Yes, I know I’m on a diet. By tradition I’m supposed to eat crispbread, low fat cottage cheese, lettuce leaves and a side helping of tomatoes topped with dried rosemary to indicate that food can still have taste whilst being low in calories. But you see, the thing is, I’m not big on tradition – well not as far as diets go. They’ve never really worked for me. Dr Phil McGraw always says “How’s that working for you?” as an indicator as to whether you are doing something the right way or not. Well the truth is, the traditional way wasn’t working for me. Not at all. So I’ve thrown that idea out of the window.
Following my Weight Watchers points system plan I could go the traditional road if I wanted, but why would I do that when I can have anything I want to eat? It says so! All of my WW points system literature says that as long as I count the points for everything I eat, and they don’t come to more than my daily allowance, I can eat anything. This I can do!
So, how’s this working for me? It’s working great! I’m not feeling deprived. I’m not feeling as if I’m being punished for a lifetime of overeating. I’m not even feeling hungry. But I am eating some things that have my husband raising his eyebrows. I think the furthest up his face the eyebrows went was when I suggested we went to McDonalds for breakfast. Now most people love their burgers and fries, others just have to have that milkshake or McFlurry. For me, it’s breakfast. An egg McMuffin with a hash brown on the side – that’s my idea of a great start to the day. It’s also the kiss of death to most diets – but not the program I’m following! Despite hubby’s eyebrow disappearing after his rapidly decreasing hairline, I ate my breakfast smug in the knowledge that it was only 9 points out of my allowance, and I wouldn’t have a problem eating “around” that during the rest of the day. I did and I didn’t feel hungry because I chose things that were high on munch/chew value but low in points – and I actually got to the end of the day with a couple of points to bank!
The point of this is to show that just because you’re on a diet, it doesn’t mean that you have to give up everything you crave (although a heavily loaded full size cheese pizza from your favorite pizza outlet might be pushing it a bit). You just have to learn what the points/calorie/fat units/whatever you’re counting value is for the food you love, and then eat enough of it to curb your pangs whilst sticking to your eating plan. Everything in moderation feeds the motivation!
Diary of an Overweight Mom: On the Road Again
Diary of an Overweight Mom: Day 1 Ready or not here I Come
On the Weight Watchers Wagon Again: Day 1
Check out my other blog entries here at families.com – you’ll find me in the Disney Blog! and my weight loss progress is being blogged here at families.com in Momma’s on a Diet!