Category — Dumb Things I Do for the Point of Making a Point

Week one of the Weight Watchers challenge came to an end on Sunday. You might be wondering, ‘Hey, does the half anorexia, half bulimia diet work?’ The answer is, yes, it seems to, and no, it’s not anymore healthy than it was last week before I started the whole thing. So, here’s the tally thus far.

Weight loss: 2.5 pounds

Last week, I did no exercise. One reason was because I was tired. The other was because I wanted to slowly integrate healthy activities into the challenge to see what happens. Because, be it Yoga or weightlifting, I am going to put on muscle. It’s what I do. I’ve come to terms with it. And, of course, muscle weighs more than fat, so will I gain weight this week? We shall see.

I don’t feel like I am starving. I have been a bit tired, but, then again, I’ve been tired since primary season began, so it may have little to do with a lack of calories.

My daily point/calorie post are a bit behind, so now let’s play catch-up.

Day 1 - Monday, March 3rd

I consumed a total of 18.5 points. Remember, my total goal is 19. I ate a total of 1099 calories. Remember, doctors don’t recommend less than 1200.

Pish Posh.

Day 2 - Tuesday, March 4th

I consumed a total of 18.5 points. (Yes, again.) I ate a total of 980 calories.

980 calories.

Hm.

Day 3 - Wednesday, March 5th

I consumed a total of 18 points. I ate a total of 1065 calories.

Day 4 - Thursday, March 6th

I consumed a total of 18 points. I ate a total of 965 calories.

Reviewing, that is 235 calories less than doctors recommend.

Nutrients, shmutrients. I’m gonna get skinny.

What is more common than the obsession with being thin? I can think of few things that would fall on more people’s “To Do” list than “Lose ten pounds.”

Has anyone noticed that when people are on Weight Watchers that’s all they seem to be able to think about?

Or talk about.

I’m not faulting them for having it on the brain. After all, there is so much work involved in figuring out how many points each food item has in it that it is an all-consuming process. I have, literally, never been in a room with a person who was following Weight Watchers without it being brought into the conversation. It seriously affects mind function.

My mission?

To discover why this seems to be the case.

I have my theories. You see, I’ve always thought of Weight Watchers as the diet that allows you to eat only one thousand calories a day, and only allows you to keep them in your system for thirty minutes. That’s the calorie/fiber dichotomy, see?

I don’t doubt that Weight Watchers can help people lose weight. In fact, I’ve seen it done, on more than one occasion, by more than one person. What I do doubt is how healthy this weight loss is. After all, Weight Watchers, in no way, spurs you to make healthier decisions in your life. It doesn’t promote exercise, and those people who talk so much about it love to mention how they can eat anything on the program. That’s why they love it. A one hundred calorie pack of Doritos has the same point value as an apple. Who doesn’t love being able to eat absolute junk and still lose weight?

Now I cannot trash this program if I have not given it a fair shake, so, for one month, I’m going to try it. I actually started two days ago, following the plan, eating my allotted number of points (and not one over)! I will document how many points/calories I eat each day and how I feel.

Here are my stats:

~I am not considered overweight by medical standards. (I would like to lose weight though. I am setting my weight loss goal at 15-20 pounds. I have no idea how long this should take, but considering the amount of food I’ve eaten in the past two day, I can’t imagine it’s going to take long.)

~I have a lot of muscle for a female. (I’m not a body builder or anything, but I do have muscle. One of my biggest fears with Weight Watchers, even for just a month, is losing muscle mass.)

~I eat fairly healthy to begin with. I have my splurges (the occasional IBC Root Beer, for instance) but, for the most part, I am a fruit and veggie girl.

~According to the little WW formula, I get 19 points per day.

~For all intents and purposes, a point is equal to roughly 50 calories.

~For those bad at math, that equals 950 calories per day.

Bearing in mind that it is almost universally agreed upon by medical doctors that adults need to eat at least 1200 calories a day to get the proper amount of nutrients, my hypothesis about Weight Watchers is thus:

If you are not severely overweight, the amount of calories that you are permitted to consume each day on Weight Watchers is not enough to retain normal brain functioning, leaving you with a mind incapable of forming any rational thoughts deeper than, “Me skinny. Weight Watchers good.”