HUGE aha!

Something deep within me clicked this week, and for the first time in my life, I know I am going to reach my goal weight. I've said this before, but when I did, I felt like a fraud.

Not today.

And the reason is simple, actually something I began to think about when I started this blog. The name -- Diet? Not Again! -- says it all. I had decided then that I really did not want to diet. Since then, the list of diets I have tried numbers seven. I told you I felt like a fraud.

So why -- and how -- now? It started a week ago Wednesday, when my Weight Watchers' leader, Annmarie, suggested I eat a piece of my daughter's birthday cake, but to put a PointsPlus value to that piece of strawberry shortcake. I had never before ever put a PP value on anything that is loaded with sugar. When I told her I had no idea what the value would be, she suggested I go online and do some research to find out. Long story short: I gave it a value of 15 -- half the amount of PointsPus I am allowed in a day. But I also have an extra 49 PointsPlus a week -- so I started counting. And guess what: I didn't even use all my 49 PointsPlus.

In the past, if I had eaten the piece of cake, it would have set me up for a night of eating. To me, my diet would be blown, so why not eat everything in sight? I would tell myself it would be just for a night, but that night would have stretched to another day, and perhaps the next week.

It wasn't until I weighed in Wednesday at Weight Watchers that reality smacked me in the face: I lost 3.4 pounds. In the back of my mind, I thought I had been "bad" last week, because I ate that cake. It was what consumed my thoughts all last week. Once I found out I lost weight, I checked my food diary for the week, and discovered that I had eaten within my PointsPlus every day, even the cake day when I used my extra PP. Somehow I had blocked out the great choices I made, instead choosing to focus on the one piece of cake. That's really sad.

Weight Watchers has evolved over the years. The empahsis now is on portion control, healthy eating and exercise. The fact that it is not a diet but a way of eating is stressed each week. In the past, I have internally laughed at the concept, calling it a diet by another name. Today, I embrace it. The reason is simple:
* I can't get away from food.
* I love food.
* I love to cook.
* I love to eat.

And here is the key:
No matter the week, there is always some event I will have that could stop a diet plan dead. But there is nothing that can ever stop me from making healthy food choices.

If I am somewhere and there really is nothing to eat except fried chicken and ambrosia salad, I will eat lightly, but more importantly, affix a numerical PointsPlus value to the food. Thin people all over the world make choices daily.

Plus, by not affixing a PP value to some foods, I was not holding myself accountable for eating the food. Instead, I was giving myself license to keep eating. I was running away from facing a big problem in my life; running away from problems never solves anything.

I know I am on the right track, and that I will stop yo-yo dieting forever.

And no, this is not an April Fool's joke. I have never EVER been more serious and determined.

Strawberry shortcake, cream on top!

Yesterday morning I went back to Weight Watchers, although my heart was not in it. It turned out to be exactly what I needed.

The topic: What makes us stray from a healthy eating track and ways to get back on board. My new leader Annmarie -- who I had met once before -- must have sensed my unease with the topic because she focused on me. That was the best thing anyone could have done because she made me think about why I do what I do.

A few sentences was all she needed. I told her how some days I can be so good, and other days, so bad. Eureka! Annmarie reminded us all that healthy eating is not about being good or bad; that we should all banish those words from our vocabulary when we think about eating. Instead, we need to concentrate on eating good, nourishing foods, portion control and exercise. And yes, it's also about eating a slice of strawberry shortcake or a piece of chocolate every now and then, but when we do, factor those PointsPlus into our daily total. If we are out, as soon as we get home, we should try to locate nutritional values for what we just ate, and add them immediately to our daily totals.

It sounds so simple, but then, the most successful things in life usually are. She also asked me if there was a challenge I would be facing this week. Of course there is: my daughter's birthday. Kara has requested a strawberry shortcake from Isabelle et Vincent's, the most decadent french bakery to hit Fairfield, CT -- ever.

Annmarie told me I should have a piece of cake, but suggested a few things:
1. Cut pieces of cake for everyone else first, making sure each of those pieces are a good size -- unless someone asks for a sliver.
2. Cut my slice last, and make it small.
3. Place the rest of the cake out of reach.
4. Have containers ready, and as soon as I get up from the table, portion the remainder of the cake into the containers and be sure they go home with guests.

