I've been going to Weight Watchers every week for over a year (since March 2010, to be slightly more precise). I say "going to" as opposed to "kicking ass" or even "following", because for the past month or three, I've been, well, not. Haven't been counting points or even writing down what I'm eating. How can you say if a plan is working if you're not following it?
So here I am in the midst of a heat wave, thinking I can't possibly be bothered to worry about nutritional value of what I'm eating, not to mention trying to exercise or at least be somewhat active. I'm frustrated by not losing weight (even more-so that I've been gaining anything I've lost these past weeks), I'm frustrated that I'm wasting money each week, I'm frustrated that I'm not in a habit of eating healthier yet, I'm frustrated that I know what to do and I'm just not doing it for whatever reason.
Part of me thinks I should get back to attending meetings, that the camaraderie of others trying to lose weight will encourage me. Another part of me knows that the majority of the meeting is spent talking about low point, artificial, highly processed foods and maximizing one's points for volume, not necessarily quality or taste. In the long run, I would really love to be able to eat a variety of whole foods with some processed, pre-made or restaurant meals and not weigh myself every week. I want to some day just "eat food, not too much, mostly plants" without worrying about the point value of those foods.
I want to be done with weight loss once and for always at a time before Grace has any idea what points or getting weighed or Weight Watchers means. I don't want my beautiful, strong, awesome daughter to grow up in a house that talks about weight loss in any real or positive way. I want to be done so soon that it makes me consider doing unhealthy things. I say consider because I barely have the tenacity to stick to merely counting points and trying here and there to eat more veggies and less pasta, let alone start eating WW brand foods or foods that are mostly chemicals but give more bang for your point buck, as it were.
Until then, until I'm more health and nutrition motivated than stuck in my unhealthy food habit rut, I have to just try again tomorrow to write down what I eat, to eat more whole foods and less processed food, to listen to my body's craving for healthful foods and ignore its cries for junk (not even ignore the real cravings, just the habit of eating junk food instead of veggies or fruits or whatever). I can't learn how to eat well if I don't work on it and I can't hope to eventually be done with this whole business if I don't take it more seriously than I've been.
All this is to say that I'm looking forward to trying for real and to expanding my food horizons in a more healthy direction. I really do like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, etc., all those foods that are "good for you" and I would love to pass that on to Grace (as well as a healthy love of desserts and snacks). On the other hand, I'm hoping not to pass on the idea that foods are worth points and you only get so many in a day.
Do you have any worries about passing on a less than healthy relationship to food to your child? Do you have any thoughts or links on how to help children develop a healthy relationship with food or on how to teach nutrition to children?
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