Week #52: REBOOT!

Those of you that were able to get to a meeting this week know that Weight Watchers brilliantly chose to have us discuss getting back on track. As if they had some sort of inkling that a week full of holiday celebrations might make that necessary!

I don't know what kind of impression you have of me, and I know that as a meeting leader I might represent some sort of "other" who isn't exactly like you. But, like probably many of you reading this, I ate and drank too much in the past week or two.

How do I know? Just weighed in this morning! Friday morning is my usual weigh-in day and I attend a meeting as a regular member. Santa was kind enough to bring me 3.8 pounds this year.

So that means it's time for me to get back into my regular routines and get my head back on straight! You can relate, right?

I am five weeks in to using our new 12 week Track book, and I am loving the weekly plan pages. As I sit in the meeting room waiting for the meeting to start, I pencil in what my activity plans are for the week. Because I do grocery shopping on Friday evenings, I can pencil in what many of my meals will be for the week. I basically get to plan what's going to happen to me over the next seven days!

This is a great way for me to reboot. New Year's Eve isn't a real celebration for me, so effectively the holidays are OVER. And I am ready to get back to eating right. I feel so much better when I do.

So step 1 was to weigh in and face the music. Step 2 is planning my food and workouts. Step 3 will be hitting up the grocery store. Join me in taking some healthy steps, won't you?

Happy Holidays!

I'm going to be leading and working meetings as usual for the rest of the year (and will be subbing a little extra too!) but am going to take a break from updating here until the beginning of the year.

Keep those healthy spaces and routines going, pop in to a meeting, and keep focused during these crazy next few weeks. Above all, enjoy the holiday festivities!


MySpace Graphics at KewlGraphics.com

Week #49 - WW 360 Launch & Pack a Snack

This week marked the launch of our latest program innovation: Weight Watchers 360!

So what's new? Anything related to the PointsPlus system? Nope, that's all the same. Values are the same, targets are the same, Good Health Guidelines are the same, Simply Filling Technique is the same.

Um, so what's the big deal?

The PointsPlus food plan is a good one. It nudges you to make healthy, satisfying food choices. And yet...how many times do you end up making a choice that is by no means healthy, or physically satisfying? How many times do you give in to temptation and feel like you have no willpower?

One does not lose (or maintain) by willpower alone. Our brains are wired to desire and respond to high-fat, high-calorie foods, so it's no surprise that we can "fall off the wagon" so to speak.

The innovation in this year's program is that it's not just about the food choices. it's about making the spaces you live in more manageable. Safer, and more plan-friendly. And it's about building routines - healthy things you do without even really thinking about them, because it's just what you do. These mental tips and strategies help make the dangerous food environment we live in a little bit easier to navigate. And when we don't repeatedly test our willpower, we find out that it doesn't fail us as much!

As with any new program innovation that Weight Watchers presents, there are some new products available for purchase. One product is our Member Kit. We've had a kit for years, and it's always been some form of long-term tracker and food value listings. This year the member kit is WAY different, and it's good for the newbie or the veteran.

So what's in it:

Track (our new 12 week tracker - it's bigger, and allows for more planning ahead)
Silicone collapsible measuring cups
Flexible measuring tape (to track your inches lost!)
Jennifer Cohen exercise sampler DVD
PointsPlus values stickers (label those packages!)
Success Handbook (written by Liz, Jennifer Hudson's leader)
What to Eat Now (pictured below)

What to Eat Now is more than just a cookbook. There are meal ideas, snack ideas and a list to help you stock your pantry with good for you options. See those pink post-it flags? I've already earmarked several recipes, and will be trying out two of them this weekend!

The member kit basically gives you the tools you need to manage your spaces (portion control, at home/no excuses workouts, meal ideas). Buy one this month and save five bucks - only $34.95!