of this website are for educational purposes and are not intended to offer personal medical advice. You should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 9 – Surviving Holidays While Dieting

Avoid Food Hangovers and Extra Pounds with these Tips for Surviving Holidays While Dieting

April 2, 2018 By Paula 54 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 9

Surviving Holidays While Dieting

It’s time once again to reflect on the past week. Recently, we looked at how to stay motivated, smart use of free foods, some tactics for dining out, and the benefits of a 5% weight loss. Each week I’ve gained new skills to be successful on this journey. Since I am on this journey with my family, we each have our hurdles to overcome. One that many of us are facing is that many holidays focus around food. From gingerbread men, hoppin’ John, and pumpkin pie to boxes of chocolate, hot dogs on the grill, and marshmallow peeps we are tempted year round. We tell ourselves that we get these treats just once a year. The problem is that there are dozens of these items and by the end of the year we have consumed thousands of extra calories and hundreds of grams of extra fat and sugar.

December isn’t the only time of year that we look forward to gathering with family and friends to rejoice, celebrate, and eat. There’s New Years, Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Halloween, and Thanksgiving, that we celebrate before Christmas arrives. And don’t forget all the food surrounding Super Bowl Sunday, March Madness, Birthdays, Picnics, and Summer BBQs. Every event may seem like an excuse to splurge, but the consequence just might be the worst kind of post-party affliction – a food hangover and extra pounds. So how do we survive all these holidays and events?

Tips For Surviving Holidays While Dieting

The holidays do NOT have to mean binges, extra pounds, and hangovers.

If you are like me and millions of others, the year started off with a resolution to lose weight, to exercise more, or something along the lines of getting healthier this year. Having just made it through the December holidays we thought that it would be a piece a cake (easy). The truth is that unless you have superhuman willpower, there are holidays and events all throughout the year that often will tempt you. All these holidays, with their focus on food, can be a challenge and learning how to survive them can be difficult. To help you and me not only survive but thrive I’ve compiled some tips for surviving holidays that Marcus and I have been using, plus some new ones that I’ve discovered recently.

Don’t Deprive Yourself – Saving up calories all week by doing without will leave your feeling deprived. Instead, eat mindfully the week before the holiday or event so you won’t feel deprived and go on a binge.

Exercise – Exercising in the morning can help ensure better behavior all day long. So be sure to make time to do some before joining in the festivities of the day. Exercise is the only thing besides eating breakfast that has been correlated with long-term weight loss. You don’t have to be hanging off the side of a cliff by carabiners or deep sea diving with sharks, just get out and enjoy the outdoors.

Enjoy Your Favorites – Peruse the buffet before you load your plate to avoid foods you really don’t want. Pick only the ones that you really want and will receive the most enjoyment out of having. Enjoy them in moderation and you will be able to stave off the cravings that can get you in trouble later.

Choose Wisely – Research suggests that you’ll consume the largest quantity of the foods you eat first, so set yourself up for success by starting with something low-calorie. So choose your first buffet picks wisely.

Downsize Your Plate – Downsizing your plate can trick your brain into thinking you are eating more. At the party buffet, use the smaller dessert plate. Grab a salad plate instead of the larger dinner plate when you head to the potluck buffet and you could wind up eating 40 percent less.

Don’t Starve Yourself – Just like you shouldn’t skip lunch before a big night out at a restaurant you should not arrive starving for big holiday meals and events. By doing so you are setting yourself up to binge on all the high-calorie choices.

Say Yes To Dessert – Practice the three-bite rule to keep your sweet tooth in check. Take one bite to say “hello,” one bite to savor the flavor, and one bite to say “goodbye.” With each bite, slowly chew the food so you can really taste it. After your third bite, put down your fork and be okay with walking away. This little surviving holidays trick allows you to taste your favorite foods without those decadent delights sabotaging your diet and health goals.

Think Small – By taking smaller sips and bites and you can trick your brain into eating 30 percent fewer calories. Studies show that when you take smaller bites and chew your food longer, thus eating slower, your brain thinks you’ve eaten more. So nibble, don’t gobble!

Out of Sight, Out of Mind – It’s the leftovers that do you in. If you are the host, send guests home with them. They will enjoy them and you won’t be tempted.

Get Some Willpower – According to research, this little surviving holidays tip works. Place the thumb and fingers of one hand on your forehand, a half inch apart. Then, tap each finger one at a time, once per second, telling yourself, “Hold on.” Do this for 30 seconds and the craving will disappear. Sounds crazy, but it works. Want to crush a craving in public, but feel a bit silly trying the forehead technique? Just pick something to focus on that’ll keep your eyes busy and try to engage in what you’re seeing.

