Weight Watchers ActiveLink Review

I'm a veteran Weight Watcher. I started about 15 years ago in the late 90s, when I was
26.  I lost 30 pounds. Over the years, I gained ten here, took off five there, and basically settled about five pounds over my lowest point. I've been happy with that (I love my wine and I gave up on having an 18 year old body years ago!). Then, I turned 40 and it all went downhill. I had put on 12 pounds over my comfortable weight and it just
wouldn't come off! Last spring, I was diligent about tracking points for three weeks and didn't lose an ounce! Talk about a motivation killer! I hiked all summer, five or six days a week for at least two hours - NOTHING!

A couple of months ago, a friend was visiting me and mentioned a few activity trackers that are on the market - Body Bugg, FitBit, and ActiveLink - the Weight Watchers competitor. She is an avid Weight Watcher too and really pushed that (although she didn't have one at the time) because "it's what we know" - meaning we understand how to count Weight Watchers Points to lose weight. After researching the three, I was leaning toward the FitBit, but I took her *Point* to heart and decided to try ActiveLink first. At $40 (and $5 a month web fee), if I decided I really didn't like it, I wouldn't be out a whole bunch of money. FitBit comes in around $100 (no web fee) and Body Bugg is about $150 (with an added web fee of $10 a month).

Before I continue with my story, I'll tell you a few things about how the ActiveLink works. If you are new to Weight Watchers, I suggest reading up on it here (http://www.weightwatchers.com/plan/index.aspx). ActiveLink operates on a Wii technology, which means that it's picking up on the movement of your body. You wear it around all day, and it calculates Activity Points for you, based on how much you move. There is an indicator on the device which will give you an idea of your progress toward your Activity Point goal during the day. However, you can only see how many Points you've earned by plugging it in to the computer. From there, you have the option of labeling periods of activity (aerobics, running, swimming, etc). For some exercises, like aerobics or running, it seems to be pretty accurate. By accurate, I mean that if you label the activity, the number isn't going to go up. For other activities (swimming, elliptical, skiing, etc), you HAVE to label the activity to get a number because these activities involve resistance, but not enough movement for it to work properly.

Another important thing to know is that Weight Watchers (and I suspect other diet
programs) expect you to use a baseline of calories every day. That means you will NOT get any Activity Points until the baseline is met. I've read a number of reviews where people indicate they did 30 minutes of some exercise and they know they burned 300 calories, but didn't get credit for it. Well, they did, but if you do that exercise first thing in the morning, it's getting credited to your baseline. You won't get any Points until you've hit the minimum. At the end of the day, you'll have an accurate count. This may seem like a flaw, but at the end of the day, I want results and miscalculating my Activity Points wasn't getting me there! The baseline WILL NOT be met by sitting at a computer or in front of the TV all day. I've found that 45 minutes of walking first thing in the morning gets me to about 50 or 60% of my baseline. About an hour and a half of skiing will get me to 100%.

I was so excited to get my ActiveLink, but my hopes were immediately dashed when I
realized the first week is an assessment period. The assessment is intended to
determine how active you are and set a 12 week goal. During the assessment, you can't add Activity Points to your online tracker, nor will it let you label your activities or give you any results. You can skip the assessment and do it at a later time (I didn't realize this when I started). The first week felt like a complete waste of time. I skied about 18 hours, which in hindsight might've been a problem if I had been able to label the activity because my goal would've been nearly unattainable. However, I wasn't going to give up a week of great skiing for a piece of technology! Since I couldn't manually track anything, I was completely in the dark and ended the week ready to pitch the thing out the window and give the folks at Weight Watchers an earful!

I began week two frustrated, but determined to give it at least a month before chucking it. My goal turned out to be three Points per day. As it turns out, I'm INCREDIBLY sedentary when I'm not exercising, so attaining those three points on days when I'm not out skiing is actually an effort! I suddenly realized I had to figure out ways of moving around just to get to my baseline! I work from home and if the weather is really bad (single digits, freezing rain, etc), I don't leave the house unless I absolutely have to. So, I started walking around the room when I'm on the phone or watching TV and climbing the stairs during commercials. One day I did 30 minutes of step aerobics, 30 minutes of upper body weight lifting and 30 minutes of a ballet barre video and got ONE point for the whole day! I know you are thinking that can't be right, but keep in mind that I was sitting around on the computer the rest of the day! At the end of week two, I had lost 2.4 pounds! I was at my lowest weight in over a year! FINALLY! I'm getting results!

