I mentioned last week that I divorced my scale and I would be looking into tracking my weight loss another way. I’ve decided that I can no longer put myself through the mental anguish of associating my self worth with a number on the scale that can fluctuate multiple times a day. Today is my first of many weekly posts where I will be sharing my weekly measurements and plan for losing weight.
Measuring and Tracking Food with Weight Watchers
I’ve literally tried every weight loss program out there. I started my first diet in the 7th grade and have tried all of these things (I’m sure I’m forgetting a few) in between:
- Deal a Meal (Remember Richard Simmons??!)
- The South Beach Diet
- B12 Injections
- Weight Loss RX Pills
- Weekly meetings with a nutritionist that counted exchanges. I HATED this.
- The 6 Week Diet (ugh the lack of dairy really caused some gross issues)
- The Atkins Diet
- Counting Calories
- Counting Fat
- Mindful Eating (that is a JOKE for anyone that has a binge/emotional eating disorder!)
- My Fitness Pal and literally every other weight loss app out there!
- Countless gym memberships that I pretty much never used.
- Weight Watchers (I’ve lost count how many times I’ve restarted lol)
Weight Watchers is My BFF
Time and time again, I ALWAYS come back to the Weight Watchers way of life. I know it might sound corny but it just works! I have to have some sort of accountability or structure with my food because otherwise I will over indulge and fall into old binge eating habits. Weight Watchers allows me to enjoy the things in life that I really like but keeps me reined in from over doing it. No matter which program I’ve tried, I will always see the world in Points Values. Let me summarize what I love about WW.
- I don’t feel deprived.
- I don’t feel like I’m missing out on life. Let’s face it, food is a HUGE part of life! It’s how we celebrate everything and how we “communicate” socially.
- I can eat anything I want. In moderation.
- I can still eat out at any restaurant.
- I can still over indulge. In moderation.
- I can still eat dessert every night and the occasional cupcake!!!
- I am accountable because I weigh/measure all of my food accordingly. This is KEY for someone like me who is dealing with binge eating disorder. I am not capable of relying on myself to do this alone.
- Weekly weigh ins for accountability.
- An awesome support system online and in person at the meetings.
Doing Weight Watchers My Way
I have come to terms that I will ALWAYS need to stay on the Weight Watchers structure of eating for the rest of my life. That’s just the way it is and the hand I was dealt. I can accept that. I know that I have to stay mindful of my eating and workout habits. When my balance of every day life is thrown off, that’s when I resort to binge eating and I stop weighing/measuring. I have to make this my number one priority so that my life can stay balanced. By making it my # 1, everything seems to fall into place. I have decided that I will use the Weight Watchers plan for tracking/monitoring my food intake. However, I’m doing things a bit different this time around.
I will NOT weigh myself weekly. I don’t think I need to get into why. You can read my post about why I divorced the scale.
Tracking Inches Instead of Pounds
Instead of weighing myself, I’m going to be tracking my inches lost. Just typing that takes a huge weight off my shoulders! Let me explain why I’m doing this. My body type is naturally an hourglass shape which means I’ll ALWAYS be a curvy girl, even when I’m “thin.” Also, I tend to put on muscle really quickly when I work out. That means that my “dream” body is curvy/muscular if that makes any sense. I have naturally thick thighs, big hips, a big ass, and boobs with a smaller waist. Personally I’ve grown to love my body type. I don’t desire to be skinny and shapeless. I love my shape. Trust me, it’s taken years for me to be able to say that!
I want to lose the fat on my body, not the curves or my natural shape. Because I add muscle quickly, measuring pounds when I’m busting my ass at the gym and weighing/measuring/tracking my food can be detrimental to my success. There’s been many times in my past where I was shrinking in clothing sizes but not losing any weight.
To get to my ideal body size, it’s more important for me to track the inches lost. That’s my long winded answer to why I’ll be checking in each week with my digital body tape measure and NOT my scale. I want to show that you can be successful at losing weight/getting in shape without relying on the scale to determine your success.
Blogging My Journey Instead of Face to Face Weight Watchers Meetings
All of the times I did have success on Weight Watchers, I was attending a weekly meeting. I loved those meetings especially because of my leader, Carol. She is awesome! I will say that this time around (at least for now), I won’t be attending the meetings. In order to attend meetings, you have to weigh in with the Weight Watchers staff and scale. Since I’m giving up the scale, I’m going to be relying on my blog as my meeting.
