Monthly Archives: November 2009

ProPoints – New WW program in NL

Posted on by Pinky @lowfatpie
5

Last Tuesday I went to my meeting, as my leader Ellie had asked me to do, and in that room filled with a bazillion ladies and 3 guys we learned about the new program, ProPoints.  Apparently Germany and Denmark are already using ProPoints; makes sense to add us to the other countries (“us” being Benelux).

To be honest, I’m always a bit reluctant when WW changes the program, and believe me, in the 10 years that I’ve been a WW member, I think this is about the 4th or 5th time it’s changed - not because I don’t like change, but because I have so much in my head leftover from the old program, I know my staples, my recipes, etc., and I know the points out of the top of my head.  So, it’s more taking the time to re-learn that makes me reluctant. Because, well, I’m lazy sometimes with certain things.

I don’t have any problem with change though.  Not in the vague sense of change.  I like it for the most part, it makes things more exciting, more challenging, and keeps me interested.  So changing the program is OK and I never doubt why they do these things.  There are constant discoveries in health and nutrition and sometimes programs have to be updated.

Weight Watchers to me is such a great program because it encourages to eat correct portion sizes AND nutritionally sound food and drink.  On the other hand, they also say, “Look, we’re giving you this information and we want you to be successful, however, it’s up to YOU to choose how you are going to spend your points.”  I like that.  I am not easily amused by other programs telling me what I HAVE to eat and when.  Or that things are off limits.  In fact I hate that so much I never really tried a “diet” program, because I’m already turned off by the “can not have” lists.  No potatoes or bread - What? Are you freaking kidding me?  Only fruit before 11am?  You can not be serious.  I think you get my drift here?

So.  On the old program, I had 22 points daily and I could “save” points to use later that week.  So let’s say I saved 1 – 2 points a day, by Saturday I could use those points for a few glasses of wine.  We had activity points that we could also save.  So if I knew I was going out for chicken and mushroom pie and cold beers with my mate A, I could save daily AND activity points to do so, because that was my choice, to have those things.

Now, I have 29 points a day, and 49 “free” points a week.  Sounds good right?  Like I got MORE points!  Well.  I didn’t. Not really, because some things actually increased in points value.  Basic things like bread, skim milk, cheese, etc.  Also, the daily points?  You are meant to eat ALL of those points.  You are not meant to eat under that level.  Also, you can not SAVE those points anymore.  If you eat only 27, too bad, that’s it then for the day, you can’t have 31 the next day and use the 2 leftover.  You have to use your “free” points.

We also had “comfort foods”.  Certain food items, like chicken and turkey for example, were 3 points for a “free” portion that you ate until you were satisfied (to get us to learn to eat slowly and enjoy our food and listen to our bodies when we were full.  Full, not stuffed to the gills).  Potatoes and rice were 4 points.  Yeah.  Free portions.  Imagine what I did at first?  I would  eat like a pound of potatoes and call it 4 points but be stuffed.  I think everyone goes through that and then we later learn what “full” actually feels like.  So these items are now 5 and 7 respectively.  Other things are added to this list too, one I remember already in particular, Eggs.  I can eat 1 egg for 2 points or 2+ eggs for 5 points.  Would it be healthy for me to eat 6 eggs in one sitting and call it 5 points?  Probably not, so I’ll most likely just use 1 egg and 3 egg whites (for an omelete) like I normally do.

Fruit and Vegetables, most of them anyway, were 0 points.  That is still the case and in fact, some things that were 1 point are now 0 points.  Again, this isn’t about sitting down and eating a kilo worth of carrots and calling it 0 points.  It’s about encouraging us to eat fruit and vegetables, enjoy them but be moderate and not overload ourselves with too much.  Obviously fruit and vegetables have calories too. 

Activity points seem to have different values as well depending on what you do and what intensity level.  It’s not totally clear to me yet if you have to use your activity points on the same day you earn them or if you can save them up.  As soon as the online program has been changed I’m sure this will become more clear.  I haven’t been exercising (because of the Foot, but in the last week I was sick and on top of that I hurt my back) so I haven’t been struggling with figuring out points for that yet.