I've been using the ActiveLink for several weeks now and I'm happy to say I've lost 13
pounds! I consistently lose each week, so I'm incredibly motivated! Because of my snafu with the assessment period, I quickly got to the stage where the site asked me if I would like to increase my 12 week goal of three activity points to five. I did, but bumped it up to six a few days later. I think of myself as an active person who wants to lose weight and keep it off. That is the recommended activity level for keeping off weight, so it seems like a logical, long term goal. I'm generally feeling better physically because I'm moving around more, as an added benefit.

While I'm happy to finally be losing weight, again, I'm also really angry at Weight
Watchers. I went for months using the online program and didn't lose any weight. My
fault for giving myself too many Activity Points? Maybe. But, here's the thing - when I go out skiing for an hour, I get about FOUR Activity Points (after my baseline is met). If I put an hour of snowboarding in to Weight Watchers Online (downhill skiing isn't an option and I have friends who snowboard and they spend just as much time on the lift as I do!), it gives me 12!! Twelve points is the amount I would get for an hour of HIGH INTENSITY exercise! Downhill skiing, when assessed through ActiveLink, is considered LOW! One thing I've learned from using ActiveLink is that there is basically NO SUCH THING as HIGH INTENSITY! So, why is it even an option? I read somewhere that one can
basically value an Activity Point at 80 calories. That would mean that one hour of
exercise would have to burn 960 calories to qualify! Even when I was training for the
Army Ten Miler, I wasn't burning that much. IF there is such an exercise, I'd like to know
what it is, even though I would probably die doing it! I'm not the only one that has made this observation -
http://community.weightwatchers.com/Blog/ViewPost.aspx?threadID=1727015. Remarkably, Weight Watchers seems to have ignored the post instead of addressing the issue. I suspect they realize there are a bunch of us who would like to get some money back for the time we wasted.
The bottom line is that I really like the ActiveLink and I'm getting results. In short, if you are going to try Weight Watchers Online, invest in the ActiveLink. Otherwise, in my opinion, it's a waste of time and money because you probably won't calculate your Activity Points correctly for one reason or another and the whole experience will be depressing. That said, at some point I will probably get a FitBit. I don't like paying a monthly fee, but I do like having a daily baseline of activity that I'm working to achieve. I'm goal-oriented like that!

What I don't like about it:
• You can't label activity, get any numbers, or manually add activity during the
assessment period
• There is no way to add activity manually if you are using it (what if I forget to wear it or
can't wear it? I'm still not sure if I can wear it at 100 ft while SCUBA diving)
• The monthly fee
• It's completely useless unless you are doing Weight Watchers (if you have met your
goal and just want to use it to be sure you are as active as you want to be, you'll have
to find something else)
• Even Lifetime members have to pay for it

What I LIKE about it:
• It clued me in to how sedentary I was when I wasn't exercising
• It has motivated me to do the most basic things - like walk around the room when I'm
on the phone or watching TV
• I can easily see if I've achieved my goal for the day (provided my exercise doesn't
 include one of the resistance exercises)
• I'm a Point counter, not a calorie counter, and it integrates easily with Weight Watchers
(I'm sure FitBit would work, but I would probably have to tinker with it to get it right)
• I'M LOSING WEIGHT (and who can argue with results???)

Got questions? Send me an email - christine@lbdclub.com.

**This article was written based on my experience with Weight Watchers and ActiveLink and are solely my opinion. Neither Little Black Dress Club, Inc nor I were compensated in any way to write this article.**

Sex and the City – In a Little Black Dress

How many women do you know whose favorite movie is SATC? Correct answer: All of them!

Did you know that Carrie Bradshaw's computer is now housed in the Smithsonian Institution? Or that the producers had to borrow it back temporarily for the movie?  With the upcoming Valentine season, why not grab all your girlfriends and get together for a SATC themed GNO? Answer questions like these and more!

