~WeightWatchers Support~

[lkakers]

Hi, All... long lost me again! After I got myself determined to post more regularly, I dropped the ball again, and I haven't posted in 2 months (two months already? :eek:). Oh, well, life intervenes sometime!

 

Socialcruiser, congrats on making Lifetime -- that is a HUGE achievment and I'm sure you are justifiably proud of yourself. But, like some of us WWers, you may have the nasty little voice in your head saying, "Yeah, thanks, I am proud, BUT... don't be too proud of me, as I wouldn't have acheived this goal if I hadn't been 'bad' and gained the weight in the first place..." DO NOT let that nasty voice speak. You did an AMAZING thing, something most Americans (and a good percentage of the rest of the world's population) would like to accomplish. It's fantastic. Without guilt or apology (mustering all the arrogance and narcissism you can, if necessary), pat yourself on the back. Daily. Repeat. :D

 

Janice, congrats on completing your reconstruction. I know you've been through an ordeal, and you've handled it with grace and charm and wit and courage. It does suck to be looking at losing that "additional" 4 pounds, but at least you know how much that part of you weighs! I'm a bit well-endowed in that area, and I often wonder about my own weight distribution, HAHA! And in my periods of weight-loss grief when I'm in the barganing stages, I wonder, "have they factored in the weight of a large chest? Maybe my ideal weight is HIGHER than the scale suggests. How come the flat-chested girls get to have more weight on the other parts of their bodies??" :o Of course, that's ridiculous, but the desperate brain sometimes thinks embarrasing thoughts.

 

Vonchap, congrats on figuring out the gluten-free issues with the new PointsPlus plan. I coordinate our at-work WW meeting, and I passed on your info to a lady in our meeting who is GF, and she was happy to be alerted. So thanks for sharing -- even if the info doesn't affect us directly, your sharing here helped another person not directly associated with this forum.

 

Welcome to all the newbies -- so nice to have you here!

 

OK, now on to my updated story -- as many of you may recall, I did WW fantastically at first -- first 9.5 months, during which time I lost almost 37 lbs. Then my attention waned for, geez, about 10 months, over which period I gained/lost/gained/lost the same 5 pounds or so -- but I ended up down 2.6 over that whole period. Pathetic, but I could have done worse -- I could have given up completely and re-learned my old ways and gained all my weight back. Through that lens, a 2.6 lb loss over 10 months looks pretty good now, doesn't it? :rolleyes: Especially as I had four pretty major vacations during that period (a 2-week all-inclusive cruise, a week in Texas, two weeks in Portugal/Spain and 10 days in New York). I still was tracking and considering myself on WW that whole time.

 

For the past 3.5 months I've been in a fairly steady, good groove. Down 12.4 lbs in that time... and got my 50 lb award today! (My 2.8 lb loss today was a bit inflated though, as I skipped breakfast -- had a meeting first thing so was pressed for time, plus the office did a potluck today so I thought I should go ahead and save the points.) Whoohoo!

 

I'm so excited! I'm well past my half-way-to-goal point (down 51.4, 40.8 to go). That half-way mark, for some reason, really seemed to be a stumbling point for me -- that's where my mental plateau happened. Scared to succeed? I dunno.

 

Anyhoo, Merry Christmas to me! I'm off pace to reach my recent mini-goals of reaching 190 or 185 by 1/6/11 in time for my Rome trip, but I'm still pretty darned pleased with myself.

 

I'm happy with the PointsPlus plan -- encouraging me to eat fruit, which I mostly had been avoiding, and upping my protein intake over the past few weeks I think has really helped me -- both with helping my body burn more calories, and with keeping me more satisfied and more able to stay on (or closer to) plan. Also have had pretty good results so far, and hearing great results from other locations. Though I, like most, are struggling to adjust all my memorized points and meal-habits. But when the adjustment is over, I'm confident it will be a much better program for most.

 

OH, and BTW, the chocolate marshmallow bark recipe (that's in this week's Weight Watchers Weekly pamphlet) is EXCELLENT. Made it for my book group last night -- I used a 9X13 pan (calls for 9X9) and it made 12 huge (though fairly thin) squares of the stuff for 4 PointsPlus each. DEEE-licious, and extremely rich. In future, I'll probably quarter those to make forty-eight 1-PointsPlus bites. So rich. And so easy! I did use good chocolate as the recipe recommends and I melted the chocolate/butter combo in the microwave (stirring every 30 seconds or so, so it wouldn't scorch). Easy-peasy and great payoff -- looked great, tasted great, and good for non-weight-conscious folks as well.

