Realizing I've grown up...

Recently, I came to the conclusion that I have grown up. Somewhere in my late 20's, I couldn't eat everything I wanted and not gain weight. (darn it!) However, I didn't pay much attention and figured those few pounds wouldn't hurt....

Fast forward to my thirties...those carefree days of fast food and doughnuts have caught up with me big time. I hate to admit it, but I am 45 pounds above a healthy BMI. (yikes!) Given a stellar family history of diabetes, arthritis, and other disorders, and not wanting to wait another pound, I decided it was time to get serious.

I have always shied away from the various diet programs and books out there because I believe that diets are not of any value if they don't teach you how to change your eating habits for the better...permanently. Recently, a friend of mine wanted to start going to Weight Watchers again, and needed a buddy. After reviewing the program, I decided it was sound and fit what I was looking for.

I have learned that I can eat what I normally eat, cook at home or go out, and all the program has changed is make sure I eat like I should. Lots of fresh fruits and vegetables, limiting meat portions, making sure my breads and rices are whole grain, avoiding the fat-loaded sauces for lighter versions. Hmmm....sounds a lot like what we all know we should do.

I signed up for the online tracking, and that is a lifesaver. One of my deep, dark secrets is that I hate to count calories, points, etc. I hate it. I hate it. It is a pain, takes too much time, etc. etc. etc. However, the tracking program that WW offers is a god-send. Almost everything I can think of is already in the database, so all I have to do is enter in how much I ate and voila! it calculates the value and subtracts it from my daily allowance. If it's not in the database, there is a nifty calculator to do all the math and it will even save the data. Even better, it will convert any recipe I enter into a value. I love this calculator! I enjoy counting now.

I have learned that when you are a child, you can eat like a child, but when you are an adult, you must eat like an adult unless you have a killer metabolism. I am now growing up, and I have found that it is not as scary as I originally thought. I am even finding some new yummy favorite foods...without the guilt.

I will keep you posted on my journey. My first weigh-in is Friday. Wish me luck!