I have lost 21 lbs since my annual physical last March when I nudged the official fat rating. I now weigh what I did in high school. Yesterday I got my cholesterol results from this year’s physical. 176! I have never been below 196, ever. (Note: this number wasn’t dangerous because my good cholesterol has been remarkably high. It is still is. My good registers at double of “normal” good.
To my surprise, I have kept off the extra pounds for six months without feeling deprived, even though I have traveled often (including a lavish wedding), sipped wine most nights and often stuffed myself like a silly goose.
You might call this the oink-oink diet.
In fact, it’s Oprah’s new Weight Watchers system, which I’m told is easier to use. I have found that it is critical to use the system long enough to get your head around points not calories, to shift your habits and to trust the results.
Here’s why: Lots of foods that are healthy, torpedo you on the WW system. Example: I was allowed eat 30 points a day while I was losing weight. For years, I’ve kept bowls of raw, unsalted pecans, walnuts and almonds on my coffee table — healthy snacking, right? However, until I started recording the points for everything I ate, I didn’t know that I was nibbling on 24-30 points of nuts a day. Or, wolfing down 24 points of avocado nearly every day, standing by the sink sprinkling Mrs. Dash (no salt) on one avocado half and then the other. I believed I was eating healthy.
Take heart — remember: this is the oink-oink diet. Remember too, I’ve lost 5 inches around my waist.
Tricks that work for me
Sugar cravings. I get them about 4 in the afternoon and sometimes an hour or so after dinner.
- In the afternoon, I eat a syrupy, baked honey-crisp apple, or syrupy stewed apples with non-fat, plain Greek yogurt. (1/2 point.) Recipe: Core apples. Sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake for 40 minutes @ 350 F. Or, core apples, slice into pot, sprinkle with cinnamon, cover and cook on low for about 40 minutes.
- In the evening, I eat frozen, syrupy dark cherries like popcorn. A couple of weeks ago I gorged on three cups of cherries. (0 points)
Limit choice. Research shows that people lose weight best if at least one meal is always the same. (Says Dr. Oz)
- Breakfast: Either oatmeal + microwaved frozen blueberries (4 points) or a two-egg arugula omelet (4 points) with a sprouted wheat Ezekiel muffin (4 points). The muffin is tasty enough to skip butter. If you absolutely need to oil the muffin, use a quick squirt of Pam Olive Oil. Use Pam to spray your omelet pan. I often have half of the omelet breakfast left over to snack on later.
- Lunch: I find it easy to not think too much about what to have for lunch, so I often stick to a salad with fish or meat. Vegetables for the salad = 0 points. For protein, 4 oz. of drained tuna packed in water = 1.3 points) or 4 oz. lean steak (2.3 points). I use the Dr. Oz salad dressing recipe: Double the amount of Balsamic vinegar to olive oil. (1 T. Balsamic = 2 points; 1 T olive oil = 4 points)
No need to get in a rut. Weight Watchers keeps you steady with a frequent supply of super-tasty recipes, which are heavy on flavor, so you feel satisfied. Also, I switched to the densest red wines so that I would drink more slowly. (5 oz. = 4 points)
Defend yourself from gas stops on long drives. Stop right away at a real grocery store and buy boxes of raspberries (0 points), bananas (0 points), cut carrots (0 points), sliced peppers (0 points). You get the point. (Advice from my WW coach that I’d talk with by phone once a week. Note: I didn’t go to weekly weigh-in meetings.)
Celebrate too. Simply watch portions. (Advice from my WW coach.)
Soup keeps you sane. If you’re home, eat a cup of low-point soup about a half an hour before dinner. A Dr. Oz suggestion. My favorite is his spicy lentil soup. (Recipe) I keep one-cup portions in my freezer. They can be thawed and boiling in about eight minutes. (3 points)
http://www.doctoroz.com/recipe/lovely-lentil-soup
Writer’s nervous nibblings. I keep roasted Brussels sprouts and/or roasted cauliflower in my refrigerator. (0 points) Recide: Aluminum foil on a baking sheet for no clean-up, spray lightly with Pam Olive Oil, season heavily with Mrs. Dash, pepper, Sumac (or curry or whatever). Recently I’ve started roasting with the convection setting on my oven, which results in crispier, “air-fried” vegetables. Naturally, now I’m paranoid whether charred vegetables are carcinogenic. ;-(
Reason to gorge on 0 point foods. Then you can eat a baked potato (5 points) with 2 tablespoons of lite butter (6 points). Or key lime pie (22 points). (The WW system allows an extra 30 points in a week.)
Always, always, always have 0 point stuff ready to eat in your refrigerator. Last week I was low on food, going out a lot with friends and—among other traps— ate the frozen cookies in the freezer. Result: I had gained three pounds by my weigh-in day. And what the hell were cookies doing there?!
Always, always, always have 0 point stuff ready to eat in your refrigerator. Last week I was low on food, going out a lot with friends and—among other traps— ate the frozen cookies in the freezer. Result: I had gained three pounds by my weigh-in day. And what the hell were cookies doing there?!