Reduce Stress – Ready to head to the buffet? Take deep breaths before you grab your plate. Close your eyes and focus on you reaching your goal for 30 seconds, chances are you won’t want to fill your plate. Research suggests that women who practice stress reduction techniques are able to prevent weight gain.

Eat Your Water – Instead of trying to down eight glasses of water, have a green salad with a few slices of avocado or some radish, celery, tomato, and cucumber. Cauliflower and bell pepper are also great items to pick off the veggie tray. All these water-rich foods will help keep you hydrated so that everything moves through your system faster. Plus, having a salad before diving into the main entree will help keep your caloric intake in check. Check out this list of 16 high-water-content foods to help you with this surviving holidays tip.

Bring An Emergency Pack – Having an emergency life pack is a great backup. Some great items to have in it are nuts, single-serve packets of Hummus, sardines, protein bars, a small bag of carrots, or anything else healthy that will stave off hunger and help you avoid a food hangover.

Beware Of Sugar Pushers – Every family has one, they give you a guilt trip about not trying their special dish, they tell you to live a little, or in my case call me the “food police”. If you must sample take just a bite or two, this will usually appease them. Just be careful that a few bites don’t become two pieces.

Get Plenty of Potassium – Found in foods such as bananas, papayas, kiwis, strawberries, sweet potatoes, and cantaloupe, this nutrient counterbalances sodium, so you retain less water. Eating foods with potassium is also important in controlling blood pressure because potassium blunts the effects of sodium. The more potassium we eat, the more sodium we pass out of the body through urine. Talk to your healthcare provider about how much you should be getting.

Watch Your Alcohol – Alcohol is a brain toxin and slows down brain metabolism. In addition to depleting mood-boosting B vitamins, it makes you uninhibited around food. If you must drink at parties, avoid eggnog and other sugary alcoholic drinks.

Sleep – When we don’t get enough sleep, we eat about an extra 300 calories and tended to choose higher-fat, higher-calorie foods. When women lack sleep we often feel less-full after eating, while men tend to have an increased appetite. Surviving Holidays Sleep Tip – Take a little “holiday” two hours before bed. Create a sleep ritual, a special routine of little things you do, before bed to help get your system physically and psychologically ready for a deep healing sleep. By getting your ZZZs, you’ll save calories and make healthier choices.

Stay Focused – Concentrate on your food while you’re eating it. Focus on chewing each bite well and enjoying the smell, taste, and texture of it. Research shows that mealtime multitasking, whether at home or at a party, can make you pop mindless calories into your mouth.

If you are looking to get healthy and stay healthy, I encourage you to join a support group. Even with an arsenal of smart tactics, getting past the plethora of food temptations can be a challenge. Don’t expect to be perfect around the holidays. What surviving holidays tip would you add to my list? Share yours below or on my Facebook fan page.

When you’re in a peaceful relationship with food, you can enjoy all the great options at holiday get-togethers.

WW Freestyle Program: Join for Free + Save 35% on Weight Watchers Meetings with OnlinePlus (in participating areas). Unlimited Meetings & Free Online Tools.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

After my set back last week, I started the week a bit discouraged. However, I knew that it would serve no purpose to dwell on it. So I put on my big girl panties and decided to focus on what I could do this week to do better. I must say that I made it through the last several weeks without binging on peeps or jelly beans. Both of which normally would have found their way into my mouth and onto my waistline. Even if we only have them once a year, I would feel bad about myself for eating them ALL.

Mom tried several new healthier recipes for Easter this year. Some were a hit, others will need to be switched up to be more palatable to everyone. After a fun day of hanging out with family and eating (lots of raw veggies found their way onto my plate), we set out for home. We finally arrived home after spending Easter and my Mother’s birthday at my parents’ house. When we got home it was after 8 pm Sunday evening and the moment of truth could not be put off any longer. I got on the scale for my weekly weigh-in. I was pleased to find that, even with a full belly, I had lost the pound I gained last week plus a quarter of a pound more! Easter and a birthday done! Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

Where are you?

Where are you on your journey? What are your favorite holiday foods? Have I forgotten any survival tips?

Share your thoughts below or on my Facebook fan page.

