Weight Watchers--The Saga Continues

Yesterday I wrote a bit about my experiences with the Weight Watchers program. I think it’s a really great weight loss program (though of course not the only good program available) because it’s so sensible and (I think) sustainable. It’s not a fly-by-night fad diet and it’s not based on some weird way of denying your body--other than denying your body extreme levels of consumption. It’s about eating healthier food and smaller portions, and exercising. Duh. That’s how people lose weight. I know it works for me when I really work it, though naturally there are occasionally plateaus (admittedly I am on one now--though I think I’m finally descending again).

Weight Watchers has two plans, Flex and Core. I won’t go into too many details, because you can find those at their meetings or their website. Flex is all about counting “Points” which are calculated with calories, fat, and fiber. It’s pretty easy to determine Point value if you know those numbers (which are available on food labels). Plus you can check the website or little Weight Watchers booklets to find Points values. You are given a certain number of points dependent on various factors (age, weight, etc.). The Core Plan is both more and less restrictive. It’s more restrictive in that you have a limited list of healthy and more natural foods you can eat, but less restrictive because you aren’t worrying about counting Points (though you are allowed a certain number of Points to spend on “non-Core” foods). The idea is with Core you should be listening to your body and not just going nuts with eating even if you don’t count points. There’s a bit of a learning curve with that (especially for chubby people who have trouble with portion control). I’ve enjoyed trying Core because I get tired of the fussiness of counting Points and usually felt hungry on Flex. Core foods are generally foods that have a lot of bang for the buck--meaning they are foods that are more filling without being high in calories. For example, grapes are Core, but raisins are not. Those watery grapes fill you up better with fewer calories.

Another element of Weight Watchers is they encourage members to get more exercise. So many people who join are getting so little exercise at first. I myself was doing videos like the old Buns of Steel series. I’d stocked up on the whole series and was alternating through them (the ones I did were from the Platinum Series--with 30 minutes of floor aerobics followed by 15-20 minutes of toning with light weights). I thought I was doing a great job with these and getting a good workout. Then not long after we moved back to the States I started trying different instructors. I went through a lot of videos that I either got rid of immediately or enjoyed for a while before outgrowing them. Finally I started getting into the more advanced stuff. By April of this year I had my first Cathe video and my first Amy Bento video. I think I got my first Kimberly Spreen kickboxing video around then, too. Once I found these instructors (and a few others--my latest discovery is Tracey Staehle) I dumped all the old beginner videos and DVDs and stocked up on the more advanced stuff. I’m not advanced myself yet (I’d consider myself intermediate level) but I do enjoy the challenge of getting to advanced. One day for old times’ sake I did the Hips & Thighs of Steel workout. After my step aerobics, kickboxing, and weightlifting of recent months it was ridiculously easy. I only burned 150 calories in the whole workout. I’d burn that much walking around my house in the same amount of time. So I went ahead and sold that one (who needs nostalgia?) and went back to the tough stuff. Now if only I can get that ankle to heal so I can get back to some real work! Then those pounds would start coming off faster.