(“Say 22 because tomorrow I’m getting weighed and I think I lost another pound.” – mom)
I am in the bedroom of my mother, Heidi Roberts, who is eager to tell you about her method for shedding 21 pounds and counting. Over the last year, mom put on some weight (her diagnosis, not mine) and now she’s eager to shed it. How is she doing it? That’s what we’re here to tell you. What follows shall be transcribed verbatim.
ME: So, how ya doing?
MOM: (snorts)
ME: Tell us: how did you lose the weight?
MOM: You’re asking me?
ME: Yes.
MOM: Adam you can’t write that. Brad, he’s plagiarizing me! You can’t repeat that. BRAAAD! What’s he writing, can you look? He’s annoying me. He’s writing everything I’m saying. No, you can’t write all that.
ME: Tell us how you lost the weight.
MOM: I joined Weight Watchers.
ME: Had you been there before?
MOM : Many years ago…but now I’ve never done the new program where you count points. It’s called…(flips through book)…I’m doing the Flex Plan. There’s two plans but I’m doing the flex plan.
ME: Why is this better than other diets?
MOM: Because it allows you to eat anything you want in moderation…and it teaches you…(it wasn’t that I was eating the wrong things, it was just that I was eating too much of what I was allowed.
DAD: Portion control, damn it! Portion control!
MOM: I always knew how to eat healthily…but at my age I had to learn to eat less of what I was eating.
ME: So what do you eat now?
MOM: A combination of vegetables, fruit…
ME: What do you have for breakfast?
MOM: Usually an egg beaters omelet with vegetables in it…with either a Kashi waffle or a Weight Watchers English Muffin and omelet…
ME: What do you eat for lunch and dinner?
MOM: Usually a small piece of protein…sometimes shrimp, sometimes chicken…sometimes fish…but no red meat, I haven’t had red meat in a long time. The same for dinner. On the weekends I’ll allow myself to have a glass of wine…
ME: How important is exercise to regimen?
MOM: It is very important. I now exercise at least three to five days a week… I wear a heart monitor and it’s important to…don’t talk about that, I don’t know enough about it…. It’s important to do aerobic exercise three to five times a week.
ME: Is there any recipe or food from Weight Watchers that you recommend?
MOM: Yes, their garden vegetable soup.
ME: What’s so good about it?
MOM: It fills you up with very nutritious vegetables… and there are zero points. Only 42 calories. 0 fat and 2 grams of fiber.
ME: Sounds delicious!
MOM: It is.
ME: Can you tell us the recipe?
MOM: Are you ready?
2/3rds a cup of sliced carrots
1/2 cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat free broth beef, chicken, or vegetable
1 1/2 cups diced green cabbage
1/2 cup green beans
1 Tbs tomato paste
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup diced zucchini
1. In large saucepan spray with non stick cooking spray. Saute the carrots, onion, garlic over low heat until softened–about five minutes.
2. Add broth, cabbage, beans, tomato paste, basil, oregano, and salt; Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered, about 15 minutes or until beans are tender.
3. Stir in zucchini and heat 3 to 4 minutes. Serve hot. Makes four 1 cup servings.
42 calories, 0 grams of fat, 2 grams of fiber.
Sometimes I put in a little Equal or Splenda to give it a sweet taste.
ME: BLECH!
Mom: Don’t go by her, she’s a terrible cook.
ME: How often have you made this soup?
Mom: (laughs) Once every few weeks.
Me: Really? How often have you made this REALLY…
Mom: Well I made it once and I froze a bunch of it…
Me: How long ago was that?
Mom: I used it up… I don’t remember…. he’s harassing me.
Me: This interview is over. I do not support this diet…
Mom: Wait, I want to give you more food suggestions…
Me: I am not impressed. Go eat a salad.
LMAO!
You know, I’ve had the soup and it is not so bad…not gourmet, but fairly fresh-tasting…
I lost 45 pounds on WW, and while the program definitely works, it also adds to the unhealthy obsession our culture has with weight/food/looks. Who wants to stress out over every morsel of food they put in their mouths? (Not you, Adam!) Everyone knows what healthy eating is, and if you eat healthy and exercise and are still “overweight,” so what? Not every body is built to be thin; our bodies expand as we get older and our metabolism slows down. We should embrace ourselves as we are! Our bodies serve us well and we should be grateful for that. Our bodies are *not* for physical evaluation based on unrealistic standards set by advertisers…
That’s funny, I’ve recently lost 42 pounds–and a big part of it was eating my vegetable soup.
