Biting into a freshly baked chocolate chip cookie is my happy place. You’re probably thinking, “well, obviously,” but when I sit with my truest self for a moment, I feel like it’s part of me. Small, sweet joys are an important aspect of life.
It’s when—through early motherhood and a pandemic pregnancy—I developed a stress-eating tendency that things started to go astray. I even took it so far as to start stress-baking. If I could make something with my hands, bring smiles to the faces of my family, and step into that happy place with the scent, the warmth, and the perfect flavor of a treat, everything would be OK, right? Right? Not surprisingly, now I’m finding myself in a body that doesn’t fit into my favorite clothes and increasingly doesn’t feel good.
I know that cutting sugar out of my diet completely isn’t sustainable for me, and such an extreme isn’t necessary. I just needed a tool to help me reel it in and hold myself accountable to a healthier volume of sweets and better habits overall. Enter WeightWatchers. The moment I signed up, I noticed my mindset shift. And it all went uphill from there.
How I’m Losing Weight Without Silencing My Sweet Tooth
I’ve used calorie-tracking apps before, and they were genuinely soul-crushing. While it can be useful to have a general concept of how many calories are associated with different foods, that’s a two-dimensional approach to weight loss. A knowledge of nutrient density is more fruitful, and it’s incorporated into the Points system developed by WeightWatchers. I know I can trust it because WeightWatchers has 60 years of history, workshops, and traditions under its belt.
- I love that in the short sign-up questionnaire, they took the fact that I’m breastfeeding into account and afforded me some extra points.
- I deeply appreciate that the number I see daily—my Points Budget—is not a calorie counter.
- And I’m positively tickled that they have a list of 200+ ZeroPoint foods that allow me to enjoy all the fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and lean protein I want without docking points from my daily Budget
WeightWatchers recognizes that certain whole foods are nourishing and replenishing to the body, and that eating them supports your nutrition. There is nothing lost by eating them.
There’s wiggle room
Picture this: you’re highly motivated to lose weight. You’ve set goals. You’ve been keeping yourself honest and staying on track. In a moment of being purely human, you eat something your diet doesn’t allow for, and it’s like a switch flicks in you: it’s over. You’ve spoiled the shiny perfection of your endeavor, and a binge ensues. We’ve all been there, friend.
Guess what? WeightWatchers insures you against this scenario. As part of your Points Budget, there’s a weekly bank of extra points waiting for you if you go over one day, or two days, or every day. It allows you to be imperfect and still set your sights on a larger weekly target. This layered approach means that I don’t feel the urge to give up and stress eat over a sense of failure, further straying from my efforts.
Using WeightWatchers has me relearning my relationship with food
You know that baking habit I mentioned above? There was more to it than just stress—I was also just hungry. And when we’re hungry, we don’t make our best decisions. Rather than scrolling social media for lunch ideas, where food bloggers have feeds full of indulgences interspersed with real meals, I’ve taken to the recipe suggestions within the WW app. Depending on the day, sometimes I also head over to the membership network within the app to lament those social feeds that seem like they’re out to throw a wrench in our goals.
Bottom line
WeightWatchers was created by people who love food, for people who love food, and I feel in my heart that their Points system and the WW app are meant to help me succeed. The program is designed to be flexible, so I can do my best every day, and if I falter—which I will—it’s there to gently guide me back on track.