I think that’s pretty much it in a nutshell.  So far I’ve been working the program since Wednesday and the only real “difficulty” (I put it in quotes because it’s really not that difficult!) is working out recipe points that were tried and true.  Looks like a standard 12 point dinner goes up to anywhere between 15 and 17 points.  At this point I’ve used 30 free points for the week, leaving me still 19 between now and next Tuesday evening, which I think is really reasonable.  I don’t plan on using them at all today, maybe tomorrow (we have a concert to go to) and Tuesday should be a within-point day as well.

Honestly?  I’m looking forward to the new program, especially when the online program changes over – I like anything that adds to my motivation and acts as a sort of challenge.  I love planning and working things out to be exact in my plan and I love at the end of the day when I’ve made that plan a reality.  I’m looking forward to being able to work out again.  And, as I saw on the scale again this morning (at home, au naturel), I love seeing the scale KEEP going lower and lower (today 81.8KG or exactly 180 lbs).  I love the reaction I get from my leader when I weigh-in on Tuesdays – she really helped me get through my little breakdown that I had just after I got married in March (as did the chicks over at 3FC and I’ve been going strong ever since).  I love the bloggers that continue to inspire me on a daily basis.  I’m ready, willing and able and am going to reach my goal again.  I don’t know when, but it doesn’t matter, I’m in this for the long haul anyway.

Daily, Travel and WW update

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As I mentioned in my post here, there were a few things I wanted to do for the coming week. 

1) Water – I definitely managed my 1.5 litres, but only just.  There was one day I didn’t write down my water (on Saturday 21/11) but I know I had enough (though with all the beer I had, I could have had more that day…)

2) I wanted to track every day and I did just that.  Every Single Day.  I tracked online up until the 19th, when we went to the UK and then I tracked in my WW notebook in Liverpool and Manchester.

3) Control – I set out to NOT throw everything to the wind just because I  was traveling and I would say I succeeded at that at about 70%.  I had quite a lot of lager on Sat night (and wine!), I did share a packet of crisps with my guy, and I had the Chocolate Yule Log cake from Starbucks as well.  I had a burger and fries (and onion rings) Saturday as well.

4) Fruit and Veg – Goal was to have my full servings every day.  On the days I was still home, this happened.  In the UK, not completely.  I was dying for a salad by the time we came home. On Friday in Liverpool I almost made it with veggies.  On Saturday in Manchester I didn’t come close with veggies at all, but hit it on the fruit.  Again Sunday, enough fruit, no where near enough veggies.  Back at home Monday and Tuesday and I was on track again.  In the UK we actually bought some Apples and Mandarins so that we would at least have that.

5) Working out – I did not manage anything at all last week, so that is a FAIL. To be fair, my foot’s still not completely healed.

I actually took photos so that I would remember everything I ate (which I didn’t do the whole time, but hey, I had good intentions!)

Friday

Did not have an actually fry-up;  got 3 little pancakes and one fried egg and the Man gave me a little slice o’bacon

I had a jacket potato at “lunch” (which was more like 4pm) with vegetarian chili and cheese.  It wasn’t great to be honest and I left a bit of it on my plate, instead stealing about 7 nachos from my guy.

I had a cosmo and a caipirinha before dinner and ordered beef fajitas with 3 tortillas (left one). Tasty but a bit oily.

We went out to the Phil for a drink (2 pints) after dinner and then back to our hotel, which was right around the corner.

Saturday

Friday’s breakfast left me a bit unsatisfied, so I ordered scrambled eggs, hash browns (those are the UK version) and some bacon on this day and some toast.

We did some shopping and then ended up at Starbucks where I had a Misto and a slice of Yule Log cake (yummmmmmmy)

We caught the train to Manchester a bit later, but beforehand I managed to get some fruit and water at M&S:

Once we got to Manchester, we found our hotel, checked in and then headed to the city centre.  It was raining HARD so we ducked into the King’s Arms for a pint to wait out the rain a bit.

We left about 45 min later and walked further until we finally found something to eat at Gourmet Burger Kitchen.  Wine, burgers, loads of garlic mayo, fries and onion rings.  And I don’t regret a single bite!

   

Then we went to the Gary Numan show at the Manchester Academy.  And Had more beers.  Afterwards we went back to the hotel. And had another beer and the packet of crisps.

