suggestions for success on ww
 

Does anyone have suggestions to help me lose? This is my third time trying. Everytime I think I will finally lose the weight I go over points, say I messed up, and quit. I really just need the motivation to keep going and not quit. Anyone have ideas to help me stay on program? I have been drinking water, recording points, but I can't afford attending the meetings right now. I have all the info from other times I attended meetings so it isn't like I don't know what to do. Help!!

Can you think of a reward that would motivate you? Like, something that you will do for yourself or buy for yourself if you lose a certain (small) amount of weight? Like, for your first 5 pounds, go and get a manicure or treat yourself to a new magazine or something.

Remember not to beat yourself up over mistakes. . . if you go over your point range, just get back on program the next day. . .don't let yourself give up because you have a setback. . . we all have them!!

Hang in there! Make sure you ask for support and encouragement whenever you need it!

Good luck!
Trina

a couple of things to think about when you first start..

let's say you range is 24-29 (my range) - think about how many points you ate before you started dieting.. (me.. I could easily put away 80 points! :O) Give yourself a break the first couple of weeks if you eat 40 points - that's still a huge improvement!!!

your first couple of weeks are also a learning experience - journal journal journal - not just what you ate - but how it made you feel - ie. "wow.. that 6 point lean pocket was a big waste of points" chalk it up to a learning experience and move on.

take baby steps.. you are not going to do it all at once.. and if you think you can - you will fail.
just this week - do one of the following:
eat 5 fruits/veggies everyday
or
drink your water
or
measure/weigh your food

by doing just one of these things for a WHOLE week you are not only going to see results at the scale but you are also teaching yourself a great habit. It took me a long time to work up to 93 oz of water every day - it's now a habit.

Good Luck on your journey... and beware, like any journey there will be forks in the road :)

Dana

I agree with all of the above suggestions, but would add a few of my own. I also have done WW several times & have given up several times. I believe you have to find the motivation inside of yourself in order to succeed, but you can also find motivators around you to keep you on track. For examples, this board & others like it are GREAT!!!!!!!!!! Anyone, such as friends or family members, that can provide encouragement would be wonderful but are usually hard to find. And another great source would be an e-mail buddy :spin: Don't let a splurge convince you to give up and quit. I always allow myself to have a dinner out on Friday or Saturday night with my BF & not count points & I still lose weight; so one (or even 2) splurges a week won't destroy your efforts.........as long as the rest of the week you stay on track!!!

Good luck to you. I'm sure you can do it:angel:

I also agree with everyone here.

You can't just say, "I'm dieting" and think it's going to work. You have to be motivated, you have to want, you have to be able to see yourself thin, you have to want it like you've never wanted anything else in your life and then you will find the motivation.

My motivation: I have tried almost every diet known to man but one thing, besides wanting to be skinny, motivated me more than anything and that was the words of a 7 year old. "Mommy, you're fat!" Boy did that hurt. It was TRUE, but it hurt! I decided then and there that I would no longer allow myself to be the way I was ANY MORE. That was 50 pounds and four months ago!!!!

You have to come to a place within your mind, body and soul and then you will find your motivation!

Good luck! Don't give up! You have to fight for anything you want in life. Fight for this !!!!

Tera

Tera, what do u eat in a normal day i have been on ww since 5/29/02 and only have lost 18lbs i feel like i am at a plateau or something and i know that some of my determination is dwindling how do i get that gunho feeling again and congrats on losing 50lbs in such a short period of time
tell me ur secrets;)

Marlene,

I do nothing special, REALLY. I just follow weight watchers religiously!!!!! This is something I want badly and I try to keep my 'power' in every situation. It's really hard considering McDonald's is only 3 minutes from me, there is a Dutch snack bar only 2 minutes from me and when I do groceries, there are always snack stations open. I stay focused, and when I feel tempted at the snack bars I just tell myself no and tell myself I will be grateful the next morning when I havne't gained any weight and it works for me. It's a habit now. When I walk by those snack counters and those ice cream counters, it's habit just to keep walking without even thinking now. I used to live to eat, in reality, you should only eat to live.

