foxfieldco
05-22-2004, 01:13 AM
Weight Watchers eTools Article of the Week: 6 Ways To Push Past Impatience
Taking Weight Loss In Stride
Have you ever been faced with a very long line — at a movie theater, for example — and felt anxious and overwhelmed by the length of it? You become obsessed with the pace at which the line is moving, and miserable over every moment that you "waste" waiting.
It happens to even the most patient among us, even while we're waiting for something less tangible, like weight-loss results. But success happens in lots of different ways, and at a different pace for each person.
With Weight Watchers, what you're working toward is lifelong behavioral change, which may be an invisible process. But you're looking for visible evidence of that change, and of your progress toward it. Have patience; it will happen! If you focus on visible results, though, you may start to feel frustrated and anxious, and negative emotions like those could send you straight back to square one.
Pushing Past Impatience
But we can help you take that kind of frustration in stride. The next time you feel impatient or discouraged, try Anchoring. You've probably heard your Leader or other Meetings Members talking about this powerful tool from Weight Watchers Tools For Living — it shows you how to create a reminder that will help you tap into your inner resources when you need them.
You can try any of these tricks, too:
Take the focus off the number on the scale and put it on daily behaviors, such as your ability to keep up an exercise plan, and your success in finding creative ways to stick with your POINTS® Target.
Set short-term goals, and celebrate when you meet them.
Find fun new ways to approach necessary but no-longer-new behaviors.
During slower-weight-loss weeks, take note of what may have been the cause, and learn from your findings.
~~~
Why Does Everyone Keep Passing Me By?
We know to distance ourselves from the standards set by supermodels and wispy actresses. We remind ourselves that they employ stylists, makeup artists, gourmet chefs specializing in low-fat cooking, and trainers to keep them toned and tiny.
However, it's not so easy to shelve those negative thoughts and comparisons when the embodiment of progress and health is sitting right next to us on the couch. There are times when it seems as if everyone in our healthy-lifestyle circle is dropping pounds and knocking back dress sizes while, despite our best broiled-chicken efforts, we remain unchanged.
But don't let this heartbreaker defeat your good intentions. With the right mental attitude you can use this experience to bolster your own progress.
Look at How Well You Are Doing
"We're different in every way and that's especially true with weight loss," says Jackie Raha, manager of group service development for Weight Watchers. "Weight loss isn't neat and tidy. It comes in spurts. Over time it's significant, and you need to establish your own winning goal and focus on that. Don't compare yourself with others."
Remembering that we all lose weight at our own rate provides an opportunity to learn about the beauty of individuality. "In the same way our resting heart rates are different, our blood pressure is different, our height is different, how fast our hair grows is different," says Ronda Gates, author of The Scale Companion (ISBN 1998).
"The most devastating thing we can do when setting a goal for weight loss is to compare our success or progress to others. We are all wonderful individuals, not clones who respond like Pavlov dogs or mice to the same experiment."
Our Bodies, Our Weight Loss
It's also important to remember that it's never the same experiment. Genetics, dieting history, medications, age, activity level, percent of lean body mass, and stress level all play roles in a person's weight loss.
"And we could be talking about someone who is approaching weight loss in an unhealthy manner," says Raha. Or, someone who just started. Raha points out that in the first few weeks, losses typically are greater because of lost water-weight.
The important thing to remember is that the overall average should be somewhere between one-half to two pounds a week. On those half-pound-loss weeks, keep in mind that's the equivalent of two sticks of butter. (Having two fewer sticks of butter to squeeze into a skirt is a pretty wonderful thing.)
"Another thing we say in meetings is to envision yourself a year from today in the clothes you want to wear, on the beach, walking around the neighborhood," says Raha. "A pound a week in a year is 52 pounds. That's impressive."
~~~
Measure Your Success
Tracking your weight loss on the scale is great - it helps to hold a piece of paper that shows how far you've come. But don't limit yourself! There are other ways to measure your success, ways that'll set your motivation in motion and keep your efforts on track. Pay attention to some of the more tangible changes in the new you, such as how you:
Feel better about yourself. Notice that spring in your step, that excitement at the beginning of a new day. Your confidence is soaring because you're well on your way to a healthier new you, and you can feel it.
Measure up ' with a tape measure. 'Some forms of exercise stimulate a small increase in muscle mass, which may show as weight gain on the scales,' says McArdle. 'However, because muscle occupies less space than fat, your circumference becomes smaller when your fitness increases.' Monitor these changes by taking your measurement, or by trying on the same pair of now-too-big pants and seeing how they look and feel different.
