THE HART SERIES: Tips and Tools To Play Along Yourself (and lose weight)

First Decide How Much You Are SUPPOSED To Weigh

According to Weight Watchers .. I am 6’1″ and at my age – I should weigh 182 pounds. So, according to some formulaic calculation .. I have to lose EXACTLY 100 lbs to be at the optimal suggested weight.

Now Decide On How Much You WANT To Weigh

Keeping in mind that this is a day to day event .. I feel that a reasonable weight for me is in the 230-245 lb range . This will be my goal for 2007. I based this goal on two plateau jumps. I seem to be able to lose a bunch of weigh .. about 25-30 lbs and hover around that point .. That’s what happened last time. I hovered around that point too long, and instead of continuing forth – I continued backwards and gained back what I lost.

You Do Need A Good Digital Food Scale

Listen – just find a local Weight Watcher meeting and pick up one of these type of scales directly from them (or Canadian Tire or other kitchen appliance store) .. but, if you go to Weight Watchers .. I’d also recommend getting a few books too that list points for various types of foods and, from the restaurants.

It’s All About The Points

I will and can eat anything, from pizza to steaks to cereal to anything that I can think of! However .. it’s all about the points, and I am following the Weight Watcher point method. Basically .. this is how it goes – I am allowed daily points, which last time I checked – should be 32 points per day. I am also giving myself 35 weekly splurge points that I can use anytime. Each day, I start with 32 points and deduct the points of what I eat in a notepad .. if I go negative, I just cross off from the weekly splurge points.

The thing to remember is .. sure I can eat a Double Mozza Burger from A&W .. but, that’s 22 points (or, was it a single Mozza burger?) Anyway .. points go fast at times .. and it’s not what I eat .. it’s staying within proportions.

DISCLAIMER: Although it’s true that it’s all about the points .. that’s not entirely correct. You should also be drinking cups of water every day .. eating fruit and vegetables every day .. including oils when you eat every day .. including milk when you eat everyday .. You can’t just eat 32 points worth of toasted bagels with peanut butter and jam on it! I mean .. you CAN .. but, you shouldn’t! You do want to eat healthy, don’t you?

I use those 50 cent notepads, and start each week like this

And this is how I keep Track of my day’s meals

I start the day with 32 points, and then calculate the points from everything I eat and deduct it. If I were to count MORE than 32 points, I would cross off numbers on the first weekly 35-splurge points page. As you can see, today I ended up with 4 points. I will NOT be carrying forward any unused points to the next day. You have to eat. You can’t not eat one day so you can pig out the next.

Keeping Track of the Points

I calculate points as I need it, and after awhile – you get familiar with what you are eating and know the point value to assign. Weight Watchers gives you this tool that calculates points based on the FIBER content, the CALORIES, and the FAT content. There are sites on the web, besides Weight Watchers, that are helping people out and providing their calculation of point values to use. A good site might be: Dotti’s Weight Loss Zone .. search by recipe or restaurant, in USA and Canada .. and you will get most points needed.

I am replicating all inclusions into my own little HART-Point Score Box .. which basically a little recipe card holder with blank 5″ x 3″ recipe cards that I’ve written down the points .. on the Battling-Obesity Recipe Page

Pick a regular interval to weigh yourself

My wife likes to weigh herself weekly on Saturday Mornings .. but, to keep in line with the week starting Monday – and my first weigh in of the year – I will be weighing myself every Monday Morning – before I have any coffee or breakfast or fluids, etc. It’s important to weigh yourself at the same time to be consistent and have something to compare apples with apples.