Saturday, April 12, 2008

Okay, let's see if this works.

So way back in August after Ironman Louisville, Sweet Baboo shared with me that he would really, really like to lose about 20 pounds before doing the Silverman. I did some online research (aka, I Googled the hell out of everything and used words like, "weight loss" and "review" and "opinions" and such) and finally signed him up for WeightWatchers Online, for men.

I chose WeightWatchers because we've used it before, with great success. You get so many points per day. You begin to be judicious in your choices, e.g., "I have 7 points left, do I want to blow it on this tiny piece of cake or maybe save it for something else?"
Meanwhile, at any given time your daily points are calculated based on the goal of losing 10% of your current weight. Once you reach each 10% goal, your points are recalculated and you are allowed a bit fewer if you want to continue to lose weight.

Anyway, I chose the online thing for two reasons; first, it takes into account the mind-blowing idea that, apparently men eat differently from women. (Duh. Just last month I was startled to find out that Sweet Baboo loves, wants to marry hamburger helper. Aroo? yeah. So does Mini baboo. We make it with Morning Star Meal Starters. Sweet Baboo and Mini Baboo clean the pot out and seem very satisfied. I usually have something else, too much starch for me. )
But anyway.

Second, Sweet Baboo is in charge of his own destiny, as it were, and doesn't have to depend on me to tell her what he's eaten and how many points it is, etc. He just enters in his information. And, clearly, it's working.
So, today, I decided to join WeightWatchers Online. It's how I lost the first 30 pounds, way back in 2005. Then I went off it and never lost another pound.
For now, my daily points are 22, but I can "bank" extra points by exercising, (today's 190-minute jog earned me a bunch but I spent some of that on gels - 2 points each - and a power bar - 2 points) .
PLUS, I get 35 "flex' points at the end of each week that I can use or a little each day or blow all at once or not use at all.
Thus, I have a built-in binge.
I love the thrill of being allowed to binge.
I would like to have a bit less to haul up and down the hills of Idaho in June. The current target is 2 pounds a week. With careful choices and a lot of activity, it should be doable even while training.
...

11 comments:

  1. Very stalker-esque of me to comment 4 seconds after you posted, but I have been thinking about WW online as well. I lost 24 pounds with Jenny Craig and have recently "found" some of it again. I was considering WW, but didn't want to do the whole meeting thing, so online seems like a good option.

    I need some sort of system, because of my uncanny ability to replace ALL calories I burn even during heavy exercise and then a bunch more on top of that. I did Jenny Craig while training for the Nike Marathon and did not have any trouble with training and the calorie deficit.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I'm a major fan of the WW program. I've lost nearly 80 pounds so far using their plan. Best of success to you guys! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. I have always thought that WW was the bomb when it comes to weight loss because they really teach you about consumption including the cost of consuming this vs. that. Very helpful. And I must agree that knowing you get the binge makes toeing the line on points much easier.

    ReplyDelete
  4. I also lost weight on WW. I lost 35 lbs in 2001. Then I got pregnant and gained it back! I really like the banking of points too!
    Doing it together helps a bunch too! You have an excellent support system there! Keep up the good work!! : )

    ReplyDelete
  5. Good luck with your weight loss goals. You've done it before. You can do it again.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I saw this quote the other day, (and yes, I'm guilty of cruisin' for thinspo) but, here goes:

    "I'VE COME TOO FAR TO TAKE ADVICE FROM A COOKIE."

    You are strong and beautiful and you know you can do anything you set yur mind to.

    ReplyDelete
  7. I'm a WWers FREAK! I lost over 100 lbs on Weight Watchers and am still a member, six years later. I've been at goal for five. It just plain makes sense. I was even chosen to be one of their online success stories and was featured in one of their cookbooks this year (the 2008 Annual Recipes for Success). I had it in me to lose weight, but WWers allowed me to control it in my fashion, to work things in a way that worked for me, and my data-head-geek self LOVED that I could do it online and see numbers and points that corresponded to input and output. It Just Made Sense.

    I still journal every single day because if it works to take it off, I figured it would work to keep it off. So far so good! Five years in a size 2 down from a size 22/24!

    But the best part is how I feel. I am the person I always dreamed I should be but never thought I could be.

    ReplyDelete
  8. It must be the time of year. I signed up for a class at our Y that is very similar to the CORE program through WW but less restrictive. I start tomorrow night. Plus, the beauty of the program is that it is taught by my running partner. So she 'get' the distance running...biking...swimming and will help me along with the program.

    ReplyDelete
  9. It must be the time of year. I signed up for a class at our Y that is very similar to the CORE program through WW but less restrictive. I start tomorrow night. Plus, the beauty of the program is that it is taught by my running partner. So she 'get' the distance running...biking...swimming and will help me along with the program.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Size 2, Teechur? I didn't know there really was such a thing...I thought those were just clothes they put on the wrack to make the rest of us feel bad. :0)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Yeah size 2...kinda blew that whole "I'm not fat, I'm just big boned" theory I subscribed to for many years. I do happen to be very small boned and shaped kind of like a boy. And of course this is size 2 in the year 2008 which would probably have been size 8 20 years ago. But hey, I'll take it.

    ReplyDelete

Comments containing links to commercial websites from people with invisible profiles are deleted immediately. Spammers are immediately deleted.

Moved.

 I'm no longer involved in multisport or endurance sports. I've started my own business, a psychotherapist specializing in anxiety d...