FAQ from the WW message boards... edition #1 "only 1 pound?!"

***Warning: This will be a preach-y post.***

I am on the Weight Watchers message boards a lot. Probably too much. And there are a few things that new members ask about that rub me the wrong way.

But I know what being a newbie is like! I was one pretty recently (late May/early June 2009).

This is the first installment of my WW message boards FAQ, with my personal answers!

1) I worked SO HARD this week and lost ONLY ONE POUND!!!

What am I doing wrong???

The only thing that you're doing wrong is placing unrealistic expectations upon yourself (and the scale, and WW). Weight Watchers is designed for a slow, steady approach to weight loss (.5-2 pounds per week).

Remember: Losing 1 pound every week is more than 50 pounds every year! The slower losses are because WW is more than just a diet. As cliche as this sounds, WW really is a lifestyle change!

Eating less, moving more, but nothing drastic. No food groups cut out, no extreme exercise plan, no intense deprivation from ANY FOOD. WW is simply: Everything in moderation.

I know that I could lose really fast (3 or 4 pounds a week!!!) if I stopped eating everything that I love, and spent hours at the gym every day. (And believe me, that is something I've tried in the past, several times, only to regain the weigh PLUS some). With a slower rate of loss, my mind has had the time to catch up with my body.

I am in the healthy weight range after a year and a half on WW. And because it took me this long to get here, I see that in the mirror. I don't still feel like the "fat girl". Every time that I've lost weight quickly, I still felt fat, even when I wasn't.

And let me tell you: I am loving not feeling fat!!! It is great to look down at myself and think: YES! I've not fat anymore! And to KNOW that, not just because of the number on the scale.

Well, I've kind of gone off on a personal tangent here, but that's what blogging is for, right? :-)