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 8 – Benefits of 5% Weight Loss

The Power of 5⃣ What Can a Seemingly Modest 5% Weight Loss Do for You? ⚕

March 26, 2018 By Paula 40 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 8

Benefits of 5% Weight Loss

It’s time once again to reflect on the past week. In the last several posts, we looked at how to stay motivated, smart use of free foods, and some tactics for dining out. All of which I had to address to be successful the long term. When setting goals, we tend to think too much about where we want the end result to be and not enough about what we need to do to get there. So when I started, in addition to the BIG goal, I also set smaller goals that I could achieve throughout my journey. Sometimes the finish line is a long way away so setting smaller goals is important for morale and guidance. Be realistic about your weight loss goals and how long it will take to achieve them.

Since I am on this journey with my family, we each have our personal milestones that signal success to us. Mom’s is to lose her first twenty pounds. She was just a half-pound shy this week. So Close!!! After struggling for several weeks my sister achieved her first goal, losing ten pounds, last week. My first small goal was to reach 5% weight loss. I achieved this goal a few weeks ago and am now looking at my next one of losing 10%. I love that my family is keeping me accountable and since they are struggling like me I’m not in this alone. With my personality, I need the motivation and companionship of having them on this journey with me. Even with a busy and stressful life we’ve had these past weeks, I found myself motivated to stay focused on my goal.

It’ hard to believe that this week is my two-month mark! So I thought this would be a good time to discover how the effort that we’ve been putting into this new lifestyle is already benefiting our health.

Benefits of 5% Weight Loss

This seemingly modest weight change results in tremendous health benefits.

When thinking about weight loss we often have a goal body weight and think that unless we reach that number or lose dozens of pounds we will not be any healthier. This is a misconception as studies have shown that health benefits result from a weight loss as low as 5-10 percent. This means that an individual that weighs 200 pounds will benefit greatly from losing just 10 to 20 pounds. There’s scientific evidence that many obesity-related conditions such as high cholesterol, hypertension, diabetes, and obstructive sleep apnea improve with a 5-10 percent weight loss. When weight loss achieves a level of 10 percent, the levels of inflammatory substances, that can result in plaques and clots and turn into strokes and heart attacks, circulating in the blood drop significantly.

Another condition that is seen with weight gain is insulin resistance. In which, the pancreas produces larger than normal amounts of insulin. When someone has insulin resistance, the resulting high levels of insulin in the blood cause an increase in fat tissue especially in the waist area, abnormal cholesterol, and sometimes a change in certain hormone levels. In women that can cause male pattern hair growth and infertility. However, a modest 5-10 percent weight loss can significantly decrease insulin levels and help reverse the condition.

Obesity is one of the most important risk factors for osteoarthritis of the knee. According to WebMD, a new study shows that for each pound of body weight lost, there is a 4-pound reduction in knee joint stress among overweight and obese people with osteoarthritis of the knee. Just 10 extra pounds adds 40 pounds of pressure on your knees and other lower body joints! Extra body weight makes your heart work harder, too. Trim 5% from that number on the scale and you can lower your blood pressure by about 5 points.

People who are overweight gain extra tissue in the back of their throat. When your body relaxes that tissue can drop down and block your airway making you stop breathing over and over all night long. Sleep apnea can make you wake up in the morning feeling tired or unrefreshed even though you have had a full night of sleep. The lack of oxygen your body receives can have negative long-term consequences for your health. Slimming down a little can improve sleep apnea. You’ll get more ZZZs and it will be better rest, too. According to a preliminary study from the University of Pennsylvania, when obese adults shed five percent of their body weight, they reported better sleep and improved moods within six months.

For most people, a 5 percent loss is enough to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. If you already have diabetes, losing that weight can help you take less medication, get control of your blood sugar, and lower the odds that the condition will cause other health problems in the future. Extra body weight also seems to raise your odds of having cancer, including in the breast, colon, liver, kidneys, ovaries, cervix, and prostate. There’s no clear proof that losing weight protects you from the disease, but overweight people who slim down end up with lower levels of hormones linked to cancer.

Your emotional health will also benefit.
People who have lost 5 to 10 percent of their body weight report improvements in quality of life, a noticeable reduction in depression symptoms, increased energy, and a more positive attitude to life.

WW Freestyle Program: Join for Free + Save 35% on Weight Watchers Meetings with OnlinePlus (in participating areas). Unlimited Meetings & Free Online Tools.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

Now, as I start to focus on my next small goal I would like to look at how my week went. Although I am still worrying more than usual about my son who lives out of state, my youngest who went to Florida for bike week is back in SC and at work. After all the worrying I did last week, without cookies or lasagna, I had to put into action my new coping skills. I’ve been moving more, even cleaning the door jambs of our exterior doors, and eating less on impulse. Every kind of bad eater there is I am.

