My apologies for the pun—and it is intended. I weighed in on Tuesday and lost a half a pound. I’m not complaining either because the WW Freestyle Program is the most challenging I’ve been on.
And trust me, I’ve been on a few Weight Watchers programs.
But first let’s get to the good news. WW keeps your past records and so, I was very surprised to learn I was receiving an award! A Twenty-Five-pound weight loss award.
One small ounce for woman……
…is a giant step in motivation!
Let me backtrack for you.
My highest non-pregnancy weight was 180 pounds. That was back in…oh…1998—when things were getting a little stressful in the marriage. Luckily, I lost quite a few of those pounds on my own and got down to around 160.
This is me. I blew up like a Pufferfish to 180 pounds!
At 160, I joined Weight Watchers with one of my friends, I lost quite a bit of weight but bailed out early in the program.
I would say that my weight continued to teeter between 150 and 175 for quite some time during and after my divorce. I like to stress-eat!
The REAL funny thing about this is that I HAVE done exactly this with the chocolate syrup. Stress eating does that!
And when I met Bonaparte, I was weighing in at around 176 pounds. I am quite the fortunate woman because the Frenchman likes a well-rounded woman. My guess is he was way too used to skinny Frenchwoman who smoked rather than eat.
Anyway, I really wanted to lose weight. So, I rejoined Weight Watchers 1t 175 pounds. And I lost twenty pounds to bring me down to the high goal of 155. Are you following me?
That’s when I earned my Lifetime Status. And I stopped going to meetings and I lost more weight on my own, but then I went through a company closure, was home and unemployed and food was my comfort. My weight climbed to 165. Still not my high weight but I wasn’t feeling good about myself.
I decided to join Weight Watchers online. I went down to about 143. Then my weight crept up again to about 167. I joined Weight Watchers again. I believe this was when I wrote about my first weight loss journey on the blog.
Suffice it to say my weight went back down to the low 140’s and that’s where I feel my best. But I gained a few pounds and wanted to lose what was gained and so, I went back to Weight Watchers. This was when the Weight Watchers Freestyle program was introduced. I was also a few pounds above my low goal of 155. Therefore, I had to pay each week until I reached my low goal of 155. At this point, I had my Lifetime Membership card so it was all good. Within a month I reached that point but I’ll tell you, I couldn’t stand the Freestyle program.
True dat. I HATED Freestyle. It’s still a challenge but I’m beginning to understand it much better!
I loved points. I loved Smart Points. I love structure and rules and boundaries. And it just seemed there were no rules or structure with the Freestyle.
So, I bailed after reaching my low goal and with some determination, I lost another ten pounds.
At 140 I felt great and looked very good. And then with the wedding of my daughter, there was some stress eating until I gained a total of 15 pounds. Now, these 15 pounds brought me to my low goal of 155 but I still felt like shit. Especially after realizing that 15 pounds was distributed mostly in my belly with some overflow to the thighs and my face.
Oh momma! This is how I stress-ate before Oona’s wedding. Like for seven months before her wedding!
That’s where I am today. Presently, I’m now 150 with ten pounds to go.
But since I always bailed on Weight Watchers, WW saved my information.
…and bye Weight Watchers. But HELLO WW!!
And that’s where the award came in. Simply because the weight loss from the past three weeks equaled a five-pound loss, allowing me to receive an award for a 25-pound loss.
The Prodigal Daughter returned and was rewarded. And you have no idea how great it felt and the motivation it gave me. It wasn’t the half-pound loss I was focusing on. It was the fact that I lost 25 pounds in forever!
It’s funny because with a five-pound loss, my clothing is beginning to feel more comfortable.
The pants are fitting better in the gut!
These ten pounds I need to lose now will come off very slowly. Like the tortoise rather than the hare.
I’ll be like the tortoise but depending on how many points the hare is, I may cook him!
I’m not starving myself. Bonaparte takes his Saturday evening dinners very seriously and we eat the French way. A lot of courses. However, I’m passing on desserts!
