What is your goal weight? How much weight do you want to lose?
My personal goal weight is 145 lbs. So that would be about -110 lbs lost from my highest weight of 255 lbs. But my WW goal is 155 lbs. I feel I will be comfortable there & want to use that as a starting point on whether or not 145 lbs is a realistic & maintainable weight for me.
Why did you choose weight watchers to lose weight?
I honestly don't know what brought me to chose WW. I assume I either heard about someone else who was successful on it or saw TV commercials or online ads. But I can't remember one clear reason as to why I decided to walk into a WW meeting, but I'm glad I did!
Have you always been overweight & if so, have you lost a significant amount of weight in the past?
This is actually the 4th time I've done WW. The 1st time I was around 22 & went form 189(ish) to 140(ish). Shortly after Adam & I moved into our 1st apt together & I gained it all back & then some.
The 2nd time was shortly after I had Ava. I was at my all time highest around 277(ish) but my heart wasn't in it. I knew I had to lose weight but it was tough with an infant at home, especially since I knew I wanted to attend the meetings & I had a hard time getting to them why a small baby in tow.
The 3rd time I rejoined with July 2009. I searched online and saw that they had a mommy & me meeting at a time I could attend. Ava & I started going & we both made some new friends and actually started to look forward to it every week. I was motived. It was time & I was all in. My heart was def in it this time & I wanted this weight off for good.
And now here I am back for the 4th (and last) time after having my 2nd daughter Lia.
How do you stay motivated?
This is the hottest topic in my inbox. I also believe it is the most important aspect of weight loss. When I was motivated I couldn’t be stopped, I was a women on a mission but when that motivation died (normally after 1-3 days of dieting) I would eat everything in site. Somehow, I broke that cycle. For a little insight into how I did it check out my post the matter of motivation.
What are some of your favorite "tools" you use to lose weight?
These are by no means necessary for weight loss, they are just things that have made my life easier when it comes to losing weight.
Food scale
WW measuring spoons
Gym membership
WW meetings
Water bottle (have that thing with me 24/7
Internet/phone - I track my food online & am always looking up different foods on my phone while I'm out & about. I also read various weight loss blogs/sites which has always been helpful & motivational.
How often do you exercise and what kind of exercises do you do?
Since I've had Lia, going to the gym has been impossible. So until we're on a set schedule, my exercise consists of strictly walking. Below is my workout schedule from before I had Lia:
For me, I need to exercise at least 3x's a week in order to lose weight & keep it off. No matter how well I eat, if I'm not exercising, it's either not going to come off or I'm not going to be able to maintain & eventually I gain in back. With that being said I go to the gym anywhere between 3-5x's a week. I started off doing strictly cardio and have eventually worked up to incorporating strength training into my daily routine. 45-60 mins of walk/jog/run on the treadmill or ellipitical followed by 20-30 mins using the circuit training weight machines. I typically do this routine 1-3 days/week. My other day are filled with various classes such as spin, "recess", "fab 4", kickboxing or zumba.
And when I don't make it to the gym, I make sure I go for a walk/bike ride outdoors and I try to rollerblade when I can.
I can't afford a gym membership, will I still be able to lose weight? What kind of exercises do you recommend?
Definitely! I didn't sign up for a gym membership until I was around 6 months into my weight loss and around 50-60 lbs down. I made sure I was active throughout the day though. Especially when the weather was nice. I did A LOT of walking outdoors.
There are plenty of people who are successful at losing & maintaining their weight without a gym membership. Rent workout dvds from the library. Lookup exercises to do at home on Youtube. Start with floor exercises like situps & pushups. Pick up a few inexpensive workout tools like some hand weights, a resistance band or a stability ball and use those at home.
What kind of foods do you eat?
I eat lots of leans meats, fish & TONS of fruits & veggies. I def try to eat a variety of different foods to keep from getting bored though. A lot of what I eat now, I ate before I embarked on my healthy lifestyle. However, now when I eat it, I make sure I keep my portions smaller. A typical meal for us would include 30% meat, 20% starch & 50% vegetables. However, we are working towards a 30% meat, 70% vegetable ratio.
What do you do to overcome plateaus?
I think the best thing you can do to overcome a plateau is to just stick to it. Don't let it kill your motivation. It can also be helpful to make a few small changes to "trick" your body since it has most likely become "comfortable" with your routine in turn creating this plateau. Changes I have made that have helped are: Changing the types of food I eat, the frequency of which I eat, and changing my workout routine.
Do you have any advice for those just starting their weight loss journey?
Plan and prepare for success! Plan your day 1st thing in the am. Know what you're going to have for dinner before you eat your breakfast. It's a lot easier to control bfast & lunch meals then it is for dinner meals. And if you can, plan your meals for the week. Plan your days of exercise. Make a schedule of what days you are going to exercise & what you are going to do. If it's already set out and you schedule the time in to do it, you're more likely to. Plan for indulgences. If you like to have a snack every night, plan for it and make room in your daily calorie intake throughout the day. Plan for obstacles. If you have an event to attend, plan for it in advance by eating well & exercising the days leading up to it as well as the day of if time allows.
