I just joined Weight Watchers Online, God help me

I go ahead and get you guys all fired up about my intent to tackle deeper, more meaningful topics, and yet the next post you read is going to be all about fitness. Which I have written about before, ad nauseum, without showing any real progress.

That's about to change.

Last night, I joined Weight Watchers Online and blew a hundred dollars on a three-month membership, basic starting kit, two cookbooks, and a calculatorish Points-tracking thingie.

When I first hopped on the Weight Watchers bandwagon four years ago in Rensselaer, I attended meetings once a week, documented my food and drink intake with a paper and pen, and used a hand-held slider to calculate Points on the fly. Now, in an effort to save some money, I'm doing it all through their Web site, which has this elaborate set-up for tracking points and searching for recipes and participating on message boards, and I feel a little bit like a ninety-year-old woman who's being asked to send an e-mail for the first time. These new-fangled contraptions are hurting my brain.

But this morning I measured out a cup of Cheerios and a half cup of skim milk topped with sliced banana, and when making my lunch last night I learned I've been scarfing about eight servings of raisins in one sitting every day.

Like I said before, I won't continue with Weight Loss Wednesday because it stresses me out too much, but I will report my progress and let you guys know how I'm doing. Just for posterity, I'm going to tell you that my starting weight is 145 pounds, and my first goal is to lose ten percent of my body weight, which equals to 130.5--just half a pound shy of my overall goal weight (for now). And while I'm not attending meetings, May is Health and Fitness Month at work, and today kicks off our version of the Biggest Loser Challenge, so I will weigh in with our HR director and track my progress via our internal wellness blog, which I launched yesterday (am corporate pioneer!). She's also going to take "before" pictures of those willing to digitally capture how out of shape they are, so I'll drop that into this post this afternoon.

Edited to add on 5/6/08: Finally, finally, here is my "Before" picture (pay no mind to the crazy bush head that will surely one day devour us all, it was pre-trim):

Now I am ready to do this. Now is the time.

Any other Weight Watchers devotees? I know all about Emily's success with the online program (which was actually part of my inspiration to join in the first place), and Kelly signed up last week. Anyone else? And on a related note, exactly how many slices make up two ounces of deli-style lunchmeat?

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Footnotes:

Read all about my "dads are not moms" rant and yesterday's car trouble on Parents.

Monday was my blogiversary! Every year I think I'm going to make a big to-do, and every year it passes me by like a fart in the wind (thank you, Shawshank Redemption, for the colorful choice of words). As I refocus on my blog as well as my approach to wellness, the timing of my return couldn't be any more perfect.

Or any less perfect. Really, if I'd been on my game, my subconscious would have known to post on Monday, and then I could be telling you that blogging is so ingrained in my personal core that the good Lord in Heaven inspired me to publish on my big day.

Apparently God isn't much into blogs.

Last but not least, here is a picture of my kid. Luke picked me up from work on Tuesday and dressed her in this super-cute outfit, which about killed my coworkers with adorableness. Can you blame them?

Comments

[Nichole]

I rejoined Weight Watchers on Sunday. It's going well thus far, although I haven't been able to break my Evening Ice Cream habit yet.

[RaeAnn]

I've been on WW online for almost a year. Love it. I would recommend investing in a digital food scale if you don't have one already - you can get them fairly cheap, and mine has become indispensable.

[becky]

There's my BFF!! I really loved seeing you guys this weekend, Frema - Kara is even cuter in person, if that's possible, especially when she's being so nice to me the whole time!! :)

Good luck with WW. My mom had a lot of success with it a few years ago. Once I get settled into my new job and homestead, I was planning on joining myself. I think I'll do the meetings, though... I might need that personal kick in the butt that I wouldn't be able to get from the online version. Congratulations!!!

[Jen L.]

OH, my GOOOOOOOOOOOOOD, look at her tights! She's too cute.

I've been thinking of doing WW online, too. That baby weight ain't falling off by itself...
Good luck!
So good to have you back. :)

[Becca]

Look at how big she is getting!!

I've heard such good things about Weight Watchers. Good luck!

[Molly]

I wish you TONS of luck with WW. I know you can do it! I'll totally be back on the WW bandwagon a few months after Little Miss Zazu makes her appearance.

I love those tights!!

[Operation Pink Herring]

It seems to me like the whole internet is joining WW and loving it. Power to ya'll!

Baby tights are about the cutest thing in the world.

