Recent Thoughts About Weight Watchers (and my new favorite food log app!)

Thank you all for the sympathy (and empathy!) on my last post. I'm feeling better about it all today--just trying to deal with one situation at a time. Why does it seem that all the stressful situations happen all at once? Chances are, in a month, I'll feel bored without having all kinds of things going wrong ;)

Like I said yesterday, I'm remembering now why I quit doing Weight Watchers and started counting calories instead. I made the switch from Weight Watchers to calorie counting in 2015, I think.

I certainly don't love counting anything at all--I wish I could eat intuitively and be happy with that. But my emotional eating (stress) makes me eat way too much. So, I think in order to lose this extra weight and maintain the weight loss, I'll always need to track my calories.

Lately, I've been attempting Weight Watchers, but I only count a few times a week (not deliberately--I do plan to track daily). Then I get stressed out about something and derailed from WW. So, here are some thoughts that I've noted since I stated counting Points again...

(To be clear, I'm following the older Flex Plan, counting PointsPlus; not Smart Points.)

*I'd actually forgotten the PointsPlus values for most foods, which was interesting. After counting them for so long, I thought I'd never forget!

*I had to calculate the PointsPlus in my recipes (thankfully, I had the recipes stored in Fat Secret, so I already had the nutrition info calculated--I just had to convert it to PointsPlus).

*I've been tracking calories as well as PointsPlus, simply because it's easier for me and I wanted to do a comparison. I used to think that WW was easier, but now it just seems like a hassle.

*I'm glad I was keeping track of both calories and PointsPlus, because I discovered why sticking with Weight Watchers was so difficult. I was getting less than 1200 calories per day when sticking with my PointsPlus allowance! I even used activity PointsPlus and my calorie count was very low.

*When calorie counting, I used to spend about 300 calories on breakfast, 400-500 calories on lunch, and 500 calories on dinner (plus my bedtime treat, which was usually 200-400 calories). When I lost quite a bit of weight (going from 160 to 121 by calorie counting), I was averaging just under 1,600 calories per day. I didn't feel hungry or deprived. (Here is a detailed post about that.)

*I noticed that when I try to stick with PointsPlus, I'm not as satisfied with my food because I'm purposefully choosing lower fat/lower calorie foods. Personally, I enjoyed calorie counting because I liked having smaller portions of richer foods more than bigger portions of lower fat foods.

*I bought some Smart Ones and Lean Cuisines because they are convenient and fast and easy for my lunches. I usually have one with a piece of fruit. They aren't filling at all! (Even though this lasagna looks NOTHING like the photo, it surprisingly tasted really good; it was just way too small.)

When I used to eat frozen meals before for lunch (counting calories), I would have the Stouffer's ones--they are heartier and more filling.

*To increase my calorie intake without going over my PointsPlus allowance, I ate several fruits and vegetables, but I didn't really want them. I like to eat a piece of fruit once or twice a day, but I don't have the appetite to eat five or six pieces. Also, if I ever want to try to eat intuitively, I don't want to make myself eat things "just because" right now.

Which leads me to my new favorite app...

A blog reader, Jen, emailed me about an app to keep track of calories (along with ALL of the macronutrients, micronutrients, vitamins, and everything you can think of). Since I'm such a numbers person, I downloaded the free version and gave it a try. It's called Cronometer. You don't even have to use the app--there is a web version, too.

I LOVE IT.

More than I liked My Fitness Pal, more than Fat Secret, more than all the other apps I've tried. The database is fantastic, storing recipes is super easy, it's a very clean looking app without bright colors and flashy things.

I never thought I'd be interested in this, but I love seeing the nutrition analysis as I enter foods. I can easily see what vitamins and minerals I'm getting a lot of and what I'm lacking in--something I've never really cared to look at before, but having it so easily available at a glance actually made me want to choose healthier foods.

For instance, I might see that I'm really lacking fiber after breakfast and lunch, so I'll try to choose to make something with more fiber for dinner (likely something with beans).

You can connect the app to devices (like my Garmin!) to keep track of exercise as well.

My very favorite part of the app, though, and what sets it apart from other apps I've used, is that when you enter a recipe, it keeps track of the weight of all the ingredients in grams--this is the BEST because there is no dividing recipes into four equal portions or whatever when you're done cooking. The app calculates how many grams the entire recipe weighs, and you can vary portion sizes however you want...

I can just fill my plate or bowl with however much I want to eat, and weigh it on the food scale. Then I just enter the weight of my portion, and it calculates the nutrients in that portion. In most cases, I've been able to do that with particular foods on other apps, but never for recipes.

(In the photo above, I selected "1 serving" which is 376 grams. But you can change that to any amount of grams you want without having to mess around with the number of servings.) I LOVE not having to equally portion out dinner before eating, just so I can get an accurate calorie count.

More screen shots from the nutrition in the recipe shows how many nutrients you can view:

The free version of the app is totally fine for everything I need, but I did end up buying the premium version for one reason--Jerry can "friend me" to view and track my recipes on his own (free version) app. So when I make dinner, he just searches for the recipe like any other food, and my recipe will show up. He enters his portion and adds it to his log. It's a huge convenience/time saver for him.

Once I tried out that app, I was hooked. I know I've been so back and forth about everything having to do with weight loss lately. I was really excited about trying Weight Watchers again, but that fizzled out quickly when I started remembering the things I really didn't like about it. I was bored with calorie counting, which is why I wanted to try WW again in the first place.

But this Cronometer app helped a lot because it's new to me (which keeps me from being bored, at least for a while) and because I found I really like seeing the analysis of my diet at a glance. It actually makes me WANT to eat healthier.

I've still been stress eating, but I've actually been tracking it anyway. And some days I do really well; others, not so much. Either way, it's been fun using the new app. (Thank you, Jen!)

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First Week Back on Weight Watchers

Last week, I wrote about starting Weight Watchers again (not going to meetings or doing it online or anything--just following the PointsPlus Points plan that I did several years ago). I was ready to change something up because I just wasn't sticking with calorie counting, and I really want to drop these extra pounds I've picked up.

I also wrote out a 33-week training plan to get ready for the Detroit Half Marathon in October. My friend Adam and I are going to run it together, and rather than jump right into a running plan, I'm starting from the very bottom as far as training goes. I decided to drag it out because it's 33 weeks away, and I feel like I will enjoy it more this way.

I decided to do my Six-Month Half Marathon Plan for Beginners (which will be seven weeks from now). That plan starts out super easy--it's for people who haven't yet started running. So, my plan is to start now by just walking three times a week for the first seven weeks, and then start the training plan... as if I was a true beginner.

Anyway, I'm going to call this past week "Week 0" as far as Weight Watchers. It was hard to get back into the routine of counting points! I did manage to count PointsPlus for four days out of seven. The weekend was super busy and I didn't plan ahead, so I didn't do great.

However, I got my Weight Watchers materials in the mail a couple of days ago (I ordered them on eBay) and I started a 12-week tracking book today. The materials I got are great! Not only the tracker, but look at all this stuff:

Not pictured is the WW PointsPlus calculator that came with it, too. (I know I can use an app, but I really want to go old school with a paper journal and calculator.)

I really like the "Success Handbook" and "Find Your Fingerprint" books--I'd never seen those before. They're actually workbooks about the mental side of losing weight. It'll take me forever to actually read through them, but I had no idea that they existed when I was doing the plan before.

