NON WW & WW NEWBIES, OUR NEW LIFE, THE START OF SOMETHING WONDERFUL

I like the Weight Watchers meetings because its good to get support from people in real life, and they have some great ideas.

However, I don't want to follow the program, I would rather count calories.

What to do? When I have problems, they want to see my food log with smart points :-(

cbabie Sorry to hear about your father. Like you needed one more thing on your plate. Hopefully he will get better soon. My parents sound alot like yours. Exercise was an unheard of thing. Evenings were spent around the tv eating Twinkies, apple pies, ho-ho's. Hostess was our best friend. I do not want to follow in their footsteps. Still not where I want to be yet. I laughed at your mention of get off the couch to change the channel. My dad had his own remote....me. I always had to get up and change the channel for him. Thank God there were only 3 channels back then.

FitPhillygirl your life does sound busy. How are you managing the Insanity program.

karla Yaaay on the oatmeal. I had a recipe awhile back that used oatmeal and peaches. It tasted alot like peach cobbler to me. comfort food. Mmmmmmm especially in the winter. Interesting thoughts on confidence. My mil experienced the same thing when dementia and alzheimers came along suddenly blood pressure was okay and out went the meds. I see it was a rice cracker day for you too. So congrats on tracking everything. What lessons did you learn today? If you could rewind, write out different choices.

mysticlizard Ouch on the knee. Hopefully it will be better soon so you can get back to exercising. Yes on tracking everyday no matter what although I just looked at mine and realized I had tracked nothing today. My mind must have been elsewhere, i'll go back and fill in as much as I remember. Reviewing last year, I lose weight when I track. I gain weight when I don't.

rickweinberg TIA transient ischemic attack Like a mini-stroke. For years my dad kept saying my mom was having TIA's and I kept saying no they are seizures. She needs to be on seizure meds. We would always argue. She had cancer and at the end when hospice was called in they gave her seizure meds and guess what no more "TIA". we did find out too late that seizures could be a side effect of morphine. So the more morphine she was given because of pain, the more seizures she had. As with everything, I take this as a learning experience. When you have time tell us more about dopamine and cortisol. I watched a youtube video about these two and another neurotransmitter. Very interesting stuff.

gemwolf I hope you get some downtime soon. Anything special you really want to do? I pray you get the job too.

@healthypelican welcome to the group If you click the star on top right you can bookmark this thread. Like Carla said, TOPS is good. You could always show them your MFP food log. Yes they may not like it that you aren't tracking points, but you really don't need their permission. You are a paying member and you are paying for the good ideas they give and being around real people. They could still tell by the foods you eat how to help you whether or not it is in points or calories. Even I can do that for you. I watch you tube videos also to get extra information and motivation. I'm subscribed to Let's Get Fit and it's two sisters who are on WW. They are just normal everyday people like me but they share what they learn at the meetings. One shows what she ate for the day. They laugh and make jokes but for some reason I really like them and always learn something or it makes me think. So you might look around and find someone that you relate to. Lots of WW youtube blogs out there.

okay so I exercised on my treadmill in my target zone. don't know about my food because I didn't track properly. I had a salad and chicken breast for dinner but then lunch was just 3/4 pack of rice crackers. That wasn't making good choices. so tomorrow is another day to make good choices.

Hello everyone. I too followed WW on/off over the years loss/gained same weight

This group seems wonderful

I have 100 to lose and am truly giving counting calories a chance. I do find it easier than counting points. As well this data base is fantastic!

Do you guys check in often it sure looks like it.

Please feel free to add me as a friend

Hello everyone! It seems I've caught my husband's cold and I'm pretty stopped up and sneezing. I went to work yesterday (I'm not coughing), and managed to pretend it was allergies. Today, I'll go for a few hours (I would stay home but I only have 6 hours of sick/vacation time left). I hate being sick.

@mysticlizard congrats on the loss!

@cbabie I'm sorry your father had a stroke. I hope there was no permanent damage.

Hi all! Still feeling miserable here. I went to work yesterday but once I got there, I realized it was a bad idea, so I drove home. I'm staying home today as well. I slept all afternoon yesterday, I'll probably do the same today.

@mysticlizard thank you.

Hi Everyone! I'm a WW and I'm new to MFP. I'm not sure how I become a member of this board but I'd like to.

I'm tired of paying $45-50/month with WW and I'm curious if MFP is the place for me. I have been going to meetings for a year and I'm down about 11 pounds. I'm getting married in September and I'd like to reach my goal by then which is another 30-35 lbs. I'm hoping I can make some friends here and join this group for support.

I've also found that I feel like WW costs me more points for foods that are healthy. For instance sugar and honey are the same points. But honey is so much better for you than white sugar...you know what I mean? I'd love to hear others thoughts on the differences of WW to MFP and just general tips and tricks! Thanks!

Hi everyone, and welcome to the new members who recently joined.

I'm finishing up week one of Insanity Max 30 tonight. It went well but last nights "Tabata Power" workout was hard due to a lack of energy. I think I need to eat more on the days that I do Insanity so I can put more energy into them. Hope everyone has a nice weekend.

Hi all! The cold is still making it hard for me to breathe, although I am a little better than yesterday. I hope you all have a great weekend!

@mmcjtink how did you do with the pizza and wine? That's really hard for me. Did you hit the gym?

@HappyBride917 welcome! You're in! I was tired of paying the money for WW too. It's a great program for a lot of people, I just wasn't in the frame of mind for it anymore.

