I’ve always struggled with having a healthy diet. I didn’t how I would become healthier, until one day, when I was talking to Ashley B., my Com Hab staff, after working out, she told me that if I made changes to my diet, it would really make a difference in losing weight. At the same time, I had subscribed to Weight Watchers, but I hadn’t used it often, but I made it a goal to use it a lot after what Ashley B. said to me. I had realized several things on my Weight Watchers journey.

First off, several things are very high points on Weight Watchers, and that’s bad. This especially applies to fast food places, where I go a lot. Chicken wings? Not good, points-wise. Cookies and ice cream? Similar story. Movie theater popcorn? That will ruin your day with your points, depending on the size. Chips? An average serving of them is 5 points, which is okay, but also not good at the same time. However, I was able to find healthy alternatives, like Halo Top ice cream and Quest chips. They taste good, even though they are supposed to be healthy and are low points.

The good news is that there are several zero point foods on Weight Watchers. These include eggs, plain popcorn, fish, fruits, beans and lentils, and vegetables. A lot of the recipes I do every Monday night that are Weight Watchers-friendly utilize at least one or more of these zero-point ingredients. As such, they are often no points or low in points. And they are delicious, too!

I’ve also increased my water intake ever since I started the program. My water bottle is 32 ounces, and I usually fill it up twice in a day: once at the start, and another time later on, for a total of 64 ounces of water. It helps fill me up and wash away salt. I often take it with me during Com Hab, and Ashley B. is impressed that I am drinking my water.

I also am working out twice a week, but I want to increase it. I usually work out at the Bay Shore or Patchogue YMCA locations. Since they have streaming services on their equipment, I usually watch a show from one of the streaming services on the bike when I work out, as it helps me focus. As for my house, we have a Peloton bike and a treadmill. I would love to use it more, even if it has fewer streaming services than the YMCA equipment.

Ever since I have started the diet, I feel like it is worth the effort. As of this writing, I have tracked my food for 23 days, even when I have had bad days where I waste my points. I have lost 5 pounds so far as of this writing, and I feel proud of it. It’s not so bad to work hard to live a healthy lifestyle, and I want to continue with this!