i wasn’t really planning on publicly announcing this, since no one wants to hear about other people’s diets, but OH WELL.  it’s my blog!

so, this e-mail went out at work to join weight watchers.  i’m already 3 weeks into a “trying to eat better” thing anyway, so i thought it would be a cool way to keep track of what i’m eating and be a lot more aware in general about my eating habits.  i’ll try anything once, right?  right?!

anyway, i’m one week in.  my first weigh-in is tomorrow.  the good news?  i think i’ve lost a decent amount of weight - maybe 5 lbs.!!  the bad news?  i blew through my weekly points allotment.

here’s the thing.  i was being SO GOOD all week.  but the VCU game and the massive amounts of drinking/fun involved killed me.  then, to top it all off, lauren’s parents visited today and took us out to eat twice.  i was done for.  my meager remaining point allowance was completely blown.

but the good news is, i now think i know what to watch out for.  what to be careful about.  the eating out absolutely kills me.  i need to keep that to an absolute minimum.  i’m at my best when i’m eating at home, watching my portions, doing things by the book.

here’s what i love about weight watchers:

- the iphone app and web apps themselves are amazing.  whether it is intentional or not, the points system totally gamifies dieting.  i love having easy access to keep track of where i’m at for the day.

- it really does reinforce making smart choices, choosing to eat less of something or picking something healthier on the menu.  seeing my points shoot up after adding that extra dollop of mayo really makes you consider whether or not mayo is actually important.

here’s what i hate:

- despite millions of users and years to work on it, their database doesn’t have EVERYTHING.  i hate having to work to figure out all the ingredients and amounts of things that go into a menu item.  it’s 2011.  the database should have literally every possible food at this point.

- despite a few handy tips that they provide, i still have a really hard time trusting myself to measure out portions.  did i have a cup of french fries or was it a cup and a half?  i have no fucking clue.

- i hate that i’m doing weight watchers.  i hate that i’ve bought into this weird cult.  i feel really weird about it.  but if it works, then hey, let’s party!

when i started this thing last week, i was at an all-time-high weight of 231 lbs.  my end goal is to lose 10% of my current weight, bringing me down to 208 lbs.  i’ll keep y’all posted.  wish me luck.  and send me any extra points if you have any.