Sunday

Had another breakfast similar to Saturday’s.  It was a travel day again and really out of whack as far as finding good things to eat.  At Liverpool airport, once we made it back, we thought we could sit down and eat something and I could get a salad.  But there was nothing.  We ended up having panini’s at Starbucks.

I’m glad I’m back home now as far as food is concerned, but now I’m sick, so again out of whack.  On top of that, I went to Weight Watchers last night and we are starting a new program called ProPoints so I need to figure a few things out.  Since my official first day with it is today AND I’m home sick, I can’t say it’s going really well at this moment.

I am however, 1.2 KG less than the last time I went to WW, bring a total WW loss to 14.3 KG.  Woot!

Goals for this week:

Again WATER, track EVERY DAY regardless of points, and between now and next Tuesday, get on my elliptical at least twice.

Daily 18/11

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what a day! so very busy.  I finally stopped working at 9.30pm.  I was at home, thank God and I did have a “break” to go to an appointment in the afternoon.  ugh.  no work tomorrow and Friday!

Wednesday

Breakfast – coffee, 1 kiwi, 2 soft-boiled eggs, 2 slices of toast, 1 triangle Laughing Cow Light 7½ points

Snack – 1 mandarin orange

Lunch – 2 slices of toast, 1 LC light, 50gr chicken lunch meat, 1 tomato (in slices), lettuce leaves, pickled chili peppers 5½ points

Dinner – dark bread, Calvé Extra Light mayo, 2 slices of Slankie (LF) cheese, chicken tikka masala soup 10½ points

Water: 1.5 litres
Points Total: 23.5
Deficit: 1.5
Fruit & Veg – could have been better, did not quite hit target today

Today was definitely not as good as it could have been. I woke up a bit late, was headachy, let myself get too hungry. Traveling tomorrow and back on Sunday; am still going to write everything down and focus on the goals I made this week.

I wonder if no one comments on my entries because Food Entries are boring? Could be. I guess until I get comments I can make up whatever scenario I want! Ha!

Daily 17/11

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Pretty much the same as yesterday. I know it’s important to vary what we eat but it’s also important that I sleep. I will get more creative once I’m fully recovered any carrying my bigger bag to work with me again.

Speaking of which – no running as per doctor’s orders officially until the stitches are out next Thursday. Boo. Whether I still participate in the 10K remains to be seen…

Also, my official w/i day is Tuesday and the official weight is 82.8 KG. Was pondering this morning about this; since JUNE I have lost 7KG. Prior to that I’d already lost 7KG. 2.9 to hit the next ‘decade’. Of course I’m am going to do my best to get there before the end of the year, but I am also realistic. This is, in fact, the most difficult time of year for me food wise!

Breakfast- coffee, 1 kiwi, 100gr chicken lunch meat, 1 clementine 2 points

Snack- 1 triple tall non-fat latte 1 point
2 mandarins

Lunch- Lentil & Carrot soup (homemade), dark wheat roll, 1 LC light triangle 5½ points

Snack – 1 Americano
4 Dietorelle (WW) sweeties *
80 gr blueberries, 80gr raspberries, 125gr FAGE 0% Fat Greek yoghurt 1 point
1 apple
Cucumber slices

Dinner- red hot chicken curry and rice (tomatoes, bell peppers, onions and 2 tsp olive oil per person included) 9 Points

*these sweets are something like half a bag for 1 point. 4 are pretty much 0 points

Water; 1.5 litres
Points total: 18.5
Savings: 3.5
Fruit & Veg: yes!

Daily 16/11

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Monday!

Breakfast- coffee, 1 kiwi, 100gr chicken lunch meat, 1 clementine 2 points

Snack- 1 triple tall non-fat latte 1 point
1 Americano

Lunch- Lentil & Carrot soup (homemade), dark wheat roll, 1 LC light triangle 5½ points

Snack – tea (nothing added)
Another Americano
70 gr blueberries, 100gr raspberries, 125gr FAGE 0% Fat Greek yoghurt 1 point
1 apple
Cucumber slices

Dinner- spicy chicken with lentil sauce and rice 12 points

Water:1.5 litre
Points Total: 21.5
Savings: 0.5
Fruit & Veg: yes!!