Bored – Eat · Upset – Eat · Happy – Eat · See Food – Eat · Lonely – Eat · Stressed – Eat

After the twins went home one on Saturday and the other on Sunday we didn’t need to go anywhere until Thursday to grab a few things from the local store. This week was filled with working on the computer and trying to stay busy. Friday and Saturday were both a bit rocky and I found myself slipping. Saturday afternoon found me with three preteens that needed to be fed somewhere close to the Coliseum before we went to see the Harlem Globetrotters. I tried to find something that wouldn’t blow my diet. Not finding anything on the McDonald’s menu, I settled for a grilled chicken sandwich with lettuce and tomato only. Then they were hungry again at 10 that night as we set out on the hour and a half drive home. Not wanting a repeat of dinner, the only other place we could find open on the way home was Domino’s so pizza it was. I was hungry after such a meager dinner and had two slices. Not the best choice but oh my was it good! But that goodness didn’t come without a quick and swift price. Not having this type of food for several months I paid for it the next morning and into early Sunday afternoon. My stomach hurt and rebelled like crazy.

Soon it was Sunday evening and the moment of truth could not be put off any longer. I was at my sister’s so I found my way to her scale for my weekly weigh-in. As always, I nervously stepped on the scale. This time the nerves were justified as I found that I had gained 1 pound this week! Not what I wanted to see but not the end of the world. I’ll just have to try harder this week! Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

Where are you?

Where are you on your journey? What are your health goals? Have I forgotten anything? I would love if you would let me know.

Share your thoughts below or on my Facebook fan page.

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 7 – TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED

Don’t Give UP! Stay Focused On Your Goals With The Staying Motivated Tips In This Post

March 19, 2018 By Paula 39 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 7

TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED

It’s time once again to reflect on my week. Over the last few weeks, I have been thinking about how to best use the Zero Point foods as well as working on some strategies for dining out. Both of which I have covered in my posts recently. This week was spent working, taking family members to doctor’s appointments, and worrying more than usual about my son who lives out of state and my youngest who went to Florida for bike week (no matter how old they get Mom’s always worry).

My mom and my sister both lost weight this week. My sister, after several weeks of small losses, reached the ten-pound milestone this week, I am so proud of her for sticking with it. They sure are keeping the pressure on me to stay on track! Even with a busy and stressful week, I found myself encouraged to stay focused on my goal. It is easy to lose your focus after you have been on a diet for a few weeks or months. Trying to make good choices day after day and the seemingly never-ending temptations make it easy to lose focus or just give up.

TIPS FOR STAYING MOTIVATED

Document Your Efforts: Visually seeing your progress can help you stay motivated to continue losing weight. I track everything that I eat (most of the time immediately after eat it) and record my weight on a weekly basis. This way I can make adjustments in my eating and exercise as needed.

Don’t Go It Alone: Join a weight loss support group that encourages its participants to keep trying to reach individual goals while teaching habits that can lead to lifelong healthy eating. My sister, knowing me all too well, removed any chance of me backing out. She covers the cost of my membership to Weight Watcher’s Online. However, there are many online groups have no registration fees and offer you the ability to ask and answer questions about weight loss. You can always ask a trusted friend or spouse to help you stay accountable and focused.

Find a workout partner: The experts say that if you set an appointment with a workout partner, you are less likely to skip workouts. A good workout partner is someone who you enjoy their company an wants to do a similar workout at the same time as you. I believe the experts are right, unlike when I work out by myself and are tempted just to cancel my workout if I am tired or busy, having a partner makes it harder for me to skip it. Also, a workout partner makes the workout more fun and motivating.

Set Goals: Set realistic short and long-term goals. Setting small daily goals such as staying within your plan limits for the day will keep you motivated on a day-to-day basis. While setting long-term goals such as participating in a local charity walk will keep you focused on your ultimate objective.

Health First: It is important to concentrate on your health rather than a clothing size or the number on the scale. Write down your health reasons for losing weight. When you focus on eating right and improving your overall fitness level, it is easier to stay focused on your long-term weight loss goal.

Understand Our Bodies: Learn to listen to your body, and be aware of your hunger when it’s in its early stages. Many times we are not conscious of how hungry we are. We ignore our bodies because we’re too busy thinking about other things. As a result, we only eat when we’re famished, and that’s not a good time to eat. We don’t make healthy eating decisions when we’re super hungry.

