freestyle dieting day

So yesterday was an interesting day in the greater scheme of my diet plans. It was the first day I didn't really have any way to count my points. We did a carry-in for work. I brought a veggie tray with humus, and managed to skip the obvious land mines (the brownies, muffins, even the fried chicken!) and stuck to a egg salad 1/2 sandwich and a little pasta-pesto salad (about half tortolini half tomato, and I tried to get mostly tomato)

So on one hand, I really have no idea if I was at all close on points, which is bad, and I strongly suspect I was low on fiber. On the other hand, I believe I made the best choices possible without offending anyone (I had a little of everything that was home made except for the muffins and brownies).

In the long run, if this is going to work as a life long change, I will need to learn how to make good choices and eat healthily by instinct and habit, not just because I have to face my spreadsheet when I get home. I can’t rely on it as a crutch forever. So here’s my plan. I will continue to use the spreadsheet for the 11 week challenge. Then when the challenge ends, I will go off the formal point system, and just try to “eat well.” If I am able to keep up the weight loss, I will stay off the spreadsheet until another challenge begins. Then I will go back on the formal system to see how close I was staying to the guidelines without checking every day.

Of course, if I go off the plan and find I’m gaining weight again, I will immediately jump back to the spreadsheet. Better to rely on a crutch and walk than be without and fall down.


For what it’s worth, I’m 1.1 down from yesterday. That’s bye bye to the 380's!