This past Saturday I cooked Chicken with a Middle Eastern/Persian/Moroccan flair and it was delicious. My portion was smaller and I made sure that I started out with a Fatoush—Greek salad.
Fatoush. It’s not a zero-point dish because of the oil, olives and feta but I don’t care. I ate a sensible portion!
The Roast Chicken Thighs I made for Saturday night are called Mussakhan
Rubbed with Sumac and oil and spices and a touch of preserved lemon and toasted pine nuts! It was so good!
And I was very proud of myself today because it was “Snack Day” at the office.
Did I mention I’m on the committee who plans these events?
I opted for the apples. And let me tell you, I was so stinking proud of myself..
And it was crunchy. And Sweet. And I ate it all at Zero Points!
And now that the Fall is in full-swing, I’m dressing for it. There are a couple of items that are still a bit too tight but for the most part, the clothing still fits.
Here are some looks from this past week!
My winter dresses and skirts are still packed away so my transitional autumn pants are what I’m wearing. The blazer is new–J. Crew had a sale and I treated myself to a black Regent blazer!
Dear Lord I feel like a J. Crew ad. My elephant pants were the greatest sale item a couple of years back as was this cashmere sweater. The shoes are almost ten years old!
It looks black but the ensemble is navy! And yes. It’s all J. Crew–LOL!! Do you like my hair? It’s Finn by Estetica Designs!
And today I went with the Equestrian look! Surprise! The blazer is about ten years old and from………Banana Republic!
And for a final word, today my oldest son, Jake, is 36 years old. My God, I’ve been thinking about it all day. Yeah. Of course, I wished him a Happy Birthday—he lives in L.A. But I couldn’t help but make it about me in the sense that I was 28 when he was born and now….I’m not 28 anymore! Time flies by so quickly. I swear I had him just yesterday!!
This guy changed my life and is the reason I became Mom! The best thing that ever happened to me!
What are your thoughts on your grown kids birthdays? Do you feel kind of like I do?
I also want to thank you all for being patient with me for not writing as much as I should. My job has me spent by the end of the day, but I’m trying to write more and so..I thank you all so very much for not bailing on me the way I bailed on Weight Watchers in the past! I love you guys!
Thank you so much! XOXOXOXO
Wowsers – snack day is impressive, (mind you, my gluttonous love will always be for all things savoury – if that was a cheese board I would climb into that photo and just lay me down), but even more impressive is that you held firm. I stress eat, I also eat when I am tired – like this evening I get home at 11pm ish depending on the speed of the bus and then I am too tired to go to bed, so I get the munchies, and right now in my life I am munching – any day I stick to points or whatever I consider a win at the moment and I tell myself those days are starting to join together. You are doing fabulous, and yeah the freestyle is too wibbly-wabbly-wobbly for someone like me – I already have no food morals, that’s why I joined WW (and yeah I refuse to call it anything other than Weight Watchers – Waa-Waa or whatever nonsense it is does nothing for me). As for grown up kids – nothing short of bewildering to have 2 or the 3 grown and adulting, mindblowing.
Hey Juliet! I’m with you! I will still refer to “WW” as Weight Watchers and I’m hungry right now as I write this. I’m preparing Sweetbreads for tomorrow night’s dinner. I”ve been pretty good but the fact is–I love to eat! But the even better thing is that I’m gorging on lower-point foods. I swear to you that sugar is totally bothering me now. Sweets aren’t doing it for me!!!! OXOXOXOXO
Catherine, I love your honest reflections on life and on yourself. I struggle to not gain any more weight, but am at the highest I have been and like you, I feel so much better when I weigh less. I would love to get to 150 and right now am at 171. I’ve thought about weight watchers, but funds are limited so I have tried to do it myself. I just have the hardest time getting motivated. Thanks for sharing your journey. – Amy
https://stylingrannymama.com/
Hi Ames! I hear you completely. Even with limited funds, you can do this. It’s difficult but can be done. First off, cut out the sweets. Shoot me a message on Insta and I’ll send you the list of zero point foods! We can do this together! XOXOXOXO
I LOVE your persistence. Thanks for sharing your journey with us. Your doing great!!!
