My New Weight Watchers/Gym Regime

As my son approaches his second birthday I feel it’s time to do something permanent about my “baby weight”. Having been constantly 14 – 20lbs overweight since his birth I have taken the bull by the horns and done two things. (1) Rejoined Weight Watchers (which worked really well after baby number one) and (2) Rejoined the gym.

Both have surprised me considerably. Firstly Weight Watchers has changed a fair bit since five years ago when you could pretty much eat anything as long as you stuck to your points. Now their ProPoints eating plan is all about eating healthy foods that help you to feel fuller for longer. It’s based around the fact that the body can burn up to 25 per cent more energy digesting proteins and fibre-rich foods than it can processing ­sugars and fats with the same calorie value. So basically while a chocolate bar and a steak might have had the same point value in the past, under the new points system a steak would have less points because it actively helps you lose weight.

This is good news for someone like me who needs to stop eating her children’s left overs and missing meals completely. It’s already encouraging me to think ahead, plan meals and not to wait till I am faint with hunger to grab something unhealthy. Plus I am loving some of the new Weight Watcher’s foods. Top of my use-a-lot list are the Weight Watchers Peach and Pear Fruit pots (a perfect snack size for hunger pangs in the park) and the Weight Watchers Original Breakfast Oats (add water and eat – ideal for school run mornings).

As for the gym I’m loving it that so many are no longer charging joining fees, or tying you in for two years. I shopped about and monthly membership ranged from a rip off £65 a month plus joining fee and entry restrictions, to the gym I finally joined that is £35 a month. With this comes no joining fee, a come anytime between 6.30 am – 10.30 pm invite and the chance to give a month’s notice if you want to leave. Okay so it has no juice bar, fluffy towels or flash TVs but it does have all the stuff you need to get fit.

I’ll keep you posted on how I do but until then does anyone have any motivating stories about Weight Watchers or how they got fit? I love to hear them.