Hmmmm. Weight Watchers? I see you’re appealing to my aversion to counting numbers. I became a journalist so I could avoid numbers and instead work with words. But my career has included writing for a business newspaper reviewing annual reports. Such are the best-laid plans? Now I write about health care insurance. Try getting away from numbers with all of that!
Speaking of plans, Weight Watchers launched its PointsPlus plan today and, for me personally, in the nick of time. I was weary of my WW plan, started ignoring my journaling, got sick of Zero Point Soup, and watched as my soft, creamy center began to expand. Fortunately, it’s winter, and we wear a few more layers here in Hawaii. That’s fine if you wanna cuddle kitties all day, but not if you want to stand up lean and tall, straight and sleak on a surfboard or a stand-up paddle board! Plus, have you ever pedaled a bicycle from the drops with a belly, your thighs banging against it, reminding you how pudgy you are with every stroke? Yeah, that’s unpleasant.
Late November is not the worst time of the year to start a new program, fellow flabbies! By the time New Year’s Resolution Day comes up, you could be 30 days into a new and healthy habit. While others awake on January 1, 2011, with groggy regretful food hangovers, we could be a little closer to sveltdom. I’ve made my mind up. I’m going to get my money’s worth out of my Weight Watchers membership.
Weight Watchers has been around for as long as I can remember. It’s been around long enough to recognize the science of nutrition, and the expectation that a weight-loss program has to evolve. Weight Watchers is throwing us a curve and dumping the calories from our points calculator and trackers. Now we count fats, carbohydrates, protein and fiber. We used to count fat, calories and fiber. My points allocation is a little bit more, and I’m not sure why. I’ll find out Wednesday at my Weight Watchers at Work meeting. Nearly all fresh fruit and vegetables are free. But I will admit that I’ll want to reach for potato chips instead of an apple once in a while. The weekly allowance is more generous as well.
I failed at tracking this past six months and it shows. So I’m going to make this commitment. I’m a bit skeptical. I actually think I’ve been eating within the parameters of the new PointsPlus program.
We shall see. And you know me…I shall tell.
Lavagal 
I logged into my online page today and was shocked to see that I have 10 extra points per day and — what — 15 per week?
I’ve been sucking at following the plan for the last 10 months or so, and I’m optimistic. I’m excited that there’s a change.
But, like you said, I can’t imagine I’ve been eating too far outside the parameters of the new plan. I had a normal lunch and breakfast today and have 21 points left for the day!
I’m a WW veteran since the early 1990s and have been using Weight Watchers Online since late September of this year. The online tools suit me perfectly and I’ve been more successful than previous WW experiences.
I, also, have been fairly balanced in my food choices, but have skipped that banana because of its former 2 points. Luck to all!