Life With Frenchie

I mentioned before that I am feeling (and looking) fat lately. Like I said, I was always the chubby one. A couple of years after MM was born, I finally decided to really do something about it. At that point, my little (4′11″) frame was up to 173 pounds! I had actually made it to the 190s while pregnant with MM. I went on Weight Watchers, took advantage of a free gym at my University and $10 personal trainer sessions from the Masters Physical Education students and I got myself down to about 120. Over the next few years I was up and down within a 10 pound range. I kept going to the gym, figured out I had learned to work the system too well with WW and went on Jenny Craig and even L.A. Weight Loss. I was down to about 115 at my lowest. But, a funny thing happens when you end up in a happy relationship — YOU GAIN WEIGHT! Okay, that’s not fair to blame it all on El Presidente. I am, after all, responsible for my own health.

So, this week, I went back on WW. Even though I still know how to “cheat” and stay within my points, I am vowing to be more honest with myself. Yes, I can have less for breakfast and lunch and still eat my ice cream sundae, but I’m not going to! Don’t get me wrong, I am not depriving myself. We still go up to the local pub and have a couple of beers during the week. I still have some sweets laying room to satisfy my craving. But, I am going back to counting my points and eating in moderation. I am not going to be giving into those temptations or eat for comfort. I will allow myself to slip up or leniency for things like Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, etc. but I won’t make excuses.

So far this week, I have done well. I am allowed 18 points per day (points are based on calorie, fat, and fiber content) plus 35 “flex” points to use (or not) during the week. I have only dipped into about 6 of my flex points in total since I started on Tuesday. I have allowed myself some beer and wine with a few meals, but I am accounting for them in my points. I have also cut out beef and pork from my diet again. I did it for a couple of years; not because I don’t think beef or pork are healthy, but I am not a big fan of either, so if I stick to my leaner turkey, chicken, and seafood, I’ll get my weight back down a bit faster.

I’m going to keep myself on track and accountable, mainly by broadcasting my success (and sometimes failure) here on my blog. Stay tuned. For now, it’s lunchtime!