Friday, June 17, 2011

How I've Lost Weight (Recently)

A few people have commented on my recent weight loss and wondered what I was doing differently to lose weight. To answer that question, I think that it's difficult to maintain a steady motivation when you're losing weight for a long time. It's only natural that you go through more motivated times when weight loss is a priority and other times when weight loss is more on the back-burner.

This recent burst of motivation all started at the beginning of May. As you might recall, in March and April I was flirting with OA and torn between following Momentum/ Points Plus. I was struggling with binging--succumbing to binges on a weekly basis--which was keeping me from losing weight. In the beginning of May, I talked to a friend and we decided that we were going to LOSE this last 20-25 pounds. We developed a weight loss spreadsheet and decided on a Weigh-In Day. In addition, I went out and bought an electronic scale so I could stop fretting about the inaccuracy of my weigh-ins. (I checked that electronic scale with my regular WW scale and they are very close).

At that point, I made a quick decision. I opted to go back to Momentum. The logic behind my decision: 1.) I know Momentum very well; 2.) I already have all the Momentum tools and it would be cheaper to follow Momentum by myself, rather than pay to use Points Plus; 3.) I don't trust Points Plus (disclaimer--I'm not saying this is a rational distrust; I just intuitively don't trust the new plan) which means it's more difficult for me to follow.

So, once I had decided to go back to Momentum, I adjusted back to the old plan. At first, I was terrified at the lack of points and the sudden cost of fruit. In fact, I almost quit the first week, because I thought I was starving. But instead, I adjusted back to Momentum. I re-learned how to stretch points and found an amazing (and HUGE) chicken-stir fry that only cost 4 points. I settled back into the Momentum groove and started losing weight immediately.

In addition, I upped my workouts. No, scratch that, I started working out more consistently. I started walking 1.5 miles during my lunch break, five days a week, and I started doing a 20 minute strength training exercise DVD every day, as well.

So, basically the answer to my weight loss is fairly simple: I've eaten less and moved more. A few specific things I'd like to mention about how I'm following Momentum:
  • I hardly use any weekly points.
  • I mostly reserve them for alcohol, and I've cut down on the alcohol quite a bit lately.
  • I've increased the size of my breakfasts and reduced the size of my dinners.
  • And occasionally (if I feel satisfied) I don't eat all my DPs (by a point or 2).
  • I never even think about AP points, since I'm not exercising that intensely.
That's about it. I hope this helps! Do you find that you hit motivation peaks and valleys throughout your weight loss journey?

5 comments:

  1. Cutting back on alcohol is huge. I don't drink (medical reasons) and think that helps me maintain my weight. While still enjoying chocolate...

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  2. Great job, Katie! I think the reasons that Momentum is working for you are the exact reasons that I could NEVER go back to it, haha. I loved Points Plus, and if I ever want/need to go back to a WL program again, it will be Points Plus.

    I'm so glad that you found what works for you!

    Also, I 100% agree with the sentiment that motivation comes and goes, and that it's difficult to keep WL your top priority for YEARS at a time.

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  3. I would have to agree about the motivation part. I think that is partly why I'm having trouble. I'm comfortable with my body so losing weight isn't as urgent than it was before but it is still a top priority.

    What is your stir-fry that you eat for only 4pts? I'd love to know what that is since I love stir-fry.

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  4. I completely agree with you that motivation goes in waves when you have a lot of weight to lose. I got very close to goal in January 2010, and then lost all motivation and remained at that weight (within 10 lbs) for over a year. After I got that out of my system, I decided to lose the last few pounds by refocusing, just like you did. Now I'm in maintenance mode, and its definitely it's own beast!

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  5. Congrats to you for finding what works and sticking with it! I've just restarted my motivation, as I basically hit the same point-- from January to October of last year I lost 40 lbs and then the holidays hit and I just stopped tracking. I've maintained within the same 5 pounds, but I still have between 30-40 more pounds to lose and had that little awakening moment that it's not going to come off just relaxing and taking it easy on my little WLJ.

    And so I'm back in the saddle following Momentum as well. My boyfriend thought I was crazy when I told him I just felt weird about PointsPlus-- I don't trust it either! I've tried to follow the program but couldn't get away from all of the knowledge from the Momentum plan that I'd absorbed and came to know backwards and forwards over the last year. It worked for the first forty and will get me through the last :) Your motivation is motivating to me!

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