Re: Too much focus on food?

March 11, 2003

> I started thinking the other day that by being on all these

> groups it puts too much focus on food.

>

I agree, Charlie -- I think balance in all things (food included) is the way

to go. This is the only list that I'm on & I find it plenty. I get the

support I need, it keeps WW in my mind but not too much of a good thing.

One of the things that strikes me is how much emphasis is put on adapting the

program to adher to our old habits -- hear me out. In my WW meetings, many

of the members talk extensively about all the " diet " foods they've tried and

how to eat the most for the points available. While some of this

information has been very helpful, at times it seems that these people want

to modify the program, not the behavior that got them to WW. I am trying to

cut down on all the snacking -- not just substitute low point food -- does

anyone else feel the same way? Or even understand what I'm struggling to

say ;-)

Vicki

Rochester NY

March 11, 2003

Charlie,

I understand how you're feeling completely. I think we reach a

point where we begin to ask, " Is there a life out there?? "

I was on six lists, now I'm on two. As an inveterate 'Net junkie,

I spend a lot of time online every day. Even so, I'm finding

myself less involved with WW sites than I was. 'Real life' keeps

intruding on my WW time! :-)

I don't personally think you're losing anything by being less

invovled in the 'vrtual world.' After all, there doesn't seem to

be much point in getting fit for a new life and then not

participating in it.

What's next? How 'bout hang-gliding? LOL

Best to ya,

Tony Florida

278/226.5/155 (since Jul 26, '02)

NAFC = 220

=============================

Too much focus on food?

> I am on several WW mailing lists. I'm thinking of cutting out

most of them

> and limiting my viewing to perhaps a couple of times a week on

the ones I

> stay with. I started thinking the other day that by being on

all these

> groups it puts too much focus on food. If I attended WW

meetings I would go

> once a week, weigh in and work my program until the next

meeting. I doubt

> that I would talk about or be a part of WW topics on a daily

basis as I do

> now. I find that maybe I just think about food too much. I've

been OP for 9

> months and am pretty close to goal, I fully intend to reach

goal and then

> maintain but I wonder if I should spend this much of my day

thinking and

> talking about WW.

>

> Thoughts?.

>

> Charlie.

>

March 11, 2003

I agree I think you can focus too much on it. But also some of us

have focused too much on food most of our lives that's why we are

fat. So I think it does still in my journey help me to hear tips and

recipes and things that help me change from unhealthy food thoughts

to healthy ones. So I guess it is where you are at in your progress.

:-) Loretta

> I am on several WW mailing lists. I'm thinking of cutting out most

of them

> and limiting my viewing to perhaps a couple of times a week on the

ones I

> stay with. I started thinking the other day that by being on all

these

> groups it puts too much focus on food. If I attended WW meetings I

would go

> once a week, weigh in and work my program until the next meeting. I

doubt

> that I would talk about or be a part of WW topics on a daily basis

as I do

> now. I find that maybe I just think about food too much. I've been

OP for 9

> months and am pretty close to goal, I fully intend to reach goal

and then

> maintain but I wonder if I should spend this much of my day

thinking and

> talking about WW.

>

> Thoughts?.

>

> Charlie.

March 11, 2003

Absolutely! I think it is important to modify your behavior not just

what you eat. Cutting down on snacking has been a big " non scale

victory " for me. I found I was snacking out of boredom or habit more

than actual hunger. I am part of two lists. This one is by far my

favorite. I am part of a Canadian Weight Watchers group but there is

only maybe 5 emails a week. Besides we don't always talk about food here!

vdoyle8@... wrote:

>

> > I started thinking the other day that by being on all these

> > groups it puts too much focus on food.

> >

>

> I agree, Charlie -- I think balance in all things (food included) is

> the way

> to go. This is the only list that I'm on & I find it plenty. I get

> the

> support I need, it keeps WW in my mind but not too much of a good thing.

