Lisa, my Weight Watcher coach, enlightened me about the importance of eating happy. In other words, eating the foods that I love, and in a just right portion for me. Eating happy… is what sustains a person when losing weight, and (I think) is especially important while on a long weight-loss journey. On the surface, it seems so obvious – like duh eat foods you love. In practice, however, it is really sage advice.

A Day in the Life of a Weight Watcher

My sister and I did our Saturday morning ritual. We take turns driving and picking up (Dunkin’ Donuts) coffee for our Saturday morning meeting, and this week it was my turn. Occasionally after the meeting, we take a quick trip up to Trader Joe’s as we did today. I bought a bunch of hard-to-find items and left with two bags of groceries.

By the time I got home, I was pretty hungry and this is what I ate,

I enjoyed both, the food and the atmosphere in my dining room. I am happiest when I eat a variety of foods and the presentation of the food is also important to me. I tried to be strategic, I love carbs so there is the crumpet, and it’s worth all 3 Smartpoints to me. The guacamole offers healthy fats as an alternative to butter and is only 2 Smartpoints. More importantly, I like the way it tastes; although in truth, I wanted fresh avocado but none were ripe enough yet. The non-fat Greek Yogurt was full of protein, and (as we discussed in our meeting today) is sure to keep me from getting hungry again for a while. The pomegranate seeds are the variety and add a nice texture when mixed together with the blueberries.

As I write to you now reflecting on this small part of my day, I realize there is another layer to eating happy, gratitude. Food has been something I have taken for granted over the years, and now I see it as something to be deeply valued. Eating happy is another expression of self-care and a vehicle for the betterment of my health. So I will pass on Lisa’s phrase to all of you readers, do yourself a favor, eat happy.