How to Use Weight Watchers

I've tried many diets in the pursuit of a "magic bullet" but quickly find that most of them are frauds. I even asked my pharmacist about Alli and he said don't bother. If you are on a low fat diet to begin with, you are throwing your money away, he said.

Earlier this year I tried Weight Watchers. I have known people that have had a lot of success with the program but I have a binge eating habit that is hard to break so my success was limited. However, I believe that for someone who doesn't have an eating disorder Weight Watchers is a good plan to consider.

* If you are bulimic, anorexic, or have binge eating disorder like me, it won't benefit you until you resolve the disorder.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Weight Watchers Meetings
• 5 Fruits and Vegetables a day
• A list of points for your favorite foods
• Weight Watchers material from meetings

1. GO TO THE MEETINGS
   
   Going at it alone is usually fruitless. You get quickly discouraged without support and if you lack support from home, the meetings are a great place to meet like minded people. Share recipes, ideas, struggles, and successes.

2. GET RID OF THE JUNK
   
   After you attend your first meeting, throw out the junk food. If you have kids, THERE IS NO EXCUSE. "But my kids will want the cupcakes."
   
   Here is something important to consider:
   
   If you are overweight or obese, you are setting your child up for failure and a fate that will lead to the same weight loss and gain cycles you have gone through. It's fact. Get rid of it. Find Weight Watchers alternatives for snack foods for you AND your family for low points online and at your meetings.

3. USE E-TOOLS
   
   Weight Watchers e-tools is the online tracking system that allows you to accurately track your points intake and exercise. The points values of most foods are already in the system or you can add a particular item yourself it you can't find it. It also has hundreds of recipes and their points values.

4. WATER
   
   Have it on hand all the time. Walk around with a bottle, have it next to you at work, and keep water in the fridge.

5. EXERCISE
   
   When you are just learning about the program, you won't get to the exercise part until week 3 or 4. When you do, start off at a reasonable pace and amount. Don't burn yourself out. You didn't get fat in 2 months and you aren't going to lose it all in 2 months.
   
   We need to get rid of the "drive thru" mentality that we apply to our lives, especially weight loss. It's not convenient, it doesn't come with fries, and you have to get out of your car and walk to get what you want.

6. GET PREPARED
   
   You need to be prepared to challenge yourself in uncomfortable ways. Exercise will probably be uncomfortable at first but you will adjust. But if you are in pain, stop.

7. GET YOUR HOUSE IN ORDER
   
   When a smoker quits, they do it by getting rid of their cues. They throw away their cigarettes, ash trays, lighters, and find a substitute behavior such as chewing gum. Get rid of your cues. If you come home from work, plop down in front of the tv and eat, rearrange your living room. Make it harder to eat and watch tv by placing the coffee table away from the couches and chairs. Put some new decorations up. Get some paintings. You can cancel your cues by creating new associations. The living room isn't a cue for eating. It's a cue for reading, playing games with the kids, or whatever you decide to do to.

8. DON'T GIVE UP
   
   You will have good days and bad days, good weeks and bad weeks. It happens in life so it will happen in your pursuit of weight loss. Accept it. Acknowledge your mistakes and start again tomorrow.

Tips & Warnings

• Have a bowl of fruit stocked as a quick snack.
• Adhere to a grocery list and stick the outer isles where the fresher and healthier items are.
• If Weight Watchers snacks aren't in your budget, use their recipes to create snacks of your own.
• I recommend the Weight Watchers shakes. I still use them even though I am not following the plan. They fill you and taste very good.
• If you have an eating disorder, don't do Weight Watchers. You will focus on food even more than you do now. Seek medical attention.

Resources

• Weight Watchers

[haphran]

on 3/8/2009 Lots of good info here! Thanks and keep 'em coming! 5 stars