WW ??

Yesterday afternoon the new hubby and I spent some time watching The Biggest Loser. It did something that shocked the... hmmmmm shocked the.... SHOCKED THE CRAP OUTTA ME !! He issued me a contest idea... I am allowed to use the 80 lbs that I have already lost and he will start on Nov 1. Our final date will be March 1st. He weighs right now in excess of 350 lbs and we had been throwing around the idea of him doing the WLS process. But he wants to try to lose more than I have and will tween now and 3/1. (Then I asked him if we was game to add a second phase of staying within 5 lbs of that loss til our first wedding anniversary. He wasn't game for that but may be I can keep working on that idea.) So... since I haven't lost any weight in TWO DANG MONTHS I was thinking about looking into Weigh****chers. Grouch, I know that you have (had) signed up and was wondering about your results and how you feel it works out as a WLS patient. Did WW a gazillion times but thinkin that I need some help to get my butt back in gear and just using fitday isn't enough right now. Does anyone else want to start a more "kick me in the butt" kinda motivational thing on a daily and/or weekly basis ? I would be glad to get and keep something going if someone else was interested and willing to help out with ideas and suggestions. Any suggestions or ideas from you guys will be muchly appreciated... Let me know... To be honest right now, I can't afford to join a gym but do still have some old WW materials laying around in a box somewhere so I think that it is something that I can get all the info that I need to do. Thanks in advance guys !! - Terri

Hi Terri. Since you've tried WW before, you know it is what it is and it is what you make it. I think it's a great way to eat for life, I lost 110+ lbs on it before I had my baby [now 3] and got sick, and I had always planned to rejoin again around my 6 month post-op mark. I joined about 3 weeks ago, have had 2 weigh ins [I think I've lost over 8lbs in that time, but honestly, I don't look at the numbers much] and two meetings. I didn't like the leader in the first meeting, but the one I found last week seemed good. I had thought when I joined that I would only stay a month to collect all the materials again, and then do it on my own, but I am realizing the power of having a live support group. Granted, it is not WLS support and none of them know what other things I have to deal with [like yesterday I couldn't come close to getting all the points in], and some of their rules I can't apply to me [I think their recommended daily water is 32-48 ounces, I need double that]. But it's still a support group, a place where there is a meeting of the minds in eating well to lose weight and be healthy, but it's weekly support and there is a great deal of comfort in that structure [for me]. I *do* think it's often tricky to find a meeting that is tolerable [I find a lot of the pomp and cir****tance annoying], but I *do* think I've found one, so it can be done. It is CERTAINLY easier to follow WW with this tool we have. And it's made me have a better consciousness of my choices than I did with FitDay. With FitDay I just tracked what I ate ... my portions are already smaller so I didn't really think about the quality of the choices [except high protein] ... with WW I think about the points ahead of time, as I go to take a bite of Lo Mein, I think, "do I really want to have those points or would I be more satisfied with something with less points?" Sometimes I think the points ARE worth it, sometimes I don't ... but I am definitely thinking more about the food that goes into my mouth. I don't know if this is much help, or how much support I can really offer as far as a kick in the butt [I can't get myself motivated to exercise, so if I can ever figure out where to get motivation from, I would surely share!] Good luck with whatever you decide, I really think everyone has to find what works for them, and IMO it's always good to change things around every once in a while [WW has two different plans now, the points and another plan called Core that you don't really count points]. If I can help in any other way, you know I will. xosm

Has anyone told ya yet today that you are the bestest of the best ? At first I thought that I could just do it all on my own, drag out my materials and get back to following a realistic program. BUT I think that the support may be the most important thing for me right now. Everyone in my life has been nothing but wonderful and supportive but I do think that finding people who are "in the same place" can be a huge help. I rely on you guys a ton but think that a real committment to a weekly meeting and scale hop may be what i need. I was doing fitday... Carefully entering EVERYTHING I ate... But did I ever read it ? Heck no... No one explained to me that since I was taking the time to do the research that I should bother to read and react to what it was saying ! Water and protein was all that mattered in my little fitday world. (Sick woman that I was !) I have a super great friend who goes to a meeting locally and she said that one of the speakers there is amazingly easy to get along with, always willing to help out or make suggestions and imagine this..... HAS A PERSONALITY ! So I am gonna get my smaller but still big butt over there and see what is going on tomorrow night. Thanks so much for your words... Meant a million to me.. I'll keep ya posted on how things go ! -Terri

Water and protein were my focus in FitDay too, in fact, it's sort of hard to shake my compulsiveness in getting in protein and fluids. But, yeah, it's another animal entirely to focus on eating foods that are low points. I'm still trying to find a balance between low points and not enough points. I hope it went great, Terri! xosm

Hi Terri-I know that there are many different opinions on dieting after WLS...but I still try all kinds of different things....and when I really feel like I need a "butt kicking" I will do Atkins for a day or two. My loss has been SLOW since about five months out...going months sometimes without loss or the same 5 pounds...but when I got REALLY fed up I did Atkins and dropped weight fast that I didn't gain back. If I am being "good" I go between that and counting cals trying to have about 1200-1500 a day. I'd like to get out of the diet mentality...but I don't that'll ever happen...LOL I am thinking of doing a butt kick Atkins AFTER Halloween...LOL SW 230 HS CW 130 HS GW 120 HS HS=home scale which is 8 pounds under a doc's