Jan062009
My Unusual Approach
Filed under Day to Day by kristen at 9:21 pm on Jan 06 2009
I might have somewhat of an unusual approach about getting back to the routine. Tonight I was chatting with a friend. We were lamenting about our Weight Watcher journey. We were discussing how hard it is to get back to tracking consistently if you have stopped tracking for a while.
I think an easy way to handle this hurdle is in two steps. The first step is twofold. The first part is just writing everything down that goes in your mouth. That means every BLT:Bite, Lick & Taste. The second part is also to start reducing how much you are eating. Most likely if you have stopped tracking you haven’t been sticking with your daily points. At Least that is how it is for me. For the last three weeks when I was lax in my tracking and journaling, I was eating more than I needed to be. I wasn’t eating when I was hungry. I was eating for emotional reasons. When you stop tracking what you are eating it seems too overwhelming (or at least it does to me) to track everything I eat AND eat within my points. (This wasn’t the case for me when I first started Weight Watchers. I was a tracking nut. Everything was new. I loved looking up the points for different foods.) So in this first step, I make sure I write everything down and reduce the amount that I am eating. Of course, I am aiming to hit my daily point target but I am not going to stress myself out if I go over my daily points. This was what I did yesterday.
The second part is easier if I follow the first step. In the second step, I stay within my points and track everything. I have followed this pattern several times over the past 21 months with Weight Watchers. Today it was sooooo much easier to stay within my points. I have stayed at my 19 points for the day and not even touched my 4 APs that I earned from my 5 miles on the elliptical this morning.
For me this approach is much more attainable. It doesn’t seem so unrealistic after a lousy period of several days or weeks of eating. Plus once I get a day or two of good eating under my belt, it is easier to keep the pattern going.
Who knows. This approach might seem totally crazy to others. It works for me. I think in this journey you have to do what works. For me, I have had to adapt to the journey. Things change. I have changed. Things that worked for me in the beginning may not be working for me now. I am doing things now that I would have never thought I would do when I first started (i.e. running). Our schedules change, our commitments change and we have to do what we can do to make it on this journey. If I can do this, you can too!
1 Mollyon 06 Jan 2009 at 9:25 pm
OK, color me inspired! Here I go!
2 IzzyBethon 06 Jan 2009 at 10:00 pm
I don’t think it is unusual at all – that’s how I do it too. Start off with small goals and when you get that under control – add the next part. And yeah – I’m going to be back to that soon too – I was trying something different, but it just is NOT working. Deprivation does NOT work well for me. LOL
3 Micheleon 06 Jan 2009 at 11:48 pm
You always talk about how many miles you go on the elliptical. I have never thought about miles when using the elliptical but always time. So at the YMCA last night I was messing with the machine looking for miles and it didnt have it! I couldnt believe it, it had calories, stride per minute, total stride, and time, BUT NOT MILES. So my question is how long does it take to do lets say 5 miles. Obviously I wouldnt be going the same pace as you but im just curious. Thanks for all your hard work on the site! I have been spreading the word with friends, people on BTL and family! Thanks!!!
4 Kristenon 07 Jan 2009 at 6:34 am
Molly & Beth-You both know that it works. I have faith in both of you. You can do this!
Michelle – That is very interesting. I have never found an elliptical at my Y that doesn’t track the miles. Do you remember what brand of elliptical it was? We have several different ones at my Y.
It takes me about 1 hour for 5 miles. Yesterday, I averaged 12 minute miles. Hope that helps. Next time I can pay more attend to the rpm’s. Thanks for spreading the word about my site. I appreciate it!