 

Thin thoughts and Happy Holidays to you all!!

 

SW: 246.2 1/22/09

CW: 194.8

GW: 154

Mini-Goal: was 185 or 190 by 1/6/11, now hoping for 191.2 as my agressive goal -- would be 55 pounds gone

 

 

 

[cruising to paradise]

I lost 1.4 this week, only 15 to go until my goal weight! I'm going cruising weighing 25 less than I did last year. Keep going everyone you can do it. Our family christmas party is tomorrow, wish me luck.:0

sw 215

cw 185.4

gw 170:)

[Suzque49]

I have to say I really like the new program. When I did WW before, (about 6 or 7 yrs ago), and would go over my daily points value, I felt depressed and like a failure. With this new program I know if I go over my 29 points, I am still within my limit. I have not "failed because I have the extra 49 points a week. And it sure helps during the holidays.

 

Starting: 169

Current: 163

Goal: 135 or less

[VonChap]

Hi everyone,

 

I need some help getting back on track. I have gone waaaaaay off plan in the last week.

 

The main water line in our house froze and ruptured, flooding our home. We are fine, the pets are fine and we are back in our house. I spent 8 days staying with family, friends and in rentals. We ate out every meal. I ate and ate and ate. I ate all of my comfort foods: fries, Mexican food, BBQ, etc etc. Stopped tracking points...:mad:

 

I am going back On Plan tomorrow! Wish me luck!

 

Kim

[BroncoLvrs]

Hi all! I want to share a couple recent experiences with you…

As you may know I had my breast reconstruction surgery on the December 10th and so it was time to find a bra L. During the reconstruction surgery there was a problem with right breast…during my expansions my right breast was higher than my left. For the final surgery, my right muscle was cut in hopes that my breast would fall…hasn’t happened yet, but I do have a 2 x 2 inch “dent” (for lack of a better term). To add to my woes, since I lost 50+ pounds prior to the surgery, I had no idea what size I should get so decided to go to Penney’s & be fitted.

My daughter and husband came with me…we found a salesperson who measured me and sent me out into the store to find bras. I picked out a few & went into the dressing room…UGH! It was a disaster! Due to the problems with my right breast none of the bras fit correctly…large gaps in the cups…

I left Penney’s in tears and even told my husband that having the reconstruction surgery (NOT the mastectomy) had been a mistake and when my implants needed to be replaced in 15-20 years (who knew implants had a lifespan??) I wouldn’t do it again, rather I’d have the old removed and go to the mastectomy bras.

My daughter convinced me to visit Victoria’s Secret and we finally found time Wednesday evening! What an difference! If you have never experienced the Bra Wardrobing Center at Victoria’s Secret, PLEASE DO! Erica (at our local mall) measured me (and came up with a different size) and brought me a box which contained all the different types of bras Victoria’s Secret has in my size.

Erica came in and helped me work through my breast issue and find the PERFECT bra! She told me that a woman should be measured every 6 months and that a woman’s bra size can change 6 times in her life! It really was a great experience and so I want to get the word out…go to Victoria’s Secret and experience it for yourself!!! Since we are all losing weight together, I am hoping that my positive experience may help you also! :D

Hang in there and keep up the GREAT WORK!

[BroncoLvrs]

Hi everyone,

 

I need some help getting back on track. I have gone waaaaaay off plan in the last week.

 

The main water line in our house froze and ruptured, flooding our home. We are fine, the pets are fine and we are back in our house. I spent 8 days staying with family, friends and in rentals. We ate out every meal. I ate and ate and ate. I ate all of my comfort foods: fries, Mexican food, BBQ, etc etc. Stopped tracking points...:mad:

 

I am going back On Plan tomorrow! Wish me luck!

 

Kim

 

Hang in there Kim! Sorry to hear about your house :( but glad everyone is fine! Life happens....the important thing is to get back in the game! You'll do it, no luck needed :D

[VonChap]

go to Victoria’s Secret and experience it for yourself!!! Since we are all losing weight together, I am hoping that my positive experience may help you also! :D

Hang in there and keep up the GREAT WORK!

