Saturday, January 8, 2011

I'm not a girl

After a difficult Thursday trying to explain why I can't afford to join a weight loss program which left me hopeless and shaking, I did agree to join Weight Watchers at the coaxing of Carrie under the belief she would not stop getting on my case until I agreed to join. (I also realized that if I don't lose the weight, I will have to pay extra in life insurance costs anyway so this is more an investment to prevent me from spending extra money)

After weiging in at 279.8 lb (without shoes or work shirt), it was time to listen to someone who lost 65 lb 30 years ago and has kept it off since. As expected, nothing I heard today nor anything I read in the materials provided new information about what a person needs to do to improve their weight situation (intake, output, consistency). The thing I found useful was what to do when things failed to work one day or one week as those events were the things that ended my past attempts.

What Weight Watchers has done was provide a point system to make calculations easier for members rather than going by calories or telling people what they must eat. Using their points calculator, I was allowed 54 points per day with 49 extra to use during the week. From using the calculator to check the foods I eat, it comes to 35-45 calories per point depending on the item except for fresh fruits and most vegtables which don't have any points.

I figure with how active I am at work to use the 49 extra on work days and will start every week on Saturday for two reasons. One, if I work the weekend, I can spread out the extra points evenly instead of being stuck with none on the weekend. Two, I can use the extra points for two weeks for conventions so I can use one week's of extra points on Friday and the following week's on Saturday.

What I found confusing was their sticker I got in my new weekly book. It said I have 42 points per day rather than the 54 I got in their calculator. After things were done and I asked someone there, it was determined that my profile was not switched from the female default.

Now I just have to find a way to get the ipod to log in to their app so I can keep the points calculator in the car and use the ipod at home and do what I can to make this program work.

3 comments:

Carrietastic said...

You are getting a sense of why Weight Watchers works for me and calorie counting does not.

Carrietastic said...

Also, no need to view a Wendy's Day as a failure. It's just a different choice. One of many available to you. I've gotten MUCH better at not feeling guilty about the less healthy choices I make. I loved it when, early on in my WW days, someone weighed in and had gained weight. The WW employee asked "Did you enjoy it?" The member responded "Yes!" and this made me think.... Like Martin Luther said, "Sin boldly", in other words if you're going to do it, enjoy it and move on.

madman on the loose said...

Yes, it is much easier to deal with two digit numbers rather than four even for someone who can work with numbers faster in his head than people can enter them in a calculator.

I have already determined how many points are in the foods I usually eat at places like Wendy's and now have to make sure I have points available on the days I decide to eat there.