Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Poor Woman's Weight Watchers


I used to be skinny.
Like, really skinny.
I had size 2's in my closet skinny.

*sigh*

Then, I found out I was diabetic.
(Hence, why I was really skinny)
Then, found out I was hypothyroid.
And promptly gained a bunch of weight.

I knew I should eat better.
But food was comforting.
I had these diseases that controlled a lot of my body.
But, I could choose the food I ate.
Thank goodness for insulin pumps and carbohydrate sliding scales!
(Dorky diabetes talk...)

So, I let myself eat what I wanted.
I used to be able to with no consequence.
Not anymore.
But, food tasted good.
(And still does)

With Levi I gained 25 lbs.
I was pretty happy with that gain.
Didn't go bonkers while pregnant.

After having him, I easily lost that weight plus an extra 10 lbs.
Bonus.

I went on eating what I pleased.
Then decided I needed to change.

I have now lost an additional 10 lbs.
I've lost 5% of my body fat.

Still have another 10 to my goal.

How'd I do it?
It's what I call the "Poor Woman's Weight Watchers".
Many people I know have had great success with the program.
But our budget is tight, so it wasn't really an option.

Then, I perused the ol App Store on my iPhone.
Bingo.


Enter, the Pts Plus Diary app.
Best $1.99 I've ever spent.

It is a fantastic app.
Basically the entire Weight Watchers program at your finger tips.

You enter your info and it calculates how many points you get per day.
You also get 49 weekly bonuses (which I love!)
You can then look up foods to see how many points it has, scan food items or look at restaurant menus.
It is very thorough and incredibly easy to follow.

I will admit, the first couple of weeks I was hungry.
I definitely used those "unlimited fruits and veggies".
But now, my appetite has definitely shrunk.
And Diet Coke is my new best friend.

I've been on the program for about 5.5 weeks and lost 10 lbs.
No working out.
(Which I will add soon).

Another great resource I have found are healthy, weight watcher food blogs.
My current fave is Skinny Taste.www.skinnytaste.com

Then program is very do-able.
I still eat goodies.
Like tonight?
Ate chocolate cake.
And had the points to do so.

So if anyone is looking for an easy, realistic way to lose some poundage,
I totally suggest this app.
And if you can afford it, go for the real thing.
I just can't. : )

9 comments:

  1. For Android users there is an app called Noom. It is completely free and very helpful. It had personalized tasks every day based on your needs and desired intensity. It also has a meal log with a point system. I love it.

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  2. I just downloaded the android version. Congrats on your success!

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  3. Thanks Rachel! I hope you like the app as much as I have!

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  4. It is perfect timing that you are sharing this. I actually did the reverse and started with exercise (I highly recommend Jillian Michael's 30 day shred!) I wasn't ready to tackle my diet, because like you said, food is a comfort. Measuring and counting calories also overwhelms me- you'd like it wouldn't since we have to count carbs, but it just one more thing to think about before eating. The app seems really easy to use though.

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  5. That's funny you mentioned that Megan..I was planning to start the 30 Day Shred in February! Have you had great results from it?
    And yes....all the counting gets old (carbs, points). But, knew it was something I needed to do. And the app does a lot of the thinking for me : )

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    1. I was very dedicated in November when I first started, not so much through the holidays. Since it's only 30 minutes, it is easier to fit into your normal routine though. I've lost 7 pounds since starting, but the biggest success for me has been my stress and energy levels.

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  6. 30DS ROCKS! But you will hate Jillian at the end. Here's a tip - line up so that when you get to the punches you are punching her in the face. Trust me, you will want to by that point ;)

    And her stupid encouraging words stick in your head and stay there for days. So good. And so annoying. Haha! She's as good as the personal trainer I paid $800 for (what the HECK was I thinking????? That was several years ago, obviously pre-kiddo). Can't beat the $7 from Walmart online for her video. Or free on youTube!!

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  7. Have you thought about an update post for this? Thanks to you, I found this app and just started using it in addition to working out. I'd love to hear more about others success with "poor woman's weight watchers".

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