I made the Weight Watchers soup once, it was so icky we took to calling it “Poop Soup.”
Wait! I want to hear your mom’s suggestions!
I’m on Weight Watchers as we speak, and I have to say I really like it. I lost 26 lbs before and this time I’m down 6 lbs after four weeks. My criticism would be it’s not really geared toward us budding gourmets — it’s a bit packaged and fast-food oriented.
Yeah! I love Mom! Take some nice photos of her and Dad chowing somewhere posh.
So, I just ran across this little blog and I just wanted to let you know that this was funny.
But WWer’s is a very good “diet” I have lost 185 pounds doing it. So, you should support your mother and her “diet” Because it is a healthy one.
I eat all kinds of foods and do not deprive myself of anything. I eat it when I want it, just in smaller sizes.
Hello,
In your comment I am seeing that everybody lost good amount of pounds but no one says for how long. I need to lose 30-35 pounds and just started with this WW diet. If it is not really effective diet I would switch it to South Beach.
Hello,
In your comments I am seeing that everybody lost good amount of pounds but no one says for how long. I need to lose 30-35 pounds and just started with this WW diet. If it is not really effective diet I would switch it to South Beach.
Hello,
I am needing to start dieting again. Thanks for the reminder of the soup. i also make the same soup but add celory and tomatoes. that makes it a little tastier. Once I ate this soup for about two weeks and lost 25 pounds. And then I would go back to the soup if I felt like my eating habits would get out of control… Guess it is time to do it again. At 50 it’s much easier t gain i think. Good luck and eat the soup!!!
south beach is terrible, sure you lose weight quick, but as soon as you start eating carbs again it bounces right back and more!! ww’rs realllllly worked. actually, i just counted calories…stayed strict to 1200. i found i made better choices. i loved the smart ones frozen entrees and usually stuck with under 300 calories for dinner. love my fruit. i lost 21 pounds in 3-4 weeks. and on the weekends i allow myself a treat…it has become a way of life, its filling, i feel better, and i lost all the awful cravings for junk food.
Over the years I have done Weight Watchers, The Zone, South Beach, Atkins, Jenny Craig, Trim Spa, paid THOUSANDS of dollars for sports equipment, gym memberships, trainers….and never had lasting results. I read all the books from all the celebrities that shared their ‘secrets’ for losing weight. Guess what? There is no secret to losing. It’s the KEEPING IT OFF that is the ‘problem’ It’s all a ‘mind’ set people. Each one of us has our own method that will work only for us as an individual because each and every one of us KNOWS what our own personal demon is. And that is the crux of everything. Some people over consume candy, some chocolate, some alcohol, some breads, some butter, etc. It is up to the individual to realize what THEIR individual issue is and to decide to eliminate it totally for LIFE IF YOU CAN’T EAT IT IN MODERATION. For myself, that is CHOCOLATE, candy, and cookies. Knowing myself, I KNOW I will NEVER eat it in moderation. OH yeah, MAYBE for a couple months, but then I ALWAYS gradually eat ‘just one more’ and then it escalates and then I am back in size 12 instead of a 5. I know this sounds cruel, but the truth is that no one is perfect , we all have different metabolisms, and body types, and some of us will ALWAYS struggle with weight because we love to eat. Food is comfort, it numbs the senses, makes us happy for the immediate moment, and cures all problems for a nano second. And overeating it all is an addiction for all of us. The mind set is to STOP eating the stuff that we over indulge in FOR LIFE. I know it sounds harsh, but it was the only way I myself was able to control my weight. I’ve come to the conclusion for MYSELF, that if I am going to eat the stuff I personally have a problem with, I will ALWAYS have to deal with the 4o to 50 pound juxtopostioning of the scale every year during the holidays. Chocolate and cookies ARE MY DEMON, and I personally CAN NOT eat this in moderation. I’ve tried, I know myself. So I just decided to eliminate it all, and keep the size 5 figure If I can’t be exhorbantly wealthy, I want to at least be fashionably thin. ;-)
I’ve been overweight for 10 years and tried so many things. Different things work for different people and I was lucky enough to find one that worked for me. I lost 18 pounds in one month without exercise and it’s been a life changer. I’m a little embarrased to post my before and after photos here but if anyone actually cares to hear what I’ve been doing then I’d be happy to help in any way. Just shoot me an email at oceanflowers82@gmail.com and I’ll show you my before and after photos, and tell you about how things are going for me with the stuff I’ve tried. I wish someone would have helped me out when I was struggling to find a solution so if I can help you then it would make my day