Healthy crackers and cold cereals = Leah Power Foods (LPF)

I love pretending that my new Weight Watchers plan is something official. ;-) As something official, it definately needs its own acronyms. The first one is "LPF" for Leah Power Foods. LPFs are foods that I'm incorporating into the Weight Watchers Power Foods list (found here if you are a WW online member).

This week, I added hummus as an official LPF. Next week (starting tomorrow for me), I am adding the second LPF to my plan: healthy crackers and cold cereals.

What qualifies as a healthy cracker or cold cereal? I'll tell you what doesn't: trigger foods.

For me, that automatically disqualifies things like oringial Wheat Thins and original Triscuits. I'll give examples of healthy crackers as I find more.

Last week I tried some delicious spelt cracker flatbreads from Whole Foods that definately qualify!!! They had pronouncable and recognizable ingredients, tatsed delicious, and aren't something that I would be tempted to binge on. Oh, and they were VERY low Point.

Healthy cold cereals: same rule. If I would be tempted to binge on it or if it has way too many unpronouncable and unrecognizable ingredients, it won't make the LPF list. So far, all the Nature Path cereals that I have tried qualify.

I'm subtracting 15 WPA to allow for these LPF. Last week, I was down 5 for hummus. This week I'm down 15 more, so my total WPA remaining will be 29. Gulp. Can I do it? I think that I can handle it! :-)

Tomorrow morning is a WI, and I'm not expecting anything great. I had an OKAY week, not a GREAT one, eating-wise. I'll report back tomorrow morning and let you know how it goes!

I hope that all of you have great weekends!

P.S. Yes, I know that I broke the "day of silence" but I couldn't help myself.

"Leah's Weight Watchers Plan" has begun...

As I mentioned recently, I have been considering making the Weight Watchers plan a better fit for me by changing the program/diet up a bit to suit my needs (and wants!).

This is not something that I recommend to anyone just starting out on Weight Watchers, and I am going into this with my eyes wide open. If it doesn't work, it doesn't work. If I gain weight, I gain weight. And if that happens, I will have to either tweak my tweaks, or go back to Weight Watchers as written.

It just feels like the next step for me, as I get closer to maintenence. I want to make a few tweaks to the Weight Watchers plan that will help to make it better for ME.

Basically, I will be staying on the Simply Filling Technique, but adding some foods to the Power Foods. As I add more foods to the Power Foods (foods that I can eat to satisfaction without counting PointsPlus), I will subtract PointsPlus from my 49 Weekly Allowance Points.

This week, I have added hummus to my Power Foods, and since I rarely eat more than a spoonful a day (usually much less), I have subtracted 5 WPA.

Next week, I'm planning to add one more item, and subtract WPA accordingly. I'm taking this process slow, and seeing what happens. I'm pretty excited to see how it all works out!

Foods that I will be adding to my Power Foods list:

1) hummus

2) healthy, whole foods crackers and cold cereals

3) nuts and natural nut butters

4) avocados

After adding one new item weekly, I will eventually no longer have the 49 WPA, and will be using Activity Points for any foods not on the Power Foods list (which will by then include all of the above foods).

Did I explain it okay? I hope so! I think that tweaking the plan is a good thing for me right now. It didn't work in the past, but I'm pretty sure that was for a few reasons:

1. I wasn't working hard. I was using my "tweaks" as an excuse to be lazy and not really work any program.
2. My tweaks were too vague.
3. I was interested in losing weight, but not committed!

Have you ever changed the program to fit your needs?

What were your results?

Stay tuned for tonight's "Tasty Tuesday" post! ;-)

The Firm Wave, measurements, and a possible modified WW plan for me...

I've decided to finally start taking measurements of my body! I did this at the beginning of my WLJ, and I would love to see how far I've come since then! Unfortunately, I can't remember where I put them, but as soon as I find my original measurements, I will share my results with you. For now, I've decided to "put up or shut up" when it comes to my goal jeans.

Yes, I have raised my goal weight, but I still dream of fitting into those size 10's. Here's a lovely picture of my "goal jeans". They are American Eagle size 10 (and yes I know that is a teeny-bopper store!)



They actually currently go up past my thighs and hips, but are about 4 or 5 inches short of being able to zip up. :-) So, I'm making it a new goal of mine to focus on losing inches, not just pounds!

One way to up my inches lost is to change up my workouts, which is something that I discussed on here recently. I've decided that I really need to add more strength training to my workouts to start seeing maximum results.

And since I get bored with strength easily, I've decided to trick myself by using fun workout DVDs that combine cardio with strength. I dug out my Firm Wave and the DVDs that came with it.

Wow, I forgot what a great workout this is! I did the 40 minutes DVD last night, and this morning I'm feeling the burn in exactly the places that I want to firm up!!! (hips, upper thighs, lower stomach) so I know that adding this workout into my routine will help. Plus, it's 40 minutes long, the exact amount of time that I have to exercise before work. How perfect is that?!

Anyway, I am down .8 for my second week on the Simply Filling Technique. YAY!!!

I have decided to definately follow WW as written until I reach 145, and then to slowly start modifying it to fit my needs and wants.

Here are my thoughts on the "Leah's Modified WW Plan" so far:

• -Stay on the Simply Filling Technique
• -except add the following foods to the Power Foods list: nuts, natural nut butters, avacados, healthy no-sugar-added cold cereals, almond milk
• -Reduce Weekly Points Allowance to 10-15 to make up for my Power Foods additions...
• -Eat all AP if I want/need to

What do you think?

I think that those modifications could keep me ridiculously happy and able to stay on WW (even if not the "real" plan). I'll let you know how it goes, but it's not going to start until I'm maintaining for a bit.