*Please note that this is in no way professional advice or Weight Watchers affiliated advice, just my own experience*
Q: What was your starting weight and what do you weigh now?
A: For the simple fact that I get asked so much, I will answer this question however I do find it strange when strangers ask me what I weigh! But to each their own. My starting weight was 253. My goal weight, which I maintain within a couple pounds up or down is 148lbs. Total of 105lbs lost.
Q: How tall are you?
A: 5'5"
Q: How long did it take you to lose your weight?
A: It took me one year to lose 90lbs and eight months to lose the last 15!
Q: Have you ever hit a plateau? How did you deal with it?
A: The answer above pretty much answers that but yes I have hit plateaus along the way - several actually. I dealt with them the way by switching what I ate, how I worked out, drank more water, either started or stopped using my Weekly Points Allowance, etc... The last 15lbs were SO hard to get off and the last 3 were damn near impossible. Never once did I think about changing my goal - just kept pushing.
Q: What do you "count"?
A: I have always counted PointsPlus however I have stopped counting things for personal reasons to help me conquer the mental side of this journey. I keep a general eye on points as well as calories and I listen to my body and its needs, which has been working for me.
Q: How did you lose your weight?
A: Through following the Weight Watchers plan and lots of exercise!
Q: How did you start exercising? And when?
A: I didn't really exercise all that much for the first 3 months or so. Then I started with Zumba for the Wii. Before Zumba, I was one of those people who worked out once a month IF THAT. Once I started with Zumba, I couldn't stop. I woke up early every morning just to do it. I had found something that I truly enjoyed and the workout high afterwards made me feel even better. I also walked a lot and rode bikes. I worked my way up from there to include running, Turbo Fire, Insanity, ChaLEAN Extreme, Body Pump, and whatever else I can get my hands on.
Q: How much water do you drink per day?
A: I aim for 100 or more ounces per day.
Q: What does your typical menu look like for a day?
A: I try not to do anything routinely. I try new things every week and I try to switch things up as much as possible. Sometimes I find something I like and I may eat it several times during a two week period then I won't eat it again for a month. My staples include all types of veggies, fruit, egg whites, beans, toast, oatmeal, peanut butter and a few others but like I said, I am not one of those people who eats egg whites every single day for breakfast.
Q: What kind of workouts do you do now? What does your typical workout routine look like?
A: The answer to this question is the same as the one above. I switch it up!! I get bored very easily so I like to keep things fresh. My favorite workout of all time is Turbo Fire. I have also done bits of pieces of Insanity, which I plan to finish one day! I also do ChaLEAN Extreme, Turbo Kick class, Body Pump, and more. I have some back injuries that bother me on occasion so I do what I can when I can.
Q: How do you stay motivated?
A: Through this blog, facebook, and the people surrounding me all on the same journey as me. We are in this together and I feed off of you guys as much as you feed off of my energy.
Q: Have you ever had an off week? Off month? Gained weight?
A: MORE TIMES THAN I CAN COUNT. It's not about how many times you fall, it's about how many times you get up.
Q: How do you track your activity points for your workout DVD's?
A: Honestly, unless it's something like Turbo Fire, where I just put in "kickboxing", I am known to not track the activity points at all. Since I don't eat them, it doesn't really affect my plan however if you do want to track something and it's not in the suggested activities, you can add it to the calculator but it is based on the duration and the intensity so something that is high intensity for me, may be lower intensity for someone who is more fit than I am. In your pocket guides, I believe it explains how to determine your level of intensity.
Q: Did you gain your weight from being pregnant?
A: I have been heavy all my life. I was 250lbs when I GOT pregnant and over 270 when I gave birth. 3 months after I gave birth, I started the journey and was 253.
Q: Do you eat clean?
A: I started out this year (2012) planning on completely clean eating and after going crazy with it for a while, I wore myself out and I have allowed certain things back into my life however I do try to avoid as much processed food as possible. I am nowhere near perfect with this!
Q: What is your guilty pleasure?
A: PIZZA!
Q: What kinds of things do you keep in your house to have a successful week?
A: Power foods! Things that will keep me full and satisfied - fruits, veggies, grains, beans, etc... but I do always keep a treat on hand - usually a WW snack of some sort or fat free cool whip.
Q: Now that you're a Beachbody coach, how does that mix with Weight Watchers?
A: Everything I do with Beachbody is exactly what I had been doing all along. I am an online coach to people wanting to reach their health and fitness goals. Working as a Beachbody coach gives me a world of opportunity, much more than Weight Watchers.
Q: You don't work for WW, do you still count points?
A: As I mentioned above, I do not stricly count anything. I am still, however, a Weight Watchers member and when I feel that I need to get myself in check, I go back to counting points.
Q: What is a Beachbody coach?
A: A beachbody coach is an online coach helping people to reach their fitness goals through Beachbody program such as P90X, Turbo Fire, and Insanity as well as Shakeology and other nutritional support.
Q: Can I drink Shakeology and follow Weight Watchers at the same time?
A: You can drink anything and follow WW but yes, Shakeology is 3PP per serving.
***Will continue to update with further common questions***
