I Don't Want to Cut Weight!

by Jen

It's time to start managing my weight in preparation for the Miami Open. If I had to weigh in today I would just make the light weight division, accommodating for the weight of the gi. But I hate being that close. I don't want to worry about cutting weight the week before. Knowing that I have 8 birthdays to celebrate between now and then, I need to start managing my diet now!

In August I celebrated my fifth year as a Weight Watcher (WW). I became a Lifetime Member in January 2006 after losing 25 pounds. I no longer follow the principles religiously, but I still use them to guide my daily eating.

Here are the top things that have helped me to keep the weight off, and drop a few pounds when needed:

1) WATER! - Water is key to the program. I drink 16 oz of water the first thing in the morning - before I eat or drink ANYTHING else, even my beloved coffee. I drink at least 64 oz of water each day, and sometimes more.

2) PLAN MY MEALS - In order to be successful I have to plan my meals for the week, write a grocery list and stick to it. I'm an early bird so I cook our dinner before I leave for work in the morning. This prevents us from ordering pizza for dinner because I'm too tired, too busy or home too late to cook.

3) PLAN FOR CELEBRATIONS - As I mentioned earlier, I know that I have 8 birthdays to celebrate between now and October 23. I'll pick and choose which food is worth it. I'll stay away from the Publix cake that I've eaten thousands of time before, but if it's a delicious gourmet chocolate cake from a special bakery, you bet I'm going to splurge (in moderation). I'll also adjust my eating during the week to make up for the extra calories that I'll consume at the parties.

4) KNOW & AVOID MY TRIGGER FOODS - My trigger foods are peanut butter and bagels - together and separately. Once I start with my trigger foods, I can't stop, and the scale shows it. These are the two foods that I just have to say no to.

5) IF I HAVE A CRAVING, I SATISFY IT WITH THE REAL THING, IN MODERATION - If I want chocolate, I'll eat a Dove dark chocolate candy bar. I don't do this every day, only the days that I just really need it. Those 100 calorie snack packs don't work for me. I'll wind up eating a few because they're not satisfying my need, and then eating the real thing anyway.

6) IF I THINK I WANT A SNACK, I DRINK A GLASS OF WATER AND WAIT 5 MINUTES BEFORE I EAT IT. The water usually fills me up, I move on to something else and forget about my craving.

7) EVERYTHING I EAT, EVEN THE KIDS' LEFT OVERS, COUNTS. I think that's enough said. I was never one of the WW'ers who wrote down everything I ate. But I did, and usually still do, think twice before I pop a quick bite in my mouth when cooking or cleaning the table.

8) EAT SOUP- I don't mean the cream based soups. When I'm trying to lose a few pounds, I eat a bowl of soup before my lunch and dinner. This helps fill my stomach before diving into the meal. This one works really well for me.

Hope these help you as much as they helped me.