I'm Back in the Saddle... Again

Day 347

Weight Report: 2 of those pesky 10 regained pounds are gone. "Gitty Up!" I'm back in ye olde proverbial saddle once again. It feels good to shed some emotional baggage that I let creep back on. I like the fact that I've shed some good old fashioned LBs (pronounced "El Bees") in the process too.

I mentioned last week that I joined Weight Watchers. The new Weight Watchers Points Plus system definitely rewards you for eating "clean". It now calculates points based  on fat, carbohydrates, protein and fiber. The old system used calories, fat and fiber.

For Example:

In the past, good for you foods like bananas would cost you points simply based on calories. Basically, you could guarantee that anything over 50 calories generally counted a point. Given that logic, a Banana which typically has about 105 calories counted 2 points. A 100 calorie pack of Cheese Nips (a highly processed snack) also counted 2 points. Not at all the same nutritional value.

Today that same bag of Cheese Nips will cost you 3 points and the banana will cost you 0 points. Think about it. Under the old rules, which item are you more likely to eat if they cost the same points? If you're a junk food junkie like me, you're eating those Cheese Nips. I'm just sayin. A food-a-holic will find any means to justify their cravings.

Kudos to Weight Watchers for finally adjusting their points system to evaluate foods based on their quality and not just the calories. Does that mean that I'll never eat a 100 calorie pack of Cheese Nips again? No. But, I bet it keeps me from eating three of them. If I'm hungry, I can have an apple and a piece of string cheese for the same points in that bag of cheese nips.

Today, my breakfast cost me 6 points. (based on my weight I get 35 daily points and 49 weekly flex points. I can earn activity points for exercise. But, they aren't as reliable. More on that later) For those six points I ate a cup of oatmeal made with skim milk, 4 walnut halves chopped and a cup of blueberries and a banana. It's a good start. I need more protein. This is still a fairly carb heavy meal. I followed it up with a protein an fiber packed lunch. The Baja Salad from Wendy's is delicious. I leave off the pico and the guacamole. In the future I will also leave off the dressing and seasoned tortilla strips because they cost me 5 points and were SO NOT WORTH IT.

Yesterday, a cup of Peppermint Hot Cocoa from Panera send me into a tailspin. That sucker cost me 16 points. YES! Shocker! 16 points. I will never... ever... ever... order a coffee drink at Panera again. Who knew that a cup of hot cocoa could weigh in at a whopping 650 calories! I can get a 12 ounce fat free French Vanilla coffee at the Exxon gas station for 3 points. It only costs $1.08 and tastes nearly as delicious. That Panera Bread concoction cost me $3.59 and a step closer to future heart disease.

There are a thousand different ways to eat healthy out there. They all come in their own pretty little package. I chose Weight Watchers because my husband wants to drop some pounds too and he had success with Weight Watchers before. I believe that if we are in this together, we both have a greater chance at success. If the label needs to be Weight Watchers, I'm ok with that.

Many of my followers utilize a number of methods to stay healthy including: The Eat Clean Diet, Body For Life, P90X etc. They all work and they all have the same basic principles with just a different name. Don't tell my husband, but Weight Watchers is finally following these same principles too.

It snowed in my neck of the woods last night. An inch of snow in Nashville pretty much puts the city on lock down. But, I've been alerted that the YMCA is open for business. I'll be checking in there later this afternoon for some heart pounding cardio and a muscle building weight training.

Cheers!
Margaret