This is interesging...trying to find the balance between losing and maintaining. I guess I have never really had a lot of experience just maintaining a weight. No, that's not true. I have maintained my weight for months at a time, but then if it would go up I didn't really know how to reign it in.
This is a great feeling, though, to not be "dieting" but just vigilant about what I am eating. My walking partner asked me this morning if I would continue to eat the WW way now that I am maintaining.
I said yes, but that in many ways I had always eaten that way. I have always loved whole grains and veggies. I haven't always chosen lean meats or dairy. I think meat is one thing that I have really cut my portions back with. I used to really love my beef and pork and chicken. I still do, but I don't eat as much of them as I used to. I eat a 3-4 oz portion and save those other points for treats.
And treats...that is one area that I have really changed my mindset. Mama time used to mean eat time. I ate if I was tired, if I was stressed, if I was worried, if I was just happy to be by myself for a little while. I have really learned with WW that eating for any of those reasons is really not worth it. Eating when I am tired or stressed or emotional doesn't really make me feel better. It takes my mind off the emotion for a little while, but it's still there. Then I have the excess calories to contend with. And I have had too many carb-y slumps to pull myself out of to really say it was worth it.
Now my mama time is my daily walk...or reading blogs or writing on my blog. Or searching for new recipes for something I am craving. I am trying to learn ways of dealing with my feelings that are helpful to me and not something that makes me feel guilty later.
So yeah, I guess I will keep eating the WW way. That is such a big ambiguous thing, but the way it has worked for me will continue to keep me healthy. So why not?
4 comments:
This is something that has been on my mind a lot lately too... What will I do when I finally hit goal? I'm thinking that you're right... Weight Watchers has gotten me here, and it will probably keep me here too... At this point, I'm so scared of putting the weight back on that I can't imagine NOT doing Weight Watchers anymore!!
I think that WW, done well, teaches us a new way of eating which should serve us well when we reach goal and seek to maintain...so, why would we abandon that?
I hope you're enjoying maintenance.
I wasn't sure that I wanted to keep counting points forever, which is why I switched to Core once I went on maintenance. It's probably the reason why I've been doing so well since I've hit goal. I don't feel as pressured to measure and count everything, and it just feels like a more natural way of eating for me, and it's a lot healthier, too. So far, so good...
I think you have a great attitude about the whole thing. I think the thing that people who aren't on WW don't understand is that eating the "WW way" is not necessarily dieting. It's all about portion control and moderation. How many times have we said this but "It's not a diet, it's a way of life" I guess if you've never been on the plan than you don't really know what it's all about but I honestly believe that I could follow WW guidelines forever since they really taught me about eating healthy and portion control and how to eat my favorite things in moderation.
Kudos to you, you are doing great!
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