Staying on Track

Here is a summary of my Weight Watchers meeting on January 5, 2010.

Here is a shocking fact for you. Did you know that the average person tends to underestimate their daily calorie intake by 500-100 calories a day!!

Studies have shown that people who keep a food diary/journal/tracker of the foods they consume tend to lose 3 times as much weight as those that don’t. Soooo in conclusion we all know how beneficial tracking our points can be but…. That doesn’t mean that it is going to be easy. I have heard hundreds of reasons why we don’t track.

Here are a few of the common tracking pitfalls:
*no time/too busy
*underestimating the points values of restaurant foods
*overestimating your daily activity
*not adhering to portion sizes
*eating mindlessly…these are those BLT’s bites licks and tastes that we tend to “forget” about
*not knowing where to find points values/ not willing to look up points values

Tracking can not only help you lose weight, but it can also help you manage your portions. It can help you learn about what you eat and when you’ve been eating them. It can help determine exactly what time in the day you are getting hungry and help you determine what you can do to prevent that hunger. Tracking is also a good way to keep you focused and consistent with your goals.

So we have already discussed what doesn’t work…now lets focus on what does work:
*tracking both the good and bad…..tracking means tracking everything

*planning ahead- use your pocket guides, food companions, websites, and e-tools to figure out the points values of foods before you eat them.

If you are dining out check out www.dwlz.com before you go to help narrow down your point friendly options.

*don’t let small setbacks throw you off! Nobody is perfect and everybody slips off the tracks a little on this program. The most important thing is to get right back on the very next meal! Don’t give yourself a whole other day…because that’s giving yourself permission to overeat.

*weigh and measure your foods pull out those measuring cups and really be accurate remember if you are going to double serving sizes, you need to double nutrition facts and then recalculate the points values.

*don’t be caught without your pounts slider/calculator keep it someplace handy so that you will always have it when you need it!

1. Remember this week’s challenge is to focus on tracking what you eat. I am looking forward to punching your challenge cards next week with my high-speed star hole punch.
2. Also every time you pick up a fork imagine that pencil on the end and think “Pick up your pencil before your utensil!”
3. All of our baked snacks and 2 point bars are on sale for 1.00 off making them 3.50 until the end of the month. Take advantage of those savings. This sale does include the new almond sensation bars you all sampled this week yummmmm!
4. Last thing- Brookshire’s is having a buy one get one for a penny sale on all of the weight watchers ice creams so if you love them as much as I do you would be smart to check that out!