I can’t believe it has been almost a year since writing the last post about weight loss. It was a positive post–What happened? Almost a year, and I am 15 pounds heavier than I was back then. First, I had my gallbladder out back in August. I actually lost about 10 pounds before the surgery–I was afraid to eat because the attacks were so painful. Once I recovered from surgery, I started experimenting again with food. All kinds of food and lots of it. I gained back the 10 pounds plus another 15. Sometimes I feel like I will never get back to where I was just a few years ago. It is very discouraging, but at the same time I have been eating as much and whatever I want. What else can I expect? You can’t lose 25 pounds when eating anything and everything.

I am tired of complaining–I know, I said the same thing over and over again last year. But, this time is going to be different. I have been reading the old Weight Watchers weight loss plan. It is from many years ago (about 1985) when they used the exchange system. That was the one that worked for me because it was very structured. In the first few weeks the food choices are very limited. New foods are gradually introduced. I like the idea of knowing how many bread, milk, protein, fruit, and fat exchanges I can have each day. There are thousands of people that lose weight with the point system, but it just doesn’t work for me–too many choices and too many opportunities for failure. Although one thing that always kept me on track was weighing in at WW each week. I am going to follow the old plan and go to the Weight Watcher meetings each week. It will give me incentive and more important accountability. There is a WW meeting nearby on Wednesday morning, so I will be there to weigh in first thing. I did not think about going to the meetings until I started writing this post. The reason I started the blog was to provide support to others that are in the same situation. Hopefully that will be the case, but it certainly helps me to write about my weight loss/gain journey.

This time will prove successful–I feel it. Updates will be posted daily as well as recipes and more information about the plan. Again, my start date is on Wednesday, and I feel positive because now I do have a plan for successful weight loss which is find a WW meeting (done), weigh in, and follow the old plan.

Cheers to success!!

I have tried using the Weight Watchers Point Plus program with no results. Many would say “well, just consume less and you will lose weight”. This is true, but I need more structure. I was very successful back in the late eighties with the old exchange program which was very structured. It was easy to follow and most importantly I lost weight with the program. In fact back in 2008, the last time I lost over 35 lbs, I used the old system–I was fed up with the new points system. I had forgotten about it until a couple of nights ago when I was searching the internet for Weight Watcher programs. Four weeks ago I joined WW again, and had no success with the new program so I decided to search for the older program since I had long ago thrown out all of my booklets. I was able to find enough information here and there to piece together a workable program with some modifications. The exchange system is perfect for people like me that need a more structured weight loss plan. There are still plenty of choices available but you are more restricted as to how much and what you can eat. In the new WW program, there is no reference as to how much carbohydrates should be consumed daily. WW is a great program and works for many people, but the new Points Plus system is not working for me. I am going to try the old exchange system again and let you know how it works for me. As we know, there is not one size fits all when it comes to weight loss. I am going to start my program tomorrow morning. Here is my weight loss chart.

Not dining out as much, eating a variety of fresh foods, and putting my knowledge of cooking and calorie counting to work. Let’s face it, taking in more calories than what are burned means weight gain. It is really very simple, but oh so difficult. I checked out the nutritional information for one of my favorite vegetarian sandwiches. I was shocked to see the sandwich was 800 calories with over 46 grams of fat. Wow!!! One of the reasons I have put on the weight is because, yes we dine out often. I was with my husband for about a year before we got married, and we dined out 4 to 5 nights a week. I was careful about what and more importantly how much I ate. I still cooked some meals at home, but when we did go out we would share a sandwich, appetizer, or an entree. Once I started ordering my own entrees with appetizers, the weight started to creep on. I am now post menopausal and find it very difficult to lose weight. I get very discouraged after watching what I eat for a few days and not seeing any difference on the scale. Before menopause, the pounds would just melt off. I have to stop procrastinating. It is so easy to say I will start this tomorrow. Well, it has been almost three years and I have continued to gain because I put it off until tomorrow. My hair stylist reminded me of the time I told her that I needed to lose about 20 pounds. She was amazed when two months later I walked in 20 pounds lighter. That got me to thinking that I can do it again. Willpower and perserverance are key. So tonight when I get that craving for ice-cream (I actually crave it now), I will instead eat fruit. Yes, I am ready!!
Goals for this week.
1. Preapare lunches instead of picking up fast food.
2. Use my measuring cups and spoons.
3. No nightly ice-cream breaks.
4. Prepare dinner instead of going out for dinner.
5. Walk at least 20 minutes each day