Rah! Rah! Weight Watchers

Okay. Enough already. I think it’s high time the media cut Jessica Simpson some slack. You think we “fat” girls don’t know it? And loathe it? The way I see it, she’s just one of the many young women who let the Official Pregnancy Calorie Allowance go by the wayside. The good news is -- she has a very healthy baby girl who probably slept through the night the first week home from the hospital.

So there’s the silver lining for Ms. Simpson, and I'm here today to send out a huge cheer for her, as she becomes a celebrity spokesblimp for Weight Watchers. Gimme a J, a J, a J-E-S… I’m on her team, which also happens to be MY team, as she finds her inner slenderista alongside me and a cheerleading squad of thousands, using the PointsPlus system. 

Weight Watchers is absolutely THE most sensible way to lose. It’s tried and true. It’s healthy and uses only real food. And once you change your whole approach to food consumption, well, you’re in for a lifetime of feeling good inside and out.

Just ask my dear friend, Kris Bakowski. She took the oath of alligience to WW years ago, and dropped a whole person off her frame. She’s now a Life Member of this Diet Sorority/Fraternity as she's maintained her weight loss for over a decade. We’ve watched with wonder as Jennifer Hudson, also a WW spokesperson, melted away all of her extra bulk…and she now boasts a lovely curvy shape that, even though may be airbrushed for the print media, looks pretty damn good.

As for me, not meaning to brag...wait a minute. Let me take that back. I MEAN to scream with braggadocio that after one month, I’ve dropped 5 big ones! And that includes all of that heavy muscle tissue I’ve been creating in my workouts at my gemofagym, Fitness@Five. I am feeling so much healthier. And my mental state is back where it used to be, after years of idling on empty, while physically living in full inflation mode.

I know Marie Osmond, in her NutriSystem ads, says “no counting points…who has time for that?” But trust me, counting points is as easy as Megpie. You’re given a limit of daily points, which are accumulated by what foods you consume, and if you stay in that range, you WILL lose. Every food has a point count. And as long as you stay within the portion recommended, you will shed unwanted lbs. For me, it can actually be a bit hard to use all of my allotment for the day.

My only caveat is the alcohol. Just can’t give it up totally. It’s my stress easer in the evening. And I really enjoy it. But moderation is the key, and I often swap food points for cocktail points. If I axed it from my life, I’d probably be in a size 6. Not goin’ to happen. I’ll settle for a nice size 10 easily.

Fruits and veggies are ZERO points, so you see why I tend to fill my plate with an olio of freshly chopped, sometimes sautéed, vegetables. Used to have a big sweet tooth. Never had a fruit tooth though. But I’m working on it. And meat has been put on the back burner of my diet stove. And heaven FORBID, I forgot to mention the WATER. My beverage of choice now fills my tummy all day long.

As I skip through my days, I often hum a few bars of “Me and My Water glass…” because, just like a shadow, it’s always there. I used to have a “thing” about public restrooms, but believe me when I say, I’ve explored and located the restrooms at Publix, TJMaxx, Kroger and other places I frequent during the day. Had to get over it big time.

Can’t tell you how much confidence I’ve gained by having the support of so many. Now it's time to share some of it with the likes of Jessica Simpson. At least I didn't have to have my Hungry Gal photos plastered all over the tabloids. Poor Jess. She can take a tip from me, losing weight and getting fit are two winners for sure.

Dear Diary: (Musings from week 9 of the Weight Loss Revolution):

Sluggish week due to the recovery from liposuction on my arms. No Tony-Time at gemofagym. So feeling lazy. Ultra happy with results of the surgery. It feels like removing those ancient, heavy velvet draperies from Grandma’s living room windows and letting the sun shine in through the glass. I can certainly manage to tone up what’s left.  So very positive about that. And when I went for my weekly weigh-in was delighted to receive my 5-pound star! Totally exed weighing at home. Only at the Weight Watcher's center (which by the way is located on the West Side, near Big Lots!)

RESULTS: After four weeks on Weight Watchers, I’ve lost 5 pounds. Dropped 2.6 this week, after gaining 1 last week. Guess that lipo doesn’t suck after all!

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