Hi everyone,

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself.

I'm liz...40 y.o., mom to 2 (DS 6 and DD 2.75) in Philadelphia area. I work FT. I am a lifetime member but have gained about 80 lbs. over my goal.

I just joined an At Work program today. Well, I should say I just paid the money, I don't have the material yet.
So, I guess this week I'm starting to get back in the WW mindset, and will do whatever I can until I get materials.

I have a few questions up for grabs:

1) What are some good tips/foods to have on hand -- I'm trying to start a grocery list of "things to have in the house". The leader who was there today didn't have a list per se but mentioned a smuckers all-fruit jam which was 0 points (I think) and it had many uses, such as you could nuke it and it would turn syrupy, etc.

2) What are your stress-out situations? Me-- two small kids wanting my attention at all times; I get frustrated and eat whatever I need to to keep myself going and don't put thought into my eating, and also boredom.

Looking forward to losing with you!!

Liz

Hey Liz:

Welcome! I am pretty new to ww (1 month now) and also this board. I have been having the same problem as you are. Trying to figure out what are the "staples" I can buy when grocery shopping to have on hand for many of the recipes I can fix and also snacks I can eat. I will not say I have a handle on it yet, but I do have some ideas for you. Alot of the recipes I find in my " Simply the Best" cookbook call for things such as Black Beans, fat free flour tortillas, of course all kinds of green veggies, carrots, fruits, microwave popcorn is a good snack(I couldn't live with out it), also store bought rice krispie treats(when I have a sweet tooth) they are only 2 pts for one, fat-free chicken broth, lean meats(alot of turkey,chicken, fish). I try to buy whole grains now instead of the more processed ones. Brown rice instead of white rice, lite wheat bread instead of white bread, etc. I hope this helps you. Also check out the recipes that people post on this board and look at some of the ww cookbooks at your meetings. Once you start looking at them you will start seeing some of the same ingredients used over and over again. Those are the ingredients that I am starting to keep extra of on hand as they seem to be "staples".
My biggest pressure point is cravings....I have them all the time even when I am not hungry. I may all of a sudden get a craving for Chinese food and I will not be happy until I have it. Also I get bored in the evenings when I am sitting watching tv to unwind or reading a book and I have to have something to snack on(now I always try to leave enough points in the day for me to have a bag of popcorn in the evening).
Good luck to you and I hope this post helps(sorry it was so long).
Oh, I was afraid when I first joined ww that all of the food was going to taste bland and sort of like cardboard, but man oh man it is some of the BEST food I have ever tasted!!!!! Even DH who doesn't like "diet" food goes back for seconds and sometimes thirds(he doesnt have to worry about his weight therefore totally ignores portion sizes!! MAKES ME SICK!!! ). So if that has ever been one of your concerns forget it. Every thing I have tried so far has been Yummy!!

Hey there Liz -

Just to let ya know there are many of us returnees to WW. I was at goal and lifetime in '90, then kept it off for a couple of years, and then slowly kept putting on the weight. For me it was 35 lbs, but it could have been 135. I felt I could never get it off.

The support both at the meetings and on this site is awesome.

I have a hubby and a stepson definitely NOT on program. It's a struggle at times to cook for them or eat what my DH makes. A couple of tips that have stood me (usually - remember noone works this program perfectly - not even the leaders) in good stead...

I keep all their snacks (both salty and sweet) that are triggers for me (meaning I can't stop at just a few) in a separate cabinet. And I mentally keep it off limits for me. For your kids, you might want to put together little zip lock baggies with their treats and know they are OUT OF BOUNDS for you right now. Other gals recommend get treats for them you know you don't like.

I keep the Orville Reddenbacher 94% Fat Free Popcorn handy (only 2-3 pts for the whole bag). I keep WW Choc bars (2 pts), Jello FF pudding (2 pts), and Dannon Lite and Fit Yogurt (2 pts) handy, and really try to eat at least two pieces of fruit a day. Now, my DH loves icecream, and I've gotten to crave it as well. I've gound the Silouette - Skinny Cow icecream sandwiches (2 pts) great, as well as the Hagen Daz Choc Frozen Sorbet (like a fudgecicle) 1 or 2 pts.

Go online when you're craving - anything to keep your hands away from your mouth. If you need to stay home a lot with the kids, get yourself some fun exercise tapes, the kids will probably join it and have fun.

Key initally (and yes it's a drag) is weighing your food to know what you're really eating. And critical for me - yes even after 4 years on program is tracking and journaling.

You might want to also checkout the Lifetime Thread. There's a whole bunch of us struggling, commiserating, and supporting each other's progress (and slips).

Welcome back!
Patch