And then one, from a Weight Watcher like me: Make a huge bowl of strawberries and pineapples, fill my plate first with the fruit, leaving a bit of room for a small slice of cake. Since all fruit is 0 PointsPlus, leave that bowl in front of me, so if I am tempted to eat anymore cake, reach for the fruit instead. Of course, I could also skip the cake and top the fruit with Cool Whip.

It really is all about choices, planning, and living life to the fullest. I really can have my cake -- and eat it too. It's just the amount I eat that needs some tweaking.

Hake: My new fave fish

Thanks to Weight Watchers, I made the most amazing fish last night. So good, Jack said he wants it again -- high praise, believe me. And at 6 PointsPlus per serving, it fits in really well with my diet!

The recipe calls for cod, but Whole Foods had hake on sale yesterday, for the ridiculous price of $5.99 a pound. Hake, once called trash fish because no one wanted it, is really a wonderfully sweet, white fish. As fish prices keep going up, hake really can do great things for your food budget, and if you like cod, halibut, pollock of haddock, you'll love hake. I served it with brown rice and a saute of sugar snaps, scallions, garlic and ginger. I poured the extra sauce from the fish on the rice to power the taste up a notch.

MISO-GLAZED COD
1 1/2 lbs. cod, or other white sauce
1/4 cup miso paste
2 Tblsp. dark brown sugar
2 Tblsp. mirin
1 Tblsp ginger root, (I doubled the amount since I love ginger)
1 Tblsp. dark sesame oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar

* Place fish, skin-side down, in a broiler-proof pan.

* Place miso, sugar, mirin, ginger, oil and vinegar in a blender; blend until smooth. Pour glaze over cod and marinate in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.

* Preheat broiler to high.

* Broil fish until topping turns golden brown and starts to caramelize, and fish is no longer translucent in middle, about 8 to 10 minutes. Makes 4 servings.

Who am I?

I'm reading Deepak Chopra's "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Yoga" very slowly, because I really am trying to absorb everything he is putting forth. Today, I read a page, and then meditated on it for 15 minutes.

Chopra instructs that you close your eyes, take several deep breaths, and then ask yourself every 15 seconds "Who am I?"

Of course the first things that popped into my mind were wife, mother, grandmother, my job. Question No. 6 was the one that almost made me cry because my answer was "serial dieter." And I am. Have been for more than four decades. How sick is this?

It makes me want to beat some sense into my thick brain.

Yesterday I admitted that last weekend, I wanted to eat EVERYTHING that wasn't nailed down, and unfortunately I did. Yesterday was a repeat of the weekend: I wanted to eat EVERYTHING again, but resisted the urge. Yesterday was miserable, because the battle within -- raging between Palin, my bad inner girl, and Hebzabah, the one who only eats well -- was extreme. After dinner, the girls in the family wanted ice cream, and Jack was almost on his way to the store when I told him I didn't want any. That broke the spell, and instead, I had a cup of tea and a Weight Watchers pop, which at 4 PointsPlus, fit into my daily total.

I woke up today with a smile on my face. And the first thing I did was pray that the battle within will not be as fierce as it was yesterday.

Baked Potato soup: Yum!

It was my turn to cook our Monday night family dinner -- a weekly tradition that gets us together with two of our children and their spouses. Monday night dinners are sacrosanct -- you better have a real good reason for not attending.

This week I wanted to try something new, and Baked Potato Soup sounded so warm and inviting. It was a hit, and something I plan on making over and over again. At at 7 Weight Watchers PointsPlus per serving, I think it's a diet bargain. For our group of six, I doubled the recipe -- and it all went.

BAKED POTATO SOUP 1 large garlic bulb, 1/4-inch-slice cut off top
3 lbs. uncooked potatoes, rinsed, pierced with a fork (about 6 large baking potatoes)
6 slices uncooked turkey bacon
4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 Tblsp. fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
6 Tblsp. reduced-fat sour cream
6 Tblsp. low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
6 Tbsp scallion(s), sliced
* Preheat oven to 400ºF. Wrap entire garlic bulb tightly in foil; place garlic and potatoes in oven. (You do not need to put them on a pan; they can go right on an oven rack.)
* Bake garlic until soft when squeezed, about 45 minutes; remove from oven and let cool. Continue baking potatoes until tender when pierced, about 15 minutes more; let potatoes stand until cool enough to handle.
* Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, about 6 minutes. Place bacon on paper towels to drain off any fat; chop bacon.
* Unwrap garlic and squeeze pulp from bulb with hands into a large saucepan. Peel potatoes and add to saucepan; mash with a potato masher until smooth. Gradually stir in broth, thyme, salt and pepper until blended; place saucepan over medium heat and cook until hot, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 10 minutes.
* Spoon about 1 1/3 cups of soup into each of 6 soup bowls. Top each with 1 tablespoon of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of cheese, 1 rounded tablespoon of bacon and 1 tablespoon of scallions. Grind fresh pepper over top if desired. Makes 6 servings.

