As some of you know, I have struggled with my weight for a long time. I am not here to make excuses, but I will say that Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, hypothyroidism, anxiety, and depression have not been kind to my body. A few years ago, I had great success with 21 Day Fix. I still feel this is one of the healthiest eating plans out there. It's not a fad diet. It truly is a lifestyle. However, I had to stop the program when I was having my second daughter. Since then I have tried to get back on the program more times than I can count, but I have a really hard time sticking with it because I am an extremely picky eater. I also have a lot of stomach problems and if something tastes bad, there's no way it's going down.
I have a long and interesting history with weight watchers. Although I never signed up for it, I saw family members go through the program. I borrowed some of their materials so I could count points on my own. I was pretty young then, and it never really stuck. I now feel ready to take on the program again. I really struggle with diets that only allow me to eat certain foods. While I do want to choose predominately healthy foods, my current priority is to get the weight off. I believe Weight Watchers will provide me with the tools I need to achieve this goal. Here's 10 reasons why...
1. IT'S DIGITAL
I've always been an introvert, and the idea of an in-person meeting isn't something I like. With WW digital, I can do everything behind my screen. You can choose a coaching option, so you're still accountable to someone without the face-to-face meeting.
All foods have to be tracked- no ifs, ands, or buts. There's no gray area. If I eat it, it gets tracked. There's no "little cheat here or there" unless I have the points to account for it. If I have the points, I can eat it. If I don't, I can't. There is some wriggle room in the form of some extra points for each week. I can use these for a special treat if desired. This helps me feel in control of what I'm eating while staying on track. Perfect!
Since starting my online teaching job 2.5 years ago, I have struggled with getting enough sleep. I usually get up at 4:30 am and often don't get to sleep until 10:30 pm or later. Calculate that, and you'll see why I often feel like a zombie. I am really excited to have accountability for sleep so I will put more effort into getting enough rest each night. I know this will improve my progress with losing weight and help me feel better overall.
When completing the 21 Day Fix, I worked out consistently for a few months. In the process, I hurt my knee pretty badly. I still have frequent flare-ups of pain in that knee. Last year, I started doing a walking program and hurt my foot. What can I say? I'm a bit clumsy. I am looking forward to being required to fill in whether or not I exercise. I don't want to leave any box unchecked, so I feel this will help me be more proactive in finding and sticking to a workout routine. If I get hurt again, I can still stretch, lift weights, or do yoga until I get well. No excuses! It even pairs with your fitness device to incorporate your daily steps into the activity tracking.
In the digital app, you are expected to weigh-in once per week. In the past, I have noticed that I tend to give up easily if I track my weight too often or too little. When I weigh every day or two, I may feel upset if I haven't lost any. On the other hand, if I lose a pound of two, I can get too confident and begin to slack off the program. Still yet, if I don't weigh often enough, I don't have the accountability I need to make sure I am staying on track with my weight loss goals. Weighing once a week at the same time is the perfect way to keep a good grasp of my weight without obsessing over it.
6. MINDSET
The digital WW app has coaching videos, as well as audio from headspace. Mindset is SO IMPORTANT in achieving long-term weight loss and true health. I truly feel the wrong mindset has been my biggest weakness in the past. Your mind controls your body. Read that again.
7. RECIPES
The app includes tons of recipes for you to try. You can even add your own recipe, and the app will calculate the number of food points it's worth. How cool! WW makes it so easy to stay on top of your health that you don't have much room for excuses.
8. COMMUNITY
There is a wonderful community of people on the app. It's like multiple Facebook groups all connected with your health in one convenient place. You can choose groups based on your age, gender, location, goals, hobbies, and more. For example, I am in the group for Moms, People in their 30s, and Newbies to the program.
9. REWARDS
Who doesn't like to be rewarded? Weight Watchers has two great programs that reward you for your hard work. For each weight loss goal you reach, you earn a special charm. The charms are beautiful. This picture doesn't do them justice! You also earn points for tracking your food, activity, sleep, and weight. You can exchange these points for prizes that range from free WW food products to Bluetooth speakers to kitchen tools.
10. WW FOOD PRODUCTS
I never liked the idea of a diet program where they mail you pre-portioned food. I think you need to learn to eat real, whole foods in order to create a sustainable healthy lifestyle. You can't expect to always have your Jenny Craig meal on hand in every situation. However, I love that the WW products are there for assistance if you need them. While they're not required, they are great way to enjoy a little treat without using up all of your food points for the day. Most of their products contain no artificial sweeteners which is a great change they've made!
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<3 Sierra
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