My Filling & Healthy Week

When I first started Weight Watchers in 2012 they didn't have this Simple Start or Filling and Healthy malarkey so I had gotten used to the ProPoints system and trusted it (can't go wrong with calorie counting). Then F&H came in last year (I think) and my first thought was "it's just like Slimming World" and "it won't work for me" so I pretty much ignored it and got on with pointing. 

If you read my first blog post you'll know I re-started WW in January this year and, after nearly 8 months on plan, I was feeling a bit stuck in a rut meals-wise. I was having the same maybe 10 things for dinner on rotation, salads for lunch and bagel thins for breakfast. I felt like I was using as few points as possible in the day in case I was hungry after tea and wanted something else... but then I wouldn't be as hungry as I thought and the points would just go on chocolate and general rubbish. Not good.

So I thought I would try a whole week on Filling and Healthy to shake things up a bit and swore to post everthing I ate on Instagram so, if I put on weight, my fellow fat fighters could tell me where I went wrong! 

The main problem I foresaw was that I am a greedy cow and don't trust myself not to eat just because I can and not because I'm hungry. I got obese in the first place because I ruddy love food, eating makes me happy and I love the feeling of being full (especially if it invoves cake, chocolate and freshly baked cookies mmmm...) So give me free reign and I'll be like a pig snaffling truffles. 

I had to really remind myslef to listen to my body and go off hunger cues and not eat just because I'm bored/ watching Bake Off / fancy chocolate.  

Days 1 & 2 were a bit of a nightmare. I had totally forgotten that my TOTM was due and spent 2 days climbing the walls with hunger but too scared to eat in case I over ate. Then on Sunday afternoon shark week began/ the painters were in/ I surfed the crimson wave and on Monday the gnawing hunger had disappeared. Coincidence? Maybe but wow I felt loads better! 

I tried to stick to my usual 3 meals a day (I don't usually bother snacking), the main difference being I didn't get my evening Toffee Crisp but one night *cries* 

I couldn't help but keep swapping my tracker from F&H to Counting to see how many dailies I was using and I was surprised to find that there was a few days I didn't even use all my dailies! Obviously other days I went over (especially if I ate Shredded Wheat. Heaviest. Cereal. Ever!) But swings and roundabouts.

I did find it annoying as to how many weeklies I ended up using. I thought I wouldn't have to use any seeing as I could eat unlimited foods from the list but, being honest, if you want your food to taste like anything you need the points for cheese and condiments and sugar and toppings and CHOCOLATE! I wasn't looking forward to my meals like I usually do and felt myself not "fancying" anything. If nothing else it stopped me eating as much! 

The other annoying thing was making everything from scratch. I didn't realise what a lazy cook I am but I do eat Heck chicken sausage, Birds Eye burgers and Tesco dusted fish a lot!

I had a slight fail on Wednesday where I caved and ate a chocolate cornflake cake that a colleague had brought in work (about 9pp) and then had a cookie (6pp) in the evening whilst watching Great British Bake Off. So that took me waaaaaaaaay into my weeklies. Damn you Bake Off!

So it's Friday a.k.a. Weigh In Day and the results are in *drumroll*

2.25lbs off! Not the most epic loss in the world but I'm just happy I didn't put on!

In conclusion, the Filling and Healthy plan was a nice change and I have tried a few new things but really I feel the main thing I have learned is to appreciate the ProPoints plan more. I have missed you... and my ready made foods... and my Toffee Crisps.