Free Fruit and other Things to Get Excited About

Today was really cold. When I woke up it was 16 degrees with a wind chill of -4. Well needless to say I did not go walk or even step outside to go to my mailbox. I mean wow — not the usual weather for north Texas.

School was closed so I didn’t have to go to work. I decided to spend a great deal of my day connecting with friends. It is always fun to touch base with friends you don’t get to see regularly.

One friend mentioned a big four letter word — DIET. I refuse to call what I am doing a diet because of all of the negative implications that ugly word brings to mind. And quite frankly I haven’t yet encountered a single thing I am not allowed on this program. The only thing required of me is accountability. So no, I do not count WW as a diet. I often refer to it as a program but not a diet.

My friend then proferred a wealth of advice and went on to tell me about the wonderful new diet she is on. Why, she has lost an amazing 18 pounds already since the second week in January. At first my ears pricked up and I thought “amazing, I want to lose 18 pounds in a month”

She went on to tell me she had found a miracle product which “Really works”.

I’ve never believed in a magic pill or in this instance a liquid that would work magic. Like people always say; I didn’t get this way overnight — I cant become thin overnnight either.

Amazed but now a little suspicious I went on to ask her more.

Me: Do you have to spend hours in the gym?

Her: “Oh no, I don’t work out at all.”

Me: How often do you take this miracle product?

Her: Just a few times a day, super easy to remember because you are so motivated by the outstanding results!”

Me: “Is it expensive?”

Her “ No, as a matter of fact, my food bill went way down.”

Then she added:

“All I have to do is limit my food intake to 500 calories a day.”

What?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

With WW we don’t count calories — as a matter of fact, I’m sure I would find that if I did count calories I would see that my free fruit alone is more calories than she is allowed all day. I suddenly felt sad for my friend.

I don’t know about you, but that is not how I want to live. What happens when she is finished with her diet and tries to eat real food again? She hasn’t learned anything in this process and her old habits will return — only this time probably ten fold since her metabolism will be wrecked.

At first WW seemed slow and I wasn’t sure I would have the patience for it. I mean 1 lb a week seems like a lifetime when you have over 100 pounds to lose.

Now, as I sit here with my tummy full of turkey chili verde and a whopping 8 points left in my day I contemplate dessert. It won’t be big. It need not be big to make me feel complete and stated. Maybe a ginger cookie and a glass of milk.

I am thrilled with WW and the fact that I don’t have pressure to lose 18 pounds in one month. I am thrilled that I am learning how to control my portions. I am thrilled that the accountability portion of the program isn’t as scary as I thought it would be.

So here’s to free fruit and veg. I am so thankful now, every time I have (a) banana, blackberry, tomato, carrot, strawberry, apple, peach, pear, cabbage, orange, mango, raspberry, pineapple, green-bean, bell pepper, broccoli, celery kiwi, watermelon, spinach, grape, clementine, tangerine, grapefruit …