When you first feel the hunger, don’t put it off until it builds into an insatiable monster. Eat just until you are satiated. If you eat mindlessly, you will most likely overeat. Don’t allow that to happen. Remove distractions and be mindful of your eating and your hunger. I find that when I eat while working on the computer that before I know it my plate is empty and I don’t even remember eating the first bite.

A good habit that I am currently working on is to eat slowly. By taking pauses while eating and drinking some water during the pauses I have a chance to think about whether I am really still hungry. Also, before I go back for seconds, I stop and take a break for a few minutes. Often you’ll find that you are sated and really don’t need seconds.

Drink Water: Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. When water takes the place of food in your stomach not only will you stay hydrated, you’ll get hungry less. In addition to helping you lose weight, there are many health benefits that drinking plenty of water gives you. Some, of which, are increased energy, flushing out toxins, improved complexion, keeping your bowels regular, helping your immune system, and more.

Cheat: Too strict of a diet plan is a bad one. If you feel deprived of good foods, you won’t last long. To avoid feeling deprived, allow yourself an occasional dessert. It’s important to listen to your body, not only when your body is hungry, but when your body is craving a specific food. Often your body just wants a taste of that food and if you give your body what it wants, and really pay attention to the taste and texture of the food and how you feel after you eat it, you will probably crave that food less and less.

Throw It Out: Clear your home and workspace of all unhealthy snacks and foods. Replace them with healthy foods and take them wherever you go. Always have some fruits, nuts, or other healthy options by your side. I think of my little stash in my purse as my diet survival kit. If you do this and eat when you’re hungry, you’ll find that you’re eating the unhealthy stuff lass and less.

Forgive Yourself: If you mess up or cheat more than you should, don’t just give up or beat yourself up. If you binge, just forgive yourself and get back on track. Remember to keep looking forward, not backward.

Get inspired. Motivation is important and accountability is a great motivator. My being open and honest about my weight struggles is my way to inspire others while being accountable. It is the number one reason why I have been writing each week about my journey and sharing it for the whole world to see. I find it inspiring to read success stories on blogs and in magazines and books. I have positive messages placed around my home to reinforce good thoughts. You can put up a motivational poster, a sticky note of the fridge, whatever it takes to get inspired. Find your inspiration!

When you better understand your relationship with food, it will be easier for you to stay motivated and focused on your weight loss efforts. Plus, be better able to keep it off.

WW Freestyle Program: Join for Free + Save 35% on Weight Watchers Meetings with OnlinePlus (in participating areas). Unlimited Meetings & Free Online Tools.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

Even with a busy week, staying focused and on track was much easier than it was was just a month ago. The changes that I’ve been making are not just in what I’ve been putting in my mouth but also in my thinking. I’ve learned so much about myself and how flawed the way I looked at myself has been up to this point in my life.

After several busy days this, I had to fix meals when I was tired and hungry. Usually a recipe for disaster. Thankfully, I had purged the quick and easy highly processed foods from our lives. So even on these nights, our plates were filled with healthy, well-balanced items.

After another week filled with appointments and temptation, it was the moment of truth. I found my way to the scale for my weekly weigh-in. As always, I nervously stepped on the scale. I was pleased to see that I had lost 3.8 pounds this week! Total lost is 21.2 lbs – Way to go me! Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.

Where are you?

Where are you on your journey? What motivates you? Have I forgotten anything? I would love if you would let me know.

Share your thoughts below or on my Facebook fan page.

Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Tips For Stay Motivated - Dont exchange what you want most for what you want at the moment

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Weight Watchers Freestyle Journey Week 6 – DINING OUT TIPS

🍽 Don’t Wreck Your Diet When Dining Out! Try The Tips In This Post And Eat Out Without Overindulging

March 12, 2018 By Paula 35 Comments

Weight Watchers Get Healthy Freestyle Journey – Week 6

DINING OUT TIPS

It’s time once again to reflect on my week. This week I continued to look at how I was using the Zero Point foods. Although these are “FREE” foods, it still is not a good idea to overeat them, even if they are healthy and good for you. Both mom and my sister lost weight this week. They’re keeping the pressure on me to stay on track! Even with a busy week, I had to stay focused on my goal.

