Nine years ago, on July 5th, I joined Weight Watchers. I was extremely diligent, and lost 60 pounds by January of the following year. I kept this weight off for quite sometime, and then I became pregnant with Zoe 7 summers ago. I was famished, and ate, and ate and ate. However, when Zoe was a year old, I successfully lost the baby weight by walking 3 miles every day.
Then I got pregnant with Evie approximately 5 years ago. I gained more weight with her, and when she was a year old (3 years ago), I rejoined Weight Watchers. This time I did WW online, and had success. Three years ago this August, I weighed in at 147 pounds.
But unlike the previous time on Weight Watchers, I was not as committed to the program. I also found myself craving foods like never before. It was also three years ago I went on Paxil for anxieties.
Back in March, I found myself rejoining Weight Watchers online. Third time a charm? Hardly. Seventeen pounds quickly fell off...but then I plateaued, and that is when I realized that I was not really losing any more weight. I was following the plan, but my body looked fat, swollen and lumpy.
Why was this happening? Many reasons that are unhealthy. My two biggest problems with Weight Watchers are: promotion to sugar free and fat free foods and the ability to choose foods as long as it "fits" in their famous point system. All chemicals that are sugar free (nutrasweet, aspertame, etc.) are really bad for you. Plus they give me migraines and make me nauseous within an hour of eating the food. Weight Watcher meals, shakes, bars, etc. have an abundance of chemicals and left me craving more food. My body was deprived. And fat-free foods add a TON of sugar. Remember the 80s craze to be fat free?! Yeah...didn't work then either.
I also thought the idea of choosing what I ate was a smart solution to dieting. Wrong! Say a person started with 40 points for the day. This person ate very smart all day, and had 10 points after the kids went to bed. That person could drink two jiggers of whiskey, and still have points left over for candy or carb-filled WW frozen dessert. This does not even take into account the extra weekly points this person has to use. Why not another drink? Maybe a few chips? Maybe a sandwich?
And therein lies the issue with WW. Portion control is great! Counting calories, points, whatever is important to stay within a smart amount of food: great. Journaling: perfect! However, even though Weight Watchers does not tell people to eat poorly, the opportunity presents itself daily. I was under this assumption that if I ate good all day I deserved to have dessert. Why not? It was within the points I could consume...
I have learned SO much already from my personal trainer and a great book from Jackie Warner, "This is Why You're Fat (and how to get thin forever)."
I am hopeful for my weigh in on Monday!
4 comments:
It may be your paxil that keeps you from losing. I started an antidepressant three years ago. I gained almost 30 pounds in 1 and a half months. It won't come off! 3 years later I am still trying to lose it. Calorie counting, exercise, dieting just don't seem to work. I eventually had to stop taking it to prevent becoming severely obese as my weight gain did not plateau much at all. I gained 10 more pounds when I stopped it. I keep losing the 10 pounds only to gain it right back again. Watch out for anti-anxieties.
I totally agree with you ! I lost 9 pounds very quickly in 14 days then a plateau. I can't seem to lose any more, been 10 days and no loss and I am sticking to my points strickly, I am not drinking, having anything bad for me. I'm eating Tuna, cottage cheese, wasa crackers, veggie sandwhiches....no mayo no cheese, Vector cereal......boneless skinless chicken....I am doing so good. No weight loss. Keeping in mind I also am not using the weekly extra points either ! So I decide to lower my points....by 5 a day. Tried it for a week, no loss....I can't figure it out, until a friend pointed out that even though I was eating too low fat - there wasn't really a lot of protein or any of the good fats. I'm going to try that, and see what happens. I think there has to be a balance of eating right, working out and not starving your body.
I agree with the last two "anonymous" posts! #1, I am on Pristiq for 3 years now. I think it has affected my weight gain a little, but I have been able to loose weight on it IF I eat healthy AND work out. I got lax with that for sure over the holidays. So, I went back on WW beginning of January. Right away lost 12 lbs, then plateaued with no weight loss in weeks 3 or 4! Crazy. I went off it, am doing my "own" regimen & am loosing weight again. Exercize every day, eat lean protein, a reasonable amt of fruit & veggies, healthy fats. I'm sure WW works for many, but just as many it does NOT work for.
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