Portion Control

I think one of the most important things you learn on the Weight Watcher's diet is portion control.  Every meal and snack now, I measure before I eat.  I scoop my rice with a measuring cup.  I count out 53 pretzels sticks for a snack.  I've known this is important for a while, but for some reason, I find it easier to put this rule into play on the Weight Watchers plan.

Here's an article I wrote a while back that makes for good reading when you need a reminder, not just about eating healthy, but also about eating a sensible portion. Fellow Weight Watchers, just say NO to supersizing!

"Portion Control - How Much Food is Enough"

Image courtesy of ebru/wikimedia commons

Americans have gotten out-of-control with their eating habits, and lack of portion control is a key contributor to gaining weight.No doubt, food choice contributes to obesity in this country, but just as bad is the mindset that “more is better” when eating out or serving a family dinner.

Does Eating "Supersized" Equal Obesity?
The movie, “Supersize Me” released in 2004, highlighted the insanity and toxicity of fast food eating and the portions involved. In the movie, Morgan Spurlock personally tests the effect of eating fast food for thirty days and gains 24 pounds!

Wholehealtheducation.com’s article, “Stress Causing Americans to Supersize” by Georgianna Donadio, Ph.D, points to this movie as a pop culture example of the issues of everyday gorging on food. She tells us that a study by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, outlined how food portions grew in fast food chains, restaurants and even homes from 1977 to 1996, citing stress as the key motivator. (Continue reading "Portion Control - How Much Food is Enough?)

Where to Start?

Image By CarrieBee (Own work) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

It's hard to know exactly where to start a blog about losing weight, but I guess the answer is with TODAY!

After signing up online for the new Weight Watchers Plus Program, I am now heading into my third month of weight loss. I'd never been on Weight Watchers before, believe it or not. My grown daughter and I joined at the same time, which has made it much more fun and a big help in getting started.

I'm on Facebook a lot.  I'm part of a Facebook group that has been set up for a while that is interested in losing weight and staying fit, so we post our workouts and diets, etc. Back in January, I posted that I'd joined Weight Watchers and since then, I've been posting how many pounds I've lost each week. Eventually, my best friend, Sharon, and her husband joined.  Then my niece, JoAnne, joined.  And just this week my songwriting friend, Deanna, joined too!  I guess my success in losing 16 pounds over the past two months has inspired them to try Weight Watchers out too!

We've been sharing experiences and recipes in our Facebook group, so I'll be sharing any tips I discover now on this blog.  I hope our discoveries and tips help you too!