Thursday, February 16, 2012

Weight Watchers Update

I suck at Weight Watchers. I really do. In total, I have signed up for the program four separate times (including this latest go-round), and every time I have had the best of intentions. But then things start getting in the way--weird work schedules, dinners out, needing to save the monthly fee to put towards trips or car repairs, moving--and nothing turns out the way that I want it to.

I originally signed up for the program (AGAIN) in the middle of January, right after my birthday. I told myself that I would track everything and really dedicate myself to it. I plunked down the fee for three months, so I wouldn't have the excuse of cancelling for that reason. But then I went to Jamaica, and then I came back to an empty refrigerator. And it was as good excuse as any not to do it fully, to kind of half-assedly eat a decent breakfast and lunch then blow everything eating too much bread at dinner. Plus, there is exercise to contend with, and it is so, so hard to motivate myself to do that stuff during the winter. It is a mental block. In the spring, summer and early Fall, I want to exercise. I crave it. I want to be outside running and walking and being active. In the winter, I want to be a garden slug. In a Snuggie.

So I have found myself this week, once again trying to rededicate myself to the program. I have tracked and planned and paid attention. And then yesterday, for the first time since maybe the very first time I started Weight Watchers (way back in '08, I think), I felt it "click." Yesterday, it finally started feeling right. And why? What was the great reason behind this?

Well, I packed my lunch.

My current job is weird in that we don't have an office microwave. We had one, and then it blew up or something and no one replaced it. I don't know why. Up until this point, frozen dinners and a cup of yogurt were my go-to work lunches. They were low in points, easy to prepare and required absolutely no effort in the morning when I am struggling to make the kids' lunches and get everyone out of the door on time. Without a microwave to work with, I just floundered. Sure, there were a couple of days where I made a sandwich for myself. But most days, I just went out to eat fast food or get Subway. And let me tell you--even if my intentions are good in what I get, I always tend to add on something totally unnecessary. Croutons on the salad, cheese on the sandwich, you name it. By the time lunch was over, I had spent a totally disproportionate number of points, and really didn't have much (nutritionally) to show for it. And then of course there were the days where I blew off the points totally and told myself I deserved a big scoop of chicken salad from the restaurant across the road because I unknowingly wore a black bra under a semi-sheer shirt/stubbed my toe/was late/had to make an unsavory phone call.

Yesterday, though, I'm not going to front, I was hungover. Too much wine the night before. And as I was getting ready for work, I thought that nothing sounded good to eat for lunch but a nice peanut butter and banana sandwich (NOT fried, for all of you Elvis fans--and btw, I have the recipe for Elvis's pb&b and yes, it is AMAZING). So I packed it up, along with an apple and some carrots I had bought for the kids. When I was eating, I realized that I enjoyed it much more--plus, I didn't have to venture out in the rain to pick it up. When I put in the points in my tracker, I was amazed at how many points were left for dinner. I even had enough for a snack (which I ended up not even eating because I fell asleep at 9 when I put Allie to bed--glamorous!).
This morning I got up and looked at myself in the mirror, and I liked what I saw. This is all a mind game, I know. But it felt good. Today I have brought a salad and some leftover brie, apples and crackers from V-Day, everything measured out and portioned. I am excited about eating it, and in fact, already would have if one of the muffins I made last night hadn't been a very feeling breakfast (when coupled with an apple and copious coffee).

Does anyone have any dyno-mite lunch ideas that don't require heating? Let me know in the comments or tweet me!

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