My typical day of points is 24-29. I never pay attention to the 24 and always make sure I don't go over 29. I never go to bed without eating at least in between my point range. Your body needs the nutrition, starving yourself is only worse in the long run. I always try to get at least 8 hours sleep. Your body rejuvenates itself during sleep and you also BURN CALORIES.

A typical menu day for me would be:

Breakfast
Fruit and Fiber cereal (7 points)
milk (1 point)

Snack
Muesli Bar (1.5 points)

Lunch
Vegetable Soup (0 points)
Salmon Wrap
2 flour tortillas (2 points)
2 thin salmon slices (1 point)
2 tbsp light cream cheese (1 point)
2 tbsp salsa (0 points)

Snack
banana (2 points)

Dinner
Shrimp/Crab Chow Mein
4 oz wheat noodles (6 points)
2 oz crabmeat (1 point)
2 oz small shrimp (1 point)
2 tbsp spicy mustard (o points)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar (0 points)
1 tbsp soy sauce (0 points)
1 tbsp garlic powder (0 points)
1/4 cup minced onions (0 points)
Garden Salad (0 points)
Tiramisu (5 points)

Points for entire menu = 28.5

This is what I had yesterday. Almost every day of my life follows this routine, just with different food.

And I have no suggestions on how to get that gunho feeling again. All I know is when I came to the decision that I wanted to lose weight, I wanted it more than I wanted anything and so far, nothing has stopped me. I have a wonderful husband who COMPLIMENTS me religiously. Almost every day he's saying how beautiful I am and how he's proud of me. That motivates me a lot and of course every time someone sees me and can noticeably see a weight loss, the compliments they give me also makes me feel good to keep working at it. I just take those compliments with me. When I sit down to eat and I want more or I want that piece of cake or whatever, I remember those compliments and how good it made me feel and I forget all about that extra food I wanted.

Your motivation and your inspiration lies within you. You have to dig deep to find out what will keep you motivated and what weight loss will do for you. Not just physically, but also spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically. When you find the basis of that, there will be nothing to stop your power from coming out on top!

Don't give up. Some people lose weight slower than others. Your weight loss will pick up, I guarantee that. But don't get discouraged at the small milestones. See them as stepping stones and keeping working harder to step right over them.

I wish you all the success in the world!!!

Tera

i am going to take ur inspiration with me today as i plan my day i never go over my points either but always seem to eat under and i am in the 28-31 range and close to ur range by a pound
i will have
fiber cereal with skim milk and coffee for breakfast
i am having a pbj for lunch as i have an eye exam before lunch time so it is portable and will take fruit and a 2pt bar with me for a snack at work
then for a snack in the afternoon i usually have a piece of fruit or a smoothie then for dinner tonight i am making homemade chicken burgers with a salad on the side
then i ususally have a snack before bedtime some pretzels or a smart one ice cream
i also drink about 100oz of water a day
can u see where i am going wrong?
thanks so much and keep in touch please

Let's see:

Breakfast:
3/4 cups Bran Flakes or Raisin Bran = 1 point
1/2 cup 1% milk = 1 point
coffee = 0 points (without milk, without sugar)

Lunch
2 slices reduced calorie bread = 1 point
1 tbsp diet preserves = 0 points
1 tbsp peanut butter = 2 points

Snack
Banana = 2 points or
Small apple = 1 point or
Small orange = 1 point or
20 Small Grapes = 1 point
(I don't know the points for your smoothie)

Dinner
(I don't know how you are making your burger, so we will only guess at a point value)

burger = 5 points
buns = 3 points
lettuce = 0 points
tomato = 0 points
onions = 0 points
1 tbsp fat free mayo = o points
garden salad (without dressing) = 0 points

Snack
15 small pretzels = 2 points
( I don't know the points of the ice cream because they are not available here in Holland)

So on an estimated guess you will have around 17 points today. That is really not enough.