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Traveling Alone?

It’s a New Year, again and I’m coming up on another birthday. The past year has been a major transition time in my life. I’ve moved, ended relationships and forged some new ones. This year is shaping up in a similar way and I’m anticipating more big changes. This has me thinking about taking a big vacation before some of them set in. I’m planning a trip to Indonesia or Palau for a couple of weeks. I want to do some SCUBA diving and both of these are supposed to be stunning locations.

​I love going on dive vacations with Jen (LBDC Co-founder), but I may be on my own this year. This will be the third trip I’ve taken alone. The first was to Africa. No, that was not intentional. I decided to go away over spring break - a week before! There wasn’t much time to think or solicit a traveling partner. Africa was really calling me, so I did something I never do - I called a travel agent and let her make all of the arrangements. She found a flight with a 12 hour layover in Paris. I was ecstatic. I worked in Paris for a number of months, so going back to my favorite patisserie and walking around my favorite neighborhoods was really appealing. 

​On the ride to the airport, I said to my sister-in-law, “What am I doing?” She laughed and said, “I don’t know, but you’re going to have a GREAT TIME!” And, I did. I visited three safari camps and was adopted by travelers from other countries in each one. It was nice to meet new friends and share meals and travel experiences. I even met a woman who went on a helicopter ride with me over Victoria Falls! Traveling alone is a great way to meet others - I've been an adopter and an adoptee on many adventures.

I know what you are thinking - "I won't even go to a movie alone, let alone leave the country!" So, I've compiled a few thoughts about how to get over any reluctance you have about going somewhere alone. The first one is - take the first step! The first step for you may be dinner alone (I suggest taking a magazine or a book along) or going to a movie by yourself (it's dark, no one knows you're alone, and if you are a good movie watcher, you don't talk during the film, anyway!). Once you've gotten past the basics, move on to step two which could be a night in a hotel in a neighboring town (you don't even need to leave the hotel - order room service, watch a movie, or hit the gym or the spa). The important thing is that you start slow and set up a situation in which you will feel challenged and safe. Once you're ready to really pull the trigger, here's what I suggest:

1) ​Make a list of your fears about traveling alone. Talk yourself off the ledge. If your fears have real merit - decide on a game plan in case they actually manifest. Most likely, you will discover that your fears are probably not worth NOT going.

2) Decide what will make you comfortable - Is a tour right for you since everything will already be planned? Are you comfortable going someplace where people don't speak English? Are you comfortable renting a car?

3) I know many people fear getting sick - take meds you can't live without, check your insurance coverage overseas. Unless you are planning something risky, it is unlikely that anything major will happen to you. If you do get sick, you can be comforted in knowing that there will likely be someone happy to help you with medical assistance where you are lodging. I have never been in a place where there weren't people available and any time to help me with whatever I needed.

Looking back on my experiences in Africa and Hawaii (my second solo adventure), I was nervous - BOTH TIMES! When I think about why, I struggle to come up with anything that doesn't sound silly. I worried I might get lost, miss a flight, end up sitting in the hotel room because I was afraid to leave. The first two could happen while traveling with a friend. And, if I did end up sitting in the hotel, so what? At least I'd be on an adventure!


I'd love to hear your experiences with solo dining, traveling, etc! Please help us inspire women to get out and broaden their horizons by sharing your tips!

In addition to my passion for travel, I also enjoy reading about it! Here are a few of my faves, which will hopefully inspire you, as well!

Without Reservations
Eat, Pray, Love
Maiden Voyage
Tales of a Female Nomad

Cheers!
Christine

Don’t Break the Belt… Over the Holidays!

One day a few years ago I woke up and took a reality pill. That pill was a big dose of “I will never be 18 or have an 18 year old body again!” And, I’m ok with that, I am 40 after all! I’m willing to be about 15 pounds heavier than I was in high school so that I can enjoy life.

