Fat Woman Walking

The author at George Takei's book signing NCTE: November 2019 ________________________ After the holidays, it was time to get serious. My weight was going up – fast. For two years, WW had worked well for me, but then it just stopped working – no matter how much I stuck to the program, my weight just wouldn’t budge. The least deviation from program resulted in weight gain. I was discouraged. To add insult: last summer, while on vacation, I gained 11 pounds in two weeks. Granted, I wasn’t sticking to program very well, but that amount of gain seemed excessive – like 10,000 calories-a-day gain. I knew that couldn’t be right. I was eating nowhere near that number. After vacation, I could not shake that weight. Here and there, I would lose a pound or two, but then I would eat something high calorie and high fat, and the weight would just come back – and then some. I had my thyroid checked – Normal. So I just kind of gave up. Hell. I gave up. Then, the hol...

The author and her husband before Weight Watchers Mother's Day 2016 ____________________________ After months and months at a standstill, WW Freestyle has started working for me again. This is not a random occurrence, for I have made two significant changes: (1) I have re-evaluated how Freestyle can work for me specifically. For example, I have accepted the fact that some zero foods cannot be zero points for me, such as corn. I have gone back to counting it. Also, I am very careful about how much I use as 0-points food. After three small servings of fruit, I now start counting any additional fruits. I weigh all fish, chicken and beef and limit them to 2-3 ounces at lunch and 4-5 ounces at dinner, less if it’s beef, salmon (or any high fat fish), or ham, then it’s no more than 2/4. I count points for additional ounces of fish and chicken (Except steamed shrimp – I will eat up to six ounces without counting points). Like many people prone to gaining weight, I ha...

Built Bars and Quest Bars _______________________ As someone who must constantly monitor weight, I am always looking for tasty products that can help me to lose and maintain a healthy weight. I have discovered two protein Bars that I like: Built Bars and Quest Bars .  Built Bars: Of the two, I prefer Built Bars, which has a better flavor overall and a real dark chocolate coating. Stats: 3 WW points; 110 calories; 15 grams of protein; 4 grams of fat (2.5 saturated); 6 grams of fiber; 4 grams added sugar (just enough to offer satisfaction for my enormous sweet tooth). Pros : a rich flavor, a substantial size, lower calories and overall fat, and the same stats for all flavors across the board. The bar tastes like a candy bar, a definite plus! I feel full after eating a Built Bar (with a salad or fruit). Built Bars can be a meal replacement or a snack. For consumers with nut allergies: no nuts and manufactured in a nut-free facility. Cons : Some consumers may not...