Weigh-in Thursday: Week 1

Tonight I went to my first WeightWatchers meeting.

I chose WeightWatchers because it isn't the kind of program where you can't eat certain things - I don't like being told what to do, so if I am required to eat no hamburgers or no carbs or no sweets, I will fail.  It's not realistic to completely switch over to salads, or grilled instead of fried, or no brown foods.  There are some weird diets out there.  I can't follow rules like that.  If I want a baked potato, I'm going to eat one.

With this program, you are assigned a total number of points that you can use throughout the day.  Every food has an assigned points value formulated by its fat, protein, carb, and fiber content.  Once you are out of points, you are out of food for the day.  Seems oppressive, but it really isn't.  The greatest thing about it is that if you pig out and eat a 1/2 rack of ribs for dinner, but had a light lunch, it might all even out at the end of the day.  It doesn't mean you should do that every day - rather you should eat sensibly, fill up on power foods like fruit, grains, and nuts, and splurge when your body tells you it is necessary.

The leader at the WW meetings is very encouraging and just a little bit crazy - perfect combination :)  Tonight, she talked about summer vacations and offered some great suggestions about how to stay on track while on vacation, like if you're staying in an efficiency, condo, or house, go to the grocery store to stock up on fruits and power foods so you don't solely rely on eating out.  Also, check out local restaurants at your destination before you go and research their menus online to make sure there are healthier options that won't totally ruin your points balance for the day :)

I'm not posting my weight, because it's astronomical.  Instead, I'm using this week's weight as my baseline, and in subsequent weeks I'll show the loss...or gain...but that won't happen right?  RIGHT?  haha