[Must Be Motherhood]

A few years back I had a really sucessful experience using WW online with the CORE program. I for one, with disordered eating in my past, could not bear to basicly count calories and get neurotic about portion sizes. CORE is a great way to eat very healthy foods and not have to worry about all the other crap. I think it's a better life-long plan and I quasi stick to it now. My two cents. But you'll lose weight whatever "plan" you pick if you follow the directions!

[Isabel]

Holy crap...Luke gets points for dressing her so cute. The King struggles with dressing Babboo. I never know what he's going to look like when I pick him up from school everyday.

So, I've been doing WW for about 6 weeks now. I'm down 7 lbs. and liking being back on the program. It helps that a few of us have a WW google group for support.

I don't do any of my WW online (I'm lifetime, so I don't pay to attend real live meetings.) I still use my old slider and do write down my food with a pen and paper! I'm totally old skool!

Good luck! You're gonna rock it.

[Sarah @ Ordinary Days]

The cuteness...it has killed me. :)

[Sadie]

I did WW online, and it really worked for me! I was obsessive about counting my points, because I had a new palm pilot and I thought I was super cool for using it all the time. I don't do it anymore, but I did really learn a lot about portion sizing that I've been able to maintain.

Also, I made a lot of friends on the message boards, especially the one where you find people from your state or city.

[Erika]

I think the calculator thing was a good investment. My mom has one and it has saved her from signing up again on the website after the initial 3 months or 6 months.

[Liana]

Luke has very good taste!! ;)
Also, I wrote a journal entry a while ago about fatherhood being equally as important as motherhood because I get really annoyed when, as you mentioned on the "Parents" site, moms are still seen as the "default" parent. Anyway if you're interested, let me know and I'll send you the link!

[Jen]

I love WW online, their online tool is great. I love the feature where you can enter your own recipes and get the points value- SO useful.

Incidentally, you are at the exact same weight I was when I started, and also have the same goal weight :) I tried for a few months on my own without losing anything. With WW, it only took 3 months for me to lose the 15 pounds. GOOD LUCK! :) :)

[Kelly]

Yay! You're going to do great!

And I must say, that girl of yours is getting cuter by the day. Kudos to Luke for such a good job with the outfit!

[Meg]

I rejoined Weight Watchers online on this past Sunday. My husband and I are having a Biggest Loser type competition (just the two of us). So far, so good!

[Erica]

I started ww online last summer and lost 20 lbs, then in October got discouraged and gained back close to 10 lbs, so I rejoined, and have gotten out of the habit, and now after reading your post I am inspired once again. I won't hold my breath! Also, I can't believe she is already sitting up. She is too stinkin cute!

[Rachel]

I must have been knocked unconscious by the cuteness.

[Ree]

Wait. When did that girl get so big?

Not you, silly. Kara!

[dee]

I joined WW online after I had my first baby and now that my second is 6 weeks old I'm considering joining up again. It definitely worked for me the first time around. As soon as I can rid myself of this crazy hunger that I'm blaming on breastfeeding I'll be ready to get rid of the rest of the baby weight.

[Jamie]

I've been a lurker for quite some time, but I wanted to say that your little one is totally edible! And I am a WW follower, too. I find going to the meetings and heaving my lard butt on a scale is killer motivation. I go to meetings AND have the online tools.... can't go overboard when it comes to the WW. Good luck!!

I'm going to crawl back in my hole now.

[daddy d]

LOve the baby. It sounds like you plan will work. I should follow suit.

[Stacey]

I just can't tell you how delighted I am that you are back - you've got it together better than I do, new Mama. I myself have been inspired by Emily's posts about WW online, and I have been checking into it. I'm still non-committal but looking forward to hearing how it's going for you. And holy crap, at first glance, Kara looked like a three-year-old. She is so precious. The hair! The outfit! Gah!

[Shauna]

HI! I am new here. I have decided to spread my wings a little and stalk around a little more promiscuously! I LOVE your blog! I am not doing the WW thing right now but I did lose 25 lbs on it about 2 years ago. Trying to do the working out thing now - ugh.

[Maggie]

I didn't realize you were back blogging until now! Good luck with Weight Watchers online! I did weight watchers 5 years ago and lost 30 lbs. I actually work in my old meeting. I had a little one in Nov. and so am back on the weight loss wagon. I like the online tools - and for someone as busy as you I think that will work well!