Super markets!

Recently, as gas and food prices have started escalating yet again, I started to think about ways I could save some money at the store. Forget about coupons: I have never mastered the art, and besides, most of the food products I buy never have coupons attached.

But I do have some shopping rules:
1. I NEVER set foot in a market is when I am hungry. When I do, somehow the worst things wind up in my basket. A few times recently I have had no choice but to shop hungry, and that’s when my emergency car stash came in handy. I always have an apple in the car. Usually, there is some celery as well. Both items hold up well to a few days without refrigeration, and besides, I usually eat them way before either would start to turn. Usually that works. Recently, it just wasn’t enough. So I made sure to pick up a bunch of bananas, and as soon as I hit the car, I ate a banana. That did it for me. What you pick is your choice.
2. Each weekend I plan our meals for the week, make a shopping list, and stick to it. I shop once a week, which keeps me out of the market during the week, out of the way of temptation.
3. I love my husband, but I find him distracting in the market. I spend a lot of time in the produce section, and Jack gets antsy. So unless it is a necessity, I shop alone. The worst place to shop with him: Costco. I really can get lost in that big box. Jack can get through the warehouse in seconds flat. I need time to stop and see what’s offered.
4. I always have my Weight Watchers PointsPlus calculator with me, so if a new food looks inviting, I figure out the PPs to see if it’s worth the splurge. It’s amazing how two similar products really are nothing alike. Take popcorn, my go-to snack when I am hungry in the middle of the day. Like my morning chia seeds, popcorn expands in my stomach and fills me up. Jolly Time’s Healthy Pop – a full size bag – is my favorite because for 3 PPs, it offers double the amount of popcorn than the mini bags, at the same PPs value. What a bargain.
5. I have my list, but if turkey breast cutlets are on sale when I get to the market, I easily substitute them for chicken breasts. Same with fish. I shop the deals, because at the register, a deal here and a deal there starts adding up to big savings.
6. I buy lots of fruits and vegetables, but I always buy them whole. I don’t mind cutting up veggie sticks or cutting up a pineapple. It takes minutes and saves cash.
7. I tend to stay out of the aisles, shopping the perimeter of the market, a trick I learned 20 years ago on a nutritionist-led tour of a supermarket. Of course, items such as oatmeal, beans, teas and seltzer are in the aisles, but it’s here you find the bad stuff as well, the processed, over-sugared foods I try to avoid. If I am tempted, I whip out my PP calculator and within seconds my temptation usually disappears.
8. Twice a week we eat vegetarian. It might be something as simple as baked potatoes with toppings or a frittata, but these lighter meals are doing wonders for our budget. We eat fish two or three times a week, which leaves two meals for beef, pork or chicken.

Kinda normal

I had a weird thing happen at work Wednesday. First, let me explain that I had been really dedicated this week to eating within my Weight Watchers PointsPlus.

But Wednesday afternoon, my boss came back from lunch with treats for us all: Nestle Crunch Ice Cream Pops. Of course, I could not say no. How could I hurt her feelings?

Besides, I really wanted to eat the pop.

But before I did, I whipped out my handy PP calculator, figured out the pop was only 5 PP, and decided I could easily fit it into my day's total. I ate that pop, little bite by little bite, drawing out the pleasure for at least 15 minutes.

And when I finished the pop, I thought to myself: "So this is what normal feels like."

What a feeling!

A miracle!

Right now, I am visualizing eating 30 Twizzlers sticks. Weird huh? But this simple technique could just make me eat less food and stop my craving for Twizzlers. Could this be the magic bullet I need to shed unwanted pounds?

