dianaschnuth

This week’s Weight Watchers Weekly was focused on setting a weight goal for yourself, as opposed to checking a BMI chart and picking a “normal” weight that seems completely unattainable.

Back when I started WW seven years and 40 pounds ago, I checked the BMI chart and saw that 173 was the upper end of my “healthy” weight range. That’s what I weighed in middle school; that’s what I weigh now, finally, at age 39. At the time when I chose 170 for my Goal, though, I didn’t know what I would look like at that weight, or even if I would be capable of reaching that weight.

But I decided I’m not done yet. I still have at least 10 pounds to go — and then we’ll see how I feel when I get there, and reassess.
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To try to break out of my months-long plateau, I decided to post a daily photo journal of my meals for a week. I figured it would give me some additional accountability, since I’d been falling into the trap of If No One Sees Me, I Didn’t Really Eat It. (Which, yes, is ridiculous. The scale doesn’t lie. I’m not fooling anyone, including myself.)

What I discovered as I photographed everything I ate or drank (besides water) was that, in addition to increasing my accountability — I did skip a few snacks so I wouldn’t have to photograph them and admit my snackiness — it also increased my mindfulness in eating. When I had to properly arrange my food, make it photogenic, it engendered a purposefulness in eating that I hadn’t experienced for a long time. Less standing at the refrigerator door with the can of gulab jamun and a spoon, or digging into a can of my son’s Chef Boyardee, and more meticulous crafting of delicious and nutritious meals and snacks.  Continue reading →