Forever Fighting Fat: The Never Ending Weight Loss Journey

Review of Weight Watchers Momentum Plan Books: Week 3

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I decided it would be a good idea to provide a very brief overview of each of the new books in the 2009 Weight Watchers Momentum Plan. In case you're unaware, when you join Weight Watchers, you get a new pamphlet/book each week for the first ten weeks that you're a member. Each of these books is designed to help you with some aspect of losing weight. Week two was designed to help with increasing activity. Week three is set up to help you stay ahead of hunger, which is the title of the booklet.

Book 3: Listening to Your Body's Signals
Stay Ahead of Hunger

 

It's been mentioned by several people that the Momentum plan is not a big change from the Flex and Core Plans used for the last few years. As a matter of fact, it's been called the "Flore" plan by some as it incorporates the best of both programs (IMHO).  However, if there has been a shift, it's more in the direction of getting members to eat healthy as opposed to "lose weight." After all, one can be at her correct weight and still be unhealthy. But, if you're healthy, you will naturally be at your correct weight (whatever that is).  One of the reasons I'm such a proponent of Weight Watchers is because they've never been an organization that's out to con people with quick fixes or false promises; it's always been about the health and changing habits. That said, this program takes it the furthest.

Table of Contents

This pamphlet/book/booklet (I don't know what to call it) has several section in the TOC:

• Introduction
• Understand the power of your body's signals
• Recognize hunger, satisfaction, and fullness
• Respond in a healthy way
• Your next steps

Introduction

In this brief section, WW sets the stage for the booklet, pointing out how important it is to understand your body's signals about hunger and food.

These couple of paragraphs set the stage for the remainder of the book. There's also a very brief blurb promoting how Week 5 and Week 6 will be of value too. I think that's clever as it helps people realize there's more on the way.

Understand the power of your body's signals

This section (which includes a recipe for roasted fennel and carrots for zero points!) starts getting the reader to be aware of the "just right" feeling and provides a tip on the "Smartest Strategy" to accomplish it. They're trying to get readers to understand there is a wide gradient between empty and full. Extremes won't cut it.

Recognize hunger, satisfaction, and fullness 

Now we're getting into the "meat" of the proposal with some specific steps understand where on the  "hunger scale" you fall. In a nutshell (what's with all the food metaphors?) there are three basic stages:

Hungry
Satisfied
Full

Big Loss First Week on New Weight Watchers Momentum Plan

I didn't get to post yesterday because it was one of the those "crazy busy days" that periodically slap you upside the head.  Deadlines and such kept me moving from before dawn to very late at night. However, I completed my first week on the new Weight Watchers Momentum plan, which I have been diligently following. As part of such diligence, I decided I would not step on a scale all week also. I tend to do that to give me an excuse to:

A) Be disappointed with my results and figure, "oh what the hell, I might as well eat"
-- or --
B) Be excited with my results and figure, "Wow! I didn't think it would be going so well, I can eat more."

Either way, I end up the same: chubby. Gotta stop it. So I did. I figured I'd just wait it out and let the program do its job.

So it's with no small amount of consternation that I climb on the scale Tuesday at my meeting (which I might point out is AFTER lunch -- yikes!). At first, I just kind of "tested the waters:" wearing my sweater, shoes, belt, etc. That looked OK.  Then, I removed the "extra weight list"

1. Sweater
2. Shoes
3. Belt
4. Wallet
5. Money clip
6. Pen
7. Spare change

I was alone in the room but I resisted the urge to strip down to my skivvies. There's a fine line between compulsive and obsessive and I tread it. Must be very careful, you know?

So, lo and behold, I was expecting three pounds, thought I might get four, really wanted five -- and I got

The Weight Loss Late Night Eating Healthy Living Diet Pledge

This is my busy travel season.  (If you'd like to read some of my columns on travel click here. If you'd like to read some other postings in this blog about travel, click here.)

The good news is I can pay my bills and I get to meet a lot of people who are really cool. The bad news is I have to subject myself to the airlines' special brand of customer abuse for the next few months. (If you have not traveled on an airline in awhile, you'll find the clip -- sent to me by my good friend Rich DiGirolamo -- below from Mad TV very funny. If you have been on an airline recently, you will find it recognizable, causing much groaning.)

Bulk Food (aka Bulk Eating)

We overeat for different reasons.

Although the bottom line (probably a poor choice of phrases) is that we all seek is some form of comfort, the way we achieve that comfort is through different methods. Some of us achieve it by eating foods with a certain taste, such as chocolate or sugar. Others prefer a texture, such as pretzels or chips. Salty or greasy is another trigger. Creamy might be one.

And then, there's those of us who eat for bulk. Not to be confused with weight lifters trying to "bulk up,"  I am one of the class of people whose eating quest is to feel "full," hence the term "bulk eating." At day's end, before going to bed, there seems to be a certain emotional satisfaction about retiring on a very full belly.

I wonder if this is not the main trigger for many people who eat late at night?