In a recent study at Carnegie Mellon University, published in Science, they divided a group into three:
* Group A visualized eating 30 M&Ms (easy!), and putting 3 quarters into a washing machine.
* Group B visualized eating 3 M&Ms (impossible), and putting 30 quarters into a washing machine.
* Group C imagined inserting 33 quarters into a washing machine (no M&Ms!).

This is the part I love: All study groups were then told to eat as many M&Ms as they wanted. And guess which group ate less M&Ms? Those that visualized eating 30 M&Ms.

Visualization is the key here. The study found that merely thinking about food does nothing. But when you visualize eating the food, you eat less. The researchers call this habituation — a gradual reduction in motivation to eat more of the food. If it works, I call this a miracle.

Joachim Vosgerau, assistant professor at Carnegie Mellon and one of the study leads, explains: "Habituation is one of the fundamental processes that determine how much we consume of a food or a product, when to stop consuming it, and when to switch to consuming another food or product. Our findings show that habituation is not only governed by the sensory inputs of sight, smell, sound and touch, but also by how the consumption experience is mentally represented. To some extent, merely imagining an experience is a substitute for actual experience. The difference between imagining and experiencing may be smaller than previously assumed."

I sort of tried this out. I say sort of, because it's 5 a.m., not the usual time I start craving Twizzlers. But I closed my eyes, imagined myself opening the package, and eating 30 Twizzler sticks -- more than my daily allotment of PointsPlus. I ate each one bite by bite, and I really have no desire to eat any Twizzlers. But again, it's 5 a.m. I can't wait to try this the next time a Twizzlers bag is calling my name.

Snow day

Yesterday was my second snow day. Of course, thanks to technology, I was able to work from home, which was kind of nice.

But what I found the last two days is that I was more hungry during the day than I am when I am at work. Both days I grazed -- eating little meals about every three hours. It was relaxing and enjoyable, but I was thankful for Weight Watchers, because without the PointsPlus system, I could have eaten my weight in food.

But around 2 p.m. yesterday, nothing in my fridge or pantry looked appealing, so I whipped up some hummus and spread it on celery.

VAL'S HUMMUS
2 15-ounce cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Juice of 1 lemon
1 Tblsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tblsp. tahini
2 garlic cloves, diced
1/2 tsp. cumin
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. oregano
1 jarred roasted red pepper, cut in chucks
2 to 4 Tblsp. water
* Drain and rinse the chickpeas; place in food processor and process until they are in small dice.
* Add remaining ingredients, but only 2 tablespoons of water. Puree until mixture is smooth. Hummus should be a thick paste. If you want a thinner consistency, add more water
* Remove from bowl of mixer. Each tablespoon has about 1 PointsPlus.

Simply yummy

Last night I had forgotten to defrost anything for dinner, it was snowing really hard, and I decided a little creativity was in order. I had a dozen eggs, so I checked out recipes on www.weightwaters.com and decided the Breakfast Enchilada could work. For me, having breakfast for dinner is all about comfort.

The result was excellent. For the wrap, I used Trader Joe's habanero chili wraps, which added the perfect amount of zest to the dish. This recipe is a keeper because it meets my three goals for a successful weekday meal: It's economical, easy to prepare and tasty. The fact that it is vegetarian is the cherry on this dish.

I was going to serve it with a salad, but just as I was about to pull out the greens, a recall warning for Stop & Shop's organic greens came over the TV. Scary, since I have been eating from this batch all week. But a side of roasted corn proved a perfect accompaniment to our meal. At only 6 PointsPlus per serving, there is no doubt in my mind that I will be making this meal very often.

BREAKFAST ENCHILADA
2 sprays) cooking spray
2 tsp. olive oil
2 medium scallions, chopped
1 small green peppers, seeded and chopped
1 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced (medium)
4 large egg whites
2 large eggs
1/2 cup low-fat shredded cheddar cheese
2 Tblsp. cilantro, fresh, chopped
1/4 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper, freshly ground
4 medium whole wheat tortillas
1/2 cups fat-free sour cream
1/2 cups salsa, medium or hot variety
* Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat a shallow baking dish with cooking spray.
* Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add scallions, green pepper, tomato and garlic; sauté 5 minutes. Add egg whites and whole eggs; cook until eggs are scrambled, about 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese, cilantro, salt and black pepper.
* Place a tortilla on a flat surface; spoon 1/4 of egg mixture onto center of tortilla and roll up tortilla. Fill remaining tortillas with remaining egg mixture, then place tortillas side-by-side in prepared baking dish; lightly coat with cooking spray.
* Bake until golden brown and tortilla ends are slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Serve with sour cream and salsa spooned over top. Top each enchilada with 2 tablespoons of sour cream and 2 tablespoons of salsa. Makes 4 servings. 6 PointsPlus per serving.

