points

I joined Weight Watchers in August and have lost 17 pounds. Over 10% of my starting weight. I'm at the weight I was when I started working at at Second Helpings three years ago. I'd love to lose another 10 pounds, but I'm thrilled with the progress so far.

I'm having fun opening boxes of clothes that I haven't been able to wear for a few years. It's like having a 24 hour boutique in my (clean and dry!) basement.

I'm doing the Weight Watchers program online, which is perfect for me. I can enter what I've eaten in to the points tracker and it figures out the points for me.

I've learned some interesting things. A fist full of my beloved red vine-y goodness is equal to eating a cup of chicken and dumplings. My Waterford Twizzler jar is sitting empty and I've learned to write without eating at at the same time.

Work is the hardest part. We're surrounded by food. The students are always creating dishes and looking for tasters. When a proud student comes to you with the first cheesecake they've ever baked or chicken Parmesan they made from scratch it would be rude not to taste it, really. Even if it is 9:30 in the morning.

Last week two pallets of candy were donated. Not cases, pallets. Of candy. Three Musketeers, Butterfinger, Snickers, Dove dark chocolate covered caramels and yes, Twizzlers. The helpful drivers brought bags of the sinful decadence to the table right outside of my office door. And the other thousand pounds are just a thirty second walk away. Damn it.

One thing I like about Weight Watchers that you can exchange activity points for food...or maybe beer. The State Fair helped me kick start the program. When you walk a 1.5 miles each way to eat a sandwich it sure helps. A brisk one mile walk equals a Jameson and water. Now that's math I can wrap my head around!

Many of my activities don't show up on the WW activity point scale. Sitting on my hands, jiggling my legs and holding in comments during a two hour committee meeting is not on the list. I think it should be worth at least one point.

Moving the humango oak bookcase, that took Dad and two other people to haul onto my porch --in the house by myself-- and standing it up with a complicated system of pillows and increasing taller chairs to lean it on should be worth at least five points. Getting the bookcase stuck in the hallway should be worth at least two points in frustration.

Squeezing around the bookcase to get to my bedroom for a month should be worth something. Having to hold anything that I wanted in or out of the bedroom over my head -- laundry, books, the cat, glass of water....you get the picture-- should be worth at least a point a pop. [thanks to Miss Adventure for helping me get it into the bedroom- where its going to stay- forever.]

Frenzied cleaning and organizing and recycling Saturday knowing that there would be company in the house. Worth at least four points. Cleaning out the truck, putting air in the tires, gas in the tank and wrestling with the hood that wouldn't open to add windshield wiper fluid should be a two point value.

Getting ready for the Gala and discovering that the two pairs of sheer black stockings that I own both had runs - at least a point. Deciding between tights and fishnet stockings to wear with the dress, one point (I went with the tights). 

Pulling out of the driveway for the Gala with Kipp in the truck and the hood popping open. Worth at least two points in embarrassment. Getting lost on the way to the Gala- in my own town, mind you. One point. Getting called out by the social reporter for the paper for not being "the Guild type," two points. 

Sweating over deadlines, two points. Feeling guilty over a messy house, one point. Constantly running late, three points. 

You get the idea- I'm losing weight, even if it is in a very neurotic way.