Your body needs at least 1200 calories to sustain normal body functions. I don't know your heighth, age, or activity level but I do know from the above that you are not eating enough.

When you do not properly nutrify your body, it thinks you are sick or in trouble. Therefore, what fat you do put in your body, your body will KEEP. It has to try and preserve it's functioning the only way it knows how. When you eat enough, your body doesn't need those extra so it gets rid of the fat thru other body functions and processes.

If you do not eat enough, normally you will lose weight rapidly, but soon enough, your body goes into 'starvation' mode and you will not lose anything after that. You have to supply energy to your body, and the only way is to feed it !

Your not eating over your points, or that's how it seems to me. Are you exercising? Or at least moving around somewhat thru the day to get some activity in your life?

Did you also know that caffeine is a fat burning inhibitor? It keeps your body from burning fat effeciently, or the way it's supposed to be. Try switching to decaf.

You weigh the same as a friend of mine and she complains of back pains when she tries to exercise. If you have this problem as well, try doing exercises from a seated position. As long as your are MOVING your body, it is considered EXERCISE.

I don't know your situation, so I can't really give advice on specific exercises or activities.

I know I'm not supposed to do this but I'm going to do it anyways. I can send you some of the exercises I gave to my friend for her to begin to have a more active lifestyle if you want. Just email me at gtera@xs4all and I will send them to you.

If you have any more questions, please don't hesitate to ask.

Tera

Great thread
 

Gosh, what a great thread! Everyone here gave such great suggestions and inspiration. You are all wonderful!!

It's so true that you have to want it. I agree with all of the other comments made here. One thing I would add is do it before your body has such health problems that you have to do it.

I've seen people with problems that could be solved by weight loss. They come to the meetings and are literally scared because of what their doctors have told them. I don't want to be in that position.

Not just that, I want to feel good and now that I've lost weight, I feel great.

Hang in there. Just like Slimdown said, take baby steps and you'll get there.:cool:

oh my i wish u lived here in the states and i appreciate ur quick answers i never eat my points it seems and i am so afraid of eating fats i know that is my problem
i make my chicken burgers with fresh chicken ground, salt, pepper, celery,garlic and parsley mix up and fry with pam spray they are delicious and i give them 4pts i don't use a bun i either use red cal bread or i can get a hold of 1pt hamburger buns here or sometimes i don't put them on bread,.. my son loves them too
i will make a cucumber salad with them and probably cook zucchini with some olive oil and salt and pepper in the microwave
now sometimes i eat tuna for lunch or i will make a lunch meat sandwich or soup but never seem to fill full. i just had my knee replaced last summer so i have been quite sedatary and i do hate exercising i do try and do some walking and once the weather gets cooler here i know i will walk more i will email u though if u don't mind keep in touch please and please feel free to comment

TERA i have tried emailing u but it won't go out says address is in complete gtera@xs4all is what i used
if u want email me [email protected]

forgive me for my ignorance..

it's [email protected]

LOL

Marlene, I just wanted to add a comment about your being afraid of eating your points........DON'T BE!!!!!!!!!!! As was mentioned before, your body WILL go into starvation mode and you WON'T lose weight. Add a "little" fat (such as oil, butter, salad dressing, etc.) back into your points and you'll still lose weight, plus it will help keep you feeling "satisfied". Don't deprive yourself or you won't stick with the program. Think of it as a lifestyle change, not as a DIET!!!!!!!!!!! :angel:

thank you so much !!!! u know another problem i have is mental i think my mother she is always making comments on i am the only heavy one or boy u lose weight slow don't u or i hope ur sticking to it things like that make me so angry and bother me u know what i mean i am trying really hard this time and do want to succeed!!!! i thank u all for ur support and help in my eating habits i guess what i need to see is samples of what other people are eating to see where i am making mistakes.....
thanks again

I can relate!
 

