Weight Watchers Update: Can You Lose Weight While Things are Insane Around You?

For the last two weeks, I’ve haven’t lost weight. Then again, I haven’t gained weight either. While I’m not so happy about this, there were some factors for the past couple of weeks that should be considered. Like Hurricane Sandy, Halloween, and the aftermath.

But I didn’t overeat, had enough access to fresh vegetables and fruit (for 4 of those days) and I didn’t gain weight. But I didn’t get enough activity and frankly, my nerves were a wreck. I’m still pretty much a wreck, with seeing all the things happening to good people. We were only able to get outside 2 out of the 5 days and then the Halloween Candy came! I am grateful to be okay and not have any damage to my area, plus my friends and family are okay (with a few minor exceptions). But this is my question, can you watch your weight when everything is NOT Okay in the world around you? My answer is yes and no, but it depends on what category you fall into.

If you or your family was directly affected by Hurricane Irene or any other disaster: If you lost everything, the last thing you are going to think about is dieting. Most likely you’re worrying about the roof over your head and feeding your children. And that’s the way it should be. So, this post isn’t for you. Your weight loss plan will be there when everything gets back to as normal (or as normal as it can’t be).

If you maybe lost power for a little while or had no power loss: This post is for you. Yes, we had a couple of stressful weeks, but instead of reaching for the cookie dough and bemoaning the state of the world, there’s a lot more you can do.

1) Keep eating healthy: You’ve got access to fresh food, keep your fridge stocked. Roast butternut squash (cube it or cut it into “fries”, toss with a cooking spray, and bake. Roast a spaghetti squash (by roasting, scoop out seeds, add a teaspoon of lower calorie buttery spread, bake for 45 minutes, top with a little parmesan. Cut up apples, grapes, honeydew…etc..

2) Keep active: Since I couldn’t buy gas for a while due to the gas shortage going on, I tried to walk as much as possible. Wearing a pedometer helps me to see how many steps I’m walking and inspire me to walk more. I try to get to “beat” myself and get around 11,000 steps a day. I’ll admit it’s addictive!

3) Give back: Instead of sitting on the couch with a container of ice cream on a Sunday afternoon, volunteer. There are so many people who need help (whether or not you are near an area affected by Hurricane Sandy, there are always places and organizations that need some help).

4) Get the kids involved: No time to go to the gym? Or maybe not enough money for a membership? Take the kids out for a walk. If they’re young, put them in the stroller, but get moving. If you have a gaming system (like the wii), pull out Ubisoft’s Just Dance. Have dance parties in your living room. Get to your local park. Just do something!

5) Stay on Plan: If you are following Weight Watchers, like I am, stay on plan. If you’ve stopped tracking what you eat, restart. The ETools and the Weight Watchers App has been amazing to help me. But attending meetings has been essential also. It’s not about deprivation, just make smarter choices about what’ you’re eating. And, going forward, I expect to be able to post about my losses (weight) in the next couple of weeks.