Good Morning! Before I start rambling about how I do (and don't) break the WW rules I want to celebrate my weight loss this past week. 2.6 pounds down! I'd been eying my weight this week and it looked like I might lose but I didn't want to get excited (or tell y'all about it) in case it didn't stick. But it did :) The last time I lost more than a pound was about a month ago so I'm excited. You might recall I like to figure my monthly pounds lost. For past figures see this post. So for June I lost 3.6 pounds. Not spectacular, not bad. I'll take it! Now, we shall commence with the rambling...I love the Weight Watchers program. It's so reasonable and rational - I believe they've got it fine tuned to near perfection. But that doesn't mean I follow the program to a T. Jessica got me to thinking about the various ways in which I don't follow the WW program - so I decided to share in a list.
Top 5 Ways I Break the WW Program Rules
5. I hardly ever pay attention to getting my oils in. If it happens, great. If not, eh.
4. Probably forget my daily vitamin 70% of the time. But those 30% days I'm rocking! Just kidding, I don't notice the difference. We're supposed to take the vitamin because we're on a reduced calorie diet and could therefore be missing out on some nutrients or something. Well, the only nutrient I really worry about is my Chocolate nutrient, so I'm careful to get plenty of that in my diet.
3. I get 2 servings of milk in...when I have ice cream for desert. Wait, Ice Cream doesn't count as a dairy? Ok, I never get two servings of milk. Better remember that multivitamin more often.
2. I eat chicken breast and lean fish in any quantity I want. 3 oz? Ha! No matter how much chicken breast I eat I call it a breast, 3 Points, and I'm good. When I go to Subway I get double (lean) meat & no cheese. Do I count the extra meat? No way, man! I need that protein to stay full. Is this appropriate WW behavior? No. Please don't tell my leader :) If it's fatty meat (sausage, steak, etc) then I count it appropriately...most of the time.
1. All apples and all oranges are 1 Point, no matter the size. I did not get fat eating apples and oranges.
I had a discussion about this with a newly minted lifetime member in my meeting yesterday. She and I talked about ways in which we break the rules and concluded that as long as we're losing it's all good. But if I stop losing I have a place to look to make some changes. Especially #2 above.
Now this begs the question, which 5 rules do I consider unbreakable? Weeelll...
Top 5 Unbreakable WW Rules
5. Must eat five servings of fruits/veggies per day, however much that is. I just eat fruits/veggies with every meal and for a snack and hope it adds up right.
4. Must drink at least 64 ounces of water.
3. Must exercise (for me, right now, that's 3-4 times per week).
2. Must track & eat within my points range. (that's two isn't it? But Top 6 doesn't sound so good)
1. Now I know this isn't a WW requirement per se, but for me it is...MUST go to weekly meeting. Oh, and never give up.
But just because I'm saying these are unbreakable doesn't mean I don't break them now and again. But when I do break these I see it as a problem that needs to be addressed.
In general I've found that I tend to go through cycles where I'm doing really well in one area but another area is suffering. I then shift focus to the area where I'm struggling but lose focus in something else. It's all a balancing act and I have to remember that it's what I do most of the time, it's my habits that determine my success. Anomalies will occur, mistakes will happen, that goes without saying. I try to remember that it's not about the falling down, it's about the getting up.
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I love the rules you break. I do the same thing with fruit. It's FREE!! Hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI'm getting ready to leave for my weigh in. I was not very 'on program' this week because of my long weekend vacation. But alas, it's back on the wagon I go.
Are you sure you don't want to be a writer?? I like the way you think :-)
ReplyDeleteI break almost all the same rules that you do! :) Especially the oils and diry deal. I hardly ever get in the dairy and the only time I get oil is if I am gooking with it, in which case I usually use the cooking spray.
ReplyDeleteLove your lists! It really makes me think about what I do on a regular basis. I'll readily admit that I break most of the same rules you do. Oils and milk...eii yii yiii! I do really try to do the multivitamin thing though. If only I would remember more consistently!
ReplyDeleteI don't take a vitamin or worry about my oils either. I count most fruit as 1 point, apples the size of my head, bananas a foot long, whatever. I do weigh and count chicken breast and fish. I could eat my weight in those things so I have to be careful. It's funny how we all tailor the program to our needs. I guess that's why it works so well :)
ReplyDeleteMichelle, I feel into your blog through Kristy. I quit smoking with her in another group. I'm not real computer savy so I haven't found any blogs about the not smoking process. I'm not over weight but have gained some extra since I quit so reading your blog helps me. Besides you are a very good read! I saw a comment from you on my blog so I know you have looked. If you could tell me how to advance my blog search to different areas I surely would appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteTake your daily vitamin!
ReplyDeleteI've received some info from my brother regarding my injury, and there was actually a study saying that the type of injury I had MIGHT have to do with not getting certain nutrients, especially women who (and I dislike this word) *diet*. I don't know if that's the case with me but it's making me think about what I actually do eat, since I don't diet, but I'm trying to adhere to a healthy lifestyle. I don't know, I'm not a researcher, but a multi vitamin couldn't hurt.
Keep up everything! You're doing so well!
Michelle, I think that's one of the most important things you've shown me: It's not the falling down that's important, it's the getting up. And then getting on with where you're going, no matter at what pace. And accepting ourselves where we are while pushing to improve.
ReplyDeleteI think that's such a healthy approach. 'Course what you're describing sounds a lot like what I'm doing myself, so I'm a bit biased.
ReplyDeleteI think the thing I most relate to is the not measuring the lean protein. I remember when I did WW before (that was back in the exchanges days of WW), I used to crave more protein, but would end up doing some serious grazing on carbs because I was hungry instead of just eating some more chicken at dinner.
I don't know when you changed your masthead picture this week, but you look awesome and are an inspiration. I did WW about 2 decades ago...you make me think about going back to it.
ReplyDeleteI like your cheating :-)
I've got a couple rules I break to: the multi-vitamin one (rarely take it); I do the "1 point" thing with apples and oranges too.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure I have any unbreakable rules yet. (Which could explain why I have to go back on WW again and again and again... hmmmm).
Congrats on the 2.6 lbs!
I ADORE THAT APPLES AND ORANGES POINT.
ReplyDeleteit's funny because it's true.
:)
M.
I love your blog! Thanks for shooting me a note.
ReplyDeleteI'm new to WW so I haven't "broken" any rules yet. But it is bound to happen. Especially since I've had a series of stressful days which make chocolate a need - not a want:)