Buy a smaller size! It's the classic milestone: You head to the mall to buy a new pair of jeans (because that belt just isn't cutting it any more), and you see that you've slimmed down your clothing size. Congrats!
Know when to say 'no, thanks.' Your discipline is marked and you're proud of it. You carefully track your POINTS® and know when your body's telling you that you're full.
Recognize your triggers. Hormonal swings. A major deadline at the office. You know what sends you into splurge mode, and you keep low-cal snacks at hand to circumvent those high-risk periods. You also use the Weight Watchers ,Tools of Living to prevent your need to eat trigger food in the first place.
Order like a pro. You order your fish grilled, not deep-fried; tomato sauces, not creamy ones. You ask for salad dressings on the side and vegetables as appetizers. You even share that rich dessert with a friend: Your dinner choices indicate a healthy POINT IQ.
And cook like a pro. Your lasagna is made with part-skim ricotta cheese and veggies, not meat, and your cream of mushroom soup with low-fat milk, not cream. Tasty and good for your waistline.
Then, you enjoy your meals. You've invested in some pretty placemats and bought some candles. You turn off the TV, turn up the relaxing music and truly enjoy your food.
Choose food-free rewards when you reach weight loss milestones, such as a facial or a candlelit bath instead of a packet of potato chips.
Exercise without exhaustion! For example, you walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath and run for the bus with ease. 'This is because weight loss reduces the cost of exercise on the body (you have less mass to lug around!),' says McArdle.
Accept compliments gracefully (and we know they're coming in full force). After all, you deserve them. You've worked hard and your efforts are paying off.
Slow and Steady = Success!
Reaching goal weight and staying there is all about realistic, achievable goals. This means:
Setting out to initially lose 10 percent of your body weight. Then, once you reach that goal weight, you can focus on the bigger picture.
Breaking your weight loss up so you can enjoy smaller triumphs earlier. It will improve your self-esteem and help keep you motivated. Now that is a sign of success!
~~~
18 Ways to Reward Yourself
When you were a kid, and you did something well, every now and then you got a reward. Motivating, right? Weight loss is no different. Use that same logic to make your weight-loss journey more pleasant — and your goal more attainable. Set mini-goals, then reward yourself when you meet them.
"If you don't celebrate small, everyday lifestyle changes," says Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientist at Weight Watchers International, "there will be times when your long-term weight-loss goal seems so far away that you'll despair or be tempted to give up. Having little stops to celebrate along the way makes that journey more pleasant — and your goal more likely to be achieved."
Come up with goals that are unique to you and the challenges you face with weight loss. Keep them realistic and varied, and track them closely. For example, you might make these three goals:
I will walk 30 minutes five days this week.
From now on, I will fill in my POINTS® Tracker completely each day (regardless of my food intake).
I will clean up the kitchen tonight without picking the leftovers off the dinner plates.
Then, when you meet one of your mini-milestones, give yourself a reward! Just like your goals, your rewards should be varied and unique to you. And they don't have to put a dent in your wallet (unless you want them to!).
** For under $5, why not …
Sip on a cup of tea in the sun.
Finish the day with a long, candlelit soak in the tub.
Enjoy a leisurely Sunday morning — take the phone off the hook and spend the morning in your pajamas reading a book or devouring a few magazines.
Savor a celebratory glass of wine with dinner.
** For under $10, why not …
Open a "pamper me" bank account: Deposit $10 for every week you've stuck to your weight-loss plan, or for every pound you've lost.
Splurge on a bouquet of flowers just for you.
Take the time to give yourself a full manicure, complete with a new shade of nail polish.
Buy a relaxation tape and use it daily.
Share dessert with your partner at a café, or do a little grocery shopping and make one of the delicious, healthy desserts from the WeightWatchers.com Food & Recipes section.
** For $20 to $45, why not …
Pay your neighbor's teenager to do your food shopping for you. Just make a list, then relax.
String a hammock up in the backyard and spend an afternoon napping in the sun.
Phone your distant friends. Choose a time when the phone company has low rates and you can spend hours catching up.
Enjoy a new haircut or color.
** For over $50, why not …
Devote the entire day to a shopping spree for a new pair of shoes.
Splurge on a bottle of expensive champagne — just because you deserve it.
Rent a sailboat with friends and spend the day soaking up ocean breezes.
Sign up for a membership to your favorite art gallery, or subscribe to a theater company for the next season.
Hire a maid for the day — to cook and clean while you kick back.
