A Quick Update

At this past Thursday meeting, I finally got my 5 lb charm!  Yeah, it took a while but I was happy to get there.  I also got the special summer charm for attending 6 out of 8 meetings.  I've always liked the Weight Watcher charms, I find them encouraging.

Our meeting is growing!  There were 30+ people there which is unheard of especially during the summer; but yay to us.  We have the only evening meeting in a 50 mile radius - yes, FIFTY miles; all other meetings are in the mornings.  A few months back, they were thinking of canceling our meeting due to low attendance - thank goodness people started coming!  I can't make any of the morning meetings due to work and I don't like the virtual ones; they just aren't the same.

I'm still struggling though but I keep trying to move forward.  I have a new refrigerator coming tomorrow and I'm very excited about that.  Hubby and I bought new appliances 3 or 4 years ago when we did a quick kitchen remodel (painting, floor, appliances). We weren't able to get the refrigerator we wanted because it was too tall for the space due to cupboards above the area; so we had to settle for the one that fit.  Don't get me wrong, it's a nice refrigerator with the water/ice dispenser but I'll be honest; side by sides just don't hold a lot especially on the freezer side.  So I had to rearrange around the kitchen and get a small chest freezer.

This time around, hubby removed half of the cupboard above the refrigerator; I opted to leave the cupboard doors off and put my cookbooks up there making it more of a shelf above the refrigerator.  Now we have the space for a larger refrigerator which comes tomorrow.  I got a french door one this time and the ice is in the freezer and the water dispenser is actually on the inside of the refrigerator rather than the outside on the door.  I'm getting excited!!!

All Those Points

All these point names….what’s the difference or is there?

Actually yes there is a difference in the point names and the point value of a food.

The original point plan (now a days referred to as “classic points” “original points” or just plain “points”) was around until late 2010.  When you calculated, you used Calories, Fat, and Fiber from the nutritional label. Basically, it was 50 calories = 1 pt.  Original Points had a very long run with few changes.  Leftover daily points could be banked to use at other times during that week.  Eventually the banking went away and everyone was given the same amount of weekly points.

In late 2010 WW introduced Points Plus (often seen on recipe sites as “pp” “p+” or “pt+”).  Points plus took the bad carbs into account.  Now the calculation used Fat, Carbs, Fiber and Protein from the nutritional label.  Snacky things ended up going up a point or two from the original point calculations. Now 39 calories = 1 pt. but most went with 40 calories for 1 pt because it was easier to calculate if you didn’t have your calculator with you. Daily points actually went up as did the weeklies.

In 2015 WW introduced Smart Points (“sp”) and sugar took a big hit.  The calculation for Smart Points includes Calories, Saturated Fat, Sugar and Protein from the nutritional label.  I’ve yet to see a calorie to point equation because it’s hard to do – something may be the same amount of calories, but not the same in saturated fat, sugar or protein.

Freestyle (“fs”) arrived in 2017 with 200 zero point foods to eat.  For those foods not included on the zero point list, points are calculated using the Smart Points equation.

Late 2019 the three plans Green(g), Blue(b) and Purple(p) were introduced.  Green is actually the Smart Points introduced in 2015; Blue is the 2017 Freestyle and Purple is new-but has a larger zero point list with less daily points.  All plans use the smart points equation for pointed foods.

Then Personal Points came out (I'm not sure of the calculation but it is different from the other plans); first they let you choose your own zero list; now everyone does the same zero list.  It's similar to Freestyle (blue) but using the personal points calculation.  It's also known as just "points" thus confusing it with the original plan.

So as you see…all points aren’t created equal!  So it is important to know which plan the point value of any recipe is using.  Some of the sites recalculate and update but many do not.

A Product You Should Look For

If I order a sandwich out...I like a crusty hard roll.  I don't want it on bread or a hamburger roll.  I want a sub.

I always look for the little club rolls at stores.  They use to be so easy to find and now seem non-existent.  Sometimes I will buy the large sub/steak rolls and cut them in half and just use half.  Another option is to pick your roll and pull out the bread on the inside to get the roll to the weight you want in order to have the points you want.  I always consider that sub rolls should be 3-4 pts.

I was in Walmart and found these in the bakery section (not the bread aisle):

Crusty like I like and only 3 WW points!! (I've included the nutrition label so you can check what they are on your plan, if you do another).  They actually weren't very expensive either!  However, I will advise that you should freeze them and take out as you need them - they'll mold fast otherwise.

I'll add 1-1/2 oz. Virginia Ham and a half a slice of Sargento's Thin Sliced Swiss and 1/2 a tbsp of light mayo for a total of 6 points!  

I'll have this sandwich along with a mini cucumber and soup or fruit.  This bread makes you feel like you're cheating, lol!