Anyway, it was fun to get the materials (I had all of this stuff before--except for those books--and it was kind of nostalgic looking through it).

Today, I spent some time calculating PointsPlus for the dinners I plan to make this week. Planning it out ahead of time was crucial when I was doing WW before. When days are busy and hectic, knowing what I'm going to cook and how many PP it's going to be makes the plan much less stressful.

SO, I'll consider last week a warm-up for this week ;)  I counted four days, which is four more than I counted in who knows how long. So it was semi-successful.

Also, I actually did start my walking plan this week. I LOVE that there is no pressure as far as pace or heart rate or anything like that. Just simply walking 30 minutes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I even printed out my plan on orange paper and stuck it on the fridge so that it glares at me.

The weather has been really mild this winter, and lately, it's been getting into the 40's and even 50's. On Monday, I took Eli to get new shoes and a haircut, and then we went to pick up Noah from school. We got there way too early, and had 35 minutes to kill.

Eli stayed in the car to play a game on his phone, but I took the opportunity to walk around the college campus for 30 minutes. I wasn't prepared--I was wearing jeans and boots (soft boots), but it didn't matter because I didn't need a Garmin or heart rate monitor or anything to just walk for 30 minutes.

So, I set the timer on my phone and I started walking. I walked a fairly brisk pace, but again--that wasn't my focus. I felt so... free? I'm not sure what the word is for how it felt. It was just really nice to go for an impromptu walk without an agenda.

Late last night, it started snowing. And it hasn't stopped since! The kids' schools were canceled today, but I have no idea why because the roads were totally fine. It was warm outside, and the snow was melting as soon as it hit the pavement (but it was sticking to the grass and trees).

It's the only kind of snow that I really like--when it's warm enough outside to not have to bundle up, and the snow is super light and feathery. It sticks to the trees and looks beautiful, but it doesn't cause the roads to be slippery.

I decided to take Joey for a walk at around 10:00 this morning. We walked to my parents' house and back (which is two miles round trip when I take a certain route) so even though I wasn't keeping track of the time, I am sure it was at least 30 minutes. I wasn't cruising, so I know I didn't do 15-minute miles; probably more like 17 or 18. Again, it's nice not to know!

Joey was thrilled to run around in the snow (we stopped at my parents' house, so I let him off leash for a few minutes).

I've been in a lot of pain today--all of my joints are aching. This happens to me once in a while, and I hate it. I told my doctor about it, and he said it could be from the change in weather--the barometric pressure or something. I started paying attention to when it happens, and I think he might be right! (As crazy as it sounds.)

I've noticed that whenever we have a relatively dramatic shift in temperatures (like the 50 degree temps to all the snow today), my whole body hurts. Today was really bad. Other than my walk, I had a pretty lazy day, watching a couple of documentaries. I'm hoping I can get some sleep tonight. I just can't get comfortable!

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Weight Fluctuations: Comparison Photos of All My Gains and Losses Through the Years

As almost anyone who has lost a significant amount of weight will tell you, weight loss is not linear.

There are certainly people who drop a large amount of weight and keep it off (to within a few pounds) for years--even decades (I hate those people!)--but I am not one of them. 

I started losing weight 10-1/2 years ago (can you believe it's been that long?). And in that amount of time, my weight has gone from 253 pounds at my highest to 121 pounds at my lowest, and lots of places in between. Here is a photo of the most drastic difference--I've seen it a million times, but it still kind of blows my mind. The left photo was from 2009 and the right was in 2016.

Anyway, I've given a lot of thought over why the ups and downs in weight happens, and for me, it's due to all sorts of different things--mostly different points in my life and what's going on at the time. I'm a stress eater, and when I have a lot of stress in my life, well, I gain weight. I also have bipolar disorder, and when I have periods of hypomania, I have an easier time losing the weight. Depression causes me to gain weight.

There is one thing that remains constant, though. Whenever I eat less, I lose weight. Simple! I either count calories or Weight Watchers Points, but when I am actively measuring out my food and logging it, I lose weight. It's never failed me.

Over the last decade, I've tried eating a whole foods diet, intuitive eating, intermittent fasting, various challenges that I usually quit, and more, but I've never found those things sustainable for very long. I'm a big numbers person, and I need the accountability of measuring out my portions and logging them. Even if I just give an honest estimate on occasion, like when I go to a wedding or something, it works.

I'm super super bummed that all of my Weight Watchers journals/food logs are missing. I think they must have gotten thrown away somehow when I was remodeling or when I cleaned the house and got rid of a TON of stuff in 2017. I can't even being to tell you how upset I was not to be able to find them! They had so much information.

However, there is nothing I can do about it now. I've searched every square inch of my house and garage, and they are just gone. 

Without the books, it was hard to put together today's post. But I looked up everything I did have on apps and my blog and all that to try to put it together. Some of the numbers may be a little off, but I did my best to make it accurate! 

Anyway, here is a timeline (in photos and commentary) of the significant weight losses I've had over the last 10 years. I'm not saying I'm *proud* that my weight has gone up and down--I wish I could keep it steady!--but I just thought it would be fun to see. The times in between these periods were spent gaining weight, as you'll read in the commentary. To see my weight graphs, you can check out this post: Weight Timeline.

So, here are some comparison photos of the times I dropped some weight that I'd gained. I'm hoping this helps me to see that I can do it again. Today is Day 1 of counting Weight Watchers PointsPlus. I'm feeling really excited about it!

I started losing weight on August 19, 2003 using the Weight Watchers Winning Points plan. The further I went with it, the easier it got because I was seeing progress. I didn't go over my points during a single week for an entire year! No binges. And I lost weight every single week.

I continued to lose weight after this, but I was on and off again trying to count Points, and then binge eating, and emotional eating. I stayed around 143 until I broke my jaw in November. With my liquid diet and my jaw being wired shut, I dropped down to 128. But as soon as the wires came off, I gained it right back... plus some, as you can see below!

I challenged myself to consciously cut calories and get my weight down as low as I could before having skin removal surgery in November 2011. I got down to 143 before surgery, and then the doctor removed two pounds of skin. I continued with a lower calorie diet until I reached 133 pounds (it wasn't my goal weight at the time--128 was--but I changed it after realizing that 128 felt unattainable).

After this, I started marathon training, and compensated all the running with extra food. I ate too much during the training, and after the marathon in May, I continued to eat poorly except I wasn't exercising enough to keep from gaining.

After having a hard time at the half-marathon I ran in Minnesota with Renee, and then seeing my photos, I really wanted to drop the extra weight before the filming of From Fat to Finish Line.

I had shunned the Weight Watchers Flex plan when they rolled it out in 2010, because I really liked the Winning Points plan. However, because I felt like I needed a change, I decided to give the Flex (PointsPlus) plan a try for just six weeks--and if I hated it, then I'd at least be able to say I tried.

Much to my surprise, I actually really liked it! I still had the flexibility to eat whatever I wanted, just in smaller portions. It wasn't complicated with too many rules to follow. And Jerry's employer was paying for Weight Watchers at Work for employees and spouses! It was easy to follow once I got the hang of it.

