August is over tomorrow. Summers always have a certain feel of freedom to them, but, in our part of the world, summer unofficially ends on the first Monday of September. Soon after, children return to school (colleges are already back in session). The pools close, as do our local carousels. The daylight portion of the days are rapidly shrinking, as we march towards the equinox.
It's a return to reality, such as the reality of my weight.
You know these posts about what you should't eat after 50?
Well, they are true. As your weight travels north, your metabolism travels south. So does your health, if you are not careful. I am pre-diabetic again. My right knee hurts. I'm getting other bodily signals of "you've gained too much. Time to take action".
Which is why, on September 12, I am going back on Weight Watchers after several years of non-membership. (I quit a couple of years ago).
Things have changed while I was gone.
One thing is going to be really hard for me is how yummy dessert items now have a lot more points (you don't count calories, but track "points" - back in 2012 it was Points Plus, now something called Freestyle) than healthy stuff, because, after all, Weight Watchers wants you to eat healthy.
But I love my chocolate. And I am the queen of emotional eating.
This new program is worse than starting Weight Watchers for the first time, because I now have to unlearn some things, and relearn them in a new way.
I'll consider it "keeping my mid 60's old brain young". I was resisting this, but resistance, as they say, is futile.
The good news is, I have the same leader as I had when I started my journey in 2012. When I had my first meeting, she was actually leading her first meeting. We learned together.
Some things haven't changed, though - the support of meetings. And that's really why I am joining again. I can't do it alone, I've found. I could for a while, but age and that declining metabolism have caught up with me again.
It takes a village for some of us to lose weight. I'm returning to my village.
I promise I won't turn this into a weight loss blog, but I am going to mention it from time to time.
And if you want to cheer me on, that would just be a bonus.
Wish me strength, as summer ends, and we move quickly towards fall.
Thursday, August 30, 2018
14 comments:
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Hope your village helps create the behavioral patterns you seek.
ReplyDeleteMy friend lost 30kg through Weight Watchers - her doctor didn't think she could do it and was suggesting gastric banding. But she put her mind to it and looks so much healthier and happier as a result. I hope you have a similar success story Alana - because Midlife metabolism sucks!
ReplyDeleteI dropped out of Weight Watchers because I couldn't do the current program. I found an app that let's me follow Points Plus. the new program is very strict on sugar intake. I wish you success with the program.
ReplyDeleteI'm right there with ya, Girl! I lost a few pounds on WW only to go on vacation and gain a few back! I'm re-starting again myself. :) I'm on connect as "warmbanannas" if you want a buddy. : )
ReplyDeleteI need to do this as well! We'll take the journey together!
ReplyDeleteI share your feelings as I am of a certain age and am fighting the additional weight. Thank you for your honesty and encouragement for all who are struggling. Please keep us posted.
ReplyDeleteStrength to you!
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I have never been able to follow a diet more than a week, but last March we joined the WW new Freestyle program and we love it. He's lost close to 40 and I've lost close to 30 pounds now. Still more to go, but I am amazed at what we've been able to accomplish. I went from being pre-diabetic to not being on that chart anymore in the first three months.
ReplyDeleteI hear this..older bodies arent resilient..
ReplyDeleteGood luck. I was a Weight Watcher over many years - in fact, I’m a lifetime member although I haven’t been active for several years. It’s a program that works. I need to follow your example and get back on it.
ReplyDeleteWishing you strength and will cheer you on!
ReplyDeleteBoy, I'm fighting with the post-menopause weight thing too. The pre-diabetes is such a concern and fortunately I haven't got that, but I put on quite a bit of weight during chemo (oncologist's nurse said probably because bland carbs were the least offensive thing to eat during that) and then the estrogen suppressants also have weight gain as one of the side effects. I've been told cut down calories and especially carbs - but yeah, the chocolate and the comfort eating is hard to subject to discipline!
It's funny, I think it was just last year when I had a lot of extra work stress because of office moves that I really realized that I've gotten into a bad stress-related eating pattern. Have a full plate and get a new rush request added to the stack and suddenly I need chips. Where did that come from? Trying to at least replace the chips with a piece of fruit or something now that I realized I'm doing it but boy once that habit got set it's hard to untrain.
Have a good fall. Good luck with Weight Watchers.
ReplyDeleteI've never done weight watchers but it sounds nice even for just the social aspect of it. It's always great to have support and being held accountable.
ReplyDeleteI love chocolate too. And yes, it seems to be about unlearning old ways and learning new habits. So many people have had great success on WW. Good luck!
ReplyDelete