This Is New

I started doing Weight Watchers back in January. I thought it would help me to write about the things I'm eating so I'm more accountable.

I'm going to be completely honest and tell you that sticking to the 29 points a day and 45 weekly has been a challenge for me. There have been days where I've tracked 50 or even 70 points. Well at least I'm now conscious of it as opposed to before I started this journey when I ate and drank with reckless abandon.

I'm a big fan of eating natural, unprocessed foods as much as possible so that's not the hard part for me. I started eliminating high fructose corn syrup and trans fats from my family's diet three years ago. My struggle is with portion control. I'm also a bit of an emotional eater and will eat when I'm anxious or bored or happy. No wonder I've stayed overweight for nearly a decade.

I'm stuck currently at 179 pounds and am 5'2" so according to Weight Watchers I need to lose 42 pounds to be at the very top of their healthy weight range for me. Can I do that? I have no idea. I haven't weighed in the 130s since high school. I'm just taking it one pound at a time. I've lost 7 so far and only have a little more to get to my first goal of 5% lost (9 lbs.)

Here are my meals for the day. I will edit this at the end of the day to include anything else I consume.

Breakfast

A grapefruit w/ 2 tsp. brown sugar and a tiny bit of butter put under the broiler for about 5 minutes. Delicious! Two hard boiled eggs w/ salt & pepper. A clementine and a piece of rye bread w/ about a 1/2 tsp. of butter.

Total WW Points Plus: 8

But I also had a cup of coffee w/ 2 tsp agave and about 1/4 cup 2% milk: 2

Lunch

This Crystal Light powder I've been putting in my water is great. It's 30 calories for 16 oz but so much easier to suck down than plain water. It contains stevia instead of the aspartame or Splenda that Weight Watchers seems to be so fond of promoting.

I'm constantly using measuring spoons now which is kind of annoying and not my usual thing but I feel like I have to do it or I'll lose control.

1 cup of Muir Glen Southwestern Black Bean soup - 3

1/2 oz. cheddar cheese - 1

HUGE salad w/ 3 oz chicken breast - 3

2 T strawberry balsamic dressing - 1

1 t olive oil - 1

Total: 9

When I make salads I just put in whatever we have. This one fulfilled lots of my veggie requirements for the day. I do the teaspoon of oil to fulfill the healthy oil requirement. This salad had granny smith apple, clementine, grape tomatoes, and salad greens. It was very good and filling w/ the leftover chicken I found in the fridge.

For the sake of accountability, I also splurged at Starbuck's and tried this new drink even though I had planned to only get plain coffee. Damn it. So instead of spending 2 points, I spent 6.

That means a mere 4 points left for dinner.

Not pictured (like the kid who didn't show up on picture day!)

Dinner

Blackened salmon (4 oz): 7

This was delicious! I used a blackened seasoning rub I got at Fresh Market for $3.99. Plenty in the container. I think it will also be good on tilapia and chicken. It has no calories at all (the spices) and really added some kick. I cooked it in olive oil cooking spray in a cast iron pan for about 5 minutes per side.

My 17 month old daughter loved it, too.

17 baked Kroger fries: 3

4 oz. Kefir: 4

And I went over my points by 10 for a total of 39 points consumed, maybe 2 activity points earned by walking the mall today for an hour pushing a stroller.

I'm trying to stop myself from making preacher cookies. Damn it. Someone tie my hands behind my back and wire my jaw!