Welcome to Weight Watchers Wednesday!

Welcome to Weight Watchers Wednesday...a new weekly blog series following my husband Andrew's and my journey to discover healthy living, weightloss, and our best selves! Andrew and I have been discussing our weight for quite some time, and trying to work out the best way to achieve our weightloss goals. Weight Watchers is the perfect fit for us, our lifestyle and our family.

Weight Watchers recently announced the findings of their "Just Start" study, which asked 1,000 Australians about their motivations towards weight-loss and lifestyle changes for the next 12 months and uncovered that just under half of us (44%) admit to simply being too lazy to make healthy changes.

Leading a healthy lifestyle is priority...Aussies' top three goals for the next 12 months are to eat better (95%), get fit (93%) and lose weight (74%). Surprisingly, plans to pay off debt (72%), go on overseas holidays (59%) and further careers (55%), rate well below health and wellness ambitions.

As Andrew and I have gotten older (Andrew turned 40 this year, and I'm not far behind him!), it has become more of a priority for us to live a healthy lifestyle. We need to teach our children how to eat healthy, how to be active, and how to live...and we need to lead by example. At the moment, we're not a great example to our kids and I would hate for them to have to battle with their weight like we have. Not only that...Andrew and I want to be around long enough to hold our grandchildren. If that's not a good enough reason to lead a healthy lifestyle, nothing is.

89.9 kilos is the average trigger weight that Aussies decide to take action by joining the Weight Watchers program – a figure that has increased by 4.3 kilos in the last 10 years. New Weight Watchers members now need to lose an average of 23 kilos to reach a healthy BMI – a figure that has increased by 9 kilos (over 64%) in the past decade.

I remember briefly seeing 89.9 on the scales about 6 years ago! I had been on a weight loss program, and successfully lost 40 kg at that time. Andrew had lost so much weight, he looked ill. The program was more about reaching the magic "number", rather than learning about healthy living.

Shortly after, I had my gall bladder removed and started to stack on the weight again...50 kg to be precise. I slipped into a major depression, and my drug of choice to cope was food, and lots of it. I dragged Andrew down too, asking him to buy ice creams and mars bars at ridiculous times of the night. We ate together...whatever I ate, he ate as well. We both surpassed the average "trigger" weight mentioned in the survey a long time ago, and now is the time to do something about it...

Ignore the dodgy mo'...this photo was taken at the end of Movember last year.

Fear of missing out when starting a diet...More than a third of the nation (34%) are concerned about missing out on favourite food treats.

Oh, the dreaded FOMO. I have tried many diets in the past, and I have often felt deprived of my favourite foods, or that feeling that I can't enjoy or participate in social situations and celebrations. That's the beauty of the Weight Watchers program...you can join in. You can enjoy your favourite foods. You just need to be accountable for them and not make them an every day / every meal indulgence. Plan ahead, and make sensible choices. Andrew and I recently enjoyed Chinese takeaway with the extended family, and we both chose the combination short soup instead of indulging in the full banquet on offer.

Constructive criticism; who motivates us to make a positive change? Nearly half (49%) of Aussies are likely to make a positive change after receiving criticism from a partner, while an embarrassing comment from a stranger will motivate more than 1 in 5 Aussies.

Some people "criticise" because they are genuinely concerned for your health; others do it because they are mean spirited. It is very easy to feel upset when someone comments about your weight, but it's up to you to decide when and what to do about it. I have had complete strangers yell at me as I walk down the street. As embarrassing as that is, it was never the motivation for me to try to lose weight and improve my health. Andrew has never said to me that I should lose weight...he loves me for who I am, literally through thick and thin. I feel the same about him. We're on this journey together, and will be for the rest of our lives together. Who cares what anyone else thinks.

Last Wednesday, Andrew and I began the Weight Watchers program, both opting to follow Weight Watchers online. With both of us working full time, after school activities with the kids, and life in general, we felt that we couldn't commit to attending Weight Watchers meetings in person. We both love the flexibility Weight Watchers offers with it's online tracking app and community, and are so thankful that we can still participate. It doesn't feel like we're on a "diet" at all...our tummies are full and satisfied, and we're enjoying it!  Here's our progress for our first week...we're both off to a great start.  As of today's weigh in, Andrew has lost 1kg, and I have lost 3.9! I'm not expecting that big a loss every week, but it definitely feels excellent to be out of the 140's.

So, what can you expect from Weight Watchers Wednesday?
Andrew and I will be sharing the blogging duties, telling our stories, sharing our progress photos, tips, recipes and much more. We'll be keeping it real here...this is a husband and wife story that many of you will relate to. Feel free to leave your words of advice, encouragement, and your own progress in the comments below.

GO TEAM WARREN! Everyday strong...together.