So, I’ve been contemplating my relationship with chicken this week. Yes, I said chicken.
For those of you on the new Weight Watchers Freestyle plan, you too may find yourself thinking about chicken from time to time. Chicken is on the list of 200+ zero point food choices on the revised WW plan, and one of the key reasons I made the switch to Weight Watchers. This lean protein is a staple in my diet and the idea of it being zero points sounded like FREEDOM to me.
By now, you likely know my story… I’ve been a long time focused on my weight (about 33 years at it!) and how to manage it better, be slimmer, fit into my favorite pair of jeans, and frankly just feel more comfortable in my skin! I’ve done countless rounds of Weight Watchers in my past, including one wildly successful round in 1998 when I was in college. Over time, my weight crept back up on me, and I found myself in a predicament back in 2010 when my weight exceeded 250 lbs. Looking for a new plan and a new approach, I joined Jenny Craig and successfully lost more than 70 lbs, reclaiming my health and (I thought) finding my peace with this lifelong battle.
By 2017, I had started to gain back some of the weight and found myself not following the plan as closely as I’d like. I started off 2018 with Weight Watchers, embracing this brand new plan and excited about the food freedom that I saw in its description.
The truth: I’m losing VERY slowly on WW Freestyle, but I’m losing. Every week, that number decreases, and every week, I see progress. I’ve lost close to 10 lbs in 2018, and that’s more than I lost in 2017 as a whole. I love that I don’t feel deprived at ALL on the new program. I’ve even gotten back in my kitchen and have been cooking up a storm. As expected the “game” of being on a new program has suited me well.
I watched this video on Wednesday, and shared it on the NTTC Facebook page because it struck a chord.
Personally, I made the mistake in translating zero point foods as FREE FOODS. I’ve been using the zero point foods as snacks… and I’m not referring to cucumbers and bell peppers. I’m talking about lean protein. It’s flavorful, it’s quick, and I had an impression I could snack on Boar’s Head sliced chicken/turkey with no consequences. Brianna says it clearly in her video above: “Zero smart points does not mean zero calories,” and I think this is what’s slowing me down.
So, I’m backing away from the bird. I’m saying no thanks to turkey. I’m pausing on poultry. I’m trying this method this week, and we’ll see how the scale reacts.
Up until I watched this video, I had FOOLED myself into thinking everything was fine… that maybe I was just eating so darn healthy before I started that Weight Watchers was going to be a slow process or maybe my metabolism is just exhausted from all the weight loss efforts. Or, even maybe (gasp!) this was the effect of turning 40 last year…
Sometimes, it just takes someone else sharing their experience for a lightbulb to go off. So, thank you, Brianna, for sharing your message… it hit home with me. For anyone else eating a lot of zero point foods, this may be a video for you to watch as well.