iTrackBites iPhone App for Weight Watchers

Happy Day! In keeping with my earlier post about starting again to track my food intake and activity, I had to figure out how I was going to do that without being signed up for the Weight Watcher's online program.  I do have the books, but that is not very easy.  I lost my little handheld calculator months ago, and I can't use the mobile app since I don't currently have an online membership

So, I did some research in the app store and discovered a great tool if you have an iPhone, iPod or iPad.  It's available in the iTunes Store too so it can be synced to your computer. The iTrackBites app is very similar to the system that is available online at Weight Watchers, plus the convenience of the mobile app. Only $2.99....Here is an online preview of this app:

iTrackBites

I just started using it today, so I'll let you know what I think after a week.  So far, it has worked great! If this works, I may not sign up online in January, but instead track daily using this app! I accumulate recipes using OneNote on my laptop, so I think I'll create a new section in it for saving possible WW recipes...and then add them to this blog once I've adapted them.

Losing weight and saving money? Cha-ching Weight Watchers!


Note: I downloaded this app in a package that included a "bites value" slider and I have no clue what it's for or how to use it....so do a better job than I did and look for just the iTracksBite app by itself.  I paid an extra dollar for that unneeded app!

Happy Holidays? How Do We Watch our Weight with Weight Watchers Right Now?

Well, it's that time of year...The Holidays...Friends, Family, Parties, and a time when all those tempting goodies will be right there in our face.

I've slacked off the past six months and I need to get back on the wagon, but let's face it, this isn't the best time to try to lose weight.  However, it is a good time to remind ourselves of the WW principles and find ways to get back in control if we've lost our way.  So, I've made a plan today that includes the next 6 weeks and after the holidays are over.  Making a plan makes me feel better.  Here's my plan:

Make soups.  I love my Crockpot soups...the potato and broccoli are my favorites.  It's soup season, and I plan to have more soups for my meals.

Look for more recipes in which vegetables are the stars. Sprouts is filled with lots of winter vegetables like winter squash, cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli. And I see yummy recipes all the time on Facebook and I've tried a bunch of them that were very good.  I vow to focus on the ones that primarily use vegetables and adapt them to lower WW points. Likewise, I will look for fruit based recipes that fit the WW model to stave off my craving for sweets during the holidays.

Stock the freezer with low point frozen dinners and WW frozen deserts.  I really need these.  Sometimes I am too lazy to cook for myself. I love most of the Lean Cuisine dinners and they provide WW points on every box, so I'll be stocking up. I'll always make sure I have some kind of frozen WW sweet treat in there too!

Start tracking points again and weighing myself regularly.  I'm going to go easy on myself, but it's time to start tracking again, to get my mind in gear.  I think I'll set my daily point goal at 35-40 a day during this time period, so it will be easy to feel in control. I'm also going to start stepping on those dreaded scales. It's time to click on our brains and have the right attitude!

Enjoy the holiday dinners. Yes, I'll be eating and enjoying! I won't be worrying about WW Points on Thanksgiving Day or for Christmas dinner....if I do I'll feel too deprived.  However, every OTHER day, I will put on my WW thinking cap.  And after the dinners, I'll make everyone else take home high point leftovers!

Sign up for Weight Watchers online again after the holidays. Come January, it will be easy to slip into weight loss mode and hopefully, lose the pounds I've gained. I find using the website helps me stay focused.

I'll be sharing the good ideas I discover over the next 6 weeks, so check back. I hope you'll share your ideas for how to stay a Weight Watcher during this time too!

Happy Holidays everyone.  Enjoy, but keep watching your weight!

Weekly Weigh-in Update: Minimal Weight Loss but Huge Loss in Inches!

I had a celebratory week last week (two birthdays and a graduation) so was a little worried about my weigh-in this past week, even though I stayed within my weekly bonus allotment. (I only had 18 of my weekly bonus points left on Thursday night and that is the most I've used to date).

So, I was elated when I stepped on the scale Friday morning because I hadn't gained weight, but actually lost 3 ounces! I am thrilled to have found a weight loss program that allows me to participate in the special life events that happen around me.  Sure, 3 ounces isn't anything to write home about, but I maintained my weight loss trend this week, without skipping parties or feeling deprived.

Additionally, I updated my measurements this week and discovered that I've lost a total of 21 inches since I took my measurements January 13th! I've lost 1 1/2 inches around my arms, 2 1/2 around my hips, 3 1/2 around my thighs, 4 inches in the bust-line,  and....big drum roll... 5 1/2 inches around my waist! I was amazed at these results.  Now I know why I'm fitting into clothes I never dreamed I would be able to wear again!

I'm into a new week and moving forward feeling positive that I'll reach my goal which is only 15 pounds away! Thanks Weight Watchers!

Weekly Weigh-in Update: AND Computer is Back!

Well I finally got MY computer back and gave back my loaner from Staples.  Before I got the loaner, I learned a lot about what my iPod can do, but I don't want to have to be without it ever again for a month!

Today I weighed in 2 pounds lower than last, a drop I am very excited about for several reasons.

1. I am now at the weight I reached a while back when I lost weight on Mediweightloss Program.  THIS time, I know I won't slip and gain a bunch of weight back like I did after quitting that program!

2. I am now in the NORMAL range on the height/weight charts (albeit on the high end) and only one point off of being considered in the healthy BMI range.  I still have another twenty pounds to go to be in the "ideal" or "healthy" weight range range, so I'm not stopping!