2 recipes

I usually devote today's post to my Weight Watchers meeting, which I missed last night because of the SNOW. Mom Nature are you listening? Enough!

Since it took me three hours to get into work yesterday, I had to work late. But my reaction to missing my meeting was so unexpected: I was disappointed. And this is a good thing.

On the way home last night -- that only took 90 minutes -- I started to think about how I am not meeting the WW daily requirement of two dairy servings a day. Since I am lactose intolerant, I avoid milk, but always eat one yogurt. It's the second serving I am missing.

This morning, I made myself what I know will become my daily drink to get me going: 8 ounces of almond milk, frozen blueberries and strawberries, and a banana. I whipped it up in the blender, and the result was a 16-ounce smoothie worth 1 PointsPlus. What a treat.

My other recipe is for oatmeal, the biggest hit at last Sunday's brunch. I was silently laughing at my son and daughter, who were impressed with how good steel-cut Irish oatmeal is. When they were children, they would sit there and gag rather than eat their oatmeal. Have times changed!

Do I have time to make real oatmeal daily? Absolutely not. But I made so much of it Sunday, that I had enough leftovers for breakfast all week. Besides the flavor, the texture of steel cut oatmeal is chewy and more filling than the flakes we are used to. And at about 3 PointsPlus per 1/4 cup serving, I think it is worth the effort. For an extra treat -- and of course some added PointsPlus -- you can throw in some nuts.

VAL'S OATMEAL
4 cups water
1 cup steel-cut oatmeal
1/4 cup dried cherries
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 Tblsp. pure maple syrup
* Bring water to a boil. Add oatmeal, cherries, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and maple syrup, stir, and after oatmeal begins to thicken, about 5 minutes, lower heat to simmer.
* Cook uncovered for about 30 minutes, or until the oatmeal reaches your desired consistency.

Testing, testing!

I am both looking forward to -- and dreading -- the next four days. Starting tonight, the challenges start coming, one after another.

Tonight and Saturday I will be eating in a restaurant. And although I know I can order what I think is healthy, in most cases, the food will be loaded with hidden ingredients (fat, salt, sugar, the holy trio of cooking). Saturday we are all descending on the restaurant where my son-in-law is chef. Monday I asked him what I can order that will keep me on my diet, and although he thought long and hard, he honestly said nothing. He was kidding -- sort of. He knows how I am cooking now, and he knows that when he adds a little of this or that it not only adds to the flavor, it adds to the calorie count. Of course, I can special order something, and he will oblige.

Which leads me to today's point: There really is no reason why I should dread eating out. It's all about having the gumption to speak up. Whatever excuse you give the server, believe me he or she has heard it before. If you don't want to admit you are dieting -- which by the way everyone is -- tell him or her that you are allergic to some foods and need something cooked a certain way. If you say it with a smile and respect, your wish will become reality.

Of course, if you're dining at Burger King, this isn't going to work. But in a non-chain restaurant, this is your right. You are there to have an enjoyable meal, and to eat the food.

Tomorrow, I'll let you know how all this works, because tonight, I don't know the chef in the kitchen. But what I did was check out the menu and have narrowed my dinner down to two options:
Seafood Bouillabaisse: Scallops, clams, shrimp, mussels, calamari, mixed seasonal vegetables, steamed in curry fish soup OR
Grilled Tuna Salad: Mixed green salad with grilled tuna, mango, tomato, pineapple, Sesame seeds and teriyaki dressing.

Today, I am eating lightly, with a heavy concentration on greens, fruit, a little protein and some oatmeal. When I get to dinner tonight, I will have 20 Weight Watchers PointsPlus to blow, and I'm sure I'll blow them all. BUT -- and it's a big one -- if I make it through tonight, I will prove something to myself.

Tonight is my test. Let's hope my hatred of failing pulls me through.

Another Monday

This is the second Monday in a row that I woke up happy. I made it through another weekend sticking to the Weight Watchers Plan and eating within my PointsPlus.

It's actually becoming a game, and each day when I successfully stay on Plan, I tell myself I am a winner. Positive reinforcement, and it's working.

Each Monday, I take a look at the week ahead, and decide which days I will face the most challenges. This week it's Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, and Sunday breakfast and lunch. Thursday will be a restaurant meal; Friday, our book club -- which includes dinner -- and then this weekend, when we will have a house full of relatives.

Here's my plan:
During the day Thursday through Sunday, I will eat lightly, filling myself with fruits, vegetables and some protein to keep me sated.
Thursday night: I have already looked at the restaurant menu and know what I will be eating. And although I will act as if I am listening to the server relate that night's specials, I really will not be listening. If I stray that night, I know that could open me up for failure the rest of the weekend. The old: "I blew it. Might as well have fun this weekend."

And guess what that could do: Make me gain back all the pounds I lost the last two weeks. SO NO WORTH IT.

Friday night: I will use portion control. I will also avoid any hors d'oeuvres, unless they are veggie sticks. And no wine.

The weekend is really in my control. I can cook Weight Watcher's meals, and again exercise portion control.

It's a plan. But next Monday, if I wake with a smile on my face, it will so be worth the effort.

Day 1

What a day I had yesterday! I ate well -- and often -- and each time I was hungry, I reached for a piece of fruit. I'm really loving this new Weight Watchers PointsPlus (PP for short).

It actually felt kind of decadent eating a banana before breakfast, sprinkling my oatmeal with 1/4 cup dried cherries (OK, those count as 4 PP), having a grapefruit as a mid-morning snack, and adding a diced apple to my lunch salad. I could have fit this much fruit into the old Weight Watchers plan, but I didn't. I'm not sure why.

I was thinking about the "why" on my drive home from work last night, combined with the notion that the PP plan is not a diet. How great it would be if I really can train myself to reach for fruit instead of a bag of Twizzlers. There is something psychological about a food being zero PP that makes you want to choose it over something that could eat up most of my daily PP allotment. And when it's fruit, that makes it special. Most vegetables have always been zero Points, but veggies are just not the same.

And speaking of veggies, I also discovered that winter squash and pumpkin now weigh in as zero PP. Personally, I could eat one a day. In the past, this alone would have eaten up some serious Points.

For the first time in years, I really believe I have a chance to stop yo-yoing my way though life. That last sentence just made me smile.

My new day

Jennifer Hudson, here I come.

All day yesterday, her new song was playing over and over in my mind, except I imagined her singing to me -- "Val, it's your new day!"

And I did what I said I would do yesterday: I made my Weight Watchers meeting. It really was like coming home. My leader, Karen, was really happy to see Jack and me, as was my WW buddy, Donna, the lovely woman Jack and I convinced that Weight Watchers really is the way to go -- and the one who has now lost 30 pounds and is looking really great.

I could have been Donna. Instead, I am exactly 5 pounds heavier than I was this time last year. But enough about the past. It's time to concentrate on the future. For me, 2011 will be the year I shed my extra weight -- forever. I am not looking for a quick fix. I am looking at this as my year-long project, and by the time I ring in 2012, I will be thin.

And I love WW's new plan, PointsPlus. The fact that I can eat all the fruits and veggies I want -- without counting them as any PointsPlus -- is freeing. On the way home from our meeting last night, we stopped at the grocery store and I bought bananas and grapes -- fruits I would have to portion into servings on the old plan -- but now fruits I can eat with abandon.

Kind of. We are still instructed to eat until we are full, so if I am really hungry, I should slowly eat a banana, wait 20 minutes, and then see if I am still hungry. If so, eat a second.

Sounds easy. Of course, I know it's not. But it can become a learned behavior. Besides, it's really time this old dog learned some new tricks.

We are also encouraged to set a goal for the week. Always the over-achiever, I have two.
1. I will drink 8 8-ounce glasses of water a day.
2. I will journal, writing down everything that passes my lips. I know the importance of journaling, that studies have shown those who journal lose double the weight of those dieters who never journal. So journal I will.

And oh -- one more thing. I will forever delete the word diet from my vocabulary. It was made very clear to us last night that WW is not a diet -- that it is a way of eating for life. And what a phony I am to call my blog Diet? Not Again!, and then call WW a diet plan.

This is my new day, my new way. And right now I am feeling on top of the world. If Jennifer Hudson can do it, so can I.