I actually reached my (new) official goal weight of 133 on 12-12-12! I was thrilled. When I hit my Weight Watchers goal weight (different from my personal goal weight), I had to keep it off and then weigh in within two pounds six weeks later in order to make "Lifetime" status. The timing was horrible--I was in Miami/Key West for the week before I had to weigh in! I actually did it, though. I maintained my weight on a trip to Key West. I weighed in and made Lifetime!

Stephanie took a photoshoot of me (second photo above) and I couldn't believe it was me. Seeing my before and after photos was unbelievable.

Then again, life happened. I started training for the Chicago Marathon and was running a LOT--200 miles a month at one point--and maintained my weight within 10 pounds for the rest of the year. By April of 2014, however, I was back in the 150's. I had stopped counting PointsPlus (I can't remember why--maybe depression after the race, maybe stress, I'm not sure).

I tried off and on all year to lose the weight, but I just couldn't stick with anything. Then in December, I got a stress fracture in my left fibula. It really messed up my running schedule. I'd been planning to run the Detroit Half Marathon in October 2015 with Jerry and Thomas, but after trying to continue to run (and constantly re-injuring it), I finally decided to give it the six weeks it needed to heal.

In the meantime, I decided to give calorie counting a good try so I could drop some weight. I also made the following declaration to Thomas while feeling stubborn one day: "I'm going to get back to my goal weight and run a PR in the 10K in the spring". At the time I said that, I was 160 pounds and my 10K pace was 11:00/mile. (For a PR, I'd need a 7:55/mile pace.) It was a crazy goal. But after that bold statement, I was determined to do it.

I started counting calories until my fracture healed, and then started training...

I couldn't BELIEVE the transformation from my calorie counting and 10K training. I tried training differently, and I think that helped me to drop to my lowest adult weight of 121. I wasn't even trying to keep losing weight after I hit my goal of 133--it just kept coming off. I kicked ass in the 10K, running 49:03 (a 17-second PR). 

After that race, it was like a ton of bricks fell right on top of me. I fell into a deep depression that lasted 10 months. I had to really push myself to do the necessary tasks of daily life. I think I had been very hypomanic during my training and then after the race, I felt burnt out and disappointed it was over, and I just melted into the depression.

In February, I saw my primary care doctor who highly recommended I see a psychiatrist. (I had been on a waiting list to see one for months--it's impossible to get mental health care!). My primary care doctor suspected I had bipolar, which I thought was ridiculous. The photo of me below is when I hit rock bottom mentally--you can't tell by my fake smile in the picture, but I felt worse than ever before. 

In fact, the reason I was wearing that shirt was because I'd called my friend John in San Diego just a few hours earlier and asked if I could get a flight to his house that day to stay a few days with him and his husband, Ric. They are two of the kindest people I know, and John helps so many people with mental health just by being aware and truly caring.

I felt like I just needed them. I felt like it was a choice between San Diego or the hospital to help my mental health. I decided to try San Diego first. I got on a plane that very day and went to stay with John and Ric. I came home feeling recharged, but still felt like I needed to see a psychiatrist.

In April, I was finally able to get in to a psychiatrist. I liked him so much right away. I wrote the whole story about it here, which explains everything. But ultimately, I was diagnosed with bipolar and I started medication for it. Four days later, I felt like a different person. A million times better. And most of 2017 was AMAZING. I think the meds put me into a hypomanic state for a little while while I got used to them, but I haven't had a significant hypomanic state since then. 

The name of the game in 2017 was to do what made me happy! I quit running and I started eating whatever I wanted to eat (and NOT eat when I wasn't hungry... I quit the emotional eating because I was happy!). I all-but stopped drinking alcohol--simply because I didn't feel the need to "relax" or "relieve anxiety". I was happy. The weight just came off easily, and I was back down to my goal weight within a few months.

I started to feel mildly depressed again at the end of the year (nothing at all like before, though!). Just not so "crazy" happy. The meds felt like they were doing their job--keeping me from being too low or too high with my moods. And they've been doing that ever since! I do have periods of depression and hypomania here and there, but they are like gentle waves rather than huge crashing ones. 

I stayed between 160-170 for over a year, usually in the mid-160's. However, the last month or so, I've been avoiding the scale because I'm sure it's up again, maybe even the mid-170's (in my mind, I feel like it's going to read 253 pounds again). I didn't look today--I had Jerry write it down for me--but I'll look at it when I weigh in next week. 

Today is Day 1 of Weight Watchers Flex Points. I feel very optimistic about it. It helps a lot that my friend Adam is being super supportive (he's not doing Weight Watchers, but we are both reading an inspiring book and we made plans to run the Detroit Half together in October. 

My sister is doing Weight Watchers as well, and she's doing awesome with it. She texts daily to see how things are going and to give me ideas of what she's eating, etc. Jerry is also doing Weight Watchers again.

This post is so much longer than I anticipated! Like I said, I didn't post these photos because I'm "proud" of all the times I lost weight--hahaha. I just wanted to show that weight loss (or MINE, anyway) doesn't have a finish line. I'm constantly having to work on it, and sometimes I just don't have the energy to put as much effort into it as other times. Last year was the worst yet! (I'm almost positive it was due to stress). 

I need to start working on stress reduction, and maybe that will help me continue on with Weight Watchers. Let's hope so! :)

And because I never post photos anymore, here is one from literally right now. I'm sitting in the waiting room at Noah's doctor's appointment as I type this post, so I took a quick selfie--no make-up, hair a complete mess, and looking totally unsure of myself (there is no one else in this room, otherwise I wouldn't have the nerve to take a selfie, haha)

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Weight Loss Update: Julie's 100-Pound Weight Loss, 3 Years Later

Today, I have a guest post from Julie. A few years ago, she shared a bit about her weight loss for the 100th Motivational Monday post (20 people who had lost 100+ pounds). I always love to hear from people who have been working at maintenance for a while, and I'm excited to share her update with you! Here is what's been going on with her, and her weight maintenance, for the last three years. 

I am so excited to be writing this update for you on my weight loss journey. Not for the reasons that you might be thinking, however.

Since writing the first story about my 100 pound weight loss for Katie’s blog three years ago, I have struggled to keep the weight off! Yep, people, the struggle is real. However, losing that 100 pounds has changed my life so dramatically that sometimes I still have to pinch myself because I can’t believe that I am living this life.

After losing 100 pounds in 16 months, I did pretty good at keeping my weight at or around 140 pounds for a solid three years. I was running five days a week and entering a lot of road races. I went from 5K's to 10K's, and eventually signed up for my first half marathon.

I was enjoying my new body! I started a fashion Pinterest board and began to buy beautiful new clothes. The day that I was finally able to shop at Ann Taylor Loft and White House Black Market was magical. Being able to pick out clothes that I wanted to wear instead just buying whatever fit me was a game changer. I was feeling so good about my life!

Then, my weight crept up to about 147 pounds 2016. However, it wasn’t so bad. I still felt great! I was still running 4-5 days a week and I began lifting weights three days a week, working with a trainer. I was feeling very strong.

I turned 50 that year and never felt better. I felt better at 50 than I did at 40, for sure! The year that I turned 50, I decided to check an item off my bucket list by walking the Camino de Santiago. The Camino de Santiago is a 500 mile walk across Spain!

I started my walk in June in St. Jean Pied de Port, France, and reached Santiago, Spain 31 days later. For me, it was a spiritual journey that changed my life in so many ways, but that’s a story for another time. I know, however, that I would not have been able to complete that pilgrimage if I had still weighed 243 pounds.