Thank you Weight Watchers!

The Importance of Measuring and Storing When on the Weight Watchers Program

Measure and Store for Portion Control

Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I may earn from qualifying purchases mentioned in this post. 

A key component of the Weight Watchers Program is portion control.  For me, I think this is the most important thing that has kept me on target with my weight loss.  My previous mindless eating, over the kitchen sink, sitting at the computer, or in front of the TV, had a large part in causing my waistline to balloon.

Day One on the Weight Watchers Program, I started figuring out how to eat a "Portion" and stay within my daily and weekly points allowance.  And to my amazement, it wasn't really all that hard!

Measuring

I use my measuring cups and spoons all the time now. I realized in the beginning that I wasn't very good at eyeballing how much 1/2 cup of rice or 2 Tablespoons of grated cheese was. When preparing my meals now I always measure or weigh ingredients.  I use my scale every time to determine how much of a cut of meat to portion off. When snacking, I count out the estimated number of pretzels or chips, etc. that the package reports as one serving.

I like soups and I bought a set of ladles that serve up a specific measured portion of soup, so I always use one of those ladles now. (example here). When adding mashed potatoes or rice to my plate, I scoop with my one-cup measure. When adding olive oil to the pan before cooking, I pour the oil into my measuring spoon first.  If you do this, you'll quickly learn that often you underestimate how much you use, but also, that sometimes you are OVER estimating!  Be as accurate as possible in the beginning until you have a good feel for portions.

Storage

When I make a dish that provides multiple meals (which is often since I am single), I divide up the dish as evenly as possible, serve myself one portion, and then store the remainder in one-serving portions.  My set of Rubbermaid meal prep containers have turned out to be perfect for this task. I love the way the lids snap on!  And they make my next meal a no-brainer for calculating my points! Here’s a link to the ones I now use. 

I guess all this is common-sense, but I was not this logical or disciplined about my food until I started Weight Watchers.  You might find a method for measuring and storing that is different from mine, but the point  is to find a method that you will use consistently.

Weight Watcher friends: Measure it, Store the leftovers, and Smile on your weigh-in day!

Disclosure: As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

If It's Friday, It's Weigh-in Day!

Weight Watchers friends, I weighed in today another pound lighter than last week. Yay! That makes a total of 22 pounds lost since I began Weight Watchers in early January. 

In the beginning, I wasn't too excited about a one pound loss after a week, but the Weight Watchers Program has taught me that patience is a virtue...and that losing weight steadily teaches me new habits that I will most likely have for life. But most importantly, that steady weight loss adds up to a nice difference over a span of time.

To rethink the value of a pound lost, this is a good article to read:

 Losing Weight One Pound at a Time

 

A Pound of Bacon (Image courtesy of ranierzenz/wikimedia commons)

Have you just started a diet plan? If so, you are probably anxious to rid yourself of those extra pounds and start fitting into the clothes at the back of your closet as soon as possible. Not so fast! Losing weight takes commitment, knowledge and patience. Most importantly, it is best to be realistic about how quickly you can get to your goal weight.

So you just stepped on the scale after a week of dieting and it shows you've only lost one pound. Don't be discouraged! Let's review what it took to get to that scale's needle to move one notch, and why it's not such a bag thing!

1. How many calories equal one pound? One pound of lost body fat requires an intake of 3500 calories less than expended per week or 500 per day. To determine how many calories you would need to cut daily to lose that one pound, use Mayo Clinic's calorie calculator to determine your current daily caloric requirement and subtract 500 calories.

2. How long do you need to exercise to lose one pound? Use the Health Status calculator to determine how many minutes are required of a particular activity to lose one pound. You enter your age and weight and will be given a list of answers to choose from. For instance for a 50 year old, weighing 150 pounds, losing one pound would require 353 minutes of bicycling at 12-14 miles per hour, or 440 minutes on the stair machine, or 1,014 minutes of bowling.

3. What does it cost per week to keep that one pound around your middle? Using Caloriecount.com and Safeway.com's websites as resources, 3,500 calories equals 2.3 pounds of Sirloin Steak at $4.99 per pound ($11.48), or 23.3 ounces of Lay's Potato Chips at 75¢ an ounce ($17.48), 34 twelve ounce cans of Coors Lite at $15.99 for an 18 count case ($30.20), or 219 teaspoons of granulated sugar at .005 cents per teaspoon ($1.10)

Continue reading "Losing Weight One Pound at a Time"

What's Your BMI?

Image courtesy of Cohdra/morguefile.com

Most Diets, including Weight Watchers encourages tracking, which I enjoy.  I love the online tools on the Weight Watcher's site that I use faithfully to determine the points values of my food choices, as well as their tracker for logging in my food intake and exercise.  I do wish they had a few other tools: a Body Mass Index or BMI calculator for one.

I consider it important to know what your height/weight relationship means in terms of the amount of fat you are carrying around. Besides not fitting into cute clothes, too much fat equals health problems.

In searching for a BMI calculator, I found a good site that is filled with helpful tools, which includes a BMI calculator and even a Pointsplus calculator tool! In calculating my BMI today, I have a 28.7 BMI, which means I am still overweight (no shock here).  It indicates that for my age and height, my BMI should be between 18.5 and 25.  I am setting a goal of hitting that 25 BMI by the end of the year (which equates to 30 pounds).

What's your BMI? 

Here's the link: BMI calculator