Sunday, May 30, 2010

How i lost 50 pounds in 5 months

On Christmas day I hit my heaviest point ever. 273.6 pounds. 8 years ago I got married when I was 225 pounds. But 8 years of careless eating led to the new weight. By the end of may I hit 221.8
A few people around me were on Watch Watchers so I started using some of their materials as of New Years eve. I will say this… if you have the money… Weight watchers works.
But I’ve pulled off 50 pounds with zero exercise and using my friends Weight Watchers calculator.
WW said I get 37 points a day. I chose to shoot for 32 points a day.
Most say to drink 8 eight ounce glasses of water a day. I chose to use the advice of a couple doctors that said you should take your weight and divide it in half and that’s how many FL OZ of water to drink daily. Drink it room tempeture and you can throw more back. I carry a LARGE cup around with me along with my 125 FL OZ jug of water. When I’m at work I try to get almost all of my water in me because there’s always a bathroom around. View your water intake as if it were a pill to take.
When it comes to times I eat. First I will say that I’ve started viewing eating as fueling my body. I benefit the most when the food I consume actually gets used for energy… Thus, using more points in the morning and lunch time will benefit you better because you generally get to burn it off even if you are not exercising.
The keys:
1. Know the Fat, Calories, and fiber of everything you put into your body
2. Don’t cheat on the water. Get the full amount in you
3. Don’t cheat on the points. If you go over you pay for it if you do it enough
4. Plan for your week moments. Late at night. In a rush with no time to cook something healthy
5. Weigh your chicken/fish out… make sure you have the serving sizes correct
6. Give up cheese and red meat
7. Soda, chips, sweets don’t exist anymore
8. Find the things you like to eat (that are low points) and live off them!
9. Do cardio or walk and you get some points back!

Dining out tips
Taco bell. crunchy fresco style tacos are 4 points each
Chick Fil A. 4 count chicken strips (no sauces) 7 points
Chicken salad sandwich (6 points)
Subway! I do a footlong veggie sub w/ low fat sweet onion dressing. No cheese but loaded with my favorite veggies (9 points and every filling)
Needless to say I try to choose the footlong sub over 3 crunchy tacos. The one that is 9 points is way more filling than the 12 point tacos
Sit down restraunt: Ask for your fish or chicken to be cool w/o oil or butter. Top it with something you love… good salsa/ A-1 steaksauce/ veggies
Don’t ever eat a bloomin’ onion!

Good products to have around:
Big bag of apples
Big bag of oranges
Dole Frozen mixed fruit
Special K low fat Pesto Crackers
Wasa Crackers
Find your favorite salsa
Melba toast
FF laughing cow cheese
SUGAR FREE GUM! Knocks out comfort eating
Coffee and Tea do the same thing
Wheat tortillas
Eggs
Loads of veggies that you can make the way you like
FF cheese and FF refried beans
Rice or low cal pasta
Fiber 1 bars (chocolate)
Wwatchers deserts
FF popcorn
I can’t believe its not butter spray!!!!
Google on your phone to check Fat/Cal/Fiber of everything

AVERAGE DAY FOR ME (considering I use 32 points)
Morning: 1 cup fiber 1 cereal topped with a ½ a cup of almond milk (3 points)
Smooth in a blender 1 apple, 1 orange, and a cup of Dole frozen mixed fruits. Mix it with a little lemon concentrate and water (3 points)
Snack: Fiber 1 bar (chocolate) sold in big boxes at costco or sams (2 points)
Lunch: 1 cup of rice thrown into a skillet with scrambled eggs, chopped up carrots, celery, peas and topped with Soy Sauce (huge meal for only 6 or 7 points) (I don’t do this every day cuz it’s a lot of sodium but for the same point value switch to a turkey sandwich on wheat with mustard/spices/lettuce/onion ect)
Snack 2: Wasa Wheat crisps covered in my favorite salsa or laughing cow cheese on melba toast
Dinner: chicken cooked oil free and topped with somethin’ amazing that involves veggies
Late night snack: fat free corn covered in I can’t believe its not butter spray (2 or 3 points)
and 2 graham crackers with a big spoonful of FF cool whip (1 point)
and loads of water!

PLAN FOR YOUR WEAKNESSES! My wife has a sweet tooth so she stocks up on all these low point WW icecreams and treats. Easy/low point way to over come the urge to put loads of fat/calories in your body.
I have a salt tooth. Fat Free Pringles have saved me! According to the WW calculator you can have 15 FF Pringles for 1 point.
Going to a ball game/movie? Take a tootsie pop (1 pnt) and a 2 ounce bag of FF beef jerkey.
Success breeds more success! Watching it fall off of you makes you say no easier!