As expected, I got a gain this morning. Whilst I obviously was a little disappointed, I was also realistic, and besides, I already had a revised strategy planned and waiting in the wings.
There is a quote, often attributed to Albert Einstein, that I really like: "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".
It occurred to me yesterday that that is exactly what I'm currently doing. I try the same eating habits, patterns and behaviours each week and get nowhere. Which would sort of suggest it's time to end the insanity and get a new strategy.
For the last couple of weeks I've made a real effort with my eating and have pulled a lot of the habits and recipes out of the closet that I used in 2009 when I was losing weight. It has certainly stopped the upward spiral, but now I'm stuck in a loop where I lose a bit, gain a bit. So something crucial is clearly still different from that recipe for success.
The one thing I can pinpoint as different is the plan itself. When I started on Weightwatchers in 2009, the plan was a straightforward allowance of points each day - every day the same, no extra flex "allowances". When I lost weight again in 2010, the plan was still the same. Late 2010, they changed it, effectively lowering your daily points (although of course in the new system it looked like more, but food was a higher "cost" of points to counteract that), and giving everybody a lump sum of points on top each week.
I will be clear now - THIS DOES NOT WORK FOR ME. It just doesn't.
Weekends have always been my weak spot, and since I start my tracking week on a Friday, having those unalloyed points just floating is like an invitation to go loopy on the weekend. 49 points sounds like a lot, but really isn't. On top of that, I over-indulge on the weekend and then spend the week on the lowest rations Weightwatchers allows to try and recoup it. And usually failing.
When they initially switched to the new plan, there was an option to allocate your weekly allowance on a daily basis instead. I spent ages looking yesterday, trying to see how you do it, and it looks like that option has now been removed, but even I can do the mental arithmetic required to divide 49 points by 7.
So here's my new tactic - and it's really very simple, but I'm curious to know if it will help - I'm allocating myself a flat 36 points a day, and no weekly flex. I struggle to stick to 29, which is my current allocation, and constantly feel like I'm denying myself stuff to keep to it. By allowing myself more in the week, I'm hoping I'll be more comfortable. On the weekends, I won't have a crazy unallocated allowance which I'll feel I can blow all one go - I'm hoping this will help focus me on just eating my daily plus and activity.
And if this fails, then I don't know where I go next, but I'll give this a bloody good shot first before I worry about that.
Aside from food, I got another hour of good dusty single track in last night on my poor neglected bike. My quads were sore as I left the house, after successive days of fairly intense activity, but by about half way round they were feeling a bit easier and I was flowing a bit better. I've decided that my poor bike needs a bit of TLC though as she's still skipping like a bitch in some gears, and I have a feeling the chain sets are all completely shagged. Boooo. So I'm off the Specialised shop on the way home (conveniently right on my walk home) to see of they can book her in for a look. Because I think I just fell in love with biking again and I want to get out there a bit more.
Brutally hot circuits in the gym in 15 mins, then away during with the club this weekend at Croyde and Saunton - yay!!!!
So back to 12st 4lbs, but maybe all the exercise is paying off as my friend Kate said last night that she thought I was getting smaller everytime she saw me ... toning from all the circuits maybe? Or just a dirty tan??? :-)
- Posted from my iPhone
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