In the last year I’ve noticed that I have more and more trouble losing weight. Back in 1998, I lost 30 pounds doing Weight Watchers (WW). Until this past year, I maintained that loss. My strategy has always been to revitalize my WW diet when I gain five to seven pounds until I get back down to my “normal” weight. Normal for me is NOT skinny. I like to eat and I especially LOVE my WINE!

Now, I am seven pounds heavier than I would like to be (at least) and my attempts to shed the weight for the last eight months or so have been nothing short of frustrating and unsuccessful. To top it all off, the holidays are approaching. I’m not a masochist and I’m NOT going to diet over the holidays! It’s unrealistic for me and frankly, it kind of takes the fun out of the holidays. So, I’ve devised some strategies just to avoid gaining another five pounds!

First, if I have to bake anything, I will eat a healthy meal or snack before I start. I know I will be snacking my way through the cookie dough bowl, if I’m at all hungry. Second, any resulting baked goods will be taken away from the house or put in the freezer ASAP. I’m less tempted this way. When I’m done baking, provided it’s socially acceptable, I will indulge in a reasonable portion of goodies by applying Jennifer Moore’s  Mindful Eating techniques. I will "make time for it. “ I will “set aside ten minutes to truly experience my treat.” I will get a napkin, get a beverage, and sit down.” I will not multitask while I’m enjoying!

My second potential problem lies in parties. Again, I’m simply NOT going to a party and skipping the delicious things my host has made in the fruitless attempt to save a pound. I’ll worry about it after the first of the year. However, that said, I realize I don’t need to overdo it and there are a couple of things I can do to prep for an evening of fun. I’ll start off with a filling breakfast. This will probably include my six point (WW) breakfast burrito - one egg and one egg white, a vegetarian sausage patty, 1/8 of a cup of cheese, salsa and adobo seasoning on a two point tortilla - and a banana. I know from experience that that will keep me full for awhile. At some point during the day, for lunch or just before I go to the party, I’ll have a big salad with lots of veggies and a light salad dressing or a bowl of my Dad’s award winning chili (see recipe below), which is about two WW points per cup. Then, when I get to the party, I’ll eat, drink and be merry knowing I didn’t completely throw in the towel!

My Dad’s Chili (which always gets GREAT REVIEWS, by the way!)
2 15 oz cans dark kidney beans
2 large onions chopped (I usually cook them down before throwing them in the pot)
4 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp salt
2 packages of Smart Ground (my dad uses ground turkey or lean ground beef)
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can water

I mix it all in the crockpot and let it cook all day, but you can also put it in a large pot and cook it on the stove. This also freezes well, so I recommend doubling the recipe and eating it when you want something light and filling.

Cheers To Breast Cancer Awareness

If you haven’t been following us on Twitter (@lbdclub) or Instagram (lbdclub) this month, you’ve been missing out on our Pink Drink fun to raise awareness during Breast Cancer Month!

We’ve been posting our original Little Black Dress Club cocktail concoctions throughout the month and thought we’d share a final pink toast!. A few of them are the result of a weekend long Directors retreat in Deep Creek Lake, MD. We played mixologist in the kitchen - we stocked up on juices and mixers, cleaned out the liquor cabinets, and had a blast mixing, swirling and sipping!

Here’s a taste of what we created - The Cotton Candy Cocktail, The Flower Berry Bellini and Sparkling Hope are all pink and delicious. We had an interesting time coming up with these and even more fun sipping on them while enjoying a great view of the lake!

Next time you have your girlfriends over for a GNO, pull them into your kitchen and stir up a few of these LBDC cocktails. Use it as a conversation starter to remind your friends to get a mammogram, tell a story about a loved one who battled breast cancer, or just enjoy sipping a yummy cocktail while you appreciate some girl time. Do you have a favorite recipe that you came up with on your own? Share it in the comments below and we will include it in a future LBDC publication!

Cheers!

Christine Zellers                                      Jen Holzer

Co Founder, LBDC                                  Co Director, LBDC                    

Shay Ashcraft                                          Richelle Schneider
Social Media Director, LBDC                   Chicago, Director

Cotton Candy Cocktail
Ingredients
Raspberry vodka
Gingerale
Cranberry juice
Cotton candy

Directions
Rim glass with pink sugar or with pink cotton candy. Rim glass first with lemon to stick.
Mix equal parts liquid ingredients in martini glass.
Tear small piece of pink cotton candy and float on top until dissolved. Add more to sweeten drink.

