Life without Weight Watchers

I figured I would write a brief post on how life is going since I officially said good bye to Weight Watchers. If you are a regular reader of my blog you may recall I did a post not too long ago where I mentioned that despite being a Lifetime member of Weight Watchers I was thinking of calling it quits. I read Geneen Roth’s Women, Food, and God and it truly resonated with me. Despite having been with Weight Watchers for years frankly I have often felt their program brought out tendencies in me that are just not good. I am almost 40 and frankly I don’t want to live my life always writing down or inputting what I eat on any given day, I am tired of counting points. The changes to Weight Watcher’s program recently were the initial kick in the ass I needed and after reading Roth’s book I really felt much stronger. I also figured worse case I can always go back to Weight Watchers if I fall flat on my ass.

So I made in through the holiday season with no weight gain. I admit I had hoped for a bit of a loss but knowing that I have not been moving nearly as much as I could, that was probably too much to hope for. However making it through a month long period where my holiday baking included Paula Deen’s Red Velvet Cake, Pecan Pies and Cinnamon rolls, let’s face it to gain no weight is a good thing.

It means I am still roughly 13 pounds or so above my “goal” weight yet I am starting to think this place may be the weight my body likes to live at. See, when I first started gaining weight years ago, this weight was eventually where I came to rest for year. It was my pregnancy and  postpartum period that took my body to a place that was truly unhealthy. I knew it was unhealthy when walking became difficult for me and yeah my vain side didn’t exactly like the way my face started to resemble a chipmunk. This weight is also the same place where on Weight Watchers I spent about 6 months after dropping 20+ lbs but still had more to go until I could reach my goal. When I was actively on Weight Watchers striving to get to goal, I basically started living off fruits and veggies primarily to get the numbers on the scale to move downward. I share this to say that I do think for some of us our bodies have a place they are comfortable at.

Right now my goal is simply to start moving more, I strive daily to put a decent share of fruits and veggies in my body and of course the water. But I enjoy food and I want to have a healthy relationship with it and I see more movement which in general increases my mental well being as the key. Not a weekly meeting and not what was almost obsessive behavior over what I was eating. Interestingly this past month during my menstrual cycle, a time where generally I give into whatever cravings I have, I had very few and didn’t see the normal 2-3 lbs period gain that I have had for years.  Now that I am no longer holding myself back, it seems there is no reason to play the food games with myself…if I want  Cheetos, I will have some. No reason needed.

So life is going good without Weight Watchers!

4 thoughts on “Life without Weight Watchers”

  1. Thanks for your post. I’m getting SO tired of weight watchers after only 3 1/2 months. My inner feminist simply will not let me count one more point. I don’t know how others do it for years. I found your post after googling “tired of weight watchers.” I cancelled my monthly pass last week and I’m going to get that book you mentioned. Thanks for sharing.

    • Definitely get the book, it was eye opening. I won’t deny that Weight Watchers works, I took off weight and kept it off on the program. I just think it really can set you up for a unhealthy relationship with food. Like you the point counting thing wore me out.

      It’s like it never ends, even when you reach goal and are Lifetime you are still weighing in and counting points. I just couldn’t anymore.

  2. I’m almost there with you Shay. WW does not give me a breakdown of the nutrients I’m eating every day so I have no way of knowing how much protein I’m taking in. And recently, I’ve been craving sweets a lot more which made me think I need more protein (I’m lifting heavier weights). There are so many limitations I’m seeing and I honestly am getting tired of counting. I find myself sometimes at 4:30 trying to bide my time and not eat until dinner at 6 because of the points, the points, the points. Good for you for getting off that treadmill sis!

    • That’s been my issue for so long the almost unhealthy obsession with points that the program creates. Also I know another lifetime member who has been lifetime for over a decade with no flub ups. Before the program change she was at 18 points a day now she is at 29 and she says that she finds despite fruit being 0 points she feels like she is overeating and bloated. This woman by the way is a nutrition educator (she helps with my program at the center) so she is a really healthy eater.

      Anyway I have looked at it, the new program just doesn’t jive for me. I admit it is scary after 5 years of regular membership to just stop but mentally I feel better.

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