Each Wednesday, I’ll be posting my measurements and what worked/didn’t work from the previous week. I hope that you’ll follow along with my journey and maybe even keep me accountable on those days when I just want to give up!
My First Weekly “Weigh In” (otherwise known at putting myself all out there!)
In order to become irresistible, I have to be willing to share some raw pics of myself that are anything but irresistible. I have been tossing and turning over sharing this for awhile now. I know that in order to stay motivated and to track my progress, I HAVE to share these. I’m so used to only showing pics where I have everything looking the way I WANT. I guess that goes back to always trying to control the situation.
These are real and raw images of my “before.” These pics are in unflattering gym clothes, no spanx, no body shapers, no flattering poses, no sucking in, no image editing. Ugh.
#NOFILTER
It’s not pretty. It’s not cute. But, its my current truth. It’s where I happen to be at this point in my journey. I’ve put on the pounds and inches and I’m ready to get my curvy body back in irresistible mode. I am committed to having an amazing “after” picture. I’m willing to put in work to make it happen! I’m willing to be vulnerable with the entire world if that means I can lose the weight and maybe . . . just maybe help one person along the way.
My First Before Pic of 2014
So enough talking. More showing. I took these pics and measurement on Wednesday, January 8th.
I can’t even take a haggardly “before: pic without Chuy trying to steal the limelight lol.
Chuy is sooooo irresistible! I couldn’t help but share this selfie with you all. You can always follow along with Chuy’s adventures over at my 2nd blog, Irresistible Pets.
That’s it peoples. That’s me. In the raw, showing off all my flaws. I hope I don’t scare you off! Hopefully you’ll be back next Wednesday to see what I’ve accomplished.
If you want to follow along with me on this journey, please keep reading this blog. You can also chat with me daily on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
2014 is OUR year and we got this!
“You can do anything you set your mind to.”
~Ben Frankln~
Hi! I’m Aimee with 2 E’s. I'm a confidence coach that empowers women to love themselves by breaking down body image issues, so that they can lose the emotional weight and gain the confidence to look and feel irresistible...at any size.
Your journey sounds so much like mine (but you already know that). I wish you the best with this next step and will be cheering you on along the way!
Thanks girlfriend! I know you can relate. I miss our talks about this kind of stuff! xoxo
I’m glad to hear of another person using the tape measure instead of the scale. Great for you. Too many people get so focused on their weight when what they really are concerned with isn’t that number but more purposeful ones like pants size, dress size, the waist measurement, and so on.
I ask people that if you could visualize the body that you want are you really seeing it in a matter of pounds or more in a matter of inches of circumference.
I hope you reach success with your goals, and if you know the Weight Watchers program works for you there’s nothing wrong with sticking to it for life, especially if it means adding years and quality to your life.
Thanks Aaron! I’m much more concerned about losing clothing sizes than pounds!
Thank you for sharing your struggles – you are so inspirational!!!
These will make great before pics. 😉
Thank you Belle!
Get it, girl! I LOVE your philosophy and agree wholeheartedly. I love WW and will never go away from points and tracking my food. Quick question: I have definitely thought of abandoning pounds and doing measurements as well, however, I was thinking about how I would figure my daily point value if I am in fact losing pounds without knowing it? IE, I lose another 10 pounds and my daily points go down from 35 to 34–I’d only be able to know that if I entered my weight weekly. Or are you going to keep eating the same point value until you reach a certain number of inches lost? Just wondering as am considering doing the same–busted my butt at the gym last week and gained 2.6 lbs even with eating on plan!!
Thanks Kelly! I’m using my previous daily point value of 34. I haven’t thought much about how I’ll adjust it as I lose. Oh I know the pain of seeing a gain after you’ve worked so hard!
I actually don’t think you have to weigh in to attend meetings. I think it is suggested, but you can check in and not weigh in, at least on my place. Sometimes people just want to skip weeks. I think WW probably only cares if you pay the meeting prices, to be honest.
I think you are right. I only bought the Etools this time around, so I can’t attend meetings unless I purchase the monthly pass. I might do it down the road b/c they have been really helpful in the past.