@mysticlizard well, I'm a little better today but still miserable. I ordered a diffuser with peppermint essential oil but it won't come until tomorrow and I'm sure I'll be better by then. lol sorry your knees are still bothering you.

@theslightedgeforever I'm staying home today so I can rest, I don't want a relapse from being out in the rain and cold (we are experiencing both right now, which is weird for SD). I need to go to work Monday!

@cbabie congrats on tracking!

@cathyfalcone... maybe try adding more protein and healthy fats to your lunches and breakfasts?

Just checking and giving an update. Went on a long, grueling bike ride today. January 21st and I rode my bike for 3:45. Good for me, but I may have over done it. After the long ride I went up to take a bath and no hot water. See we had problems with our furnace and went with a whole new system. We now have baseboard hot water heat with a tankless hot water system. The tankless system also runs our tap water. There is some problem because we are supposed to have continuous hot water but we do not. I'm very angry and close to calling the better business bureau. Calling the plumber on Monday for sure. Son, 17 year old, passed his drivers test today. He actually drove himself to a friends house. He passed the test on his second try. It makes me nervous but we have to let them grow up and hope we taught them well. I am logging my calories. I feel lighter. I think my gut is a bit smaller. I'm really hoping for a great weigh-in Monday. I should just be relaxed about it. It is just a number. The problem is that my hard work, hopefully will reflect my hard work this week. I was good this week and not perfect. I let perfect go a long time ago.

@cbabie Keep at it. I have a lot of respect for you. What you do is so important. I'm pretty sure I can't do the job you do. Keep up the positive self talk. Things get bad. We all get low. Making unhealthy choices, although feel good at the time, do not help in the long run. Your Marta about taking care of yourself so you can take care of others is very powerful. But in your case is very important for what you do and the tough times you are working through. Keep positive. Keep your chin up and keep advancing.

@jamiewilldo Not sure if I've welcomed you already. Well, welcome. I think you will love this group. It is very positive and many of us can relate to each other journey.

@HappyBride917 Congratulations on your upcoming wedding. You must post a picture of yourself in the wedding dress since you will have reached your goal.

@trooworld Boy, I hope you get well soon. Drink a lot of fluids.

@gemwolf110 Enjoy the vacation. Relax and do things for you.

@mmcjtink Pizza is a big problem for me too. Can you really have pizza without beer? Then the wheels come off. I wish I could stop at two pieces. I really try to dissuade the family from getting pizza. My wife is glutten free so we do not have as much pizza as we used to.

@mysticlizard Take care of that knee. Ice helps with swelling. Staying off of it too will help. I've had 3 knee surgeries and the Dr. says I'm headed for a total knee replacement. No more basketball or running and is why I got into biking.

@FitPhillygirl I have always wanted to do a video work out. Not a lot of room in my living room. If you are doing insanity in the morning, try coffee. If you drink coffee, have a bit more. Also, I'd recommend GU or Jelly Belly's energy beans 5 minutes before your work out. You will tell a difference. Also, remember, the very fact that you are working out is a really great thing and a good step in the right direction. Plus, some days you have it and some days you do not.

@theslightedgeforever Enjoying your friends are important. Learning lessons is important too. Working out before the visit would have been good but there is always tomorrow. I try to workout with my good friends. I rode my bike with one of them today.

@healthypelican I loved weight watchers. It taught me that I no longer need to feel trapped about my weight. WW also taught me "I am in control." That also means that I do not need WW. If I have an open mind and faithful to the MFP program I can lose again. That is what I believe.

@bugmom92 You are so right. On this program you are so much more aware of the nutritional value of what you eat. That is something I've never thought of before. What is TOPS? I've always thought about going to an over eaters anonymous meeting. I think talking to real people is important. I do think talking to people on MFP is good too. I can always talk about my friends about my weight. They know my struggles. I never felt like WW was expensive because I got results. I'm not sure what to think now. If MFP works I will probably think WW was expensive.

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend. I'm planning on watching football tomorrow. I should do some more cleaning around the house. I did vacuum today before my bike ride. Peace out and be well.

Hi all! I feel a lot better than I have been, but am still a bit stopped up. I ordered an essential oil diffuser with some oils, and will use the eucalyptus oil in the diffuser...that is supposed to help with stuffiness. I pick it up today. I wish I would have ordered it the day I started getting sick, but at least I'll have it for future illnesses. It's also good for just when you want your house to smell good. Boy, yesterday seemed like the longest day and night. We were so bored and had no money to do anything. I wanted to take a walk but couldn't because I was afraid I wouldn't have the energy once I started. I want to do more meditation, so I'm going to try to do that today. Next week, I will go to a meditation class at the local UU church. Meditation really helps me, and what helps me even more is if I have something organized like a class to go to. At work, twice a month, we have a meditation class. I really enjoy it.

@rickweinberg that's a bummer about the tankless hot water system. I hope you get hot water soon. Congrats to your son on getting his license! Good luck tomorrow at weigh in ((( SKINNY VIBES ))) Good point about liquids, I haven't been drinking enough.

@gemwolf110 good luck with the interviews, I hate them too! I'm not a salesman by nature, but I seem to do a good job of selling myself at interviews, that's what it's about. Enjoy your vacation time! I'm feeling better but still a little stopped up.

@mysticlizard When you get a chance, take a picture of your tatting. All of us would love to see it.

@gemwolf110 I feel like maybe my meetings are becoming the same thing over and over again. We talk about why we can't do it and why some can.

Quick check in tonight but wanted to check in. I'll go back tomorrow and catch up on the posts from you.