Weight watchers Mocktail

Weight Watchers mocktail (red grape & pomegranate cordial & Sicilian lemonade) 0pp.

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Staying for meetings and new food

New Food!

This morning, bleary eyed and embarrassingly dressed in my worst PJs, I answered the door and signed for a package from Weight Watchers.

In the package, was LOADSAFOOD!

You might have noticed recently that Weight Watchers have undergone a bit of a branding revamp on the packaging front, and it all looks quite uniform and blue now - much easier to spot in the aisles.

The package contains lots of new items, along with a few classics.

Weight Watchers Rose Wine (2PP per 125ml glass)
Weight Watchers Sicilian Lemonade (0PP per 250ml serving)
Weight Watchers Salt & Vinegar Crinkle Crisps (2PP per bag)
Weight Watchers Italian Red Grape & Pomegranate Cordial (0PP per 250ml serving- diluted)
Weight Watchers Hot Chocolate Drink (1PP per serving)
Weight Watchers Milk Chocolate Digestive Biscuits (1PP per biscuit)
Weight Watchers Ginger & Lemon Cookies (2PP per 2 cookies
Weight Watchers Individual Carrot Cakes (3PP per cake)
Weight Watchers Nacho Cheese Tortillas (2PP per bag)
Weight Watchers Mini Lemon Cupcake Mix (1PP per mini cupcake)
Weight Watchers Petits Pains (3PP per Petit pain)
Weight Watchers Bagels (4PP per bagel)
Garlic & Coriander Naan Bread (4PP per half naan)

I've tried the rose wine, carrot cakes and bagels before, and none of them tasted like 'diet food', so hopefully the same will be true for the rest. The cupcake mix will come in handy when I want to do some baking but don't want to lose all my weekly points. I'll be interested to see how easy it is to stick to their suggested portion size for each cake though.

I'll keep you updated with how I get on with the rest. I have a feeling the bagels and petits pains will be particular good for lunches


Staying for meetings
Onto meetings now. I've been going back to meetings for the last couple of weeks, and I'm really enjoying them.  So much so that yesterday I ended up turning up an hour early (serves me right for not checking my diary), and ended up helping out with weighing.

Y'know all that stuff they tell us about how people who stay on for the talk after weigh in do better? It's true. So far, the biggest lightbulb moment I've had at a meeting is that I often put other people's eating requirements before my own. For example, if I'm cooking dinner for me and the fiancé, I'll think about what he'll like before thinking about my points. Or if I go out with friends, I'll go in for whatever they want to do because I don't want to be the diet bore that's no fun to socialise with.

So last week I switched that. I'm cooking with points in mind, and Pete then either eats what I'm having, or makes something himself - which he's happy with! It seems to have worked, as I dropped another 1.5lbs and fitted back into a dress I haven't worn for 6 months. It feels like there are less challenges since adopting that approach too.

While those big bombshells are great, sometimes it's the little tips too you pick up from your leader or other members. For example: those pots of Weight Watchers fruit are 0PP...as long as you drain them. Otherwise they're 2PP. Oops!

Do you go to, and stay for, meetings? Has it helped you?

Disclaimer: While Weight Watchers do send me products to test, I do not get paid for this and all opinions are my own. 

Going back to meetings

Last week, my mum and I dragged our (cake-filled) bottoms down to our local WeightWatchers meeting and joined up (again). As much as the online tools are helpful, I really do need the kick up the arse that a weekly weigh in gives me. It's not the first time we've joined meetings, but we usually skip the chats afterwards, so we're trying to stay for them all this time.

It seems to have worked so far this week, and this morning's weigh in showed a loss of 2lbs. Despite a badly judged meal on Friday.

The type of leader seems to make a big difference. Our leader in Bracknell, Vicky, is young and friendly - and sends out mid-week newsletters to give us all a little motivation. That said, in the past I've been to meetings with less-than-friendly leaders, who make you feel like you're going to get yelled at if you put on rather than giving you a bit of a motivating chat.

As May is Move More month, I'm trying to fit more exercise into my routine. I'm going back to freelancing full time from June, and only working in the office on Mondays this month, so it should be a little bit easier. In theory. Here's what I've tried in the last couple of weeks:

• Body Combat: Fun and shouty, lots of kicking and punching. Lots of walking like John Wayne the next day.
• Body Balance: Yoga/Pilates/Lycra-wearing-flawless-people class. Not for me. I prefer classes where it doesn't matter if I look a bit of a prat at the back with my mate. I certainly felt a bit of a prat when I fell over mid-praying mantis (praying mantis? swooning swan? Maybe I should have paid more attention). 
• Lots of walking: Our WW leader gave us a list of little exercises you can fit in throughout your day, so I've been trying to park further and do little walks at lunch. She also pointed out that she lost weight twice, and lost it twice as fast exercising. Sounds obvious, but quite a motivator when there's a wedding dress deadline looming.
• Doing the odd bit of dancing on the XBox 360 Kinnect. I actually do a pretty good job of convincing myself I'm badass...until the photos pop up at the end.  Ah the shame.

I want to do BodyJam next. Move over Beyonce.

Still a way to go, but after BodyPump I did get that feel good feeling which lasted a few days. Maybe there's something in this exercise malarky. I'm looking forward to the sunshine though, for some longer walks. 

Weight Watchers have done a little survey all about laziness in the UK that makes interesting reading, and they've made it into an infographic. 

Can't. Get. Enough. Of. Infographics. 

I've done everything on that list of symptoms of laziness at some point or other. 

They're running a little campaign this month too, where you can sign up for Move More, add a Twibbon to your Twitter pic and be in with a chance of a £100 spa trip. 

Have you got any good suggestions for exercise? I think I can safety say that, despite all the evangelists trying to persuade me, running is not for me. I'll leave that to my super-fit sister (who's doing Mount Kilimanjaro next year. I know, right?)

Also, does anyone have any good suggestions for lunches? Now that I'll be at home more I want to experiment with some new dishes that are filling AND low in points.