And, by the way, when you are walking 13 to 20 miles a day, you can pretty much eat whatever you want and NOT GAIN WEIGHT. I ate ice cream every day! Sometimes more than one. Funny, though, other pilgrims were losing dramatic amounts of weight, but nope--not me. On the bright side, I didn’t track my eating for 35 days and I didn’t gain any weight! That was a new concept for me.

In 2017, I began to slowly gain more weight and I was weighing in consistently at about 153 pounds. I was trying to get that 10 pounds off, but nothing seemed to be working. I continued to run and lift weights, so I was still feeling strong--pretty good, actually. But the weight was just not coming off. Since I still felt so good, I guess maybe I wasn’t trying too hard to lose it!

Weekends have always been so hard for me. I love to have good meals with my family, which usually include beer or wine, and I just haven’t been willing to give that up. I was still signing up for road races and by this time, a few of my friends had taken up running, too. We made it a goal to sign up and run at least one road race per month.

In 2017, I also decided to start a 5K road race here in the town that I live in, San Juan Bautista, with the proceeds benefiting the students of San Juan School (where I teach 3rd grade). Thankfully, the race was very successful! (We actually had our 2nd Annual Fiesta Fun Run this past May. We included a 5K, 10K, and 1 Mile Fun Run and doubled our participants!)

Then came 2018--the year I decided to run my first full marathon. Yikes!

The training was much more intense than I thought it would be. It was hard to get all my runs in and and continue to work full time. I was always exhausted and I got sick three times during the winter and spring.

During my marathon training, I decided to take a break from weight lifting. I just didn’t have enough time (or energy!) in my day. My appetite amped up right along with my mileage. I was always hungry. So I started eating more and was not able to stay within my daily Weight Watchers points goal and earn my blue dots (which are earned by eating within a certain healthy range every day).

It was frustrating but I needed the calories! I was still weighing in at about 153, not gaining weight but not losing either. (Don’t most people lose weight when they train for a marathon? Ugh!).

I finally ran my first marathon on April 28, 2018. It was the Big Sur International Marathon and the route was majestic! But it was SO. FREAKIN’. HARD. There was hill after hill after hill!

For a brief moment during the marathon at mile 21, I thought that I might not make it to the finish line. Yep! I hit that proverbial wall. But, I pulled up my big girl panties, prayed a couple of “Our Father’s” and “Hail Mary’s”, and was able to shuffle my way across the finish line. I earned that coveted medal!

Needless to say, I stopped running the next day. At first, it was just for recovery. I kept telling myself that you’re not supposed to run for three weeks after a marathon, right? And remember, I was no longer lifting weights either. So, basically, I wasn’t doing anything. But, I was still eating. A lot! I still had a huge appetite.

You know what happens when you don’t exercise but you still eat like you are, right? You gain weight, people! And that’s just what I did. The scale crept up to 163 pounds. YIKES!!

Now that it is summer and I am on vacation (the benefit of being a school teacher), I have gotten back into running and weight training. For the past month, I have been running 4-5 days a week as I train for a half marathon in September.

I’ll being running The Giant Race, which is a half that I love and have run for the past 3 years. It’s in San Francisco and the finish line is on the Giant’s home field at AT&T Park. It’s so fun and I am totally motivated to train for it!

I’m also back to weight training at the gym three days a week. I missed weight training and I like the way I feel when I am doing it consistently. I feel strong and I love the way my body looks when I more muscular. It’s not perfect, my body. Never has been and never will be.

But after losing 100 pounds, weight training is the one thing that has made me feel more confident about the way my body looks. The muscles help fill up the loose skin, kind of.

I have been working very hard at eating to lose weight. The scale is going down slowly. I am at 159 pounds right now. Though every day is a struggle, I am not going to give up! I will never give up at this weight loss thing. My weight may go up a little and down a little; it’s the ebb and flow of life. But I will always work at being healthy and strong and living my best life!

Julie Castaneda-Hicks lives in San Juan Bautista, California, with her husband of 28 years, Micheal Hicks. She is the mother of two adult children, Ashley, who is 25 years old, and Zachary, who is 23 years old. She has been teaching at her local elementary school for 25 years, where she currently teaches 3rd grade.

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What I Wish I Knew When I Started Losing Weight

As I have been maintaining my weight for the last several months (I never dreamed I'd be able to say those words!), I've been learning new things about myself that give me some insight into the mental aspects of losing such a large amount of weight.

I lost 125 pounds in 16 months (from August 19, 2009 until December 15, 2010). Even though I lost the weight at a healthy rate, dropping 125 pounds (nearly half of my body weight) was quite drastic. Sixteen months is not a lot of time to fully grasp what is happening, and I always felt like I was trying to catch up mentally.

But first, my current Wednesday Weigh-In (from yesterday):

Each week that goes by that I stay close to goal, I am surprised. I don't think I will ever NOT feel surprised by it. One thing that has changed about my mentality (for the better) is that I don't fret over the number being up or down when it's within reason. For example, if I weigh in at 132 one week, and then 134 the next, I don't think, "Oh, I gained! What did I do differently? How am I going to explain this?"

I wish I knew when I started losing weight that small gains don't necessarily mean that I did something "wrong" to cause the gain. Sometimes gains just happen for no reason. 

Until recently, I would feel like I had to explain why my weight was up two pounds in a week. Now, I don't think anything of it (except for my vacation weight gain--that was a six-pound gain, which is significant enough to mention). But as long as I'm not binge eating or consistently overeating, I don't worry about the actual number on the scale. I trust that it will stay within reason.

It has taken me a LONG time (a lifetime, actually) to get to this point. Even though I knew, logically, that weight fluctuates for all sorts of reasons, I always felt like I needed an explanation for it. I felt like gaining was a bad thing. I felt pressured to take it back off, no matter how small the gain. I think this came from years of dieting.

I wish I'd known how much damage that sort of pressure to lose weight would do to my mentality.

Weight Watchers was especially damaging. At meetings, when I would weigh in and my weight was down, I was congratulated and told I did a good job. I was a "good dieter" that week.

However, when I weighed in and my weight was up, even just a couple of ounces, the receptionist would look at me with sympathy and ask if I had a bad week, or if I was struggling to stay on track, or even say, "Don't worry, you'll take it off this week!". This made me feel like any gain at all was a bad thing. "Don't worry"? So that means a small gain is a reason to worry?

Nobody noticed I was losing weight until I'd lost about 40 pounds. That's a lot of weight to lose! It was discouraging that it wasn't very noticeable, but I kept reminding myself that eventually, I would drop some clothing sizes. I looked forward to that, and I always had a pair of jeans handy in my closet--a size too small, so I could try them on frequently until they fit.

I wish I had known that it was going to take a very long time for the loss to be noticeable. 

I felt so disappointed when it wasn't noticeable, and I wished I'd been prepared for that. I needed to be patient. It wasn't until I'd lost 40 pounds that I noticed a difference (and that others did, too).

When I had lost a decent amount of weight, I started getting so many compliments as I got smaller. It felt wonderful! My self-esteem was growing with each pound lost and each size I dropped.

I wish I knew ahead of time just how insecure I would start to feel regarding the compliments. 