Sparkling Hope
Ingredients
Cranberry juice
St Germaine
Sparkling wine

Directions
Fill wine glass with sparkling wine
Add equal splashes of cranberry and St Germaine.

Flower Berry Bellini
Ingredients
16 oz frozen strawberry or blackberry
⅓ cup Agave Nectar
Sparkling Wine

Directions
Puree frozen fruit
Add agave nectar
Mix until blended.
Add one Tbs puree mixture to flute glass. Fill with sparkling wine. Stir. 
                                           

National Little Black Dress Day

Life is complicated. The Little Black Dress is simple. You toss it on and whether you’re on your way to work, to a party, or just getting off the beach and wanting to go to dinner, it looks great.

When the Little Black Dress Club was formed in 2006, founders Jen and Christine wanted two simple things – to make new friends and to try out some new places around town. They kept it simple - they asked women they knew to pick a place and send an invitation. They chose the name because it inspired thoughts of classy evenings out with friends.

Since then, LBDC members have shopped, partied, and attended 5Ks in little black dresses. The Club has grown considerably and it’s much more complicated than it used to be. The saving grace is that dressing for any of our events is simple…just throw on a little black dress.

Join us today, Friday, October 19, 2012, in celebrating Coco Chanel, the creation of the little black dress and all things inspired by this simple fashion accessory.

CoCo Chanel was definitely onto something when she designed and made famous the first LBD back in the 1920’s.  By publishing a photo of a short and simple black dress in a 1926 issue of Vogue, a new era of fashion was born. Coco has said to have intended the LBD to be long-lasting, versatile, affordable, accessible to the widest market possible and in a neutral color. I’d say she did that and more. She created a fashion statement and added a staple to women’s lives everywhere. There have been celebrity “best of” lists, charity events and museum exhibits. For those of us new to wearing LBD’s, you can find a youtube video on how to wear a little black dress for multiple occasions.There is even a Wikipedia page devoted to the LBD. I find myself wondering if Ms Chanel published that Vogue photograph on a whim, or if she had known all along of the impending importance of this iconic fashion accessory....

Cheers!

Christine Zellers, Co Founder 

Shay Ashcraft, Social Media Director

Less Sugar, More FUN!

Don’t want to contribute to your neighbor’s kid’s tooth decay this year? Not the dentist in town who’s going to profit from all the Halloween candy that’s getting passed out? I don’t and I’m not, so I thought it would be fun to see what candy alternatives I could find. Frankly, it’s easy to spend $20 or $30 on candy for the kids, and I wondered what I could find in a comparable price range. I thought it would be fun to build a grab bag (or grab pumpkin) of fun items. A visit to Dollar Tree yielded the following options at a buck each:

• Stickers (pack of 30)

• Halloween pencils (pack of 12)

• Halloween erasers (pack of 12)

• Halloween straws (pack of 5)

• Glow bracelets (pack of 15)

• Glow finger extensions (pack of 4  - not sure what you do with a finger extension…)

• Grow capsules (pack of 15)

• Bubbles (3 bottles)

• Play Dough (pack of 8 or a pack of 4 of larger containers)

• Glow Balloons, Flying Discs, and Tops (packs of 4)

Moving on down the road to Walmart, I found water balloons and henna tattoos. Hobby Lobby has Loopy Straws  (8 for $1.59), a 24 pack of bubbles for $3 and light up balloons .The light up balloons are a bit pricy, but I must confess, I wanted one for myself! Oriental Trading also had a ton of great Halloween goodies, like pencils and erasers, in bulk at reasonable prices.

The upside (or downside, depending on your point of view), is that at the end of Halloween, I won’t be left with a bunch of candy in the house that will end up on my bottom line. On the other hand, figuring out what to do with a bunch of leftover toys could be a challenge….

For the kids I know well, I’m throwing in a bag of the Original Chex Mix. Let’s face it, the homemade stuff is so much better than the bags in the snack aisle and since it’s made with cereal, I can convince myself it’s healthy!