I've seen others post about these rolls and someone mentioned they make french bread pizza with them!  We have a local sub shop that makes awesome steamers (you may know them as sloppy joe's); I prefer them on a mini sub roll rather than the hamburger roll but don't like the upcharge to a sub price (even though the mini sub uses no more steamer than the regular).  Next time I know that we're going there, I'll just order the regular and switch it to one of these when I'm back in the office!

Let's Try

I'm not a resolution maker , mostly because I never keep them and then I feel like a failure.

I feel the same way about goals.

So I  do "tries".

I'm going to try to walk a mile each day.

I'm going to try to drink 64 oz of water a day.

I'm going to try to stick to the WW program.

I'm going to try to read one chapter of a book per day.

If I don't walk the mile or drink the water or read the book or do the WW program, it'll be okay...as long as I'm trying my best.

So what are your "tries"?

Sent from my T-Mobile 5G Device

So Where Am I & How Am I Doing

I haven't really posted any update on the weight loss front.  I am still attending in person meetings, though I did miss this past week.  I'm not doing bad, the weight is coming off slowly, but I haven't been perfect either food wise not have I done much exercising.  So it is what it is but I'm still moving forward. So in my opinion, I'm doing well.

So my tries for the week:

1.    Walk 3 times, 1 mile each time.

2.    Water, water, water

No more, that should be plenty!

Weight Loss Tip

 

2024 Continues......Sigh....

 A few posts back, I said that 2024 has been a bad year for my family.  2024 continues.....

My Dad has been in and out of the hospital, fighting UTI's along with his other health issues.  He can no longer walk unassisted and it's hard for him with assistance.  Right now he's in a rehab center but will be moved to long term care.  Like Mom, none of us are able to provide the 24/7 care he needs.  So my family's battle with 2024 continues.

On a happier note!

CC and I went to Evans City, PA/Monroeville, PA this past weekend.  We visited the Evans City Cemetery where the movie Night of the Living Dead (original) was filmed and the Monroeville Mall where Dawn of the Dead (original) was filmed.  We lucked out on this weekend, because about 3 weeks prior I discovered there was a Living Dead Weekend happening at the mall!  So we eagerly bought tickets for that and it was a blast!

Most of the celebrities there were ghouls in Dawn of the Dead but there were some big names there as well:  Tom Atkins; Tom Savini and Greg Nicotero may be three you've heard of.   A big one for us was Russell Streiner.

Russell Streiner played Johnny in Night of the Living Dead.  He delivers the most memorable line of the movie "They're coming to get you Barbara."  He was more than happy to say that line for us!  He told us how they had no money to make the movie and how they begged and borrowed to get it done.

But, for us, the big draw was Greg Nicotero.  He's from the area so happily always comes to the yearly event when his job doesn't have him elsewhere.  Greg is a special effects person and was the walker professional for The Walking Dead.  He also owns a restaurant with Norman Reedus.  If you're a Walking Dead fan, you know who Greg Nicotero is, he's as popular as the all the characters.  He's also a very nice, down to earth person.  While CC was asking him questions about Daryl Dixon; he apologized for eating candy but he said he had felt lightheaded and needed something and if we see him laying on the floor; we'd know why.  I told him I was CPR certified; he told me he could only accept mouth-to-mouth; I told him I could do that!  LOL!!  Great guy!

So that was my highlight for the year so far!

Oops!!

Often you can have an "oops" in weight loss.

I get up at 5:30 a.m. to walk dogs and such before work.  I leave for work around 7:10 a.m.   I'm not normally hungry at that time nor do I feel like cooking at that time.  I have to find grab and go breakfasts and lunch as well.

I'm not into meal preparing.  I've done it, have made very tasty things; but by day 3 I'm tired of eating the prepped meal and that can send me off the deep end.

Grab and go breakfasts can be a slice of 647 bread with whipped peanut butter, yogurt, fruit.  Simple.

Lunch can be sandwich, soup, leftovers from dinner the night before.

So what happens on those occasions I go out the door and breakfast and lunch is still on the kitchen counter?

Ooops!!!

This is where my "just in case" drawer comes in handy at work.

Yep that's my drawer!  I just recently cleaned it out and put some new things in.  So if breakfast and/or lunch is on the kitchen counter, if I need something "extra", if a co-worker needs food...it's all there in the drawer.  Oatmeal, tuna, soup, unsweetened applesauce, microwave meals (that need no refrigeration), even WW snack bars.  There's also a scale, measuring cups/spoons, salt & pepper and cinnamon!

I realize not everyone has a job that can allow you to do this; but if you do - then do it!

***This is an old post that I decided to rehare; the photo is old so the point values may be different as the plan has changed; but I still keep one of these drawers at the office!!***

Our Journeys Are Not The Same

Your journey is not like mine.