You look amazing! It’s so sad what we mentally do to ourselves. I don’t think you need to lose an inch. As long as you eat healthy and get a little cardio you’re good to go. When I was in 6th grade I was in a car full of skinny young girls. They told me I was fat and not worthy of friendship. From that day forward I hid in the bushes so I would miss the bus and not have to go to school. Unfortunately, my grandmother would drive me there. Eventually my teacher got into the action and ridiculed me as well. I cried a lot and bought a book on nutrition. It was my bible and it taught me how to eat healthy in moderation. Since junior high I’ve maintain healthy eating habits and also light cardio workouts which have helped to keep me fit. Yes, I’m short with bad legs (oh if I only had yours), but who cares I’m happy and healthy. I’ve followed your blog for quite a while now and I see a beautiful woman who enjoys life and good food. I think our moto should be embrace yourself for who you are and wear flattering clothing! I’m not sure this makes sense, but what I’m trying to say is as long as your weight is in healthy range it should be ok. We don’t need to be model thin to be beautiful. And you are by the way. Take care.
Hey Cathe. I wish we could sit down and share a dinner together. Your comment really hit home. We are one and the same! Trust me I know what it’s like to have even boys tell me how ugly I am. And that doesn’t go away. Not then. Not now. Not ever! And I thank you for your encouraging and complimentary words! I’m just tryin’ to lose that weight that veers over to unhealthy. But the important thing is–we need to be happy with ourselves first! You are the best! XOXOXOXO
Would never bail on you!! You look mahvelous!! ( I am sure you know who I am referencing, Jake would know😉) Even five pounds makes a difference doesn’t it? I am ten pounds down but I fast and weight drops off differently and we experience something called ‘body recomposition’ which means you can drop a few pant sizes within a relatively small weight loss of ten pounds. I look at my legs and think ” Who they belong too?” Or that thing that kept following me around ( my butt) is shrinking. My colleague and I fast and the other day I was following her and said “Oh you lost something!” What?” “Where is your ass???” She is looking mahvelous too. Too many women think that weight loss is impossible in their sixties. It’s not easy but it can be done.
YO! Momcat! The whole concept of intermentent fasting fascinates me in the best way. Is that what you are doing? My only “thing” is that I would be afraid I would go crazy at the end of the fast. But you’re right. Weight loss CAN be done iin the ’60’s. Ain’t easy but it takes patience. That’s the key! Ugh. I wish I had a side of beef right now! LOL! XOXOXOX
Congratulations on the weight loss! It has taken all summer for me to lose 9-10ish pounds (my goal). At age 62 the weight loss is soooo slow. Anyhoo, my clothes fit well, again…I’m very happy! BTW, I bought a J.Crew/factory Teddie sweater (2nd one) today and I have that plaid blouse that you’re sporting in the photo. See the service that you do for us…if I hadn’t come across your blog I’d have neither of those Items and I love them!! Thanks Bunches!!! Yep, my oldest son turns 31 tomorrow can’t believe how time flies, yikes!! He happens to be around and we plan to celebrate with dinner in Berkeley tomorrow…hope the electricity stays on…(thanks PG&E) well that’s another story!!!
Cheers to a great weekend!!