>

> One of the things that strikes me is how much emphasis is put on

> adapting the

> program to adher to our old habits -- hear me out. In my WW

> meetings, many

> of the members talk extensively about all the " diet " foods they've

> tried and

> how to eat the most for the points available. While some of this

> information has been very helpful, at times it seems that these people

> want

> to modify the program, not the behavior that got them to WW. I am

> trying to

> cut down on all the snacking -- not just substitute low point food --

> does

> anyone else feel the same way? Or even understand what I'm

> struggling to

> say ;-)

>

> Vicki

> Rochester NY

>

March 11, 2003

Charlie

I think the focus on food is just a byproduct of being on WW. I've been

on it for 13 months and I still find that I have a strong focus on food

because I have to be so intentional with what I eat. I don't think it's

necessarily the lists. In fact, the lists help me to focus on others and

on my health as I discuss this program with other people.

To my way of thinking if this " obsession " is helping me to build new

habits then that's okay. I'm looking forward to the day when I wake up

and I'm not thinking of food, points, activity points, and journalling

throughout the day...but if that day never comes, and if I have to be a

little bit obsessed for the rest of my life, it's a fair exchange for

healthy living.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`

Tory Klementsen, MCP A+

Career and Technology Educator

The successful person will do things that the unsuccessful person will

not.

Too much focus on food?

I am on several WW mailing lists. I'm thinking of cutting out most of

them and limiting my viewing to perhaps a couple of times a week on the

ones I stay with. I started thinking the other day that by being on all

these groups it puts too much focus on food. If I attended WW meetings I

would go once a week, weigh in and work my program until the next

meeting. I doubt that I would talk about or be a part of WW topics on a

daily basis as I do now. I find that maybe I just think about food too

much. I've been OP for 9 months and am pretty close to goal, I fully

intend to reach goal and then maintain but I wonder if I should spend

this much of my day thinking and talking about WW.

Thoughts?.

Charlie.

March 11, 2003

Well Vicky, I don't feel the same way and here's why...this of course

applies to me and is a friendly conversation, not a criticism.

I am a snacker. I have always been a snacker. There is nothing

whatsoever inherently wrong with snacking. In fact many dieticians and

doctors suggest 6-8 small meals a day rather than 2-3 large ones to keep

the metabolism revved, the blood sugars level, and intense hunger at

bay. I see nothing whatsoever wrong with trying to fit WW into my

lifestyle because I know that for me, and for many many people, the

easiest way to make a change is to work something into the life I live.

Within the parameters of WW and working with my own desires I have been

able to fashion a program that works very very well for me. So I eat a

skinny cow every night (or most nights). Before WW I would have eaten

Ben and Jerrys and cookies and a giant bowl of cereal...and the list

goes on.

I am also one of those people who wants to get the most bang for my

points. Most high-point items are also high fat, so this is actually a

good thing. If I can find a low point, low fat option to a food I will

choose that, most of the time, over the high point option. To me it's

like a simple budget. I have xx points a day to spend. I can spend them

on foods I enjoy, that are healthy, and taste good and in doing so will

lose or maintain my weight loss, and stay on program. Or I can try to

force myself into eating the way someone else " thinks " I should, feel

hunger at the end of the day, eventually tire of not feeling like I'm

" allowed " to indulge or eat the way I want to eat, and eventually quit.

The former is a lifestyle, the latter is a diet.

Now I am not suggesting to toss out any of the tenets of WW. I work to

get my veggies and fruit in every day, my dairy in (probably the hardest

for me as milk is not my friend), and a multivitamin. I find my diet is

pretty balanced and I am eating what I like and how I like. This is the

first " diet " that stopped being a diet right away because I was able to

say " Okay, guidelines I can work with. Boundaries I can stay within.

Here's how I make it work for me. "

So in *my* case, and of course your mileage may vary, trying to find low

point substitutes was the best option because all I was doing pre-WW was

eating 6-8 small meals a day. It's just that in those small meals (which

may be only one item at a time) I was making high calorie choices and

not limiting my portion sizes.

~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`~`