Finding what works

I have said before I am a Weight Watchers subscriber. I joined Weight Watchers Online for 2 months in between having Losing It Middle and being pregnant with Losing It Little. I lost about 20 lbs of the 55 lbs I gained being pregnant with Losing It Middle. It could have been a combination of the plan and caring for a toddler and newborn, but whatever the case I did not lose all the weight from the middle child before adding on for the littlest child. After having Losing It Little I struggled to lose any weight. I lost 15 lbs but that is mostly a 9 lb baby and water weight. In August 2011 I had a family wedding to go to. After finding something to wear that wasn't a t-shirt and sweat pants we headed to the celebration. A few weeks later a photo was taken of me and uploaded on Facebook.

The photo that made me really see 

my size

 WOW! Talk about eye opener. I joined Weight Watchers Online again shortly after this. I struggled for 3 months with losing 5lbs. Not as much as I would have liked so I joined Weight Watchers with meetings the day after Thanksgiving, 2011. The support and accountability has helped me shed another 20lbs over the past 5 months. It is a good, slow weight loss but I feel like I could do better. I feel like I am losing a few pounds one week and gaining a few back the next.

I am following the plan to the point I am staying within my points and using a few of my activity points but I can do that because I don't have a problem eating 0 point veggies for dinner when I eat a 20 point lunch (in terms of calories: around 800 to 900 calories). Although that is allowed on the plan I can't help but feel it may also be part of the issue. That being said I am going to try something new for a month and see if it helps. This is the great thing about Weight Watchers is you can mess around with things until you find what works for YOU. We are all different and the basics are the same (more calories out than calories consumed)  still we do process things in different ways.

Starting June 1st - June 30th I am going to limit the amount of carbohydrates/starches to 3 servings a day. We need carbs but I can eat up to 7 servings a day and still be within my points. I also want to make sure I get 3 to 4 servings of protein a day to help build muscle and keep me feeling full. Of course we all know fruits and veggies are good for us but with the new point system you can eat 10 servings of fruit and still call it 0, if you take it at face value (WW Leaders do explain that this is not the best way to do things). Fruits have calories and natural sugars that need to be kept in check. For me I want to keep the fruit to 2 servings a day and the veggies to 4-6 servings a day. Lastly we have dairy. I love cheese, milk and yogurt. The fat content in these items can be a bit higher but it is also necessary to help lose weight. Again I can eat a lot of these items and still be under point values for the day. I want to keep this to the daily recommended 2 servings a day because of how much I can consume without thinking about it. I have also read that flax seed, chi seeds and wheat germ can all be very good for you and help shed the belly fat (something I really need). I will add these slowly to my diet as they can cause GI issues if added too quickly. I am also going to get 107 oz of water in daily. That is the ideal amount of water I am suppose to be getting although I have only met that goal on a few occasions. Diet Pepsi always wins out.

After the diet changes I will also be working on the exercise portion. Cardio is not an issue for me as I get at least 3 miles in a day either walking or walking/jogging off and on. I have found The Biggest Loser 30 Day Workout DVD and will be adding this to my schedule. It mixes cardio and strength training in a short 30 -45 min. Something I can easily fit in after the Losing It Kids are in bed. The reviews have been all over for this stating it is,  "perfect for beginners and people who have been working out" to, "a very slow DVD that is hard to follow". I will be putting it's claim for shedding 3 inches in 30 days off your belly to the test. Granted it could also be the diet but we will see if the combination works for me.

I am happy to have lost 25 lbs since August 2011 but I would like to step it up some and I don't feel that the above plan is going to far off the edge. It is pretty basic and something I can stick to (the key to any weight loss plan). I am also adding in Saturdays as a kinda "free" day. I will still track but will give myself room to have pizza, fast food, sweets, and anything else that fits into my daily points but might not into the stricter dietary restrictions I have placed on myself.

Stay tuned to see if this is working and I will give you a weekly menu of what I have eaten so you can see if it is something that will work for you.

Don't give up! You are worth all the happiness you give to others. 
Losing It Momma