Wow…how is it already almost 2016? It was just barely over a year ago now that I reached my goal at Weight Watchers and became a coveted Lifetime member. Don’t be fooled…this is a prestigious club with emotional benefits you can’t put a price on. Forget about sitting at the cool kid’s table in high school. I’d rather be here any day hands down.
Off and on I have been a weight watcher for most of my adult life. Always the perpetual skinny kid I finally “blossomed” my junior year after my husband and I started dating, the first video rental store opened in Knoxville, and Dominos began delivery in our area. Delivery pizza and 24 hour access to movies is heaven or he**…you can decide but my hips say the latter. I very quickly packed up to a whopping 135 pounds (before you yell at me I started at 118 so this was a big deal!) and was in love so I didn’t care. 28 years and one child later I came once again dragging my sorry rear end to WW tipping the scale at my highest (even than when pregnant) at just over 190. What happened to the skinny kid? Did I eat her too?
This year…2015…has been a year of change. Of self development. Of nutty granola hippy self reflection. My mother overcame her diabetes and renal failure and became a full time 100% vegan. My father started dialysis and is a shell of the former man he used to be. I started really, really thinking about what food we were eating and began this food blog with ultimately our health as my long term goal even if no one ever read it. Our beautiful and only daughter became engaged to a wonderful young man, and in less than a week will be Mrs Bohanan. My crazy husband decided we should move out and downsize to a 968 sq ft loft downtown. He’s that kinda crazy that is almost genius and I love him more for it.
This strange and wonderful year also brought the 6th or 7th program change I’ve encountered with Weight Watchers and by far, hands down, the biggest change. I’m usually pretty good with change. Heck, we just left big house and backyard suburbia to live downtown…we are no stranger to change. I usually embrace it. But for some reason I was reluctant and drug my heels in a little. I had reached goal on Points Plus. I was comfortable with Points Plus. I could almost recite the PPV on any food presented to me, and much to my friends and family’s chagrin did on numerous occasions. My first week on Smart Points I gained .8 pounds so why did we have to change?
Let me tell you why we changed. For me anyway. Everyone is different, your why will be different than my why. I’d love to hear yours…here is mine.
- I had stalled out. Points Plus is/was a great program. I lost all of my weight (this time hahaha) on PPV and for the first time since 11th grade was at goal. But I learned how to manipulate the system and stay within my points yet gain weight.
- My food choices stunk. I had returned to my old habits of eating pre-packaged convenience foods but as long as they were “within points” convinced myself they were ok. I don’t even want to know how much sodium, unnecessary sugar, and saturated fats I was consuming disguised as low point alternatives.
- I wasn’t eating much if any lean protein. If a piece of cheese and a piece of chicken were going to count as the same PPV I was lazy and went with the cheese. Even though I preach protein, protein, protein my intake had to be at an all time low.
- The drive thru was back “hello my old friend”…except it’s not my friend, and it’s not yours.
- My tummy was starting to complain again. When I eat things I shouldn’t my gut radar goes off pretty quickly…it was screaming wee-doo wee-doo wee-doo!
- My activity was at all time low. The Activity Points on Points Plus just didn’t motivate me any more.
I could keep going on and on but you need to get that Christmas tree down and start making your own list. My second week of Beyond the Scale I gave in and followed the plan. I mean really followed it. I looked up all my old favorites and started a new spreadsheet and Pinterest tracking system. I totally revamped my grocery list and honestly, made a list for the first time in months. I made some delicious, healthy, and let’s face it more satisfying meals because they were packed with protein, veggies and fruit instead of processed junk. My activity goal was 3 Fit Points a day but when I saw how fast they racked up I kept going…and going…and going…and earned 34 points that week! And not only did my tummy settle down within days, I lost two pounds. Two pounds AND I didn’t even change into my “weigh in shoes”. I was two pounds lighter WITH MY BOOTS ON! Hallelujah, can you hear the angel chorus?
So my year in review is this…it’s almost a new year. Change will happen, with or without your consent. You can sit in your fuzzy slippers eating ridiculous volumes of baked chips or get off your rear and embrace it. I am suddenly looking forward to my first year on Beyond the Scale and Smart Points ™…won’t you celebrate and come along with me?
For more great meal ideas, recipes and an ever growing list of Smart Points value food follow me on Instagram @ifyouhaveanegg, Pinterest @ifyouhaveanegg or join a group of great women (and hopefully a few men soon!) on Facebook at If You Have an Egg…A Weight Watchers Support Group!
