Weighty Wednesday -- Food Addiction

Just an weight update. I've been lifetime (again) since mid-June. Every month I have to weigh-in at the first meeting I attend to make certain that I'm still within 2 pounds of my weight goal. Sometimes I face this day with dread and other times, I'm know I'm in a good place.

But I weigh-in weekly, not just once a month, as I've become a big fan of accountability.  This week was the one that counted. The previous week I was 0.2 pounds OVER my allotted +2 pounds, which scared me.

Monday night hubs and I had a beer and an appetizer instead of walking. It was raining and we needed to go to the mall to look for shirts for the kidlet. To kill the rest of the time until her swim practice was over, we went to Twin Peaks. I had a 'man' size (20 ounces) of Dirty Blonde. Hubs and I split some really good quesadillas. Beer makes me retain water, which worried me.

At weigh-in, I was 133 pounds. Only one pound over my goal weight. YAY!

Which brings me to the topic of food addition.

Don't ask me how I managed to get to this topic in a roundabout way, but I did!

We didn't end up fat/overweight/obese because we know how to eat, we eat right kinds of food, and know that a serving is about half of what most restaurants give you.

The equation is simple really. We overate and under exercised.

Everyone has different danger foods and different triggers, but we didn't get fat simply by overeating one meal. It's the steady amount of larger portions and poor food choices that did it.

After losing weight on WW, you know what the magic elixir is--Knowledge. We know portion control, how to eat our healthy guidelines foods and to move more.

Many of us hit our goal weight and go on our merry way only to eventually discover we are in even worse straits than before. As I've mentioned, this is my fourth time on Weight Watchers. In between my WW stints, I tried numerous other 'diets', but I never could succeed.

I had the knowledge, right? So how come it wasn't working?

When you belong to WW, you should attend meetings. I know you can do it all online and many people have success with it. But the support and camaraderie of an in-person group is incredible! Some meetings might fit you better than others. Hop around find one that works you.

The reason I'm stressing the meeting aspect today is because of  the word addiction.

Programs that treat alcohol and drug addiction have meetings, lots and lots of meetings. The attendee will have daily meetings then they will go to a couple times a week and then once a week. And if the addicted one is smart, they realize aren't 'cured'. They are basically in remission. And they attend meetings every week or month for the rest of their lives.

Something could set them off on the downward slope at any time. It doesn't have to be much--having dinner with friends, a moment of weakness, or a location--restaurant or bar.

The key to keeping an addiction in remission requires constant vigilance and accountability.

When I rejoined WW in the Summer of 2011, I decided that when I reached my goal weight I would continue to attend meetings.

And I'm proud to say that I do.

Just because I lost the weight doesn't mean there isn't something new to learn. Every week, I learn something from the meeting whether it's from WW, my leader Julie, or one of the many ladies (and couple of dudes!).

The feeling of belonging is priceless.

Later, Peeps!