Now that it’s been a full 30 days, I wanted to share my thoughts about my first month on WeightWatchers.
On New Year’s Day, I finally made a commitment to do something about my health, after my primary care doctor had been getting on my case for the last two years about my cholesterol being too high. I don’t know why I was putting it off for so long, but I finally decided to join WeightWatchers (using the food points tracking system on their app), because I knew that my bad eating habits were the root of my problems.
Back in June when I first got a dog, I started being much more physically active on a daily basis than I had in the past, so I knew that the increased physical activity alone wasn’t fixing my problems, because my cholesterol levels hadn’t really budged. I was walking between 6 and 7 miles each day, but I was still so unhealthy. I needed to be honest with myself about my bad food habits and change them for good if I wanted to see actual progress — and the best way for me personally to do that was by taking personal accountability for everything I eat in a day.
Even though I’ve never had much luck with New Year’s resolutions in the past, there was something really appealing to me about beginning fresh on the first of the year. I knew that it would be really easy for me to remember, but I also knew I’d be able to look at the complete picture of my progress and the improvements in my health mapped out on a calendar over the course of the year.
The WeightWatchers app makes it pretty darn easy to track what you’re eating and stay within your daily points each day. I started out with a 25-point daily allowance, but from week-to-week it fluctuates slightly (depending on your progress, how much of your extra weekly points you’ve dipped into, and how much physical activity you’re doing). But the most important part is, I’ve never once felt hungry or deprived of food. There are a ton of Zero Point Foods that you can eat in unlimited amounts to keep yourself feeling full, and then you just have to make sure you decrease your intake of higher point foods. Once you get the hang of it and start tracking everything and logging your weight each week, the weeks really fly by!
I’ve been eating so much fruit on Weightwatchers, one of the many categories of Zero Point Foods!
So, how has it been going?
The first week, I lost 3.6 lbs.
The second week, I lost 2.6 lbs.
The third week, I lost 2.6 lbs.
And the fourth week, I lost 4.2 lbs.
In my first month on WeightWatchers, I’ve lost a total of 12.4 pounds!
But in addition to losing weight, the biggest differences I’ve noticed are:
– I’m far less bloated and gassy than I was before.
– My digestion has improved so much.
-I’m less tired during the day and actually wake up with energy.
– I feel like I’m sleeping better as well.
The most important things I’ve learned in the 1st month of weightwatchers
In case you’re interested in starting WeightWatchers or something similar (which you should always do with the guidance of your doctor), I wanted to share some of the things that have helped me a lot during the first month.
- It’s so important to set yourself up for success before you start. Read up on the zero point foods and stock up on what you love so your fridge and pantry are full before the first day you’re planning to implement your new eating habits. That way, you won’t be caught unprepared with not enough of the right foods in the house to keep yourself full on healthy choices. I checked out the extensive list of Zero Point Foods on the WW website and bookmarked it so I’d always have it handy. There’s SO MUCH you can eat unlimited amounts of each day without having to count it.
- Life is still going to happen, so don’t feel bad about living it. There will be nights where you don’t want to cook and you want to order Chinese takeout. Go for it. Order chicken and vegetables with brown rice … and go ahead and have an egg roll while you’re at it! I know I’m going to go out to dinners with friends, and I’m going to enjoy myself but not go crazy. Yes you’re changing your lifestyle, but it doesn’t mean you have to be perfect 100% of the time. At my grandfather’s birthday, I had appetizers, lunch, and a slice of key lime pie. There are extra points in your bank for a reason … don’t feel ashamed about using them.
- Invest in some goodies that will help you even more. Since I knew I’d be cooking more on WeightWatchers, I bought myself some items that I knew would help me even more with the changes I was making:
- New glass food storage containers with matching lids (I’ve saved my favorites here), so I could store things like leftovers, lunches, and fresh fruit or veggies I’d sliced up to have ready to snack on.
- My favorite pans and my favorite olive oils (I’ve saved my favorites here), because they really just make cooking better! Greenpan is my absolute favorite brand of pan. I recently got their grill pan and it’s just perfect. And Graza olive oils have become a must-have for my kitchen.
- Really good spices and seasonings (I’ve saved my favorites here), because they definitely help make every at-home meal super tasty. And there are so many great blends right now, many of which are salt-free. But I do still use salt blends sometimes, too, and it’s not a big deal! Again I’ve been aiming for progress, not perfection. I especially love the options with garlic and onion.
Now that I know it definitely works for me, I’m obviously going to keep going with WeightWatchers and see how much weight I can lose in the second month. I am really enjoying the process, and feeling so much better. And in a few months, I’m going to have to go back to my doctor for a follow-up appointment, and I’m really hoping these changes will have moved the needle when it comes to my cholesterol, too.
That’s all for now — stay tuned to the blog because I’ll be updating my WeightWatchers progress each month!
