The Ten Commandments of Weight Watchers

I am your fearless leader                                                           

Thou shalt have no other diet plans before you

Thou shalt not make changes to the plan

Thou shalt not swear when the scale goes up

Remember to keep thy food program appetizing

Thou shalt not kill thy closely related food-pusher

Thou shalt not commit the sin of visiting Jenny Craig

Thou shalt not steal bites without tracking

Thou shalt not bear false witness at the weigh-in desk

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s dessert

A few weeks back we created The Ten Commandments of Weight Watchers. (The above was just a spoof for fun.) 

But this was actually a serious topic and it has been on my mind, so I wanted to share it with you.

We all have to figure out what "commandments" or guidelines are keeping us on the losing or maintenance track. I always say that "Maintenance is exactly what you did to lose weight, plus a few points." That is all there is to it! So, if maintenance is your losing-lifestyle, then you should figure out what rules you are utilizing for success. 

Are you not eating after dinner? Or are you eating one planned snack every night after dinner?

Are you planning your food each morning or the night before? 

Are you tracking?

Have you stopped being a "human garbage disposal" when you clear the table? (Thank Sherry for this contribution.)

Have you stopped eating foods that are not a "ten"? 

Many of my members contributed a list of their "commandments" that were quite enlightening. My daughter-in-law, Kayli, synthesized your contributions and picked out the ones she thought could work for her. Here they are:

I really liked a bunch of these! Especially these ones:

• Remember that I am not the garbage disposal. When clearing the table or doing the dishes, THROW it away.
• Stay busy during the day, allowing NO time for unplanned eating.
• As a "tasting" cook, be mindful that each bite/sip counts.
• Come to grips with the reality that some people can eat/drink anything, any time, without gaining weight. I am not one of them.
• When you are tempted to eat something that is very high on points,  take one bite and decide where it ranks on a scale of 1 to 10.  If it is not a 10... stop at one bite.. Life is too short for mediocre food with high point value. Only a 10 is worth the extra work you have to do to burn off the calories.
• Still hungry? Maybe you're just thirsty
• Don't take seconds. Look at the meal, decide what you want ahead of time. Just because you're still sitting doesn't mean you need to keep eating!
• Do keep frozen purple grapes in the freezer for snacking
• Don't bake things you're likely to eat too much of.
• Do make foods that taste great and keep you happy.

I think members would benefit from taking the time to figure out what tricks, guidelines or commandments are working for them as they work their way down towards goal. Write them down. Refer to them from time to time while losing and while living at maintenance. If you take the time to analyze what works for YOU, you may really beat this bear once and for all.