Dear Marlene,
I can totally relate to your situation! I have started WW so many times and gotten discouraged and quit! I am now going to re-join again for the ? time! This time I am taking one day at a time and not projecting into the future! So much you said hit home with me...it is nice to know your not alone! Good luck to both of us....We can do it!
Sincerely, Dee Etta:)

thank u Dee Etta, it is a major battle everyday isn't it my husband and son love their sweets and that is my downfall too although i love real food so to speak..i am a diabetic and since i have been on ww i have drop units in my insulin and taken away one pill so i know i am headed in the right direction..i want to be off all of my meds if i can ...i am tired of taking so many meds.....i wonder how many of them is hindering me from losing weight faster???
well this week i did manage to lose 3 more lbs and now have lost 19.2lbs since i started on 5.29.02 i hope to do the same this week too....
good luck and if u want to email me go ahead and keep in touch

just hang in there notlookingback I started WW in Feb this year and I have lost 59#s to date, my daughter started with me and she has lost 30. She was so upset because she wasn't loosing as fast as me but once we figured out that she was excercising her points away so she was always under. Now that she knows that it is easier for her on days when she has more excercise she eats more she has to stay almost at the top of her range.
It is sometimes just a matter of shaking things up and changing them around. For example I never eat the sameting for any meal two days in a row. I find it better to have different things and to look for different products and spices anything to keep it interesting. Variety is the spice of life.
The advice about motivation that you have been getting is wonderful, we all come to a time when something triggers the I have to lose weight and it keeps you going. All the forums in here are also wonderful. Everyone knows exactly where you are coming from we have all been there. I know staying in your points you can sometimes feel you are over eating but just remember that is where you should be. Some people can be so negative towards us with the change in our lifestyles with their comments but just remember you are doing this for you not anyone else. Good luck to you.

Hi Ladies
It is me again just a note of caution,Too much of a good thing can be bad for you and that includes the water we drink to help us with our weight loss. If you consume too much water you can cause an imbalance in your electrolytes in your body so make sure you are also drinking other liquids. The water is very important but have your electrolytes out of whack can be very serious, I have seen this so I just wanted to pass the caution on. Don't be afraid to drink the water just be wise about it. I drink plenty of water everyday but I now make sure Im a little more cautious about it. Take care and have a great evening.

thanks for ur imput dollar i appreciate everything i go tomorrow morning to get weighed and i hope i lost weight this week i feel like i did my clothes are loser and i feel taller...lol:lol:
i have really cut down on the desert factor this past week too so i i hope that has helped me
will report tomorrow on the results
keep on keeping on that is all we can do:)

hi ...does anyone know how much water to drink? I nener knew you could drink too much! just curious!
Thanks, onangelwings aka Dee Etta:?:

i was told u drink 1/2 of ur body weight

Hi ladies,
as far as the water goes as long as you are drinking other things and eating a good diet you should be ok, WW recommends 6 glasses a day. I probably drink about 80 to 160 oz a day, I do however make sure Im getting lots of fruits and vegies, bananas a very important because they contain the potassium we need. The person I knew who got sick from all the water was drinking about 20oz every hour or more during the day and not drinking anything else. I don't drink much other then water but Im very careful. I work in a health care facility and that is where the woman was that got sick so all of us at work that are on the program are very carefull as to how much water we drink. Remember for every caffenated drink you have you must drink one extra glass of water, so try decaffe.
Notlookingback, if you really enjoy dessert leave yourself some points and find yourself something you like that is a good dessert for you to have. I always loved ice cream, now I have discovered low fat frozen yogurt and I save 4 points a day most days to have 1 cup of frozen yogurt after supper. the dutch chocolate one I buy is to die for. So find a treaty you like that isn't too high in points and enjoy. Sorry ladies I don't know the exact amount of water we should drink I think it all depends on weight just don't over do.

