Why I Started Doing Weight Watchers

This is a post I’ve wanted to write for a while now, but it’s been hard to actually make myself do it! I had coffee with a friend earlier this week (who has some VERY cool stuff up her sleeve… I cannot wait to share more when she’s up and rolling!) and she asked me about how I’ve shed a few pounds over the past year(ish), so that was just the push I needed to carve out a few minutes to sit down and write about this!

Before I start, I want you to know that I recognize what a touchy subject body image is. I know everyone has their own ideas of fat, skinny, healthy, unhealthy, attractive, and unattractive. And society has its own thoughts about those things as well. And I know that we will not all see body image and weight loss the same way. That is OKAY.

Ultimately, I know that we are all created in the image of God, and our bodies are temples. We should do our best to keep them healthy and feeling good so we can be our best selves for others and so we can live out our callings! But I’m also a proponent of treating yourself every now and then and not completely depriving yourself of things you love that may not be the best for you. What is life if you can’t enjoy a piece of chocolate sometimes?! 🙂 Let’s say this word together… MODERATION.

So, without any further over-explaining, I’ll tell you why I started WeightWatchers!

I started doing Weight Watchers last spring to lose some baby weight. Right after I had Wilson and Lily Ryan, I felt like the weight I gained during pregnancy fell off somewhat quickly. But when Dempsey was several months old and I was still hanging on to several pounds, I realized that just thinking about how I wanted to lose weight wasn’t going to cut it. When I gain weight, especially now that I’m getting older, I don’t think it distributes as evenly as it used to. It now congregates in my love handle area, and I just feel sloppy. Even if I don’t look sloppy to others, it’s how I feel, and it’s how I see myself, which ultimately affects my mood. If I’m wearing something I’m self-conscious in (even if nobody else thinks I should be self conscious!) I’m not going to have as much fun as I would if I wore something I felt great in. And the long and short of it is, when I’m at my ideal weight, I just feel great in my clothes, and more confident overall. When I’m not, I don’t.

And I did NOT want to have to sacrifice half of my closet because I was undisciplined and couldn’t put in the work to get back down to the size I was when I bought most of my favorite items of clothing. Setting my mind to lose weight is a wonderful exercise in self-discipline for me. I know not everyone sees it this way, but this is one area where I personally enjoy the challenge.

I knew WW was a great program for me because I did it when Price and I were engaged! I like it because, unlike other diets, you can eat whatever you want! If you want to go blow a bunch of points on Krystal burgers, that’s up to you, but you’re likely going to have to sacrifice the rest of the week because of your burger indulgence. WW definitely teaches good eating habits, keeping raw and unprocessed foods at low point values and putting candy and junk food at high point values. For those completely unfamiliar with the program, you get a certain number of points per day, and each food and drink has a different point value. The unhealthier the food/drink, the more points it is.

WW has sort of restructured, so now there are three options of plans you can do. I am on the purple plan, so I get 16 points a day. But the beauty is, there are over 300 foods that are at a zero point value. (This is just on purple. Green and Blue have zero point options too, but just not as many. But you get more daily points with those plans!) It’s really easy to eat a zero or very low point meal that is hearty and filling!

Another thing I love about Weight Watchers is how well it teaches you what to avoid or limit. I used to eat SUPER healthy all day, which I would then use to justify eating a bag of MnMs right before bed. Well, as it turns out, a bag of MnMs was my entire day’s point value. I was kind of foiling my plans for success doing that. Now, because WW is beautiful, if I DO stick to 3 points for an entire day and want to use my remaining 13 points on MnMs at night, I totally can! But I had made it a habit, and that habit had to go.

The first week of starting the program (and learning things like the point values of my beloved MnMs) was pretty tough, but then I hit a groove and it got easier and I started feeling SO MUCH BETTER.

I did WW pretty hardcore for a couple of months through the spring and summer to get back down to where I wanted to be. (Basically, where my clothes started fitting well again.) Then I took what I learned and kinda coasted through the fall and through the holidays. I did gain several pounds over the holidays, so I started WW back up with a group of friends at the new year to get that holiday poundage off. I figured, I gained it so quickly that if I set my mind to it to get it off quickly, it won’t snowball, like I’ve allowed it to do throughout several past phases of my life.

So right now, I am just a few pounds away from where I want to be. And I KNOW weight is just a number. But I’ve learned myself well enough to know that when I’m in a certain weight range, that’s when my clothes start fitting best. And when I feel best. And when I can give more to my people.

And when I’m preparing healthy meals for myself, I’m preparing healthier meals for my family as well. It’s good for everyone!

SO, to wrap this up… I truly do love Weight Watchers. It’s a great program that’s been around for YEARS. They have an app so it makes tracking your points pretty easy. I will say, it can be tough to track recipes in a timely manner, so I usually try to prepare meals using base items that have a zero point value so all I have to worry about tracking are the ingredients that have points. For example, almost all veggies are 0. Chicken is 0. Potatoes or whole wheat pasta in moderation are 0 (on the purple plan! Not on the others.) Those are great building blocks for an awesome and very filling meal! Greek yogurt and fruit are also all zero points so that’s been an easy and delicious breakfast go-to with a little cinnamon and stevia.

I have a few future blog posts in my head that I’ll share soon. One is a 3-point margarita recipe! Another is a zero point peppermint mocha recipe! I also thought about doing a typical full day of eating plenty for a low point value. To share a quote one of my WW accountability buddies shared, “Nothing feels as good as feeling good.” And I gotta say, when I’m eating right, I FEEL GOOD!!

I heard another comparison that stuck with me. “Rich people don’t get rich by spending lots of money. They get rich by saving. Healthy people don’t get healthy by eating whatever they want. They get healthy by making smart dietary choices.”

When I want to go to an event and enjoy a glass of wine and some bread and cheese, I have a weekly “reserve” of points that I can dip into so I don’t have to feel guilty about a night out every now and again. I LOVE that about this program! I certainly can’t do wine and cheese every night, but I’m also certainly not deprived 🙂

Have you done Weight Watchers? Did you like it? Do you have any questions for me?! I would encourage you to give it a try if you’re looking to trim up. It’s reasonably priced (about $20 a month) and it teaches wonderful habits that you can carry with you even when you want to take a break from the program!

I hope this has encouraged even just one person to take a healthy lifestyle turn! If you’ve been on the struggle bus and haven’t given WW a try, I think it’s at least worth looking into! It’s probably not for everyone, but I think it could work for almost anyone who is willing to put in a little work.

Thank you SO MUCH for reading today. You are BEAUTIFUL and WONDERFUL no matter what, so do not forget that! But you can still be beautiful and wonderful and not feel that great. That’s where WW can help!

Have a great one! xo

P.S. On days of charcuterie events, I cheat 😉

This post is not sponsored!