~~~
11 Ways to Feel Good Right Now
We all know that sensible weight loss should be a gradual process, but there's nothing wrong with wanting a bit of a boost in the meantime. We've come up with a selection of things you can do right this minute and over the coming week to jump-start those feel-good vibes.
** Right now
De-junk your wardrobe, chucking out anything shapeless, baggy and dowdy – anything that will remind you of the shape you don't want to be. Rifle through your underwear drawer and throw out all that graying, shapeless underwear and bras with the underwire popping out.
Go shopping. You don't have to completely splurge on a new wardrobe – choosing one t-shirt with a great cut that will emphasize your slimming figure will make you feel better instantly.
Alternatively, another on the spot pick-me-up tip is to buy some lovely lingerie. Something that makes you feel sexy and special, not necessarily just something you think your man might like, and start feeling good about yourself from the inside out.
Drink a glass of water and resolve that from this point you are going to drink at least 6-8 glasses a day. Think you'll find it hard? Sneak glasses in to the day – kick-start your morning with a mug of boiled water and a slice of lemon, keep a bottle next to you while you work and take sips from it throughout the day, have a glass of water before each and every meal (you might even feel less hungry too).
** Tonight
Take some time out for yourself. Whether it's insisting you sit down for fifteen minutes to read the latest Harry Potter, meditating, or having a soak in the bath with a good book – you need to chill, and others in your life need to start getting used to the idea too.
Do something active – ten minutes of sit-ups and push-ups, a trip to the pool at the Y with the kids, or a salsa lesson with friends. Commit to doing something that gets you moving.
** All this week
Make sure your plate has more vegetables and salad than anything else – it's healthy and fills you up without filling up your POINTS budget.
Commit to eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day – if you have a glass of orange juice at breakfast followed by a slice of toast and a kiwi fruit you're more than a third of the way there.
Pack healthy snacks such as raw peeled and washed carrots, grapes, or a banana – and avoid the lure of sweets and chips.
Build activity into your day – get off the bus or subway early and walk, park the car farther away, use stairs rather than elevator, go out for a walk or a swim on your lunch break.
Find yourself a buddy, whether it's someone on the message boards with whom you can swap tips and moans, or someone to run with. You'll feel less isolated; more motivated and might well make a good friend in the process.
And finally, just feel proud for deciding to lose weight and commit yourself to changing your life. It's a big step – and a huge reason why you should be feeling on top of the world!
Taking Weight Loss In Stride
Have you ever been faced with a very long line — at a movie theater, for example — and felt anxious and overwhelmed by the length of it? You become obsessed with the pace at which the line is moving, and miserable over every moment that you "waste" waiting.
It happens to even the most patient among us, even while we're waiting for something less tangible, like weight-loss results. But success happens in lots of different ways, and at a different pace for each person.
With Weight Watchers, what you're working toward is lifelong behavioral change, which may be an invisible process. But you're looking for visible evidence of that change, and of your progress toward it. Have patience; it will happen! If you focus on visible results, though, you may start to feel frustrated and anxious, and negative emotions like those could send you straight back to square one.
Pushing Past Impatience
But we can help you take that kind of frustration in stride. The next time you feel impatient or discouraged, try Anchoring. You've probably heard your Leader or other Meetings Members talking about this powerful tool from Weight Watchers Tools For Living — it shows you how to create a reminder that will help you tap into your inner resources when you need them.
You can try any of these tricks, too:
Take the focus off the number on the scale and put it on daily behaviors, such as your ability to keep up an exercise plan, and your success in finding creative ways to stick with your POINTS® Target.
Set short-term goals, and celebrate when you meet them.
Find fun new ways to approach necessary but no-longer-new behaviors.
During slower-weight-loss weeks, take note of what may have been the cause, and learn from your findings.
~~~
Why Does Everyone Keep Passing Me By?
We know to distance ourselves from the standards set by supermodels and wispy actresses. We remind ourselves that they employ stylists, makeup artists, gourmet chefs specializing in low-fat cooking, and trainers to keep them toned and tiny.
However, it's not so easy to shelve those negative thoughts and comparisons when the embodiment of progress and health is sitting right next to us on the couch. There are times when it seems as if everyone in our healthy-lifestyle circle is dropping pounds and knocking back dress sizes while, despite our best broiled-chicken efforts, we remain unchanged.
But don't let this heartbreaker defeat your good intentions. With the right mental attitude you can use this experience to bolster your own progress.
Look at How Well You Are Doing
"We're different in every way and that's especially true with weight loss," says Jackie Raha, manager of group service development for Weight Watchers. "Weight loss isn't neat and tidy. It comes in spurts. Over time it's significant, and you need to establish your own winning goal and focus on that. Don't compare yourself with others."