I started to question what people thought of me before I lost the weight because I very rarely received compliments on how I looked. When everyone was suddenly telling me how great I looked, I started to wonder about how I would feel if I gained the weight back. It would make me feel very insecure about how I looked.

The above photo shows my weight loss in 10 pound increments, starting at 253 in the top left and going clockwise, ending in the middle.

I know that people had good intentions, and I appreciated the compliments so much--it felt great that people noticed and recognized my hard work, and it kept me wanting to keep going. It just left a little nagging thought in my mind about being extra careful not to gain the weight back.

Once I got to a certain point in my weight loss--it was when I reached the 140's, actually--I had a bit of a breakdown. I felt completely panicked. Everyone had seen me drop over a hundred pounds, and they seemed to like me more (I know that is probably not true, but it's what was going through my head at the time). I started to think about what would happen if I gained the weight back (and statistically, there was a 95% chance I would).

I even started to wish that I'd never lost the weight in the first place. 

I feared my relationships with friends and family would change if I gained the weight back; I feared that I'd never be able to maintain my weight; I feared that gaining it back would destroy me mentally.

I wish that I had known how much fear I would feel as I dropped more and more weight. 

For a few weeks, this panic was deep in my gut and it gnawed at me. It was too late to turn back, is what I kept thinking. If I had only lost 10 pounds or so, I would not have felt this way; but once I got to the point where the weight loss was very noticeable, people would then know if I was having a tough time because the gain would be just as noticeable.

I also got very scared about the number going down lower than I ever expected. The 140's were unbelievable to me (I hadn't weighed that little since I was in the fifth grade--and that was extremely overweight for a fifth grader, so I never enjoyed being that weight).

When I hit the 130's, I was completely in shock. I wasn't feeling panicky, like I did when I hit 149, but I was feeling like it was truly unbelievable. And I started to get excited about it. I was thrilled that I was approaching the weight that most of my "thin" friends were.

I finally felt like I just fit in (physically) when I was with others. For the first time in my entire life, I wasn't "the fat friend" that stood out when in a group. I loved that I blended in. I wasn't craving attention at all--I just wanted to be like one of them.

When I started losing the weight, and was actually sticking with my plan, I felt thrilled that I was doing it. After I lost the first 10 pounds, I excitedly asked Jerry to take a comparison picture so I could see the difference for myself.

And just like that, I was devastated when I saw the photos side by side. You couldn't see one bit of difference! I was so disappointed, and I contemplated quitting trying to lose weight. I didn't feel like the sacrifices I was making were worth it.

I wish I had known that the way I looked wasn't the only change I had to look forward to.

I shouldn't have felt disappointment--I should have felt proud that for once in my life, I was doing something that was healthy for ME. And I was feeling better. There were several non-scale changes that I should have been proud of instead of fretting over the fact that the weight loss wasn't visible yet.

When I got under 200 pounds or so, I became very rigid about my eating plan. I was following Weight Watchers' Points system, and I was meticulous about counting my Points, weighing my food, etc. I was so determined to keep dropping the weight that I didn't want anything to stop me.

In retrospect, I wish I hadn't been so strict.

There were several parties or events that I feel like I missed out on because of it. For example, my wine club would get together once a month to try different wines and pair them with food. Unless I knew exactly how many points were in things, I avoided them. I wouldn't eat things like homemade cookies because I didn't know all of the ingredients and therefore, the number of Points it contained.

I wish I'd have known that estimating the number of Points (or calories) was totally okay, and wouldn't affect my weight loss much (if at all). 

As I lost weight, I became closer with several friends who I started having more in common with (Renee, for example, because I'd started running halfway through my weight loss; we had conversations about running and races.)

I wish I had known how much my weight loss would affect my friendships.

On the other hand, I became more distant with other friends. Some people were clearly jealous, which made me sad. I wasn't trying to do anything other than improve myself. These "friends" would come up with lots of reasons I should stop what I was doing. When I got down to about 165 pounds, some of them would even tell me that I was "too skinny" and I should put some of the weight back on.

My sister and I were never very close before--she is eight years old than me, and she moved to Illinois when I was in my early 20's. She's my polar opposite--thin and curvy, blond hair, extroverted. When I was losing a lot of weight, she started calling me frequently to see how it was going. I had always looked up to her, and I was so excited that she was showing interest in my life. She was super supportive.

This is why, then, I became very insecure as I continued to lose weight. I worried that if I gained the weight back, my sister and I wouldn't be close anymore.

I wish I had known how much my weight loss would affect my close relationships.

As far as my marriage, Jerry was complimenting me more and more frequently. He had always complimented me often, even when I was at my heaviest; but as I got thinner, I could tell that he liked my new figure better. And I began to fear that I would never feel pretty to him again if I gained the weight back.

I wish I had known how much more there was to weight loss than smaller jeans.

  As I've written above, there is a LOT that I wish I had known before I started losing the weight. The biggest is the constant fear of gaining it back. I wish I was able to shove that out of my mind, but that fear is so ingrained in my brain that it just may be there forever.

There were several positive things I learned along the way, though, too. Like I wrote above, I learned to make peace with the scale and the small gains that come frequently. I learned that enjoying life is worth far more than the number on the scale, and I won't miss out on things for fear of gaining weight. I learned that the number on the scale is only one small measure of success; there are so many other benefits to losing the weight.

It's been nearly seven years since I lost 125 pounds. As I've stated, I keep learning new things about weight loss and maintenance (and even weight gain). When I first started losing weight, I expected it to be a simple process (not *easy*, but simple)--drop the weight, and reap the benefits. There are so many emotions that go along with weight loss, and even though a lot of them were unexpected for me, I'm glad to have experienced them!

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Lose Weight Eating Only the Foods You Love

I've been doing a ton of updating on my blog recently (reorganizing everything) and I've come across some old posts that I'd forgotten about. This one from December 2011 in particular struck me--I thought, "Wow, that's a good post--why have I not shared that more?". I started it by answering the frequently asked question, "How many calories did you eat to lose the weight?"; but it explained so well the point I always try to make when giving advice to someone who asks about how I lost the weight: you don't have to eat foods you hate in order to lose weight.

The biggest change I made when I was successful at finally dropping the excess 100+ pounds in 2009-2010 was that I didn't force myself to eat salads, yogurt, and grilled fish every day. I chose to eat the foods I love and just eat smaller portions. When I first started, I had no idea if it was going to work in the grand scheme of things; but now I know.

So, I thought I'd revive this old post from 2011 :) Hopefully it's useful!

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Something that a lot of people ask me is how many calories I ate while I was losing weight. I don't like answering this concretely, because what worked for me may be (and probably will be) different from other people. So please keep that in mind!

I decreased the calories a little as I lost, but it ROUGHLY breaks down to this: when I first started, I was eating probably about 1800 calories per day (I was counting Weight Watchers Points, not calories, so I can't say for sure). Then I cut back a little at a time, and when I reached a "normal" BMI, I was probably eating 1400-1600 per day.

On days that I ran, I would usually eat more--if I ran 6 miles, for example, I would eat about half of the calories I burned on top of my daily calories. So burning 600 calories would allow me to eat 300 + my daily calorie intake. (In Weight Watchers terms, this equated to eating all of the Activity Points I earned, on top of my daily Points target.)

