Today was my second week back at WW. Last week, I had to force myself out of the bed and down the road to my meeting. After a few weeks of eating all the things all the time, the impending weigh-in doom had me beating myself up. As usual, I found myself wondering why I left it so long to go back. Then I weighed in and lost 2 lbs. Let me tell you, I have no idea how that happened. Looking back, I didn’t track anything, so I’m really not sure how I managed it. I decided it was good karma and accepted the loss with open arms.

This week, even though I had been spurred on by my magic loss, I found it incredibly difficult to track. I think it might have something to do with my scattered routine. I’m never up at the same time or doing the same thing two days in a row and I’m definitely not planning my meals. Very bold, I know. Still, I managed another 2 lbs bringing me down to 15 stone 12, the lightest I have been in about 5 years. Crazy.

With Christmas looming, I’m curious about how I’ll handle the holidays. I’m by no means scared of them, just curious. Getting through the last few weeks has opened my eyes a little. It’s not all doom and gloom when you eat something you shouldn’t; the world won’t end. Just pick yourself up and move on. Before you know it, whatever has happened in your life or on the scales will be in the past and you will be back on track.

Hardly a surprising statement given my propensity towards living a sedentary life. I love to sit, lounge and lie down. They are just so comfortable. Swoon.

Would you believe, I didn’t always hang out in Slothville. Once upon a time, I swam competitively; my past life as I so affectionately refer to it. A large part of me wishes lounging was an acceptable way to spend the day, but I know it’s time to get active again. Extreme lethargy is not the way.

Having mastered the art of sitting over the last 6 years, I’m ready to push myself to a maintainable level of fitness. You know, regularly exercising, being active, not sprawling out on the couch all day. Thankfully, I’m not starting at the beginning. My beginning was last June, once I finished college. In that time, I’ve managed to lose some weight (hurray!), joined the gym and started roller derby.

Now that I’ve fallen head over heels for roller derby I want to be fit and healthy. Before derby, I often debated whether or not it’s important to include exercise in your weight loss routine. I know, ridiculous, right? It was the couch talking. My comfort zone is just so comfortable the thought of exerting myself didn’t seem worth the effort. Now, it’s not just because I want to lose weight, it’s because I’m obsessed with roller derby. I want to be faster and stronger however long it takes.

My biggest problem is making time to exercise. Well, not really. I’m a planner. I plan weeks ahead and always manage to fit exercise on my calendar. Unfortunately, I usually just ignore it. So, here is my pledge:

I will stop ignoring my planned walks and trips to the gym.

I will be more realistic about my planning.

I will motivate myself by reading lovely blogs.

I will start small and be patient with myself.

I will weigh in every week, regardless.

For totes, promise.

Sara x

Thank you to our Derby Mam, Simo Naif, for the lovely photo of Hannah and I. x

Yesterday morning, I woke excitedly, ready to face my weigh-in. After all, if Simba had the courage to return to Pride Rock, challenge Scar and take his place as rightful King, I can stand on some scales. A farcical though, I know, but I have to get my kicks.

Following on from my tracking post last week, I expected to wave good-bye to a pound, at least, after scribbling down everything I ate. I tracked licking yoghurt off a spoon. Alas, it was not to be; I stayed the same.

Staying the same is the Marmite of Weight Watchers. You see, devoting yourself to something, like tracking, for however long, is not something WW members do lightly. You are looking for the reward at the end of the week. Why else would we recognise the merit in tracking if not to reap the rewards?

I’ve watched people strop of the scales at weigh-ins, devastated their hard work has come up short. Others, like myself, say phew. Even though I tracked like a divil, I didn’t put weight on. To me that is success. If I wasn’t going to Weight Watchers, I’d never know if I was losing, maintaining or gaining. Really, when I think about it, people class weeks when they don’t lose as bad weeks. Last week, I heard a woman at my meeting refer to her half-pound loss as a ‘waste of a weeks work”.

Respect the half pound! Respect staying the same!

There are 14 half pounds in a silver seven, 28 in a stone and they inch you closer to goal. 

When I re-joined Weight Watchers for the 400th time this summer I vowed I would never be over 18 stone again. I’m happy staying the same because I’m as close to my goal as I was last week. So what if I didn’t lose anything, I haven’t taken any steps backwards.

This week, I’ll be making an effort to better last week’s tracking. Even if it takes me weeks of staying the same and half pounds, I know it’s the right way to do it.

(If you think Simba might inspire you, The Lion King is showing in cinemas for another week. Joy!)

Ahem. For the last 14 weeks, I’ve been going to WW with my gold-member, Mam. In fact, my meeting is full of gold members, which really shows you how much of a life change Weight Watchers is. You’re not ‘fixed’ because you made it to goal. Of course, you can relax a little on maintenance, but you joined WW for a reason; bad habits. If you switch off once you hit goal, those bad habits will weed their way back in to your life and you’ll end up where you started. Who wants that?

Today’s meeting concentrated on tracking; my nemesis.

I am a self-confessed list enthusiast. I can’t make it through a day without making some kind of list. Lists stop my brain from melting and my life falling apart. So logic would suggest tracking should be my favourite part of WW. Unfortunately not. Why can’t I apply my love of lists to tracking? Maybe I haven’t found my groove yet or I’m still fighting the process. I’m challenging myself to track everything that passes my lips for the next week. The WW Ireland site (which has been given a snazzy new makeover) has an article about tracking conveniently placed under the “In Class This Week” heading. Hopefully, it’s updated each week.

We all know tracking works, so I’m hoping when I weigh-in next week I’ll be laughing, a little lighter, all the way home.

Plan: 

Like the article suggests, I’m going to redo an old week so it’s easy to calculate the points.

I’m not leaving the house without my tracker or calculator.

If you have any tracking tips, throw them my way!

Sara x

How are you? I’m feeling a little stiff but excellent, thank you.

You see, I’m on that mid-twenties health buzz and signed up for roller derby. It has exceeded all my expectations (it’s amazing x 100000) and is cementing itself as a full on, take over your life, obsession. Yesterday, my arse met the ground more than a few times and while I’m feeling sore in some strange places, I’ve never felt more energised. I also can’t stop talking about roller derby, so prepare yourself.

Every week, once Thursday arrives, my derby senses start tingling in anticipation of Sunday training. I’m suddenly overcome with the desire to spend every minute in the gym and eat the opposite of chinese. Enthusiasm can’t be a bad thing.

So, in the spirit of all things gung-ho, join me as I figure out how to be a healthy lady, who eats well, moves a lot and fits in to lovely clothes.