Thursday, October 18, 2012

Week #42: Late Night Noshing

Okay, usually I post with some sort of wrap-up or thoughts from the previous week's topic, but this week I'm going to deviate from that, because I have better stuff to say, and I just can't help it!

3rd Annual Unstructured 5K & snack-picnic
October 28, 2012
4PM (or whatever time you can be there because it is unstructured!)
Mission Bay Park
Earn a 5K Charm!

Wear your ActiveLink and bring your pedometer and your family and friends and a snack to share, if you want. We will meet just north of the Information Center area. You reach it when you turn right at the end of Clairemont Drive. There is a huge parking lot because the boat ramp is nearby.

Look for the Weight Watchers sign and banner so you will know you are in the right place. Fellow WW leader Helen will be 'home-base' and stay with anything you want to bring but don't want to carry as you walk. Bring a chair if you want to hang around and watch the sunset. From 'home-base' you can walk north or south, or both until you complete your unstructured 5K. Bring your baby buggy or your crutches or cane or walking frame if you need to! This is an all abilities 5K!!

There will be a sign-in sheet at 'home-base'. Please .....print your name and the meeting you will be attending, to receive your 5K Charm.



Steve shared a story this week about his escapades at Subway with "shaving the bread." If you missed it, he attended the Friday noon meeting, and after the meeting decided to grab a sub at the shop down the sidewalk. When he ordered his sandwich, the employee asked him if he wanted his bread "shaved." What this turns out to be is having the innards of the roll scooped out so there's less bread and more room for fillings. Apparently this is a popular thing amongst the Friday WW meeting crowd!

Well, today I met the bread shaving guy! This particular Subway outlet is one I visit...a lot. It's close to my house, close to WW, close to my full-time job. While chatting with the guy making my sandwich (who most definitely knows I work for Weight Watchers), we got on the topic of trying something different next time, and he said I could always try shaving the bread. I'm sure the look on my face was priceless as I exclaimed "You're the guy!" I shared Steve's story, and as I walked out the door, he sent me off with "You've got to keep track of the Points!"

Indeed, Subway guy. Indeed.

Friday, October 05, 2012

Week #40: Track & Bring It Back

I sat in my own Weight Watchers meeting this morning (the one I go to as a member, that is!) and the leader asked "Who is excited about tracking?"

I won't lie to you - I wasn't one of them. Do I enjoy tracking? No, I don't. Do I find it a valuable tool? You betcha. Unfortunately those conflicting opinions mean that over the years I've started a lot of different trackers...only to abandon them at some point. So the fact that 3 weeks ago I finished a 3 Month Tracker with every week filled was a pretty big victory. I'm not saying every day was filled, but the fact that I didn't give up within the three months is huge!

So maybe you're just as challenged as I am when it comes to tracking. You don't want to do it. Why should you do it? I did minutes hours of internet research to provide you with a few pieces of proof that tracking really works.

You can lose twice as much weight if you track. This is a SparkPeople article, so of course they are going to plug their own tracker, but they reference an actual scientific study from 2008 that found study members who tracked lost twice as much weight as study members who did not. So why track? It works!

Have you ever heard of the National Weight Control Registry? They keep track of people who have lost weight to see not only how they lost their weight, but how they continue to maintain it. They collect statistics on what works, and there are definitely some trends. One study that used the NWCR information found that successful members regularly tracked their weight (by weighing themselves, obviously). So while tracking usually refers to food intake, it can also refer to weighing. I personally have noted that my most successful Lifetime Members are those who still regularly attend meetings and weigh themselves. Catch gains when they are small!

The Weight Watchers folks across the pond share some general tips from tracking, including some of the things we discussed this week. You can learn a lot from your tracker. Taking some time to review what has happened can help you identify your successes and learn what areas you might have for improvement. Track for weight loss TRIUMPH!