All weight loss experiences are unique and should be tailored to an individual's needs, desires and lifestyles. Guest blogger Margo Dill recently lost weight she had gained during her pregnancy, She used Weight Watchers. Her determination is to be credited. Many women, who put on weight during their child-bearing years, let themselves go after giving birth. They let the larder lure them to continue addictive habits picked up to satisfy pregnancy cravings. Many friends of mine fell under the spell of being the nurturing mom, while nurturing their appetites along the way and they have struggled with this weight gain for years until they just gave up.
Margo is stopping the incremental weight gain Hydra by cutting off the central head: immediately ridding herself of the baby fat. Find out from her post how Weight Watchers really helped Margo take authority over her eating habits.
MARGO:
I recently became a Lifetime Weight Watchers member. I did it in 4 months, and I lost 41 pounds. It wasn’t easy, but it wasn’t as terrible as many people make dieting out to be. I truly believe this is because of the Weight Watchers plan. It lets you have a normal life. You can go out to eat with your friends. You just get a chicken wrap instead of the burger.
I chose to go to Weight Watchers in January 2011 for two reasons. I was turning 40 in February; and I had just had a baby in October 2010, and I had gained 60 pounds with the pregnancy. Since I was nursing, I easily shed 40 of that. But I was overweight when I got pregnant, so I wanted to lose the 20 pounds left, plus 20 more.
So, in January, I went with my mom and my daughter to Mommy and Me class, and started learning about making healthier choices. I also got out my walking shoes and went mall walking—it’s too cold in the Midwest for winter walking with a newborn (especially a preemie!).
Here are some things I learned on the Weight Watchers program:
1. Go to meetings. Find a leader that you like and that inspires you, and go get yourself weighed each week. Go with a buddy if possible.
2. Stock up at the grocery store on foods you need to eat. Weight Watchers wants you to eat plenty of fruits and veggies and lean meats and get your dairy in. If you have apples, oranges, and bananas at your house for snacks and NO CHIPS, you have to grab the fruit.
3. Track what you eat and figure your points. The number one thing I heard people not having success say was: “I never write anything down.” I wrote EVERYTHING down—even two M&Ms, and I estimated points high if I didn’t know them.
4. Weigh yourself just once a week. Women have it harder than men, in my opinion. We retain water like no other. If you eat salty foods one night, you could retain two pounds of water. You might get discouraged if you weigh yourself every day.
5. Life happens. When my 40th birthday came, my husband and friends threw a surprise party. Did I follow Weight Watchers? NO—I went to White Castle drive-thru at 11:00 p.m. on the way home. But I got right back on the next day. I didn’t wait until the next week when I went to Weight Watchers again.
6. Your family will bring home things that you shouldn’t eat. It’s going to happen. Kids have Halloween candy. Husbands go to the store and grab chips. Try to have healthy alternatives when they are chomping on things that you shouldn’t have. I got some of those Weight Watchers bars and chips when they were on sale.
7. Plan ahead when you eat out. Most restaurants have nutritional value available, so you can figure out what menu items are the best for you AHEAD OF TIME.
8. The biggest thing. . .it’s all about portion control. You can eat pizza—just have two slices instead of four. Pay attention to how many crackers are in a serving size.
So far, I’ve been keeping off the weight. I’m very active with a six-month-old daughter who loves to go for walks, and I’m still nursing. I practice healthy eating tips I learned. I eat fruits and veggies for snacks. I measure my meat and my ice cream treat at night. I eat other side dishes besides chips and fries. I also continue to go to meetings. It’s become a part of my life, just like eating a half bag of Lay’s potato chips used to be.
Margo L. Dill is a freelancer who lives in St. Louis and writes for children, teachers, librarians, and parents. You can find out more about her at http://www.margodill.com/.