Oh sure, I know all the stuff about eating late at night and that it's not healthy and that it slows down weight loss and that one is really trying to mask some feelings. Blah blah blah. Of course I know this, I teach it. I speak about it. However, I can rationalize it by saying, "it's only a bunch of vegetables. Who cares?" (Isn't the human psyche a marvelous thing?)

No More Late Night Eating

I don't believe black and white statements, such as the title of this post, are ever helpful. I also believe they are rarely accurate. However, I bet -- if you're like me and seem to go crazy right before bed time  -- a title such as that got your attention and I think this post will be of use to you. So, what better way to bring you in?

I've said consistently that if I went to bed five minutes earlier, I be 50 pounds thinner.  Just last week, I fell asleep on the couch (something I rarely do) and when I woke up to go to bed, made a quick 400 calorie pit stop in the kitchen. I mean, what's that all about?

So, anyway, at our last WW meeting, we're discussing visualization (which WW likes to call "Mental Rehearsing"). One of the members in the meeting, who's doing very well these days, had just received an award for losing 35 or 40 p0unds. As I'm prone to do, I asked her, "So, what's changed for you?"

She said, "I'm controlling my late night eating."

"How?" I asked; after all it's my duty to spread the knowledge. "Please share."

Two Out of Three Ain't Bad

If you could lose the weight by yourself, you already would have done it.

There's nothing mysterious in that statement; just straightforward fact. There are some things we do well. There are others we do not do so well. I consider myself a good husband. I consider myself a good speaker. I do not consider myself strong at weight loss. Therefore, when faced with those things you don't do well, you have choices:

1. Continue to do them poorly and feel dissatisfied with the results
2. Get some help and feel better

I am fortunate that I usually opt for the latter. (Of course, KNOWING and ACCEPTING when you don't do something well is yet another thing one has to learn.)

Old Mother Hubbard's House (aka Scott's House)

Every dieter handles temptation differently. Some exercise endlessly, hoping to burn the calories off faster than they can put them on. Others resort to pre-planned foods, lists, and recipes; following a strict regime of eating only what they are told and nothing more.

I, on the other hand, try to empty my cabinets and refrigerator of all temptations.  The logic is, "If it's not here, I won't be inclined to eat it." (However  true that is, I have been known to go out to the trunk of my car -- where I store temptations -- in pajamas during inclement weather, and bring in a box of granola bars or other carby goodness.)

The other problem with my solution is the definition of "tempting" seems to change based on whim or day. For example, I think we would all agree that a Boston Creme Pie or pipping hot double cheese filled pizza would indeed be "tempting." Bringing them into my house would present for me a major problem.  After a rough day, chips or snack bars could most likely earn the moniker, "tempting."

However, it gets just plain weird when I'm having to leave rice cakes and bags of uncooked  fat free popcorn  bags out of site for fear of having a gorge fest on tasteless, dry, cardboard-textured foods.

Lately, it's getting even more odd.

How's the plan working so far?

Two posts in one day!? Yeah, I figured I had to follow up on what I posted yesterday but since I also wanted to make sure my article about handling the holidays was on line in time for it to hit the papers, I better do two.  I'd say this one will be a short one,but I'm rambling on so much in the introduction, it seems hard to believe, huh?

OK, yesterday, day one (again!) went well. As I mentioned, the first few days have a lot of water weight and temporary weight to drop. One of the rules of thumb is that if weight comes on fast (like you see a four pound gain over the weekend), it's probably not "real" weight. Oh sure, it feels like Hell -- like real weight. However, it's probably just temporary. Get on the stick and make it go away quickly - and it usually will. Ignore it, and it becomes "real" weight.

So, down one pound. Picture is posted on the refrigerator. A "179" is stuck on the scale. Scott's big adventure? Getting through tonight.

We'll talk tomorrow. Wish me luck.

For Want of a Nail...

...a kingdom was lost.

If you've never heard the proverb, it boils down to how one thing can affect so many others and you never know where it will turn out. My kingdom is doing quite well actually. It's just funny how one change can cause so many others and I'm just starting to notice what cutting down bread and wheat from my diet is doing.

In days of yore (keeping with the medieval theme of today's post), I would mindlessly grab a hamburger bun or English muffin to munch on when bored or engaging in my habit. It was quick, easy, tasty, and -- to be honest -- I like the texture. (Not many people realize that part of the draw of eating is the texture but if you stop and think about it, you'll realize it's true.) By removing those substances from my house, I find when the urge to eat hits, I can't find anything that's "fun to eat." So, I either:

Wanting, Needing, and a Slogan to Remember

When I lost weight in 1993 and 1994, I had a slogan:

"Fit, Fun, and Fiscally Sound by 40." 

Yeah, I know it's a little anal retentive to use a slogan in order to lose weight; but what can I say? My background was marketing and media; this stuff just comes naturally to me.

Thirteen years later, I realized, "If it works, do it again." Since I'm well beyond 40 now, the same slogan wouldn't work. The question is, "What do I use now?"