Why is it so hard to track?

First guest blog post of 2013 from Mr. Q....

Why is it so hard to Track?

by @quinlivan

We’ve all been there – we’ve all heard of the success Tracking has brought people in losing weight. Be it in class listening to a gold member or talking to a fellow WWer, it does seem the key to successful weight-loss comes with tracking everything that you are eating.

When someone gets a Silver 7 in class, they have to share a tip on how they achieved that 7lb loss. I reckon if you surveyed all the leaders across all classes, they would tell you members say ‘Track – Track – Track’ comes back 8 times out of 10. If I am to be honest with myself, my problem with tracking is that I have always only tracked in the evenings when I get home from work (if I feel I have had a good day) or I conveniently forget to track at all.

What I want you to compare tracking to shopping with limited finances – Suppose you are down to your last €100 - Do you continue to use your laser card for each item you see & want until it is declined? Probably not! Do you look around, see what is available (and at what cost) and then decide where you will spend your last €100? I know that’s what I do!

As it’s January and the December pay packet has been well eaten into over the Christmas period, I’m sure you can relate to the panic one feels when they calculate that it is another two weeks to pay-day and I have little money left in my account.

Tracking your WW points is the EXACT same as watching the balance on your dwindling bank account – you have a small number of points, make them last! We’ve all been in the situation where we’ve closed one eye and wince while the shop attendant swipes our credit card but if you compare spending money in your current account with tracking – it is not possible to go below the balance of your current account! Adopt the same approach with your daily allowance, using your weekly 49 points as your overdraft facility.

Apply the same rules to your daily Weight Watcher points. You have to be realistic about tracking - I don’t think anyone carries their tracker around in their back pocket and fills in everything they have when they have it. I’ve never seen anyone in a café write down their latte, scone & jam on a green tracker. I have never been on a night out with someone who kept going to their wallet/purse/post-it to write down everything they were drinking so they can accurately point their night-out.

Your laser card will tell you when you have used up all your money! Why can’t tracking be the same…

My solution to overcome this tracking nightmare has been really easy – an App. When I started WW back in August, I was tracking the traditional way (on the green sheets) but I found myself getting lazy or leaving stuff out. I’ve also found myself on a Sunday evening trying to fill in my tracker for Friday night, Saturday and Sunday – what use is that? If you have already overspent, there is nothing you can do about it now!

I downloaded an app called ‘My Score Plus’ which I have purposely put in the bottom right corner of my phone. The app can be set to either show you how many points you have used today or how many points you have remaining. It couldn’t be simpler! Seen as I carry my phone around with me at all times, I always know what my point situation is like. As soon as I have a coffee at work, I track it there and then. If I am in a shop being tempted by the massive selection of chocolate bars looking up at my beside the till, I glance at my phone and see if I have enough points that I can spend today on the treat.

It really couldn’t be easier. Having some form of an immediate reminder of the points you have already spent/remaining has often helped guide the decisions I make about food for me. You know one of those evenings you are wrecked out and can’t face making dinner & you think “mmm… maybe I’ll get a takeaway?” – one look at your phone (which you ironically need to phone in your order) will tell you if you can afford it.

Another advantage of the App is that it has a database of foods built-in – so you can search on the go. At the bar? You can track every glass of wine as quick as you would check a text message. You literally have no excuse for not tracking… and not being honest with yourself and your point-spending.

So, if you are to make one new years resolution this year – my advice would be to Track! It’s not easy BUT it seems to be one of the keys to successful weight-loss! There are tools out there to help make it easier - Even the most basic phone will have some notes type application that you can at least type in WHAT you have WHEN you have it. Then track it as soon as you get back home.

Happy New Year – Happy New You!