You say you want a revolution?

I've learned a lot in the past few months.  A lot about weight loss and a lot about myself.  Here are some of those things:


Weight Watchers WORKS (for me)
When I follow the program like it's meant to be followed, with no secret and untracked snacking, I have great results.  It doesn't work for everyone, and it's somewhat difficult at times because it's all about the honor system. 

Water is good
I don't really drink anything else anymore.  And on the weeks when I really hit the water intake (at 120oz or higher each day), I lose the most weight.

Starting to exercise is hard.
I am just not coming to a point where I like to exercise.  "Start" being the operative part of that senetnce.  I don't like it every time I do it, but there are a lot of times, more often than not these days, where I end a workout with, "Hot damn!  That was awesome!"

Gum is my friend.
It seems when I am around food, I have a compulsion to eat it.  So when I'm preparing it (and I truly LOVE to cook), I "taste" things a lot.  My daughter (6) says I'm seeing if it's fit to eat.  And so, I felt (especially since she noticed it) that I needed to curb this behavior.  So I buy gum.  And a lot of it.  The sugar-free kind is a godsend.  I pop a stick of it in my mouth before I cook and I don't have the desire to taste test EVERYthing.  ("Taste test," in this sense, means "eat everything in an out of control manner") 

Sometimes, a "treat" can be fruit or something else healthy
I'm the sort of person who likes to have a treat at night after the kiddos go to bed.  There, I said it.  I like to sit and play a boardgame with my husband or watch some tv and have a treat.  Often times, I opt for a Fiber One bar.  They are seriously incredibly delicious.  I eat it slowly and actually do savor each bite.  I also like apple slices with peanut butter, a cold navel orange or two, or more recently - YOGURT.  I have discovered Weight Watchers brand yogurt and they are 2 points plus and they are INCREDIBLE.  I love the key lime and berry versions so far....but love them so much I've not been able to try the other flavors!  I like to scoop the yogurt out into a small bowl and add a couple of tablespoons of whipped cream.  It seriously tastes like way more points than it is.


My oldest really does pay attention
My beautiful 6 year old daughter said the other day, "Momma, your pants are too big!"  I just replied, "Yes, they do seem a bit bigger."  I have not mentioned much of my journey to her.  I don't want her to be hypersensitive about food.  She knows I'm exercising and eating more healthfully so that I can be healthier.  She came back with, sort of quietly, "Are you getting smaller?"  I told her that I had and she said, "I am proud of you, you have been doing a good job."  Kinda makes it all worthwhile, doesn't it?

My husband is more supportive than I could have hoped for.
My main thing when I started this was that I didn't want to have to eat differently than everyone else.  I didn't want to have to make 4 different meals for everyone each day.  So I've been modifying some recipes.  I've been making the food fit MY lifestyle choice, not the other way around (that's a gem, right there).  And he has been helping me along the way, offering suggestions, support, compliments.  He is amazing, and encourages me to continue on.

I seriously understimated Twitter
I honestly could not get the allure of Twitter.  I thought it was "Facebook Lite."  But over the past few months I have truly made some friends there who have either walked this path before me, are walking with me, or who have just started the journey.  And I care very much for each one of them.

Starting a revolution is scary.  There's a lot of work involved and failure along the way.  But the only way for true change is to be revolutionary about it.  Your very core needs to be shaken up.  And when you TRULY commit (you know when you have really done this), revolution become second nature, and you start to LIVE (and love) THE REVOLUTION!!