Once at a WW meeting I heard someone say that they started counting their points at dinner, since dinner was their biggest meal. As opposed to starting counting your points at breakfast. That way, if you had a large dinner, you could make up for it by eating low points for breakfast & lunch the next day and start fresh with dinner again. This might be helpful if big dinners are your downfall or if they're unpredictable. A new perspective sometimes helps to motivate me!

This is my first posting, I’ve read these boards for a while for motivation, and I’m ready to start again!

well dollar u have made some good points and i do make or find deserts that are low in points thanks that is not a problem any more but i find that i am wishing for fat like from a hamburger or something else i get up from eating and i am hungry not all the time just sometimes.. i tried to add some oil to my diet and the first week i lost 3lbs and then this week i gained .2 so i am wondering what i did wrong for one and really wish i had someone here cooking meals for me like my mom did when i was a kid :lol: oh well i guess everyday u come across a challenge and we must conquer them as they pop up
and welcom to the boards dream jean write in alot i know i do in fact i seem to be posting something every day and it is very helpful to me and i get to meet so many nice people
;)

Great ideas -- very motivating! I have found more willpower following thinking like Byrd's -- I allow myself a "day off." I don't go hog wild, but I also don't worry about religiously counting pts at a dinner out. (Ex: on my "day off" last week I had an ice cream flurry with my family. I ended up tossing almost half of it becauce I was no longer hungry. That *never* happened before!) It makes staying within points 100% easier for me when I know I can relax a little on the weekend. So far, it hasn't stopped me from losing weight. However, I did get very lax with my pts this week, and now have to reign in my eating habits.

Holly

good idea holly, i try and do that relax a day or two with points especially on weekends since that is when i get weighed i lost those .2lbs i gained a week ago but that was it so this week i am really trying to stick to basics i think i need to do some exercising b ut i am not a excerise person....i have tried the eating less method and that hasn't worked for me and i am on the cusp of using less points now so don't know if i should go lower or stay with the same until this week when the scale says i am lower see how positive i am thinking :dizzy: i try
well i love hearing any input i can get and find that in here i do get the support i am asking for amongst all the good ideas too
keep on keeping on

I've never been big on exercise either, however; it is the ONLY way I ever seem to lose any weight. So what I do is take a walk with my husband most evenings. We have a great place to walk right nearby and we've been doing 2.5 miles every night. It gives us time to get away from the kids and just catch up with each other. We are improving our health and our marriage at the same time! :flame:

well chocolate, i just got back from the dog walking me 4 city blocks and that made me sweat so i guess i did some good tonight hopefully i can keep it up and walk him at night time..he pulls me though
just wanted u to know u gave me food for thought
thanks:)

We did our 2.5 miles again this evening. That's the 5th day in a row!! Woohoo!!! I am really trying to make this a habit. It does seem to be getting easier and we are moving faster, too. I am a bit worried about what we'll do when winter comes; I have a treadmill which I will use when I have to, but dh hates it and won't get on it. We've talked about learning cross-country skiing, but I don't want to invest the money and maybe find out we don't enjoy it. Any ideas?

just bundle up and still go for that walk as long as the sidewalk or streets are cleared..i live in the northeast and find it hard too to walk in the winter i also purchased the leslie s--------
walking tape and she takes u through the mile, 2 mile, and 3 mile walk right in ur living room it is pretty exhausting u should try it i will have to look up the tape for her name for u unless u know what i am talking about
the tape comes with water weights as well and i got it for about 30.00 so look for it
where do u live chocolate?

I live in NE Ohio and we get quite a bit of snow some years. I do have a Leslie Sansone dvd; so that's an idea. We live right on a main road with lots of traffic so I always worry about cars sliding into me when it's icy.

well i live in philadelphia pa so i know how the winters can be.. i need a boost to get into ww again i have not lost any weight in a month and it has really gotten me and no matter how much i try i am hungry and can't seem to stay away from food do u go through any of those times? or am i the only one??? i need a talking too so go ahead i am listening:?: