Monday, March 31, 2008

It is only a target

In the past couple of weeks I have been seeing more and more that weight watchers points are only a "target" for what you should be eating. It even says in the their journals I buy (they are nicely designed), "Daily Points Target". I do not pay for weight watchers, but have in the past.

Anyway, when I was a member of weight watchers at work..I was a perfectionist with points. I don't think this was helping me achieve my weight loss goals and I failed, but with other contributing factors...like the foot thing and meeting bf. I feel much more healthy about my eating now and I think that has contributed to my success. If I want want want another candy bar, I have it. Going 5 points over for the day will not make me gain 20 pounds back, that is only 250 calories.

I can get away with adding more, but with the catch that I have to excercise. I hardly excercised the week I came back from vacation and added points, (21 to be exact over) and maintained my weight. It takes 3400 calories to equal a pound and there is about 50 calories in 1 point...so that only equals 1,050 over if I ate 21 more points..not nearly the 3400 it takes to gain a pound.

This logic has been invaluable to me..because it has made me less of a perfectionist and more of a balanced eater. I am not sure if this philosophy will take me to another 20 pounds...but it works for me now...and giving up foods I love that make my lifestyle change easier are not worth being super skinny. I am just aiming for healthy.

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