SparkPeople suggested that I eat 1200-1550 calories per day, and I tried that; but I was starving and bitchy, and it led to binges. So I experimented for a while with different amounts until I found an amount that allowed me to be satisfied and not feel like I was totally deprived, but still allowed me to lose weight. You just have to experiment to see what is right for you. I was not willing to live on 1200 calories per day forever, so I didn't do it then. That's not much food, and doesn't allow for any indulgences; nobody wants to live that way!

A mistake that I think a lot of people make is to try eating 1200 calories a day, realize that it totally sucks, and then they quit. Instead of quitting, try eating 1600 calories a day and see if you lose weight; or 1800, or 1500...etc. I learned that the all-or-nothing mentality is what made me fail so many times in the past. I followed the plan 100% or not at all--and I would always fail. Once I started to make my own "rules", I learned what I could live with and be happy with.

I feel the same way about Weight Watchers Points. A lot of people think that they shouldn't eat their weekly points or their activity points, in hopes of losing weight faster. But usually what happens is they feel so deprived that they quit instead of just using their extra points (I did that many times in the past!). I would suggest using all the Points you're allowed and see how it works; at least then you won't feel like you're starving. Even if Weight Watchers recommends that you eat 29 points per day, there is nothing wrong with trying 35 points a day at first and see if you lose weight. You can adjust as needed.

If there is one thing that I learned while losing weight this time around, it's that there isn't a single plan out there that works for everybody. We have to pick and choose from our plan what we are willing to do--not just what we can do to lose the weight, but what we are willing to do forever.

There is no way that I am willing to commit to working out for an hour six days a week for the rest of my life--so I chose a number that worked for me. I committed to 30 minutes, three days per week (occasionally I do more, when I'm training for a race, but I've only committed to three days). Three is do-able for me. Six is not. We don't have to answer to anybody but ourselves.

As far as calories go, and what I ate to lose weight... I didn't eat anything that I didn't want to. There are so many different foods out there to choose from that there is no reason that you should force yourself to eat celery sticks and broiled fish (unless you really enjoy those foods, of course!). Even people who have dietary restrictions for medical reasons can choose the foods they love that fit into their guidelines.

For example, I don't like salad; but I do like roasted cauliflower. So I ate what I enjoyed (the cauliflower) and skipped the salad. I was still getting healthy vegetables; but it was food I liked, and not what I felt I "should" be eating.

Something else that I did as part of my daily routine (and still do) is to eat a dessert every single day. Not just fruit, or sugar-free Jello or something like that. I picked an indulgent dessert for about 300 calories, and I set aside those calories at the beginning of the day to make room for them. I ate fairly healthy all day long, trying to get a good variety of foods--only things I enjoyed--and then at night, I would indulge in my dessert that I had planned out ahead of time.

That dessert gave me something to look forward to all day while staying on track. That dessert made it so much easier to say 'no' to tempting foods during the day when I knew I was going to have an awesome treat that night. We don't have to eat only health foods to lose weight. We can work some junk food into our diets. Chances are, if you're anything like the obese me, you're eating a lot of junk food now as it is; so planning on one dessert would actually be cutting back. It was cutting back for me, anyway! ;)

Finally, in order to be successful while counting calories, it's important to be honest with ourselves. I highly recommend measuring or weighing out portions (I prefer to weigh). I can't stress this enough. It's so easy to guesstimate the amount of oatmeal or cereal or something we're going to eat; but when we take the time to measure/weigh it out, we are getting the exact amount that we are counting the calories for. As much of a pain in the ass as it sounds, I actually weighed out, on a food scale, everything that I ate.

Some people, however, aren't willing to weigh/measure food--and that's fine! Remember, I said we should only make changes that we're willing to make. Just try to make your best guess and be honest with yourself. You might lose weight a little slower than if you weighed/measured your food, but you'll still be making a conscious effort to eat less calories, and the weight will come off.

Losing weight is a ton of work. If someone expects it to be easy, they're going to have a much harder time. It takes a lot of time and dedication to weigh out portions, plan meals, and keep track of calories. Most people are so disappointed to hear that THIS is how I lost the weight--by putting in a lot of work! But if you're willing to do the work, then you'll definitely see the results.

For the past year, I've been experimenting with "intuitive eating" or "mindful eating" or "normal eating" in order to not have to count calories forever. It's been extremely difficult, but I'm learning a lot about myself and why I eat. I still believe that counting calories is the best way to lose weight at first--for at least 6 months to a year--to get used to smaller portions, having accountability, having structure, getting into a routine, etc.

Ultimately, I would love to be able to eat intuitively and maintain my goal weight though! However, I've accepted that this may not happen, and I'm okay with that.

I hope this is helpful for anyone who is thinking about counting calories. The most important things to remember are: 1) Only eat foods you truly like; 2) You don't have to follow someone else's guidelines--make up your own plan that works for you; and 3) You'll probably have to do some experimenting to see what works and what you can stick with for the long haul--but don't quit!

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Calories vs. Weight Watchers SmartPoints comparison

Last week, I weighed in at Weight Watchers and got the materials for their new Beyond the Scale: SmartPoints plan. It definitely did not sound like the right plan for me (especially when I saw that my beloved dried cherries were 8 "SmartPoints" for a quarter cup!), but I was curious as to how many SmartPoints I'd eaten each day this week. I used the new Weight Watchers app to calculate my SmartPoints at the end of each day, just out of curiosity.

For reference, if I was doing Weight Watchers, my daily target to MAINTAIN my weight would be 36 SmartPoints per day, plus 28 SmartPoints per week. If I was trying to LOSE weight, my daily target would be just 30 SmartPoints per day, plus 28 SmartPoints per week.

I did not calculate the SmartPoints each day--I only did it after the week was over. I'd eaten the foods I normally eat, and I counted calories like usual. Note that this was a crazy week with Jerry's ER visits and all that, so my calories were rather low on a few days; but even on my low days, I was shocked by the high number of SmartPoints I'd eaten.)

Here is the result:

W: 1,681 calories; 65 SmartPoints
T: 1,239 calories; 51 SmartPoints
F: 1,972 calories; 63 SmartPoints
S: 1,442 calories; 57 SmartPoints
S: 1,354 calories; 58 SmartPoints
M: 1,240 calories; 44 SmartPoints
T: 1,578 calories; 65 SmartPoints

Totals for the week: 10,506 calories; 403 SmartPoints
Averages each day: 1,501 calories; 58 SmartPoints
(Weight Watchers recommends 30 SmartPoints per day for someone my size to lose weight)

That means, in this week, I would have gone OVER by 123 SmartPoints in maintenance, and 165 SmartPoints if I was trying to lose weight!! (Yet, I lost 2 pounds this week.) Shocking, right?

(Important Note: Since I count calories, and I'm not actively following the SmartPoints plan, I wasn't trying to get the most out of my SmartPoints. If I was trying to follow the SmartPoints plan, I could have made different choices about what to eat--trying to fill up on fruits and vegetables, and eat less sugar and/or processed foods, so the SmartPoints counts would probably have been lower. This is NOT a review of the new plan, nor was it an experiment as a week on Weight Watchers' new plan; all I did was calculate how many SmartPoints I'd eaten for a week, out of curiosity.)

