Back to Basics

I had an epiphany at my Weight Watchers meeting this week.

The topic was "Getting Re-Started", and how it helps to go back to the basic program fundamentals when you need to recharge your weight loss efforts. For the purposes of the 2011 Points Plus Program, the basic rules for re-booting are:

• Stay on Target
• Power Up
• Treat Yourself
• Get Moving

It all seems so simple. So basic. So intuitive.

It got me thinking about the "basics" of the original Weight Watchers program and what a royal pain in the patootie it is to get back on track after falling off the Retro WW wagon. Here's a quickie run-down of the 1972 WW Rules. Just in case you were wondering:

1. Eat only the foods listed in your Menu Plan, in the quantities specified and only at the meals specified. Get ready...
2. EGGS: Limit them to 4-7 per week. Only at breakfast or lunch. Easy enough.
3. CHEESE: Only hard cheese, pot, or cottage. Only at breakfast or lunch. Only in quantities permitted per your menu plan. Hint: learn to love cottage cheese.
4. FISH: You must eat a minimum of 5 fish meals per week at lunch or dinner. There is a lot more to this fish thing, but it gets really complicated, and I don't have the energy to explain it right now.
   
5. MEAT AND POULTRY: No more than 3 meals per week for certain meats, such as beef, lamb or ham. Others can be used as desired in limited quantities. Aside from your basic chicken and turkey, get ready to start eating some crazy stuff here. Pigeon anyone?
6. LIVER: Must be eaten once a week, either for lunch or dinner. Yeah, right.
7. BREAD: 1 slice at breakfast and one slice at lunch. Must be eaten at mealtime only. Creativity is required here.
8. FRUIT: Fruits are divided into 3 groups. Some are permitted daily. Some are permitted once per week. FYI- Apparently bananas are evil. 3 fruits per day are permitted for women.
9. VEGETABLES: Some are limited and some are unlimited. Go easy on the parsnips -- Get crazy with the celery!
10. MILK: Choose wisely. You get 16 oz skim or 12 oz buttermilk or 8 oz evaporated skim per day.
11. FATS: I love this one. 1 tablespoon of fat per day. Must be spread with a spatula or knife -- never with a brush. Seriously.
12. Do NOT eat or drink the following:

Alcohol
Bacon
Butter
Cake, cookies, crackers, pies
Candy, chocolate
Catsup, chili sauce
Cocoa
Cream
Cream cheese
Fried foods
Dried fruit
Ice cream, ice milk, sherbet
Jam, jellies, preserves
Luncheon meats
Muffins, biscuits
Non-dairy creamer
Olive or olive oils
Pancakes, waffles
Peanut butter
Peanuts, other nuts
Pizza
Popcorn, potato chips, pretzels
Pork products
Puddings, custards, flavored gelatin
Raw fish or meat
Specialty breads
Salad dressings
Sardines
Smoked fish, smoked meats
Soda pop, punch
Soups
Sugar
Syrup

Honestly, I don't know how anyone survived this plan. They did it, though. I know this, because I have the certificate which proves that my own mother followed this plan, lost weight and lived to tell about it.


So now that Summer is un-officially coming to an end, are you reluctantly getting "back to basics" with your weight loss efforts? If so -- just remember. It could be worse. It could be 1972.