These are tips that I have picked up at different Weight Watchers meetings I have attended. I hope they can help you as much as they have helped me!
Ziploc Bags
Buy some Ziploc snack bags. Then when you get home from the store, portion out all your food for example: 1 cup of grapes of 1 cup of Cheerios. By doing this, it will be easier to grab healthy foods when you are hungry.
Permanent Marker
Get a permanent marker and write the points values on everything you bring home from the store!! It will take a little while at first, but it is worth the time and effort to be able to see how many points different food items are.
Track Everything
One of the things that they stress over and over in my Weight Watchers meetings is that, "If you bite it, write it!". Any successful weight loss program will have you write down what you eat. You may use a journal, diary, notebook, or tracker, it really does not matter what you use as long as you write down what you eat. If you want to read more about this check out this article at sparkpeople.com. The Key to Weight Loss Success.
Hungry Girl
I LOVE Hungry Girl. I would say that if you want to know the latest on low calorie foods that you should sign up for the newsletter at the Hungry Girl. They are points friendly as well so you cannot go wrong.
Plan Ahead
Something that I have learned to do while I have been on Weight Watchers is to plan ahead! Before you go grocery shopping, out to eat, or even a day trip. If that is not your personality to plan ahead, then make sure that you have a very friendly weight watchers environment. Fill you house with low point snacks for any mood that you might be in. I think that I end up doing a combination of both planning ahead and having a very Weight Watchers friendly environment.
Be sure to check out Dotti's Weight Loss Zone before you eat out at a restaurant, this is a life saver!!
Weigh-In Weekly
When I first started Weight Watchers I wanted to now how much I weighed all the time. I would weigh myself several times a week. I drove myself crazy if I gain even the smallest amount of weight. I came to a point a month or two later where I realized that I was not doing myself any good. So I decided that I would weigh myself ONE time per week at my Weight Watchers meeting.
Be Patient
Probably the hardest tip I can give you is to be patient. Weight loss is a journey and a process...not a destination. This is not a race to see who can get there first. Everyone's journey is different. Do not give up, because you didn't lose as much weight as the lady next to you. Let their stories inspire you to reach your own goals. Be patient. Set a goal, but not a time limit, on your weight loss.
Edit Recipes
Something that I have learned in the last year, is that I can make almost any recipe "weight watchers friendly". Take your favorite recipes and subsitute ground turkey for ground beef. Try low-fat or fat-free substitutions. Try egg beaters instead of eggs. There are so many more options out there to help you lead a healthier life, so take hold of them!
Stop Dieting, Start Living
This is the most recent Weight Watchers slogan, but there is so much truth to this statement. Weight Watchers is not just another diet, it is a tool to help you begin to lead a healthier life. I love weight watchers, because I can eat ANYTHING I want as long as I stay within my daily and weekly points. Let's begin to try and lose that diet mindset together and simply focus on making better choices.