Anyway, here is a sample day, based on things that I would typically eat:

Breakfast: Larabar (which is just dates, nuts, and dried fruit) with 8 g. peanut butter; tea with 1/2 tsp. sugar and 1-1/3 Tbsp. half and half (13 SmartPoints; 301 calories)
Lunch: Panera lunch date with a friend- 1/2 chicken caesar salad, 1 cup tomato soup, piece of baguette, unsweetened iced tea (25 SmartPoints; 680 calories)
Dinner: Homemade roasted red pepper and turkey sausage pasta (11 SmartPoints; 394 calories)
Snack/treat: homemade fudge (9 SmartPoints; 198 calories)

Total: 58 SmartPoints; 1,573 calories

This is a very typical day for me--not super healthy, not super junky, just average. I'm not going to bash the new Weight Watchers program, because I understand what Weight Watchers is going for--when "junk" foods are super high in SmartPoints, people will be more likely to make healthier choices. That's a good thing!

However... I find that the opposite happens with me. The more restrictions I have, the less likely I am to stick with the program. I get frustrated while trying to find a compromise between foods I enjoy and that fit in with the plan.

My Thoughts on the New SmartPoints Plan...

Weight Watchers used to be pretty simple when calculating Points values: there was a formula that used calories, fat, and fiber. That was the plan that I used to lose most of the 125 pounds I lost in 2009-2010.

Then they came out with a new plan, the slightly more complicated PointsPlus system, that then used carbs, fat, fiber, and protein to calculate PointsPlus.

Now, they are using calories, saturated fat, protein, carbs, fiber, and sugar to calculate SmartPoints. Instead of getting simpler, which is what you want when trying to get people interested, the plan is getting much more complicated and overwhelming.

As a newcomer to Weight Watchers way back in the day, the biggest appeal to me was that I didn't have to eat a super healthy diet to lose weight.

If I was able to stick with a very healthy diet (lots of fruits and veggies, very little sugar, etc), then I never would have been 253 pounds!

I'd tried making healthy choices God-only-knows-how-many times, but I was never able to stick with it. When doing Weight Watchers (the Winning Points plan), I was able to eat the foods that I wanted (in smaller portions) and still lose 125 pounds.

In August 2009, at 253 pounds and living off of pizza, Oreos, ice cream, and Dr. Pepper, I was looking for a weight loss plan that I could stick with. I didn't want to go from pizza and ice cream to salads and grilled fish overnight. I was willing to compromise, though, and Weight Watchers (as the program was back then) allowed me to do that. I could still eat pizza, just not half a pie. I could eat Oreos, just not a whole row in one sitting. And I started adding fruits and vegetables because they were low in Points, so I could eat more food.

With this new plan, it would be very hard to fit in even a small treat. I typically eat three meals a day, plus one treat in the evenings (a piece of fudge, for example, like I mentioned yesterday).

That 198-calorie piece of fudge was 9 SmartPoints--exactly one fourth of the SmartPoints WW would allow me to have per day on maintenance! 

And for a special occasion, like a birthday? A piece of carrot cake (my favorite) is 28 SmartPoints, which would use ALL of the 28 weekly SP allotment.

Again, I understand what Weight Watchers is trying to do in getting people to eat healthier--I just know that, for me, the new plan would make me feel like I was on another complicated diet and I would eventually binge on all the foods I couldn't fit into my daily allotment.

On one hand, Weight Watchers is responding to the trend in pushing more protein and less carbs; but on the other hand, it doesn't even feel like Weight Watchers any more.

I think the new SmartPoints plan is great for people who already eat a pretty healthy diet, and are just having a hard time losing weight. I also think it would be good for someone who has health issues, and has to cut back on sugar and/or saturated fat.

If you spend most of your SmartPoints allowance on lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, you could probably still fit in a small treat now and then. For people (like me) who are otherwise healthy and enjoy carbs, daily dessert, or eat processed foods, and who want to keep things as simple as possible, calorie counting seems to be a better fit.

I'm not suggesting that people don't give the new program a chance. When WW first rolled out the PointsPlus plan, I really didn't like it! That's why I used the old 1-2-3 Success Points plan to start with. Eventually, when I was ready, I really embraced the new plan and it worked out well for me.

As of now, I recently lost almost 30 pounds by calorie counting, and I'm 134 days binge-free (woo hoo!)... so I don't want to mess with that by trying something new, even as an experiment.

My recent weight loss from calorie counting

My friend Andrea did great her first week on the new SmartPoints plan, losing 9 pounds(!)--but she said that she wouldn't be able to do that plan for maintenance. She's hoping to get back to goal and then find a different maintenance plan that isn't so restrictive. My sister switched from Weight Watchers to calorie counting this week, because of the new SmartPoints plan, and she lost 2.8 pounds--which she was thrilled with.

There have been tons of mixed reviews of the new WW plan on social media, and it's been an interesting read! If nothing else, it seems to have caused a heated discussion among Weight Watchers members ;)

I know I'm always saying this, but everybody is different, so we all just need to find what works for us. Maybe it's Weight Watchers, maybe it's calorie counting, maybe it's macro counting, maybe it's intuitive eating, maybe it's something else. It's interesting to see all the different ways to accomplish one common goal!

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So, today was my Wednesday Weigh-in, and I can't say I was disappointed when I stepped on the scale this morning ;)

I was at 130.5, which is down 2 whole pounds from last week; and 2.5 pounds below my goal weight. I wasn't actively trying to lose weight this week, but I had a lot going on with Jerry being in the hospital 4 out of 5 days in a row. My average calorie intake was 1,501, which is on the low side for maintenance; but, considering the circumstances, it makes sense. (Next week, it'll probably be back up, and I'm fine with that).

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Weight Watchers Beyond the Scale - SmartPoints

(ETA: Here is an updated post I've written about my thoughts on Weight Watchers Beyond the Scale SmartPoints, as well as a comparison of calories vs. SmartPoints. It's pretty shocking.)

After my run this morning, I went to Weight Watchers to weigh in. The new WW program (called Beyond the Scale) started this week, and I was very curious to learn about it. I don't plan on doing it, but I wanted to at least get the info. And since I'm a free lifetime member, I like to continue to weigh in to keep my membership. The meetings are motivating sometimes, too.

I weighed in, got the new materials, and then went and sat down for the meeting. Some of the women around me were flipping through their books, and one woman said, "A quarter cup of dried cherries is 8 Points!" I actually gasped out loud when I heard that. Dried cherries are pretty much my favorite food ever, and they were 4 PointsPlus. Not anymore--with the new plan, they are now 8 SmartPoints (that's what they're calling the Points on the new system).

The new program uses calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein to determine the amount of SmartPoints in a food. If you're a healthy eater already, or your ultimate goal is to make healthy choices, the new plan is a great tool--foods that are high in sugar and saturated fat are very high in SmartPoints, while foods that are high in protein are lower in SmartPoints. Fruits and veggies are still 0 Points. Interestingly, alcohol has gone down in Points (just a little). One shot (1.5 fl. oz.) of liquor is now 3 SmartPoints, whereas it was 4 PointsPlus.

Weight Watchers also did away with the Good Health Guidelines. I guess that if you're following the new plan, you will tend to make healthier choices anyway, so there is no need to specifically track them.

As a lifetime member at goal, my daily SmartPoints target would be 36 to maintain my weight. I'm not sure how many weekly SmartPoints I would get (it's different for everyone, but I think Glenda, my leader, said that Lifetimers still get 49).