Remembering that we all lose weight at our own rate provides an opportunity to learn about the beauty of individuality. "In the same way our resting heart rates are different, our blood pressure is different, our height is different, how fast our hair grows is different," says Ronda Gates, author of The Scale Companion (ISBN 1998).
"The most devastating thing we can do when setting a goal for weight loss is to compare our success or progress to others. We are all wonderful individuals, not clones who respond like Pavlov dogs or mice to the same experiment."
Our Bodies, Our Weight Loss
It's also important to remember that it's never the same experiment. Genetics, dieting history, medications, age, activity level, percent of lean body mass, and stress level all play roles in a person's weight loss.
"And we could be talking about someone who is approaching weight loss in an unhealthy manner," says Raha. Or, someone who just started. Raha points out that in the first few weeks, losses typically are greater because of lost water-weight.
The important thing to remember is that the overall average should be somewhere between one-half to two pounds a week. On those half-pound-loss weeks, keep in mind that's the equivalent of two sticks of butter. (Having two fewer sticks of butter to squeeze into a skirt is a pretty wonderful thing.)
"Another thing we say in meetings is to envision yourself a year from today in the clothes you want to wear, on the beach, walking around the neighborhood," says Raha. "A pound a week in a year is 52 pounds. That's impressive."
~~~
Measure Your Success
Tracking your weight loss on the scale is great - it helps to hold a piece of paper that shows how far you've come. But don't limit yourself! There are other ways to measure your success, ways that'll set your motivation in motion and keep your efforts on track. Pay attention to some of the more tangible changes in the new you, such as how you:
Feel better about yourself. Notice that spring in your step, that excitement at the beginning of a new day. Your confidence is soaring because you're well on your way to a healthier new you, and you can feel it.
Measure up ' with a tape measure. 'Some forms of exercise stimulate a small increase in muscle mass, which may show as weight gain on the scales,' says McArdle. 'However, because muscle occupies less space than fat, your circumference becomes smaller when your fitness increases.' Monitor these changes by taking your measurement, or by trying on the same pair of now-too-big pants and seeing how they look and feel different.
Buy a smaller size! It's the classic milestone: You head to the mall to buy a new pair of jeans (because that belt just isn't cutting it any more), and you see that you've slimmed down your clothing size. Congrats!
Know when to say 'no, thanks.' Your discipline is marked and you're proud of it. You carefully track your POINTS® and know when your body's telling you that you're full.
Recognize your triggers. Hormonal swings. A major deadline at the office. You know what sends you into splurge mode, and you keep low-cal snacks at hand to circumvent those high-risk periods. You also use the Weight Watchers ,Tools of Living to prevent your need to eat trigger food in the first place.
Order like a pro. You order your fish grilled, not deep-fried; tomato sauces, not creamy ones. You ask for salad dressings on the side and vegetables as appetizers. You even share that rich dessert with a friend: Your dinner choices indicate a healthy POINT IQ.
And cook like a pro. Your lasagna is made with part-skim ricotta cheese and veggies, not meat, and your cream of mushroom soup with low-fat milk, not cream. Tasty and good for your waistline.
Then, you enjoy your meals. You've invested in some pretty placemats and bought some candles. You turn off the TV, turn up the relaxing music and truly enjoy your food.
Choose food-free rewards when you reach weight loss milestones, such as a facial or a candlelit bath instead of a packet of potato chips.
Exercise without exhaustion! For example, you walk up the stairs without feeling out of breath and run for the bus with ease. 'This is because weight loss reduces the cost of exercise on the body (you have less mass to lug around!),' says McArdle.
Accept compliments gracefully (and we know they're coming in full force). After all, you deserve them. You've worked hard and your efforts are paying off.
Slow and Steady = Success!
Reaching goal weight and staying there is all about realistic, achievable goals. This means:
Setting out to initially lose 10 percent of your body weight. Then, once you reach that goal weight, you can focus on the bigger picture.
Breaking your weight loss up so you can enjoy smaller triumphs earlier. It will improve your self-esteem and help keep you motivated. Now that is a sign of success!
~~~
18 Ways to Reward Yourself
When you were a kid, and you did something well, every now and then you got a reward. Motivating, right? Weight loss is no different. Use that same logic to make your weight-loss journey more pleasant — and your goal more attainable. Set mini-goals, then reward yourself when you meet them.
