Top 10 Weight Watchers Tips

Greetings to all the Weight Watchers readers out there. First off, let me say Weight Watchers Works!!!

I've been following several blogger that are on WW for the first time, and I just want to say "Hooray!" You may not know it, but I was on WW too by way of osmosis. You see m'Lady started it over a year ago and I decided to go along for the ride. I lost about 10 pounds, which made my Dockers fit quite nicely thank you. She on the other hand, lost 30+ pounds and has kept it off ever since.

Not that it isn't a struggle for her. But WW works, and I hope you all stick with it. If you are on WW and have a blog journaling about your progress, post a link. I'm good at giving encouragement!

PromoGuy's Top 10 Weight Watchers Tips

Tip #1: "I'm a rebel, Dottie..."

If you don't know what movie that is from I forgive you. But it relates slightly to the link I wanted to give you.

Dottie's Weight Loss Zone

DWLZ has a HUGE list of points for almost every restaurant and fast food joint out there. You will be impressed and amazed. Bookmark this one!

Tip #2: Board Now

There is no better source of recipes and snack food suggestions than the message boards found at WeightWatchers.com. Be sure to read them several times a week, if not every day.

Tip #3: Booty Call

OK, let's all agree that there is no snack food with a worse name than "Pirate's Booty." I don't know the actual points, they are not as low as they used to be, but still make for a good snack. Moderation is the key here. They are so light and tasty that you may go through a whole bag before you know it. You may have to hunt around for them in the grocery stores, sometimes they are in the Health Food section. Or you can order them online from the manufacturer or at Trader Joe's. If you don't have a Trader Joe's locally you can order from them online as well. Go on, get yourself some Booty!

Tip #4: Have a Cow, Man

If you are on WW and have not heard of Skinny Cows then you have just found your Nirvana - thank me later! Skinny Cows were the original low point ice-cream sandwich snack. Most of them are only 2 points! Imagine yummy ice cream sandwiched between two large chocolate cookies! They have lots of flavors, like chocolate, vanilla, mint, peanut butter and more! Skinny Cows were so popular that WW has made their own version of the ice cream snack, as has Healthy Choice. I've only tried the Skinny Cow brand, and they taste great.

Tip #5: What can Brown do for you?

Umm, Chocolate. Is there really any point in a diet if you can't have chocolate? I didn't think so. To get your fix, you might want to consider the No Pudge Brownies. I've heard good things about them, and you can find out more on their site. FatFreeFoods has these wonderful ZERO point Chocolate Truffles. You can also order lots of other great WW low point foods there.

Tip #6: Journals get to the point.

If nothing else, don't let yourself slack off on the journaling. It is essential to keep yourself in check. At least through your first year. Jot down those points, even on "bad" days. If you have no boundaries, how do you know when to stop? If you fall off the wagon, get back on. The program works if you work with the program. If you get off track, don't let yourself be discouraged. You are not a failure if you are trying.

Bonus Tip: Work it

Exercise is important, but not essential. I did no exercise at all, and still lost weight. But if you walk, do aerobics or something, you will lose even faster. Plus you just feel better, and it is a great excuse to get out of the house!

Tip #7: Out you go

Don't be afraid to eat out. Go to Red Lobster! Go to Olive Garden. Just because you are on WW doesn't mean you can't live a little. Sure you may have to bank points to go there, but it is worth it. Try not to think of WW as a diet. Remember Richard Simmons used to say: The first three letters in diet are DIE - Never say Diet!" WW isn't a diet really, it is more like a way of life. Yeah, it isn't the happiest thought to think you will be eating this way forever, but after a while, it becomes second nature. Besides, once you start seeing the results, you really won't want to go back to the old way of eating. Well ok, you might, but why toss away such hard work? Go on, eat out. Live a little! Just remember to bank the points and to get back on track tomorrow.

Tip #7: Another Side of You

Get used to this phrase "on the side." If you go out and order a salad, ask for the dressing on the side. If you get a baked potato, get the all the toppings on the side (especially the butter). That way YOU control the portions. Too much of a good thing can be bad.

Tip #8: Fancy meeting you here

If at all possible, attend local WW meetings. I know WW has a great web-based program, but nothing can replace the camaraderie of meeting with like-minded people. Then there is the sometimes dreaded, but more often enjoyed "weigh-in." The leaders usually have great recipe ideas and there are always great success stories to inspire you.

Tip #9: Let him eat cake

When m'Lady went on WW, I was 100% supportive. I didn't push her into it, she did it because she was ready and felt it was time. When it came to fixing special foods and buying lower point items, I was all for it. I even suggested we rid the pantry of "tempting" bad foods and we did. But I know many men/husbands are not so supportive at first. They don't want to eat better and lighter. And they may even oppose you and discourage you because they feel threatened by change. Don't worry about it. You just let them eat what they want, and buy your WW foods too. But when it comes to meals, I'd suggest you sneak in a few WW recipes here and there, just don't tell him they are. I speak from experience, WW recipes are great and in most cases we never know the difference (and we could stand to eat a little better and get rid of that spare tire). Sooner or later the fella will see the results and his support will soon follow.

Bonus Tip: Water you waiting for?

Drink your water! Yeah, I know it isn't as tasty as a Diet Coke, but it is better for you. You will have to force yourself at first, but in time, your body will crave it and it will become easier. I've found that it works best for me to keep a water bottle at my desk (in my case, a MegaMug formerly used for coffee). I drink it down and then go fill it up again. Yes, I have to dash to the bathroom more often than I used to, but once you drink the water you should be drinking, there is a difference you can see. Clear = good! You can still have your soda and coffee, but work the water in somehow.

Tip #10: You are Beautiful

No matter what they say. Regardless of the weight you have to loose, you are still a wonderful and unique person. If you want to loose the weight do so because you want to and you are ready. You can't do it just to please someone else. Remember, you are amazing just as you are. Don't believe me? I think you are. Just read this in case you don't believe me!

I am not an expert on WW, and in fact have never been officially on the program. But I have kept a journal, logged points, changed my diet and lost weight, so I know of what I speak. I hope these suggestions are useful, and if you have any you'd like to add, please leave a comment. This post will be indexed by Google and eventually we will have new WW members looking at this entry. So be sure to post a link to your site and your progress to encourage others.

Hope this has helped, and the best of luck to everyone on WW.

Update: FYI, I am no longer trying to lose weight. I gathered these tips in my mind over the year or so I was losing. For now, I've found the "sweet spot" and have been hanging there for a while. Sure I could stand to lose 5 pounds or so, but it's all good right now.

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Posted by on February 19, 2003 @ February 19, 2003 10:01 AM    
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