What I had to give up...

Eating the "Weightwatchers way" has really not changed my life that much. When I think about it, I really was already doing the basics of the Core Plan. I have always eaten plenty of fruit, vegetables, whole wheat bread and pastas, and brown rice. So what changes did I make:

1. I had to switch from whole-fat dairy products to fat-free dairy products, which was not a problem for me. The only dairy I noticed a difference in was the milk and after drinking fat-free milk for a few days I got used to it and it seemed normal.

2. I quickly realized that there was seven foods I was eating way too much of: bread, nuts, butter, cheese, peaunt butter, candy, and icecream. All of these foods, except candy and icecream, I considered to be healthy foods and never worried about how much of them I ate. But, as soon as I started eating them in moderation, I started loosing weight.

3. I had to quit grazing. The first day on WW, I was constantly having to stop myself from tasting while cooking and eating food as I was putting away left-overs. I had no idea how many little bites I was taking and how the calories add up.

4. I had to learn to substitute. Eating only the foods on the Core list can get boring after a bit and the 35 extra points do not go very far. I usually use my points for bread, cheese, butter, and fat-free fudge bars. So in order to spice up my meals, I had to learn how to substitute. At the WW meetings you get lots of great ideas of how to do this. Here are a few examples: I make my own fat-free "cream of" soup, I buy the high fiber wraps that are only one point, and I buy a zero calorie/zero fat butter spray for popcorn.

5. I had to learn to stop eating before I felt stuffed. I remember eating "seconds" all the time and I never left food on my plate. I can't even image now how I ate all that food. I think the problem was that I learned years ago that dieting was bad and that you should never let yourself get too hungry or you will end up stuffing anything in your mouth and making poor food choices. This is true, but I went overboard and ate way more than I really needed. I often felt uncomfortable after a meal due to over-eating. Now I eat until I start to feel satisfied and then I stop, knowing that when I get hungry again, I can eat again. You don't have to starve yourself, but you don't have to stuff yourself either.


So there you have it; that's really all I had to change to lose weight. Sometimes I feel bored or like I just want to go back to the old habits, but I remind myself how far I have come and how easy it really has been. On occasion, I feel left out when everyone else is pigging-down on the yummy stuff, but most of the time it really doesn't bother me. It has really helped that my family is eating healthier too. We do not have nearly as much junk in the house as we used to. The health and energy that I feel, the way I look, and the compliments I am starting to get far out-way the few changes and choices I have had to make.