 

That's a great tip about Victoria Secret! Thanks!

[VonChap]

Hang in there Kim! Sorry to hear about your house :( but glad everyone is fine! Life happens....the important thing is to get back in the game! You'll do it, no luck needed :D

 

Thanks for your post! Just having such a hard time getting back OP. With the change in the WW plan to Points Plus, the holidays and now this water disaster, I am having a hard time concentrating.

 

Today, I am going to put my count-down clocks on my CC account. Maybe seeing the days until the next cruise will jolt me into staying OP. :rolleyes:

 

-Kim

[VonChap]

Thanks for your post! Just having such a hard time getting back OP. With the change in the WW plan to Points Plus, the holidays and now this water disaster, I am having a hard time concentrating.

 

Today, I am going to put my count-down clocks on my CC account. Maybe seeing the days until the next cruise will jolt me into staying OP. :rolleyes:

 

-Kim

 

 

94 Days! That is just the jolt that I need to get back OP. 94 Days until it is time to be in a bathing suit again! :eek: I need to stop hiding in bulky sweaters and get back on it!

 

-Kim

[BroncoLvrs]

94 Days! That is just the jolt that I need to get back OP. 94 Days until it is time to be in a bathing suit again! :eek: I need to stop hiding in bulky sweaters and get back on it!

 

-Kim

 

Woo Hoo! A bathing suit????? You are brave! :D No bathing suits in Alaska :)

[lkakers]

Hi all! I want to share a couple recent experiences with you…

As you may know I had my breast reconstruction surgery on the December 10th and so it was time to find a bra L. During the reconstruction surgery there was a problem with right breast…during my expansions my right breast was higher than my left. For the final surgery, my right muscle was cut in hopes that my breast would fall…hasn’t happened yet, but I do have a 2 x 2 inch “dent” (for lack of a better term). To add to my woes, since I lost 50+ pounds prior to the surgery, I had no idea what size I should get so decided to go to Penney’s & be fitted.

My daughter and husband came with me…we found a salesperson who measured me and sent me out into the store to find bras. I picked out a few & went into the dressing room…UGH! It was a disaster! Due to the problems with my right breast none of the bras fit correctly…large gaps in the cups…

I left Penney’s in tears and even told my husband that having the reconstruction surgery (NOT the mastectomy) had been a mistake and when my implants needed to be replaced in 15-20 years (who knew implants had a lifespan??) I wouldn’t do it again, rather I’d have the old removed and go to the mastectomy bras.

My daughter convinced me to visit Victoria’s Secret and we finally found time Wednesday evening! What an difference! If you have never experienced the Bra Wardrobing Center at Victoria’s Secret, PLEASE DO! Erica (at our local mall) measured me (and came up with a different size) and brought me a box which contained all the different types of bras Victoria’s Secret has in my size.

Erica came in and helped me work through my breast issue and find the PERFECT bra! She told me that a woman should be measured every 6 months and that a woman’s bra size can change 6 times in her life! It really was a great experience and so I want to get the word out…go to Victoria’s Secret and experience it for yourself!!! Since we are all losing weight together, I am hoping that my positive experience may help you also! :D

Hang in there and keep up the GREAT WORK!

 

Janice, so sorry for your initial bra-buying experience, but so happy and thankful for your VS experience! I have had good luck at Lane Bryant with bra fittings, but was wondering where my next place would be (Soma/Nordstrom/VicSec? or just stay with LB?).

 

I'm so glad you mentioned bras and fittings, too, anyway. I had wanted to note a while back that it makes such a difference! When I was at my starting weight, I had had a bra fitting at LB, and it was all good (it's amazing how many pounds you "drop" visually just by wearing the correct bra and size!). Before I went on my vacation this past April, I realized my bras seemed to be loose, and that after 40-45 pounds lost I should probably get re-fitted. I had dropped a whole band size and a cup size! And again, "lost" pounds visually, just by getting the right size!

 

Fitting is SOOooo important -- I thought I knew how to measure myself, and I knew what the indicators were for a bra that fit correctly... For example, that the center bit of the bra -- the part in between the breasts -- should lay flat, snugly against the chest. And I knew that the breasts should be lifted so they're no lower than the halfway mark between your armpit and your elbow. And I knew that most women tend to choose a too-large band size and too-small cup size. SO, I thought I knew what I was doing... until I was fitted. :o

 

I urge you to make sure you try on and check each style -- some are definitely wrong for my body, and some looked better, and sometimes the different styles needed to be different sizes (despite what the mearsurement said). And also, I urge you to get a fitter who will look at the bra ON you (yes, in your fitting room, and she may need to handle the bra on you to check that's it's positioned and fitting correctly). When I was larger, the measurement said one thing, but when I put one on, it was actually too large, so having the lady there to "teach" me was a big help.

 

A good bra is an esthetic life saver, especially for those of us over 25 and/or well-endowed -- lifting those suckers up where they belong will actually give you a waist, improve the look of your posture, make you look younger and thinner, etc!

[socalcruiser23]

Morning all! And Merry Christmas :) we're almost there! Which means we're getting close to the finish of this cookie, chocolate, candy, alcohol, snack filled holiday! Yippee!!! Lifetime is going well so far for me. Despite the excess of Christmas treats, the scale was friendly last night. As long as I keep up my exercise I'm ok.

 

Our meeting last night was DEAD! Hardly anyone showed up. I can only imagine what next week is going to be like. It was still a great meeting and I really liked one thing that our leader said...

 

"Fruit didn't make us over weight in the first place"

 

And that line is for the many members who are concerned about fruit now being 0 points. That line is stuck in my mind and hopefully will help others adapt to the new plan :) I'm not eating a ton of more fruit, but I'm definitely eating more and it's not effecting me negatively. My leader said she's eating a lot more and is really losing weight! PointsPlus is proving itself to be a winner :D (or a loser I guess!)

 

Take care everyone and a very Merry Christmas! Good luck losing over the holidays. And remember, even if the scale stays the same or goes up a bit, it's not the end of the world. This time of year only comes once a year. In a week all of the parties, drinks and tempting treats will basically disappear. Stick with it, it's worth it.

[BroncoLvrs]

A good bra is an esthetic life saver, especially for those of us over 25 and/or well-endowed -- lifting those suckers up where they belong will actually give you a waist, improve the look of your posture, make you look younger and thinner, etc!

 

Lani,

 

This is SO true! After I was fitted (and yes, it did help that the fitter came into the room with me) I was amazed at the people who told me how much thinner I looked :eek: Several came up to me and congratulated me on reaching my goal (I'm still 10-15 pounds away)!

[Suzque49]

Well, my first weigh in was not as good as I hoped. Only lost about 1/2 lb. but so far have lost several inches and i'm more comfortable in my clothes.

 

Starting: 169

Current: 163.4

Goal: 135 or less

[lkakers]

Lani,

 

This is SO true! After I was fitted (and yes, it did help that the fitter came into the room with me) I was amazed at the people who told me how much thinner I looked :eek: Several came up to me and congratulated me on reaching my goal (I'm still 10-15 pounds away)!

 

That is AWESOME! :D

[cruising to paradise]

I've been pretty bad the last few days,I'm getting back with it today. We cruise 2 weeks from today so I have to be good so I can enjoy myself on the cruise. How is everyone else doing?

[kath00]

Hi all,

 

Can I join you as well? I just went to my first WW meeting this past Sunday and bought all the new material for the PointsPlus program. I made lifetime about 6 years ago when I lost 30 pounds after having my 2nd DD but now I am up 15 of those and really have another 10 to lose on top of that. I am turning 40 in May and have a huge 2 week cruise extravaganza planned to celebrate! I would really like to lose some weight before then. 1lb a week would be nice although I am willing to take even 1/2 since my metabolism always slows during a diet and I stop losing weight.

 

My only problem so far with the new plan is that I can't find the points value for a bunch of stuff. I signed up to etools and things like my Kellog's Just Bunches Cereal is not in the etools. Also, most restaurants are not in there nor in my dining out guide so I end up estimating. AND, I am finding it just waaay too much work to enter every little thing's nutritional information on line or to use the little calculator. Basically, it's taking me FOREVER to track.

 

Am I the only one who finds this new program a huge chore? I wish the WW database was better. I find myself going to myfitnesspal.com first to get the info and then entering it into WW. I dunno how long I can keep this up.