Also different is that members are discouraged from using "FitPoints" (previously "Activity Points") on food. The purpose of earning them is so that WW can set an exercise goal for you to reach each day.

I can't get the WW app to work (apparently, it's a problem for everyone--even my leader said she doesn't have a working app yet). The website is glitchy, and still showing all the old PointsPlus stuff, too. Once everything is working, I may calculate the SmartPoints in a week's worth of my current diet just to see how it compares to my calories eaten.

I really like counting calories, though, so I don't plan to switch! If any of you are trying out the new Weight Watchers plan, I'd be very curious to hear your thoughts on it. My friend Andrea has been doing it for three days and she loves it!

Personally, there is no way I would be able to stick to this plan. Weight Watchers just keeps making it more and more difficult for people to change their habits gradually, and I'm disappointed.

(ETA: Here is an updated post about Weight Watchers Beyond the Scale SmartPoints thoughts, as well as a comparison of calories vs. SmartPoints. It's pretty shocking.)

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This morning, I had intervals on the schedule. Usually, I like to do them on the treadmill, but for some reason I wanted to do them outside today. The weather was great (36 degrees and very little wind). I was curious to see how my current outdoor interval pace compares to December 2012, when I was working on getting faster. Also, it will be nice to see in a couple of months if today's pace will have improved.

On the schedule: 0.5 mile warm-up, 5 x 0.25 miles with 60 seconds recovery between intervals. On the treadmill, I just stand still and catch my breath for 60 seconds, but outside, I would just walk very slowly between intervals. The bonus of doing just 5 intervals is that the distance is so short!

I jogged very slowly for the first half mile. I was nervous for the intervals, per usual (which is so dumb to get nervous over! Who really cares but me?). When my Garmin hit 0.5 miles, I started running hard. I wasn't sure how hard to run. I didn't want to sprint all-out, because I needed enough energy to finish four more intervals; but I wanted to make sure I was using my full potential.

I didn't even look at my Garmin the entire time. I didn't want to get discouraged or let it mess with my head, so I just kept my Garmin covered with my shirt sleeve, and then whenever it beeped, I knew to start or stop the intervals. I turned around after the second interval, and then stopped my watch after the recovery of the fifth interval.

I'm not sure how I feel about the pace for my intervals. I guess the pace is probably about what I expected. Again, it's just hard to imagine running a 10K near that pace in about four months!

My splits were 1:56, 2:00, 1:51, 1:55, 1:54; which translates in minutes per mile to: 7:44, 8:01, 7:22, 7:39, 7:36. That's an average interval split of 7:40. Last week, on the treadmill, I ran them at 8.2 mph, which is a 7:19/mile pace. The treadmill always feels easier to me, so that sounds about right. (For comparison, in 2012, I averaged 7:10/mi pace for outdoor intervals).

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A lesson from Chef Isabella

Yesterday, I decided to try and hit a newish running milestone: run three sub-9:00 miles outside. I hadn't done that since last Thanksgiving when I ran the Turkey Trot 10K. I watched my pace get slower and slower as I dealt with my stress fracture and weight gain. In the spring of this year, I had a hard time even hitting sub-10:00's for three miles.

Last month, I ran a sub-9:00 mile. Then, I ran three miles with a sub-9:00 average pace (one of the miles was 9:17 or something like that). And yesterday, my goal was to hit all three miles at an 8:something pace. It was pretty cold outside, so I wore running tights, long sleeves, and a jacket over that.

Yesterday's run reminded me of the old days, when I was always working on getting faster. I would play mental games with myself to stick it out to the end. During the first mile, I kept thinking about how hard it was and that I didn't want to try to do three. I was thinking of excuses to just do one. When I reached one mile (8:57), I told myself that if I could do just one more, then it would be okay to jog the last mile.

That whole second mile, I was tired and just trying to focus on completing it. That second mile felt like forever. As I got close to the end of that second mile, I started thinking, "Do I jog home? Should I keep going and try for three?" And I decided to aim for three. I knew if I *didn't* try then that little goal would be hanging over my head all week long. So I told myself that if I could do all three at a sub-9:00 pace, then I could do the rest of my runs at a very easy pace for this week. I knew I'd feel a big sense of accomplishment in doing it, so even though it was tough, I pushed through another mile. As soon as my watched beeped (about a block from home), I stopped the Garmin and started walking. I managed to hit all sub-9:00's AND negative splits.

Ideally, I will continue to push the pace until sub-9:00's are comfortable again (at least for three miles). I'd like that to happen by the end of this year. Then in January, I can start to increase distance ever so gradually until I'm running six miles comfortably (I don't have plans of doing more than a 10K distance for next year). I love doing these little short term goals (and mind games) to improve my running.

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This morning, I took Joey to Lucky Puppy (his doggy daycare). He hadn't been there in a couple of months, so he was super excited when we pulled up! I went from there to Weight Watchers, because I hadn't been there since late September. The time just keeps going by so fast! I could have sworn I was just there a couple of weeks ago.

For the meeting, Chef Isabella Nicoletti was going to speak. Chef Isabella is Florine Mark's personal chef, and she was hired by Weight Watchers to create dishes that are more WW friendly. Even though I'm not doing WW anymore, I found her absolutely delightful to listen to (that's an odd word to use, but it describes her perfectly). She's Italian, with a strong accent, and I could just listen to her talk all day long--she's hilarious in a sarcastic sort of way.

She talked about how you can make any recipe to work for YOU--by swapping ingredients, or playing around with different types of ingredients to personalize the recipe. She said that recipes are really just a guideline, but you should change things to make them how you want them. This is something I've been doing for years now; I rarely follow recipes exactly as written. Anyway, I was jotting down notes to write about on my blog later, so here are a few tidbits:

• When you first start swapping things out in recipes, you can make changes based on what you have in your house or what you enjoy, and swap things from the same category--protein for protein, veggie for veggie, carb for carb, etc. Even to make something vegetarian, just swap the animal protein for a vegetarian protein. 

• Look at the recipe, and if there are ingredients you don't like, just take them out and swap them with something you do like, in the same category. 

• Lean meat, which is what most people who are losing weight are eating, tends to be dry (she used the boneless, skinless chicken breast as an example). If you find that your meat is always dry, it's overcooked, and you should cut down on the cooking time.

• She emphasized that it's worth spending an extra point or some extra calories to eat bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, because they aren't nearly as dry and they are more flavorful. A lot of WW members sacrifice flavor for lower points values, and "that's boring". She also suggested trying chicken thighs for more flavor (even if it is a little higher in calories or fat).

• Around Thanksgiving, you can use turkey instead of chicken in all sorts of recipes. You don't necessarily have to roast a whole turkey for Thanksgiving--you can find pretty much any chicken recipe you like and swap out the chicken for turkey.

• She kept stressing how important it is to know the points (or calories) in everything in your kitchen. It make take a while to learn them, but once you do, you can make lower calorie swaps, and you can add up the points in a recipe while you're cooking. 

• This is a no-brainer, but she said if you're a volume eater, then to add veggies to your meal--you get to eat more volume, but without adding any points.

The meeting was really interesting, and it made me excited to try some new recipes! Here is a video of Chef Isabella if you want to see how delightful she is ;) If you happen to be a WW member in Southeast Michigan, she does a lot of meeting room demos, which you can find a list of here.

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