Again About the Weight!
April 23rd, 2012 09:16 pmMy weight is up again and higher than ever. I'm not surprised. I'm up to being able to workout again but I haven't been. I'm working on fixing that. I believe my biggest struggle is with behaving around food. I try, really I do, and I'm usually good, but I fail miserably after the sun goes down.
Boring! Okay, okay, I have some exciting stuff this time. Ready???
My son is finally jumping into the ring of battling down his weight. For a couple of years I've been urging, coaxing, begging and [insert every other gimmick a desperate mom resorts to] in order to get him to exercise and eat healthy. I don't know what caused this, I'm guessing it's his EMS/Paramedic classes or maybe his clinical work in the ER, but really, I don't even care! I am the happiest mom on the planet!
A few weeks ago he asked hubby and me to make up a list of things (repairs/maintenance/improvements) that need to be done in and around the house/yard, even if we think he can't do it. Wow, um. okay! Then hubby told me they had a conversation about seeing the doctor about getting on a program to lose weight. So the doctor suggested we sign up for Weight Watchers (WW) Online and come in to see him every month or two for evaluations. He said since this is doctor ordered it'll be tax deductible. Every little bit helps!
So last Sunday hubby and the boy signed up. I did not, figuring I'll reap the benefits of their efforts since I'd be doing all of the shopping and cooking, etc. Well, by the end of the day I was completely stressed out and confused as hell. On Monday, after hubby insisted, I signed up. Meanwhile, the obstinate side of me sought out alternatives and now I'm also signed up at the totally free SparkPeople (SP). I know I signed up at this place some time ago but I guess they purge inactive accounts because I tried retrieving my account with every email I've ever had but none of them hit. Anyhoo!
My plan is to analyze the WW program versus the SP program and decide if the cost of WW is necessary. *giggle* Hmmm, figuring the value factor for the guys is going to be really tough and I'm really tempted to not even bother. Seriously, I know the end result is going to be for them to stick with WW and I'm fine with that. For me though, I've had a week to play with both and I'm not at all impressed with WW.
My biggest problem with WW is the login page. I have my browser set to automatically log me in at both sites. WW shows me the same thing every day. Even today when I moved into week 2, the bottom half of the page still showed the same "Recipe of the Day" and the "Cheat Sheet" that I saw every single day last week. BOOR-ING! On SP there is a "Today's Features" slideshow thingie smack in the middle of the upper portion of the page that cycles through a bunch of new stuff every day.
My second disappointment in WW is the feeling of abandonment. Once I'm logged in there's just nothing on the page to excite me. SP has SparkPoints and Trophies! If WW has anything like that they sure hide it well. I'm guessing the SparkPoints are there for more than just entertainment and motivation and education but right now I'm getting a kick out spinning the wheel.
At this time I'm pretty sure I won't be continuing with the WW membership after my initial 4 months.
After our first week we have each lost some weight. Me: 3, Hubby: 4, Son: 8. We know that's not going to be the norm and it shouldn't be, but it's encouragement, even though WW took away a couple of daily points from each of us.
Boring! Okay, okay, I have some exciting stuff this time. Ready???
My son is finally jumping into the ring of battling down his weight. For a couple of years I've been urging, coaxing, begging and [insert every other gimmick a desperate mom resorts to] in order to get him to exercise and eat healthy. I don't know what caused this, I'm guessing it's his EMS/Paramedic classes or maybe his clinical work in the ER, but really, I don't even care! I am the happiest mom on the planet!
A few weeks ago he asked hubby and me to make up a list of things (repairs/maintenance/improvements) that need to be done in and around the house/yard, even if we think he can't do it. Wow, um. okay! Then hubby told me they had a conversation about seeing the doctor about getting on a program to lose weight. So the doctor suggested we sign up for Weight Watchers (WW) Online and come in to see him every month or two for evaluations. He said since this is doctor ordered it'll be tax deductible. Every little bit helps!
So last Sunday hubby and the boy signed up. I did not, figuring I'll reap the benefits of their efforts since I'd be doing all of the shopping and cooking, etc. Well, by the end of the day I was completely stressed out and confused as hell. On Monday, after hubby insisted, I signed up. Meanwhile, the obstinate side of me sought out alternatives and now I'm also signed up at the totally free SparkPeople (SP). I know I signed up at this place some time ago but I guess they purge inactive accounts because I tried retrieving my account with every email I've ever had but none of them hit. Anyhoo!
My plan is to analyze the WW program versus the SP program and decide if the cost of WW is necessary. *giggle* Hmmm, figuring the value factor for the guys is going to be really tough and I'm really tempted to not even bother. Seriously, I know the end result is going to be for them to stick with WW and I'm fine with that. For me though, I've had a week to play with both and I'm not at all impressed with WW.
My biggest problem with WW is the login page. I have my browser set to automatically log me in at both sites. WW shows me the same thing every day. Even today when I moved into week 2, the bottom half of the page still showed the same "Recipe of the Day" and the "Cheat Sheet" that I saw every single day last week. BOOR-ING! On SP there is a "Today's Features" slideshow thingie smack in the middle of the upper portion of the page that cycles through a bunch of new stuff every day.
My second disappointment in WW is the feeling of abandonment. Once I'm logged in there's just nothing on the page to excite me. SP has SparkPoints and Trophies! If WW has anything like that they sure hide it well. I'm guessing the SparkPoints are there for more than just entertainment and motivation and education but right now I'm getting a kick out spinning the wheel.
At this time I'm pretty sure I won't be continuing with the WW membership after my initial 4 months.
After our first week we have each lost some weight. Me: 3, Hubby: 4, Son: 8. We know that's not going to be the norm and it shouldn't be, but it's encouragement, even though WW took away a couple of daily points from each of us.