The Rules Still Apply

Sometimes a member will come up to me and say, "Weight Watchers isn't working for me." I know that many people lose weight in all different ways, so maybe WW is not for them. But I don't give up that easy. I will then ask, "What seems to be the problem?" They might say, "I am not losing weight". OK. I'll then ask why. They usually know why. It could be night time snacking, or not planning meals. It could be eating too much at restaurants or eating for stress relief. OK, we are getting somewhere. So what should you do?

They answer "Try something else."

Like the plan that lets you eat whatever you want? The plan that makes every meal, no matter what it consists of, only 500 calories? Well, there isn't one. You want to lose the weight really fast. There are other plans like that. But will they keep the weight off? That is still calories in vs calories out.

My point is, if you understand the WW information and you know how many calories a food has, then you should be able to make decisions that put you in a deficit. It you are eating more food anyway, lets figure out why together. Members think the answer is out there somewhere. If they get a different exercise video things will be better. If I get a crock pot, I will finally cook. If I read the latest weight loss research, I will change. But what will really change.

I am not saying we all didn't have some turning point or last straw. I think that's why we finally get to a meeting. I just think we first need to look inward, then outward. That's why we wait until Monday, because we think something is going to change, magically. We have to change. I know. I've read about enough great weight loss secrets to know there are none. I have to laugh. What made me think that I could follow some crazy quick loss program, when I couldn't even follow "moderation".

The rules still aply. Calories in vs calories out. Let figure out how to keep you in the game.

Focus on The Actions

I wish that my Weight Watchers scale did not just record your current body weight. I wish it would tell me what positive actions you took that reflect your healthy lifestyle. Sometimes my members had a great week action wise, but the weight loss does not show it. And sometimes members come to the scale with their eyes closed, knowing what kind of week they had (not good) and the scale numbers still may go down. Either way, the number on the scale seems to be the be all, end all of my members success.

Look, I know you are trying to LOSE WEIGHT. But ultimately, it's what you do over time, consistently that makes a difference. I understand you are disappointed if you had a great week - following the Good Health Guidelines, counting POINTS and moving more, and the scale does not budge. But you must have confidence that persistence wins this race.

I do get excited to hear about your weight loss, but what really makes me happy, and sure of your success, is seeing you in the meeting, every week, no matter what. That is the first action you take each week towards a healthy lifestyle. If you are not doing everything you need to do, focus on figuring out what you need to change to make that happen. Don't focus on what you did wrong. Don't keep feeling bad. Learn from the experience and then take action to make sure it doesn't happen again. When members "fall of the wagon" and just feel guilty, they never move forward. You can't change what is done. Guilt is not helpful!

Just taking one positive step changes the momentum. Get out your tracker. Go for a walk. Make a plan! Get out the recipes. Don't wait until you can do everything perfect to come back to the meeting if you been avoiding the scale. It is more important to get to the meeting when it's been a tough week. You don't have to get on the scale. Just let me know you're there.

That's what I did today. My list of things to do this weekend is LONG... I didn't want to do any of it. I didn't know where to start. So I made a quick list of things I needed to get done now, and then I went for my run. I came back and started my day. If I don't check off everything on my list, so what. As long as the list is getting shorter.

You may not know how the baby healthy steps you are taking are going to effect you weight loss, but if you can check it off the list, you know you are a success. This is a lifestyle. Just do it!

I Got The Weight Off - Now What?

The one question that everyone asks, even when they are a very successful Weight Watchers members is, "Why is it so hard to keep the weight off?" There are 2 answers.

One, doing anything for a long time is difficult! The healthy habits we needed to do are the same for weight loss as they are for weight maintenance. It's the same as when we clean the house for company and then we think we can keep it "Good Housekeeping" clean for ever. That means consistently putting things away, etc. It doesn't always happen! So, sometimes our healthy habit take a backseat to other priorities. The difference between those that keep it off and those that have trouble, is successful people recover quickly. They don't get weighed down by mishaps. Forgiveness is key. Guilt will drag you down.

Two, is adherence to the rules. When you hit goal, biology does not change. Calories in vs calories out. Members think that when they get to goal, they can maintain their weight by following the program "loosey, goosey". What ends up happening is that they start to eat more than they burn. That's it! So maintenance really means following the program and getting more Points to eat. No magic. So you ALWAYS have to be mindful. You can CHOOSE not to be mindfull of the Points, like on a weekend away, but don't make yourself sick! Then get back to FOLLOWING the plan. It works. You've proved it!

Is it difficult? Yes! Can you do it! Your life depends on it.