 

Thanks! Katherine

[cruising to paradise]

Welcome Kath00, It is hard to start the new program. Its like starting all over again ,you have to look up or calculate everything which is hard because you already knew the points of everything you ate. Just keep at it and pretty soon it will be as easy as before.:)

[kath00]

Welcome Kath00, It is hard to start the new program. Its like starting all over again ,you have to look up or calculate everything which is hard because you already knew the points of everything you ate. Just keep at it and pretty soon it will be as easy as before.:)

 

Thanks for the encouragement. I actually ended up calling WW because none of the searches for points were working for me today. Turns out my account got all messed up when it went from the old points system to points+. They had to create a new account for me and a new user name. So I am up and running. I did a bunch of searches today for the items I eat frequently and created a new favorites list. It's going much faster and I am happy with the program. I am eating way more veggies and fruits so I am glad about the changes in my diet. I just had a big bowl of fruit! :)

 

Here is to a successful week!

 

Katherine

[cruising to paradise]

Went to WI tonight, after a pretty bad few days and getting back on track on Sunday I was down .2. Could of been a lot worse.I am back on track again and ready for the new year.

[kath00]

Went to WI tonight, after a pretty bad few days and getting back on track on Sunday I was down .2. Could of been a lot worse.I am back on track again and ready for the new year.

 

Wow, congratulations! Don't they say the average weight gained is 5 pounds in December? Down 0.2 is awesome. :)

 

I just grilled a huge batch of veggies and added some left over chicken for dinner. I feel full but I think I may have had a bit too much fiber today. ;)

[SuzD123]

Years after first becoming a LT WW member and "falling off the wagon" LONG ago, I came back to WW in March '10 with a goal of being healthier and looking decent in a swimsuit for myself and my DH as we celebrate our 25th anniversary in a couple of weeks. It has been a quite a journey and I have reached (even surpassed) where I thought I could ever be.

 

I LOVE the new new program, though I admit going back and recalculating PointsPlus figures for my created foods in eTools has been inconvenient. Although it has forced meto go in and do a little "clean up" for things I haven't eaten in YEARS.

 

So I do have a couple of questions for my fellow WW members, because I am starting to get a bit nervous about stepping on board...No...not nervous about sailing. I've sailed many times before and LOVE it! What I'm nervous about is tracking. I have my WW books and tracker already to be packed...that's a given. I guess I'm looking for suggestions or helpful hints from others who have sailed (recently?) and been fairly successful in tracking. Any helpful hints?

 

Honestly, my expectation is that I may splurge here and there and may even exceed PointsPlus. However, I plan to exercise (if not just walk/swim) and try to make "smart" choices...but heck, it is a cruise and tropical drinks and yummy food are part of the deal.

 

Another question...has anyone ever seen a WW group get together onboard? I know there are usually various groups that get together, but I just started wonder about that one...might be great support.

 

Thank you all...I really can't wait to get onboard and slip on that new swimsuit that I worked so hard to fit into. :)

 

SW:198

CW:133

GW:150 (per my driver's license)

[cruising to paradise]

I am cruising in 9 days, and I know what you mean. I am just going to try to be making smart choices and get plenty of exercise. I know I will have some drinks and desserts,but I won't eat mindlessly. Last year I gsined 4 lbs and lost it the week we came home. I will be wearing my pedometer as much as possible. Its suprising how much you can walk in a day and how many points you can earn just walking. I have never seen a WW group,I think once you do WW for a while you think alot more before you eat something. Have a great cruise. Nancy

[VonChap]

I am back OP today and looking forward to a great 2011. I am going to take the rest of my weight off in 2011!

 

I have a cruise in 82 days and hope to lose what I gained over the holidays and drop one size before March 25th. That's the first goal of 2011.

 

I hope everyone had a great holiday and will have a wonderful WW New Year!

 

Kim

[paride55]

I have tried ww different time over the past 20 years or so. The first time I was my most successful. Shortly after I reached goal I went on my first Alaska cruise. I hope lightning strikes the same place twice. I'm booked to go back this September. Nothing else plannned. I have not re-signed up yet. I think there is a meeting available tomorrow. I have not found a local phone#. I will have to drive over. I wish everyone luck in all their new year goals! paride55