Kelly the Culinarian: Why I Joined Weight Watchers

Friday, January 4, 2013

Why I Joined Weight Watchers

All right Internet, I have my flame retardant suit on, because I know this could get ugly. I'm well aware that I'm within my healthy weight range and I am not fat. While I've lived in the overweight segment of the BMI calculator in the past, I am happy with myself in many respects. So please, dear readers, don't worry about me, my health or my well-being.

All that said, I signed up for Weight Watchers today. I've been thinking about doing this since before I finished the Fox Valley Marathon because I gained weight during training, like so many runners do. I have yet to lose the weight I gained, plus I picked up a few more during the holidays. My clothes are tight.

I know so many people who have found success and balance with the program. One of my favorite bloggers, Katie from Runs for Cookies, recently reached her goal weight using Weight Watchers, despite not being far away from it. I e-mailed her for her thoughts a few weeks ago and tucked it into my brain's "maybe" file.

Today, I finally bit the bullet because I found a deal online. I figured it was a sign. I love a good bargain, and the three-month membership will cost me $32. I've wasted more money on sillier endeavors.
What ultimately sold me on the program is the idea of being able to eat anything I want, just not everything I want. I don't want to miss out on happy hour at work or cut entire food groups out of my life just for the sake of fitting into my clothes. If I want the cake, I'm going to eat the damn cake. Life is too short.

While losing a few pounds, I hope to gain a better perspective on how to achieve a life of balance. I want to learn how to enjoy the foods I like without going overboard or impacting my athletic performance.

I also want to lose the guilt. With a balanced approach to eating, I want to be able to follow a plan so I can savor my indulgences without agonizing about it.

I have three months with the program. During that time, I intend to learn all I can.  My goals are really simple:

1. Get back to my pre-marathon weight of 127 pounds (I'm currently 132).
2. Learn new recipes to support a new approach to food.
3. Get lean so I can get fast.

I hope you'll join me on my new adventure!

2 comments:

emmers712 said...

I very much relate to what you mentioned about gaining weight during marathon training, putting on a few pounds afterwards, and clothes feeling tight. Good for you for taking the plunge on joining a program that will help you achieve your goals this year!

I have several friends who have been EXTREMELY successful with WW so I am sure that you will be just as happy with the results. That WW deal sounds so great that now I am tempted to go for it, too!

Unknown said...

I think it's great that you're taking an active approach to losing those last few pounds. You gotta do what you gotta do, right? And at least you're doing it in a healthy way!