One Two Punch
So, a couple of neat things are going on.
The first: I joined Weight Watchers. I know! So old school. But trust me, this shit works. For me, anyway. The first week was free through some trial offer, every week after that is $5. I never saw the value of paying for a weight loss program until I joined. Now I realize that the relatively small investment actually causes me to feel more committed to the whole thing. I've lost 5 pounds since joining on November 29th. I'm almost out of the 130s. My clothes are fitting better. It's great. Key factors, for me:1. No need to go to meetings.
I don't have time for it, and I don't really want to sit in a support group. I've done my share of that type of thing, and I'm over it. I can use the online tools and do my own thing. 2. You really can eat what you want.
Within reason. I'm allotted so many points per day. A double cheeseburger and fries would probably eat up my entire day's worth of points, but if I want to fast all day and just eat that, I can (I don't, trust me). If I eat moderately and stick to the plan, I can have little treats here and there, and it's no big deal. 3. You can mess up and still lose weight.
Weight Watchers gives you a weekly allowance of extra points to spend. So if you binge on chocolate cake on Thursday, you can just spend some of those allowance points (or all of them, if you eat two slices). You just have to behave yourself for the rest of the week. 4. Healthy eating is encouraged, but not preached.
Vegetables and fruit are mostly all zero points, which encourages you to eat them when you're looking for a snack. But there's no judgment at all about what you do and don't choose to eat. I'm a relatively healthy eater, but I couldn't last a month on Paleo, it was way too restrictive for me. 5. Exercise earns you extra points.
But not that many. This was an eye opener. A long and relatively vigorous ride on the bike earns me a few extra points, but it hardly justifies a binge.
I don't have time for it, and I don't really want to sit in a support group. I've done my share of that type of thing, and I'm over it. I can use the online tools and do my own thing. 2. You really can eat what you want.
Within reason. I'm allotted so many points per day. A double cheeseburger and fries would probably eat up my entire day's worth of points, but if I want to fast all day and just eat that, I can (I don't, trust me). If I eat moderately and stick to the plan, I can have little treats here and there, and it's no big deal. 3. You can mess up and still lose weight.
Weight Watchers gives you a weekly allowance of extra points to spend. So if you binge on chocolate cake on Thursday, you can just spend some of those allowance points (or all of them, if you eat two slices). You just have to behave yourself for the rest of the week. 4. Healthy eating is encouraged, but not preached.
Vegetables and fruit are mostly all zero points, which encourages you to eat them when you're looking for a snack. But there's no judgment at all about what you do and don't choose to eat. I'm a relatively healthy eater, but I couldn't last a month on Paleo, it was way too restrictive for me. 5. Exercise earns you extra points.
But not that many. This was an eye opener. A long and relatively vigorous ride on the bike earns me a few extra points, but it hardly justifies a binge.
The second neat thing is the bike. I love the bike! Charles was SO RIGHT ABOUT THE BIKE. Right now allergies are kind of kicking my ass, so I'm not riding as much as I would like, but I'm seriously, seriously into riding. :)