Happy Birthday to your son Renee! Oh shit. It’s so true that the weight loss goes slower as we age. I can remember in the age of cigs and Tab the weight would come off in three days! Now it’s three months! I’m thrilled you “discovered” the Teddie sweater! Isn’t it great????!! Dayum. Our kids are adulting now! Isn’t it strange! XOXOXOXO
Yay for the award! Yay for the half pound loss! I think we all here have come from the same generation…very conscious of weight and body image. I’m short…5 feet 1 inch on a good day! At my dad’s funeral, an aunt commented on my legs. I always knew they were a little thick, but I didn’t think they were that bad. I weighed about 122 pounds. Coming from good German stock, I was, and am, built solidly. I was NOT overweight. But, that one comment led me down a path of yo-yo dieting until I reached my all time high of 191 in 2012. Yep…one overheard vicious comment led me to emotional binge eating because I was fat. My aunt said so. So, I totally get the emotional side of eating. I have joined and quit Weight Watchers even more times than you, Catherine! But, I have never reached my goal weight, and I’m ok with that. I loved the OG WW when you were allowed so many breads, so many dairy, etc. it’s when they start messing around with the program because there always has to be a newer, better version, right? Anyway, in 2012, I lost 60 pounds with points. I loved points! I hated points plus, and I hate this new freestyle…because eventually, all the free foods do add up to those old fashioned calories! But, I really digressed, didn’t I? Right now, I’m about 15 pounds away from the weight where I feel good…physically and emotionally. I’ll get there. It’s the staying there that I really struggle with! So, keep up the good choices…that snack table would have had me reeling! I’ll let you in on a secret…I love your blog so much…sometimes, I make myself wait a couple of days after your emails! It’s my virtual cheesecake!
MARSHA! We can do this together!! I hear you! I LOVE points and I personally find Freestyle daunting because I am a rules and boundaries person and Freestyle throws that away. I LOVED the 5-point bread or pasta dinner. I honestly think the issue with Weight Watchers is that they follow trends. The brand needs to stop that and stick to what has always worked and that seems to be points! XXOXOXOXO
Thanks for another entertaining blog!
You are such an inspiration to us all. You truly are beautiful and dress so well. I love reading your blog and following your Instagram page . I look forward to seeing your pretty smile and reading about your day to day happenings. The food always looks great too as does your handsome Frenchman ! Always wondered what height you are , I guess you are quite tall as you look super slim !
Take care and i look forward to seeing you soon on Instagram !
Have a lovely day xx
Hi Jacqueline. First of all, I thank you so much for your very kind and complimenary words. They give me motivation and make me happy! Secondly, I’m not that tall, just a hair under 5 feet six inches. I’m very average! XOXOXOXO
Hi I stumbled across your blog when looking for blogs by women over 50 ( like me) congratulations! it’s hilarious! I have a seriously less funny one at https://oldchookenterprises.com which I have been writing for the last two years. At the moment I feel like I am struggling to find a consistent theme/idea/content to get more followers but yours bounces from topic to topic and seems to be doing ok…so I’ll take heart from that. My idea is similar to yours in that I hope to remove some of the little, old lady stigma from “invisible” post menopausal women. Well done old chook!
❤️
Congratulations. You are doing so well.
Thank you suth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! XXOXOXOXO
I’m struggling with my weight; it’s great to reach your target but so difficult to maintain. They say that photographs add weight, but you always look slim to me. Keep up the good work.
Greedily I would love to have you post more, but understand how busy you are and, sadly, as we get older how much more tired we get – the acceptance of which I am struggling with. Anyway whenever you post it’s always exciting to read. Don’t worry I won’t desert you, nor I’m sure will anyone else.
Susan D
Your speaking to the choir girl! I too struggle with the pudge. Have you heard of Fast 800? I see great results from this fasting and feed regime. I try to stop eating around 6pm and stop all snacking. You get used to not feeding yourself all the time and I feel this helps.
I am So proud of you and know exactly what you mean by stress eating! Keep inspiring those of us still struggling!
You look amazing and you have given me hope.
My eldest daughter is 23 now with a child of her own, a partner and living in their own home and I still struggle to see her as an adult!
My other two still live at home with me and I think I baby them less than their sister. 😂😂😂
Well done on your progress so far 🙂 I’m 15 weeks into my journey and it is slow progress, but progress nonetheless.
Oh Katey. I”ve had a setback due to the stress from my brother’s passing and the Holidays. I’m FINALLY back on track!!!! XXOXOXO
I’m so sorry about your brother & no wonder you had a setback. Glad to hear you’re back on track though – ups & downs are inevitable x x