Shay, our Social Media Director suggested Rice Krispie treats. Yes, there’s some sugar in there, but I’m going to make a case for these since they are made with fortified cereal, too. And, she had the great idea of adding some chocolate chips and red and yellow food coloring for the black and orange color effect. I think the kids would get a kick out of that.

Jen - our co-founder - says, “If you are making a homemade treat, be sure to put your name on it.” At least if the moms in your neighborhood have a question about it, they can give you a quick call to confirm, which will give you a chance to catch up.

Did you find something you think I should add to my grab pumpkin? Leave me a message in the comments below…

Happy Halloween!
Christine Z, LBDC Co-Founder

Director Spotlight ~ Candace Stevens-Hall

The Little Black Dress Club has many outstanding directors, co-directors, assistant directors and staff members. Make sure you check out the “Director Spotlight” label to read all about them!

 

Our first monthly Director Spotlight is Candace Stevens Hall. This 28 year old director of our Louisville, KY chapter, Candace is married with 2 fur babies! An 8 year old Yorkie named Jax and a 6 year old Chihuahua named Patron!

During the week Candace works as a Human Resources Recruiting Manager for a Global Dutch Importing Company. During her off time, she loves to read, sew and sing! Candace is also a huge fan of DIY projects, shopping and traveling. One of her hobbies is to try and find the “Diners, Drive ins and Dives” in the area.
 
Candace has been the director of her Louisville chapter for the last year. She says what she loves most about her members is that they are the most diverse group of ladies from all ethnic backgrounds, ages, and walks of life. Regardless of those things, they always find a way to have a great time with one another, and are able to form lasting friendships outside of the club! Candace said “I wouldn’t trade my group of ladies for anything! They pretty much ROCK!”

When we asked Candace about her goals or her philosophies on life, she quoted Erma Bombeck - “When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, “I used everything you gave me!” Candace lives every day as a challenge full of adventure. She prides herself on going to bed every night knowing she has done her best and may have possibly made a change in someone else life. That’s enough satisfaction for her.

Candace often says that LBDC has changed her life in more ways than one. It has allowed her to bring out her creative side, and the social interaction is always a plus for her. She is looking forward to continuing the growth plan for the Louisville chapter and is hosting many more exciting events in the future. She encourages all ladies in the Louisville, KY chapter to join the club now and get in on their next exciting event!

When we first “met” Candace on the phone, we knew she would make a great Director. She evokes class and a genuine all-embracing spirit. It’s no wonder the Louisville chapter is one of our fastest growing chapters, with Candace at the helm! We appreciate all you do to support the Little Black Dress Club, Candace. You are truly deserving of this month’s spotlight!

 

Christine and Jen

Founders, LBDC

 

A Little Black Prada Dress

How many women do you know whose favorite movie is “The Devil Wears Prada”? Correct answer: All of them!

Did you know that Patricia Field, the costume designer, also did the wardrobe for “Sex and the City”, the series and the movie?

With the fall season upon us, why not grab all your girlfriends and get together for a DWP themed GNO? Light a fire, pour some wine and put The Devil Wears Prada in the Blu-ray!

While watching the movie, whip up a Grilled (Jarlsberg) Cheese Sandwich and test your knowledge to see who the biggest fan is! Have prizes such as a copy of the DVD to award to the biggest fan. Draw names to try and answer trivia questions, or just take turns sharing your favorite scenes, fashion accessories or characters.

The Little Black Dress Club has incorporated The Devil Wears Prada into several of their events and always with much success! Here are a few facts, hints, goofs and trivia questions to help get you started with your DIY DWP party!

Make sure you stay tuned to the very end for 2 fabulously simple DWP recipes! And don’t forget to join usin time for the next fabulous event in your area!

~Christine Zellers

CEO, LBDC

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Welcome to the new LBDC blog!

Welcome! Thank you so much for taking time to read our new blog!

By subscribing now, you can expect to read recaps of our events, all about our charity work, how you can start a chapter and become a director in your area, member spotlights, LBDC favorite recipes, fashion, travel and adventure, view photos and more!
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