Weekend and Goals

Posted on by Pinky @lowfatpie
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Amazingly enough, I have tracked and logged my intake all week by using my WW online program.  Even on Friday, when I was a bit off plan;  I came home and still logged everything and added up the points.  Was I within points every day? No.  The good thing is though, usually when I know that I’m “putting it out there” I am able to be close to or at my daily points level without too much damage.  As we all know, staying within points every day is not always realistic, and while there are some days that I think “screw it”, when I’m logging I never say “screw it” very loudly.

Saturday – 14/11

Breakfast – well, I had none.  I know that’s not a great thing, but honestly?  I slept for so long (until 12.45) that when and what I ate was no longer breakfast.  So, we moved on to:

Lunch – 2 slices of toast, 1 triangle of Laughing Cow Light cheese, 2 soft-boiled eggs.  What can I say.  I am loving eggs at the moment.

Snack – apple

Dinner – it wasn’t really planned (or I’d have not had eggs for lunch), but I made omelettes for everyone for dinner.  My omelette was: 1 egg, 3 egg whites, spinach, mushrooms, red onion, 1 slice of Milner Cheese (that’s a lower-in-fat cheese brand), 1 triangle of LC Light, and a bit o’ ketchup.

Snack – My stepson and I watched a movie while my guy and stepdaughter went to a little party (my stepdaughter belonged to a dance club for years and stopped recently, so this was a goodbye party for her and a few others).  SS and I shared some sweet popcorn (approx 100g each).

then I had 3 glasses of wine later on

Water: definitely not enough
Points Total: 24
Deficit: 2
Fruit & Veg: not so much fruit, def enough veg

Sunday – 15/11

Breakfast – coffee, 1 kiwi

Lunch – 2 slices of toast, 1 triangle of Laughing Cow Light cheese, 2 soft-boiled eggs and some sambal

Snack – tea, apple

Dinner – home-made spaghetti and meat balls.  The Hubs makes this.  We’ve figured the points according to the online program and his recipe.  I add 30g of cheese to this.

Water: still not enough
Points Total: 22, right on target
Fruit & Veg: not really enough. 2 fruits and a wee bit of veg from the sauce.

So, what do I want to do the next week?
1) I definitely want to drink 1.5 litres of water each day. This really should not be difficult.

2) I want to track my food again this week. Every day. I give myself permission to not log it on the WW online program because I am going away and will not have access to the internet Thurs – Sunday. Which leads me to:

3) I’m going to Liverpool and Manchester and I will not make that a license to eat like crap. I don’t have to have fry-ups and litres and litres of lager. I am and will be in control there.

4) I will eat minimum 2 fruit servings and 3 vegetable servings each day. Whatever it takes.

I am going to attempt working out, possibly tonight on my elliptical. My foot is healing, though there is a small sore spot, so I’ll take it a bit easier than I normally do (I usually completely go for it on my elliptical, working out for around 60 mins and burning more than 500 calories according to the machine).

I have seen numbers on the scale recently that I haven’t seen for years, and I am determined to keep going in this direction.  It would be brilliant to hit 80KG by the end of the year, but I don’t really like to make time-based goals.  For some reason my brain doesn’t react to these things very well, so we’ll just see how it goes.  Technically losing 3KG should be possible in 6 weeks.

Falling Off the Diet Wagon

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Awesome stuff! I didn’t write it, but I wish I had!

Falling Off The Diet Wagon

by Jonathan Bowden, M. A.

“One of the most discouraging aspects of weight loss are the inevitable slips. Everyone has them. For some people, an occasional slip engenders an all out binge…followed by guilt, self-recrimination, a sense of powerlessness, and a feeling of “What’s the use?”
Sound familiar?

I call it “falling off the diet wagon,” and if you can change how you think about it, you don’t need to be victimized by it anymore.

Let’s start by looking at a simple children’s game called “Chutes and Ladders.” Here is how it works: you use a spinner to advance from space to space toward the winner’s spot. Along the way there are ladders-which leapfrog you over a lot of spaces-as well as chutes-which send you back in the opposite direction.

Some kids play this game with a laissez-faire, “whatever” attitude, taking life as it comes with all its ups and downs, pitfalls and triumphs. They learn the wonderful moral of Chutes and Ladders-half the secret of life is just showing up. Keep playing the game, and eventually you will get where you are going.