DINING OUT TIPS

According to new research, restaurants are the number-one place to sabotage your diet. This should be no surprise to anyone who’s ever tried to lose weight while eating out. Instead ofONThis week I want to explore dining out since it is something that I find hard to do without consuming way too much. We’ve all been there. You’re busy, hit the drive-thru, and order a combo meal, or if you’ve missed lunch, you upsize it. You can easily have your entire daily intake of calories in just that one meal! How about this one? It’s Friday night and you’ve got big dinner planned at your favorite restaurant, so you skip lunch. Sound familiar? Don’t! By the time you arrive at the restaurant you’re famished, and hello here comes the bread basket! You eat two or three pieces, with butter of course, and before you know it you’ve inhaled a couple hundred calories before you’ve even spoken to the waiter. A better plan is to eat a light lunch and have a small snack before going out to eat.

Although often the larger adult portion is a better value, I’m no longer ashamed to ask if I can order off the children’s menu. Especially, now that I know how much those extra calories are going to cost me in terms of my health. If the restaurant will not let you order off the children’s menu or you can’t get what you want on it, ask your server to bring a to-go box with your meal and take half of it home. I also now look for items that are flame-grilled, poached, smoked, baked, or grilled when ordering as these are often healthier and lower Smart Point foods.

Don’t be afraid to ask for dressings and sauces on the side or to have an item baked or grilled instead of fried. Remember, you’re paying good money and it’s okay to make special requests or ask for slight modifications. A restaurant portion can be two, three, and even four times what a normal size serving should be. Regardless of what your parents told you growing up about children starving or waste not, want not, etc., you don’t have to finish everything on your plate. I promise that the plate police are not going to come running out and slap handcuffs on you for pushing your plate away with food on it. This also goes for eating at home. They’re not hiding in your closet or pantry either!

Read the menu carefully. More and more restaurants are promoting low calorie, heart healthy choices. However, that claim isn’t always true. Look for a balance of lean protein such as fish, chicken breast, pork tenderloin, strip steak, complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and monounsaturated fats like canola or olive oil. To help you choose the healthiest meals, visit the restaurant’s website before you go. They often list nutritional information for each dish there.

One great tip I found on the Weight Watcher’s site is not to drink my SmartPoints. One study found that women who indulged in more than two alcoholic drinks in a day consumed nearly 30 percent more calories. Most of all to never drink alcoholic beverages on an empty stomach! Another tip is to start with a salad. Just be sure to omit or limit the bacon bits, cheese, croutons, and creamy dressings. You can also split an entrée with someone else or order an appetizer or two instead of a meal.

Eat dessert. Yes, you read that right. Denying yourself that dessert that sounds so decadent might find you eating an entire carton of ice cream when you get home. The catch? Order one dessert and share it. A few bites should satisfy your sweet tooth.

Want to see if Weight Watchers is for you? Click here to learn more.

How my freestyle weight loss week went:

My first big hurdle came when my neighbor sent some apple and cinnamon treats home with Marcus. She means well, but oh the temptation! So, I left a few out for him to enjoy but put most of them in the freezer. This way neither of us will be binging on them since they have to be thawed before eating. It seems like I just went on our all day shopping trip but once again it was time for my marathon monthly shopping trip with my aunt. I spent 80 percent of my grocery budget on healthy meats, seafood, fresh fruits, and vegetables. The other 20 percent went to staples like PB powder, quinoa, zero point yogurt, and tofu fettuccine noodles. Things like bacon, sausage, sugary cereals, juices, and other highly processed foods are no longer finding their way into my cart.

Midweek found me faced with having to fix dinner after a day of taking my aunt to her appointments and for medical tests. Thank goodness, for leftovers and bagged produce veggies! I had a bag of stir-fry veggies that I sauteed quickly with some teriyaki marinade (just add some cornstarch to thicken). Add, some leftover chicken and put it over some riced cauliflower. In no time, we had a meal of stir fry and I stayed within my points.

This time when on our day of shopping, bill paying, and eating lunch out at a restaurant trip came it was on a Monday. My points had just started over the day before and I was not about to “borrow” from the bank. The interest is too high! Aka my health. However, by getting a grilled sandwich instead of a fried one and passing on the fries, I not only had a delicious lunch at Chick-fil-a but didn’t feel weighed down for the rest of the shopping that was still left to do that day.

After a week filled with appointments and temptation, it was the moment of truth. I found my way to the scale for my weekly weigh-in. As always, I nervously stepped on the scale. I was pleased to see that I had lost 3 pounds this week! Total lost is 17.4 lbs – Way to go me! Until next week… Remember to stay positive and keep looking forward.