"If you don't celebrate small, everyday lifestyle changes," says Karen Miller-Kovach, chief scientist at Weight Watchers International, "there will be times when your long-term weight-loss goal seems so far away that you'll despair or be tempted to give up. Having little stops to celebrate along the way makes that journey more pleasant — and your goal more likely to be achieved."
Come up with goals that are unique to you and the challenges you face with weight loss. Keep them realistic and varied, and track them closely. For example, you might make these three goals:
I will walk 30 minutes five days this week.
From now on, I will fill in my POINTS® Tracker completely each day (regardless of my food intake).
I will clean up the kitchen tonight without picking the leftovers off the dinner plates.
Then, when you meet one of your mini-milestones, give yourself a reward! Just like your goals, your rewards should be varied and unique to you. And they don't have to put a dent in your wallet (unless you want them to!).
** For under $5, why not …
Sip on a cup of tea in the sun.
Finish the day with a long, candlelit soak in the tub.
Enjoy a leisurely Sunday morning — take the phone off the hook and spend the morning in your pajamas reading a book or devouring a few magazines.
Savor a celebratory glass of wine with dinner.
** For under $10, why not …
Open a "pamper me" bank account: Deposit $10 for every week you've stuck to your weight-loss plan, or for every pound you've lost.
Splurge on a bouquet of flowers just for you.
Take the time to give yourself a full manicure, complete with a new shade of nail polish.
Buy a relaxation tape and use it daily.
Share dessert with your partner at a café, or do a little grocery shopping and make one of the delicious, healthy desserts from the WeightWatchers.com Food & Recipes section.
** For $20 to $45, why not …
Pay your neighbor's teenager to do your food shopping for you. Just make a list, then relax.
String a hammock up in the backyard and spend an afternoon napping in the sun.
Phone your distant friends. Choose a time when the phone company has low rates and you can spend hours catching up.
Enjoy a new haircut or color.
** For over $50, why not …
Devote the entire day to a shopping spree for a new pair of shoes.
Splurge on a bottle of expensive champagne — just because you deserve it.
Rent a sailboat with friends and spend the day soaking up ocean breezes.
Sign up for a membership to your favorite art gallery, or subscribe to a theater company for the next season.
Hire a maid for the day — to cook and clean while you kick back.
~~~
11 Ways to Feel Good Right Now
We all know that sensible weight loss should be a gradual process, but there's nothing wrong with wanting a bit of a boost in the meantime. We've come up with a selection of things you can do right this minute and over the coming week to jump-start those feel-good vibes.
** Right now
De-junk your wardrobe, chucking out anything shapeless, baggy and dowdy – anything that will remind you of the shape you don't want to be. Rifle through your underwear drawer and throw out all that graying, shapeless underwear and bras with the underwire popping out.
Go shopping. You don't have to completely splurge on a new wardrobe – choosing one t-shirt with a great cut that will emphasize your slimming figure will make you feel better instantly.
Alternatively, another on the spot pick-me-up tip is to buy some lovely lingerie. Something that makes you feel sexy and special, not necessarily just something you think your man might like, and start feeling good about yourself from the inside out.
Drink a glass of water and resolve that from this point you are going to drink at least 6-8 glasses a day. Think you'll find it hard? Sneak glasses in to the day – kick-start your morning with a mug of boiled water and a slice of lemon, keep a bottle next to you while you work and take sips from it throughout the day, have a glass of water before each and every meal (you might even feel less hungry too).
** Tonight
Take some time out for yourself. Whether it's insisting you sit down for fifteen minutes to read the latest Harry Potter, meditating, or having a soak in the bath with a good book – you need to chill, and others in your life need to start getting used to the idea too.
Do something active – ten minutes of sit-ups and push-ups, a trip to the pool at the Y with the kids, or a salsa lesson with friends. Commit to doing something that gets you moving.
** All this week
Make sure your plate has more vegetables and salad than anything else – it's healthy and fills you up without filling up your POINTS budget.
Commit to eating at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day – if you have a glass of orange juice at breakfast followed by a slice of toast and a kiwi fruit you're more than a third of the way there.
Pack healthy snacks such as raw peeled and washed carrots, grapes, or a banana – and avoid the lure of sweets and chips.
Build activity into your day – get off the bus or subway early and walk, park the car farther away, use stairs rather than elevator, go out for a walk or a swim on your lunch break.
Find yourself a buddy, whether it's someone on the message boards with whom you can swap tips and moans, or someone to run with. You'll feel less isolated; more motivated and might well make a good friend in the process.
And finally, just feel proud for deciding to lose weight and commit yourself to changing your life. It's a big step – and a huge reason why you should be feeling on top of the world!