Tuesday, January 10, 2012

my weight loss tools

in an effort to "pay it forward" i thought it'd be nice to share with you some tips and tricks that i've picked up over the last year or so in my journey with weight watchers. i know there are many of you just starting out and i thought it might be nice to hear some things that helped me in the hopes that they will help you, too!

today i'm gonna share with you some tools that i found extremely helpful and that you're gonna want to have handy.



1. food scale: i remember thinking that food scales were annoying and complicated and just another appliance to clog your countertop. let me tell you- i am singing a different tune these days. i'm kind of obsessed with my food scale. have you ever tried to count out a serving of potato chips? well it ain't easy. enter the food scale. most servings of chips (according to the nutrition facts) is about 1oz or 16 or so chips. it's so much quicker to just weigh them on your food scale instead of trying to find only the perfect chips and count out 16. trust me. i've tried. it's also a great way to get an accurate measurement on meats, cheeses, you name it. food scales are not a huge investment and there's all kinds of options out there.

2. measuring cups & spoons: ok i think i might be hard pressed to find a kitchen in america that doesn't have a set of measuring cups or spoons but how often are they really used? if you're like me i only ever brought them out for baking. not anymore! i use my measuring cups and spoons every single day. it's the best way to know exactly how much you're taking in which is crucial when tracking your food. it will help you learn portion sizes. the first time i measured out a cup of pasta i was shocked. i would have thought a cup would give me a lot more than it did. my idea of portion sizes were way off. a year later and i still measure almost everything. it's just a great way to ensure i stay on track.

3. water bottle: this one might seem a little obvious, but water is so important! some days i do really bad on my water intake and i can usually tell because i'm tired and get headaches. water is a vital key in your weight loss! i find that if i have a water bottle i like it makes drinking water so much easier. i love my camelbak but there's all kinds of great brands out there. also, don't be afraid to put some fruit in your water. some of my favorites to use are lemons, oranges and even strawberries. it adds some sweetness to the water which makes it more enjoyable. one way i ensure i reach my recommended water intake (8 glasses a day) is to keep a water bottle with me on those nights when i'm at home catching up on my dvr. instead of mindlessly eating, i try to mindlessly drink water. haha. it works!

4. measuring tape: one thing that i am so glad i did when i started weight watchers was take my measurements. sure we all really care about the number on the scale but weight loss isn't just about the number on the scale. your body is changing, things are shifting, muscle is taking over where fat used to reside and sometimes the scale just doesn't move. and that's where measurements help. there were many weeks on weight watchers where i didn't lose on the scale but i lost inches in my measurements. i dropped from a size 10 to an 8 over a 2-month period with almost no weight loss. my body was still changing and i was so happy i had those measurements to encourage me that i was still on the right track. in a year i've lost 33.5 inches off my body! 10.5 of those are from my waist. now that is motivation!
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those are just a few things that i've found helpful to have around and that i use on a daily or weekly basis. do you have any tools that you'd like to share? i'd love to hear them!

have a great day,

12 comments:

Kristen said...

hahaha Sue- I had the EXACT same reaction when I measured pasta for the first time. It was like some kind of cruel joke :) This is a great list! I used all except the food scale, maybe I'll try that out!

Thanks lady!

Taylor said...

Thanks for sharing!! I need to invest in a food scale. I drink a ton of water throughout the day and I've been good to measure out portions. But I need to do my measurements and keep track of those as well!!!

Ashley @ Gratitude and Latitude said...

I am so disappointed that I didn't take my measurements when I started WW. Totally wish I did that! But I agree with you completely on the measuring cups and water bottle - love my camelbak!!

Hailey @ Me and My Boys said...

Yay! I'm on the right track! lol. The food scale and measuring cups have become my BFF's. I like the idea of mindlessly drinking water. I was really good about it in college, since I'd drink it throughout a lecture. But now that I'm busy at home, I forget. So great idea. And I also like the measuring tape idea. Good to know, so I don't get discouraged. :) Thanks!

Christina said...

I'm so glad you posted this, I was thinking about you this morning b/c I started WW today. I was going to email you later and thank you for being inspirational.
Thanks!
xo

Ashley said...

I love my camelbak too!

Melissa said...

I have that exact water bottle - i love it! :)

Meg G said...

Hi! Thank you for this post! Have you downloaded the barcode scan app for WW? It's pretty cool.

Evelien said...

This post is so helpfull and encouraging! Thank you so much for writing it haha!
I'm your newest follower as of now :)
Excited to see what you're going to write!! (No pressure hehe)

Unknown said...

when I count out chips, i always pick the biggest ones! sorry, not going to eat the little ones!

LOVE my camelbac! seriosuly, i've had one for 4 years and love it!

thanks for this!

Kishah said...

Love this! Thanks :)

Katie said...

You're so right! I learned how imporant all of these things were when I started Weight Watchers. Now I'm a leader and I still use every one of them regularly. Kudos to you for this post!