Some of these I admit i took from other sites. They were just so useful and I wanted to pass them on to others!
1. Slow and Steady really does win the race. Do not focus on the number on the scale every day, instead just think of it in ten lb increments. Looking at the big picture will only discourage you. I have 110 lbs to lose. If i focused on that i wouldhave given up already. I focus on5-10 lb goals.
2. Taking the "junk" out of my diet was supper important. Every time I tried weight watchers in the past I spent hours figuring out how junk food I I could fit in for my points. So, I would use 10 points a day on garbage and still be hungry. This time around I decided I was going to stop that.And it is working so much better for me.
3. FIBER IS YOUR FRIEND! Nothing fills you up like Fiber.
4. Water is key. I really do believe that the water is important - I carry bottles around with me all day long.
5. A bad day is just that. A DAY. Don't turn it into a week of "bad days." Do not let one bad day ruin a life change. Don't let it get you off plan.
6. Get problem foods out of your house. They are problem foods for a reason. For me I can no longer bring many foods home.I will just eat all of it. Like 100 calorie packs..Ill eat them all. LOL I also do not buy things for my family that I will not eat myself.
7. DO NOT make 'special' foods for yourself and watch your family eat all the good stuff, or stuff you WISH you had. I have done WW so many times and every time I had my SPECIAL foods and they ate the stuff i wish I could. I would be eating my lean cuisine frozen meal while they all ate yummy Lasagna. NOW I make that lasagna healthier and we all eat it together.
8. The weight watchers message boards are a great place for support and inspiration.
9. Fruits and veggies are your friend.. If you are looking for a way to cut points just add in more fruits and veggies - you will be able to eat more, be more full, and make better choices.
10. Weigh in and be accountable.Even if you gained.
11. Gains happen for no reason at all. You can be PERFECTLY OP, exercise, drink all your water, etc. and still be up 1.2 pounds. The body is a crazy thing and cannot be predictable.
12. Take the 8 healthy guidelines seriously. You can lose weight eating garbage, or you can lose weight and learn what it takes to be healthy.
13. Some Veggies may be 0-1 pt. Same with fruit..usually 1 pt. BUT if you eat multiple servings the points go UP. So be aware. :)
14. Journal journal journal. You absolutely cannot keep track mentally of what you consume on a daily basis. . Write it down and own up to eating it. BITE IT WRITE IT!
15. Buy I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter butter spray. It is very low in calories and provides the same great taste as regular margarine.
16. Use Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone for point values of tons of popular restaurants and for snack ideas. Her website is www.dwlz.com
17. Cook with fat free chicken broth. It adds flavor and is no points.
18. Buy a food scale. . Nothing is more of a reality check than actually seeing what 4 ounces of chicken really looks like!
19. Measure everything!
20. Make cauliflower your friend!! When cooked until soft, you can mash it and add lots of fun stuff like reduced fat cheese, garlic, broccoli… and then you can bake it!! It has the same consistency as mashed potatoes!
21. Don’t deprive yourself of indulgence.
22. Find a friend you can share your successes and setbacks with. This person does not have to be on program, they just need to be there for you when you need someone to talk to
23. Make informed decisions. Use the points calculator to figure out exactly how much something is valued at. Don’t guess. Knowing exactly how many points a food item is allows you to fit it into your daily intake without sacrificing it and without overdoing it.
24. EXERCISE! Exercise works to benefit you in many ways. It helps you to lose weight, build muscle, burn fat, AND it enables you to eat more if you choose to! Activity points can be added onto your daily intake so the more you exercise, the more you can eat (but seriously, make it a heathly intake so that you can truly benefit).
25. Build more activity into your lifestyle. Walk more, climb the stairs more, stretch your legs more. MOVE MORE! Any movement is better than no movement.
26. Experiment with new recipes. Be creative in the kitchen
27. Buy Fat Free, Sugar Free Jello chocolate pudding to satisfy your nighttime chocolate cravings. It needs NO time to set when mixed!
28. Don’t hang out in your kitchen. You will only hear the fridge calling for you.
29. Dont do today what you cant do forever
30. Eat a small protein within half an hour of exercising. This helps your body’s metabolism work better.
31. READ LABELS when shopping! Make sure you check the fat content and the carbohydrate content. You don’t want to eat TOO much sugar! Bring your points finder with you to help you make the right choices for you.
32. Understand serving sizes. If the label says that a serving is 40 grams, then measure those 40 grams out so you familiarize yourself with what 40 grams actually looks like.
33. Don’t think of yourself as constantly “on a diet”. This is a setup to failure because it categorizes you and if you decide to have something not considered “dietary”, then you feel like you cheated. You NEVER cheat! You DECIDE! Weight Watchers is built in such a way that it incorporates every food into a point value and YOU get to DECIDE how to spend those points
34. You cannot eat unlimited amounts of zero point foods. 0 + 0 + 0 does not necessarily equal 0. Every food has calories and if you eat unmeasured unlimited amounts of zero point foods, they ultimately total up to a calorie count that warrants a point. Just be careful.
35. Use Weight Watchers.com for help with recipes! They have wonderful ideas for low point recipes that I have used.
36. Live your life! It isn’t about what you eat and don’t eat, it’s about making food choices on your own and putting the power in your own hands. It’s CONTROL. You control what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. Just account for everything and you will see where you can cut back, eliminate, and enhance and you WILL lose weight!
