MINDING MY P'S AND Q'S

It has just occurred to me that I will be missing Weight Watchers meetings and weigh-ins until the end of the month because of travelling primarily.  So I really have to mind my p's and q's ....  portions and quality.  So I have decided I have to be really careful on what foods to eat.  I am not into nasty tasting health foods, fake cleansers, weird tips or fairy dust.  It isn't easy to sift through the scams.

It is good for me to actually write down what I plan to eat especially since I will not be making my own food.  I have always said I am a sugarholic even though some say that term doesn't exist.  I also know that many people say sugar is the #1 enemy.  I am not totally sold on going sugar-free but I realize that too much sugar can make you release too much insulin and you get tired, cranky and hungry.  I also know that not all carbs are created equal.  Whole wheat bread, pastas, cereals and crackers all contain a lot of sugar.  The alternative is rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes, fruits and veggies.  They contain more fat burning carbs. 

There are also good fats vs. bad fats.  The right kind of fat can increase your metabolic rate and that is a good thing.  So I am going to avoid hydrogenated oils, canola oil, margarine and any fake butters.  That really isn't too difficult because I wouldn't use them anyway in cooking. The only way I would eat it is if it were in something prepared I didn't know about like packaged snacks and the like.  But they aren't REAL foods.  Butter, eggs, avocado, nuts and extra virgin olive oil are good fats as well as being what I call REAL foods.

If sugar is the #1 enemy, then processed foods have to be #2.  Processed foods contain tons of sugar and chemicals.  So watch for artificial sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils and processed soy products when you are buying anything packaged.  I am going to go back to making sure I shop the perimeter of the grocery store where they have meat, dairy and vegetables.  It is always better to stick to one ingredient rather than a concoction unless you are sure of the content. 

I am beginning to sound like a saint but I am not.  I am just reiterating some tried and true beliefs that natural is better than fake and the quality of food is extremely important.  Of course, we have to watch the portions as well.  These are the p's and q's.  I am just going to try and eliminate bad foods and garbage foods and eat the right foods. I like to eat a lot so I have to consciously try and watch my eating habits. 

I have got into the bad habit of buying Weight Watchers snacks like their cinnamon pops.  That could have caused me counter intelligence when losing weight.  They use fake sugars to create low cal, low point snacks.  The diet Skinny ice creams do the same... except they have to call it frozen something or other and are not allowed to use the words ice cream. 

Well, I have given myself an incentive.  I am going to rid my cupboards of fake stuff ... or hide them somewhere.  My go to snacks will be unsalted nuts, apples, air popped popcorn, apple sauce, bananas, hummus, chick peas and raw veggies without the dip.  We will see if the end of January when I weigh-in at Weight Watchers if there is significant difference.  I still plan to count points but am just going to watch my p's and q's.