My journey is not like yours.

No two people share the same weight loss journey.

I love the bloggers and vlogger and influencers that I follow.  They are inspirational, they give good ideas, they understand your journey BUT, I know my journey won't be exactly the same.

And that's where people fail....

We all want the easy journey, so we follow someone that posts "What I Eat In a Day on "some number" points." or "What I Eat In a Day That Helped Me Lose "some number" pounds".  It would be nice to eat those exact same things and lose that same weight.  Guess what? That's not going to happen.

Why? Because we're all different.  We're different ages, body type, metabolism, genetics...it's not going to be the same.

I've nothing against someone who wants to try whatever their favorite "influencer" is doing.  You need to try and try to find out what's right for you; I do have an issue with those that immediately follow and then question after question on why it's not working for them.

Case in point.  A lot of members are hopping on the low carb bandwagon right now - which is fine, mostly due to an influencer being diagnosis as pre-diabetic.  This person purchased a monitor to find out what foods caused her blood sugar to spike.  Nice tool to have; BUT people started suggesting foods they were interested in.  That would be nice except what makes her blood sugar spike, may not make yours.  Asking and then saying "Thanks, I won't be eating that." Why???  Why would you not eat something that makes her blood sugar spike???  You will need your own monitor plus your own doctor to make those decisions.  Diabetes is a health condition that needs monitored by your doctor, not your influencer.  This influencer I've followed for a while, I love her vlog and think she's a wealth of information; but I know her intent is not to replace your doctor.  When dealing with a health issue - always check with your doctor first.

Low Carb, Low Carb, Low Carb.....I'm Sick of hearing Low Carb!!

 Low Carb.

There I've said it. A lot of WW members are hopping on the low carb band wagon, and struggling.

Why?

Because WW isn't working but the struggling comes from not being able to leave WW completely behind.

EVERYONE - choose your program and do it!  Don't attempt to combine it with other programs.  You will drive yourself nuts!

Case in point, doing low carb usually means you'll be high fat.  There have been people questioning this because WW has taught fat is bad and the calories/points are too high.  See?  You can't do low carb with a WW mentality.

Some think if they are not diabetic or pre-diabetic they can't do low carb.  Low carb is not a diabetic specific program.  Anyone can do it.  If you are diabetic (or pre) it may be best to check with your doctor on the best program to follow.

Some are jumping on the wagon because they follow a certain youtuber that has now dropped WW and is doing something else.  YOU DO YOU!!

Everyone needs to find what works for them and move forward with it.  You may have to try many different programs to accommodate yourself.

Keep Trying!

Wait...Isn't It A Lifestyle Change?

Isn't it a lifestyle change?

Diet:  the kinds of food that a person, animal or community habitually eats

What you are eating is your diet, not the program you are doing.

I get it, you've been taught "diet" is a bad word. You're being taught to say "lifestyle change" because "diet" means "temporary", you're doing this for life.

Guess what?  The food you are eating on this Lifestyle, is your diet!

Try not to get caught up in the terminology of things or push your terminology off on others.

Water, Water & More Water!!

Water always seems a big topic in the weight loss communities.  Everyone has an opinion on the amount and what counts as water.

For starters - plain water is best for your body; your body needs it and knows how to process it; but some just have a hard time with plain water.

I see a lot of people with HUGE jugs/cups/mugs/etc.. filled with water to drink throughout the day.  Hey, if that works for you GO FOR IT!  But me?  That is so overwhelming I'd never get it done.

I prefer drinking water in smaller amounts; I do 8 oz. servings at a time.  Why?  A serving of water is only 8 oz. and once you see that measured...getting 6 or more of that size in seems doable.

I do six servings of water a day.  Why 6?  Because when I initially started WW, that was the healthy guideline to follow.  However, they allowed any type of liquid to count (sodas, juices, broth) as long as you counted the points (if the liquid had any) as well.  Over time that has changed and they now kind of say plain water.

I personally can drink plain water, but I realize not everyone can and that's okay - you do you! I start my morning with a serving, another before I leave the house, another on the way to work and pretty much by lunchtime, I have my six servings in!  After that, I pretty much drink whatever I want!  

Some people drink 8 servings a day and some say you should drink 1/2 your weight in ounces.  I don't know what is the correct method but again YOU DO YOU!

Also keep in mind that almost everything (food included) has some amount of water in it; so consider that as well.

One Bad Meal.......

There's a lot of truth in this meme!!

A bad meal won't make you fat.  You didn't gain weight from one bad meal.  Just like you won't lose weight eating one good meal.

However....  don't let one bad meal derail you!  Shake it off, pick yourself back up and get back on track!!

The one good meal???  Hey, keep eating those!