Austin Moms Blog | Worth It Wednesday: Weight Watchers

Some of us aren’t as lucky as others when it comes to bouncing back to pre-baby weight. For a lot of us non-Hollywood types, it can take a few weeks, months and even years. Some of us just don’t have time to lose the baby weight. Or we lack motivation. Or just when we get into a dieting groove is the same time our kids start enjoying delicious treats like goldfish, string cheese and fruit snacks. We can’t just let what they don’t eat go to waste, can we?

Long story short, I had my baby three years ago and I still need to lose 20 pounds. I’ve been a Weight Watchers member on and off for the last ten years. When I’m on it and stick to it rigidly, it really does work. I re-joined Weight Watchers earlier this year because it gives me the accountability I need to make a diet work. Living in food-heaven like Austin really wrecks havoc on my jeans. So I’ve been tracking my Points to get back on-track to reach my goal weight.

How Weight Watchers works is simple: every food is assigned a Points value; you get a certain number of Points per day. Using the Weight Watchers online tools is really convenient, especially with the mobile app at the ready. If a food isn’t in their database, you can usually find something similar. Or you can enter the Protein, Carbs, Fat and Fiber off of the nutrition label to calculate the Points that way. You get seven extra Points a day plus you can earn Points back by exercising.

Since I’m only doing the online program and not attending weekly meetings, I’m more inclined to cheat. Restaurants are the hardest but with a few tips, you can enjoy a meal at an Austin restaurant without busting your extra Points for the week. WeightWatchers.com is a trove of hints and cheat sheets so you can enjoy dining out without all of the guilt.

My most recent experience with Weight Watchers hasn’t been as successful as it has previously. I’m older now so I’m sure my slowing metabolism has a lot to do with it. Plus, March has been somewhat of a boondoggle for me between a trip to my parents’, Spring Break and my sister visiting…I’ve been eating rather decadently. I can’t say I regret that too much.

So is Weight Watchers worth it? If you want to lose weight healthily and still enjoy food, it’s a good investment. It runs about $20 a month plus a sign-up fee. They frequently run specials that waive the sign-up fee; I’ve never actually paid it so I don’t know how much it is. But if you’re serious about committing to losing weight, Weight Watchers is definitely worth it.

 

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