Why?????????

Sundays Off is a food journey...one I have been on my whole life.  I am, and for most of my life have been, in the population of overweight / obese / overeater (did I miss one?) group of people.  How is it that a country as educated as ours continues to find indulgences to kill ourselves with? 

I did not grow up an unhappy, abused, or neglected.  Just in a family where everything was about food.  We ate to celebrate weddings, births, holidays, family, successes you name it.  And we ate when we were sad, dying, divorcing and failing.  You name it and we ate it.  My mother was a wonderful cook and baker, my stepmother makes the absolute best chocolate chip cookies ever, my sister (whose food issues far surpassed mine, God rest her soul) could bake anything.  We love food.

I have 25-30lbs that continue to come and go on my revolving door body.  Thank God the other 60-70 I lost many, many years ago remains lost out there in no man's land.  Good, bad or indifferent I lost it and maybe in this journey some of the good and the bad will come through.  I was not always exemplary in my weight loss methods.  But this time, once these go, they are gone and never coming back.  What's different this time?  Me.

I went to see my doctor in February.  Love this woman, she's tiny and fit and does not let you cop out.  She's been my doctor a long time.  We had a conversation about whether or not I wanted to live the future or allow this to be my end.  Not only am I still overweight, I have high cholesterol, blood pressure and a family history of heart disease.  Oh, that's right, let's not forget I also have Multiple Sclerosis, which brings a whole new set of utensils to the table...but more on that later, I'm sure.

She suggested Weight Watchers, said her sister swears by...and then it clicked.  She lost weight years ago, she stays on the plan because she has to because without it she would not still be fit and healthy.  For some of us it is a lifelong battle that we fight every day.  We cannot just walk away from food, or we would still die; we have to deal with it every day.  In part when I lost all the weight I did, I used the traditional Weight Watchers; I weighed, I measured, I exercised.  So this time (being mobile and on the go!) I opted for Weight Watchers Points Plus on line.  The app is on my iPad and my iPhone (have I mentioned how much I will personally miss Steve Jobs?).  I have points to use every day and tons of foods don't have points.  This is crucial for me because one of great problems (I am convinced from years of bad behavior early on) is that I am always hungry.  I eat all the time and I am learning that I would have 5 points worth of quinoa than 5 points of white rice.  Try the program and you will learn why.

But here is my problem.  Ten weeks later and 20.6 lbs less and I need a day off.  I have 40 extra points a week that I can use.  But I love food and I love to cook and create recipes and I would not know how, even with recipe builder to determine points in items such as Goose Egg Pasta.  Goose eggs are huge...and pretty with big beautiful orange yolks, but I don't know their points!  So here is my solution.  I don't use my extra points during the week and I take Sundays Off from points.  I am not recommending everyone does, but it is working for me.  I don't go crazy.  I don't eat morning to evening.  But I do let loose a little.  This morning, I woke up, made my latte (yes, I have an espresso machine, it costs me a whole lot less than picking it up on the way to work every day) and then proceeded to make some fresh ricotta for dinner later.  I used goat's milk, heavy cream, whole milk and Himalayan sea salt and of course fresh squeezed lemon juice.  I bought some beautiful baguettes last night and some ground veal. 

Dinner:  Toasted baguette slices rubbed with fresh garlic, spread with fresh ricotta mixed with chopped fresh rosemary and bite-sized veal meatballs made with fresh thyme, a (very) little fresh rosemary and whey soaked bread to make light, yummy meat balls.  A little wine and probably some homemade Panna Cotta for dessert.  No idea how to point it, but rest assured, I know I have consumed my extra's for the week!

I let you know tomorrow how it was.  Cannot do it later tonight because me and my very fat pup will be taking our extra walk to mitigate the effects of the luxurious dinner!