20 points

I would like to give you a sense of what 20 points looked like on this cold January day.

First, since it was dark out and cold, getting out of bed was less than attractive. I dawdled through getting ready for work and did not fix breakfast here. I left the house with a Fiber One Bar (2 points) and picked up my favorite coffee, a Starbucks Grande Nonfat, No whip Mocha (4 points, 3 of which are required milk points), as well as a bottle of water (24 ounces, which is three of the six cups of water I'm supposed to drink).

It's a big cup of coffee, but I stretch it out across the morning and don't usually finish it until close to lunch time. It is a joke how many times it goes into the microwave for reheating at the office or at home.

In the car, on my long commute, I drink about a third of the coffee, eat the bar, and get through about half the water, which I leave in the car.

Today I came home for lunch, and in the car I ate an apple (1 point) and drank the rest of the water bottle. Once I got here, I had half a can of Progresso Light Vegetable and Noodle Soup (o points, Lord love it), a Weight Watchers bagel (2 points, a much better deal than the average bagel, and they are pretty satisfying) and a tablespoon of cream cheese.

I had a meeting over coffee, and I must confess I had a short nonfat mocha, unusual for me in the afternoon, but there it is. (2 points)

At home while fixing dinner and feeling peckish, I had some microwave popcorn of the 94% Fat Free variety (1 point).

I had planned to cook garden burgers, but there turned out to be only 2 so I had a Weight Watchers frozen meal, Salisbury Steak with Asparagus (4 points) along with a big salad (0 points for the lettuce) with homemade vinaigrette dressing made from 2 teaspoons of olive oil, a teaspoon of red wine vinegar and a smidge of dijon mustard (2 points).

That's 18 points.

After we got back from an event at the school, I had a Weight Watchers Giant Cookies and Cream bar (2 points). The beauty of those is that not only are they only two points, but they are good enough to enjoy without being so good they are a binge trigger.

I'm still working on today's water, which is unusual for 9 p.m. I usually drink it all earlier.

I often worry that too many of my vegetables are lettuce and too many of my fruits are bananas, but today I also had asparagus and an apple. Good for me!

This really felt like just about enough food. I am trying to stick to the 20 points without using weekly or activity points until my week "resets" on Saturday. It feels good to be a little abstemious after the cupcake frenzy of earlier in the week.

We usually go out to dinner on Friday night. There are a couple of places that have items on the menu I enjoy and can actually be sure of the points. One is a chain (Applebee's) and the other is a local place with a menu section for those counting calories. That section was a recent discovery, since I used to order the same thing every time we went there without looking much at the broader menu. They do an open-faced turkey melt with sprouts and tomatoes on one piece of bread, with fat free honey mustard dressing, that comes in at 350 calories. The cheese is really good and worth the points once in a while. They serve it with a mini-salad and steamed broccoli, and it's quite filling. I can have a balsamic vinaigrette (and there i have to estimate the portion) or more of the fat free honey mustard dressing.

This whole thing takes a lot of planning, which is to say it takes a level of consciousness that feels pretty rigorous.  One thing I have realized since coming off the cupcake high/low is that I spent a lot of time unconscious, for many years.

So, one more day of 20 points, and then I can loosen up a little. Thanks again for your support!

Oh, and I stopped at Old Navy today and bought a smaller pair of jeans. :-)

Comments

[Preacher Mom]

I am so proud of you!

[Presbyterian Gal]

A photo of you wearing those jeans, please, so that we may ooh and aah.

And that turkey melt sounds heavenly.

[Susan]

Good for you--sounds like a good day.

[zorra]

Go Songbird! A good day!
And yes, WW ice cream products are yummy.

[Deb]

Yahoo... smaller jeans! :)

d

[patti]

You are awesome!

[jayne]

You go girl! How anyone can read what you were able to eat during a 20 point day and still feel as if they'd be hungry is beyond me. Physical hunger can be satisfied. The other... not so much. Important to learn the difference. :c)

[Linda]

Way to go! An excellent come back, I'd say!

[Mindy]

Smaller jeans....YEA!!!!!!

You did wonderfully today and it all sounded good!

[stcasserole]

I'm proud of you! Smaller size jeans???? Yippeee!

[Cheesehead]

Smaller jeans is victory!

[Quotidian Grace]

Good for you, Songbird. It's a really tough thing to do!

[Althea Agape]

Woo-Hoo for smaller jeans!
That's gotta help with the motivation!

[mompriest]

Songbird? Songbird? Where are you? Oh THERE you are!!! (Getting so thin I almost didn't see you!!!)

Sounds like you are managing this new way to eat and balance life in very healthy ways! YAY!! And sounds like you are even enjoying it...so that's double good.

[lorna (see-through faith)]

congrats on the smaller jeans.