Some kids, however, get very upset when they land on a chute. They are ready to quit the game, pick up their proverbial marbles and go home. For some reason, they believe that life isn’t supposed to have any chutes. When they land on them, they are very disappointed and feel like giving up.

Weight loss is like a huge game of Chutes and Ladders.

In dealing with hundreds of clients over the years, I’ve discovered that the biggest difference between the winners and the losers in the weight loss war isn’t whether or not people have “slips” and go off their program. It’s not really a question of “if” they have them, it is a question of “when.”

What really makes the difference is how you deal with the slips when they happen.

Here’s an example. You have been absolutely wonderful on your plan for three weeks. You’ve been sticking to your exercise routine and feeling pretty terrific. You go to your best friend’s wedding and have a glass of wine. Before you know it, soemone is insisting that you try those delicious little canapes, and before the wedding singer can say “Tanta Elka Cuts The Cake,” you’ve managed to down about 4,000 calories from stuff you wouldn’t have been caught dead looking at during the past few weeks…pates, desserts, breads, stuffings, you name it.

Most people think that’s where the action stops. Actually, it’s where the real action begins.

First, a reality check. Have you done a lot of damage? Not really. You may have put on a pound or two. Big deal. You can knock it off in no time, and go right back to work on yourself.

So what’s the problem?

The problem isn’t what we did, but what we make it “mean.” We tell ourselves that our “transgression” means that we have no willpower, that we will never succeed, that our efforts are in vain.

Let me suggest something more empowering.

Suppose, instead, that we learn to see life’s occasional “chutes” as just that-stumbling blocks that everyone hits on their personal path to personal power, nothing to be afraid of and certainly nothing to give a lot of meaning to.

So you had a chute. On your next spin you might hit a ladder.

Most important of all, you can’t win the game unless you keep on playing.

And every minute gives you a new chance for another spin. Take it.

And don’t look back.

Daily 13/11

Posted on by Pinky @lowfatpie
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Yippee, going back to work! Never thought I would be so excited to do that. The Hubs actually drove me to another town where it would be easier to get to the platform – Arnhem is a total disaster at the moment, as far as getting to the front of the station, to the lifts. I feel good this morning; hopefully by the time I post this I will still be in the same mood.

Breakfast- coffee, 1 kiwi, sandwich with 2 LC Light triangles, red and yellow bell pepper

Snack- 2 Triple Tall NF lattes
Apple

Lunch – Hummous, spinach sandwich, salad with tuna (30gr?), 1 slice hard boiled egg, dressing.

Sample of Jenna’s pumpkin soup

Snack- 1 sample bite of brownie, 1 sample bite gingerbread cake (coffee tasting)
Apple

Train home- another sandwich (same as this morning)

Dinner-  hamburgers (very lean groundbeef, 1 slice Milner, ciabattas) – had two (100g each) but only ate 1.5

after dinner – 3 glasses of wine

Water – 2litres
Total points: guessing too many (35.5)
Deficit: most likely (13.5)
Fruit & Veg: plenty today

 

I went to a workshop today on basic management skills.  It was quite hard.  Emotionally.  Hard to explain, simply because I have a hard time to stop being angry and just feel my other emotions.  So, the day didn’t turn out exactly “great” but I can’t really complain either on the whole.

Daily 12/11

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ugh ugh ugh – I am so not someone who can just sit still and do nothing. I feel so worthless right now.  Was thinking this morning “will it really be possible to run a 10K on the 6th of December?”  I realised I don’t even know when I get my stitches out.  Do I get them out? They aren’t the disolving kind.  Ugh.

staying on track today, if it kills me.  what is the purpose of our brain requesting more food/ sweets / peanut butter when we are not feeling 100%? 

and then suddenly, a blog post that gets what I’m thinking: Food & Happiness

Breakfast – tea (will surely have a headache today as well, no coffee), 1 kiwi, 2 soft boiled eggs, 2 slices of toast (no margerine today, wanted 2 slices of toast)

Snack – more tea (wish I had coffee)

Lunch – 100gr cottage cheese, lettuce, 2 tomatoes, 1 tsp olive oil, 2 pieces of toast, 2 triangles of Laughing Cow Light, 8 slices of cucumbers

Dinner – rice, veggies and chicken, 2 tsp of olive oil

Water: 1.5 litres
Total Points: 22
Fruit & veg: needed more fruit today