Find Your Favorite Food Staples, Develop a Routine, and Be Adventurous!

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Sorry I haven't posted recently, but please be confident that even so doesn't mean I'm not still a bona-fide weight watcher! I recently hit a new low weight for me, having lost a total of 34.5 pounds on WW. I'm very close to my newest goal weight and confident I'll reach this weight soon. In fact, I've canceled my online subscription for August, but I'll continue tracking manually. I'm sure I'll still be checking into the WW site occasionally since I'll have that available to me, but I feel I have the tools I need right in my kitchen and purse!

It's been 7 months of eating the Weight Watchers way and it's inherent now for me to shop smart, measure portions and stop before I've gotten out of control. I've been able to enjoy special events with family, accept dinner invitations and watch a movie with popcorn (no butter!).

Much of my success on Weight Watchers is that I have a shopping routine at the grocery store and have discovered many "favorites" that I buy weekly to keep me on target.I imagine I will continue this practice forever, modifying from time to time, adding new "favorites" which have low enough point values to make it into my kitchen.

My Pantry Staples

Everyone likes different foods, which is the best thing about Weight Watchers because you can build your own "favorites" that fit into the program point guidelines. I shop weekly and replenish my food stock with my favorites each week. My refrigerator and pantry usually include:

Fruits and vegetables, depending on the season:

• Watermelon
• Bananas
• Carrots
• Bell Peppers
• Strawberries
• Lettuce
• Onions
• Eggplant
• Zucchini

 Dairy and Frozen Food

• Frozen hash browns (for my crockpot potato soup) (3.5 pts per cup serving)
• Frozen broccoli
• Low fat cream cheese (for soups and WW Spinach Artichoke dip)
• Fat free sour Cream (basically a free food)
•  Frozen green beans
• 2% fat grated cheddar cheese (2 pts for 1/4 cup)
• Low fat parmesan cheese(1.5% fat- I don't even adds pts for this type)
• Low fat plain Greek Yogurt (for dips and cooking)
• Carbmaster or Yoplait fruit flavored yogurt (2 pts per 6 oz. carton)
• Fat free frozen dairy topping (such as Cool Whip) (0 pts)
• Chicken breasts 
• Snack sized flour tortillas (there are brands that are 2 pts each - Mission Low carb for one)

 Pantry

• 98% fat free cream of chicken soup
• Rosarita fat free refried feans (2 pts for 1/2 cup)
• Special K Cracker Chips (3 pts per 27 - 30 chips)
  
• Rold Gold Pretzel Sticks (3 pts for 53 pretzels)
• Baked Tostitos corn chips
• Wasa Crisp'n Light Crackerbread
• Quaker Chewy Granola Bars (3 pts)
• Fiber One 90 Calorie Brownies (2 pts)
• Pop Weaver Light butter popcorn (6 pts for the whole bag) 
• Del Monte No Sugar Added canned fruit cocktail or peaches (For Fruit Salad mixed with Cool Whip) (0 pts)
• Salsa

Of course, I buy other items from time to time, but I always calculate points right at the grocery store with my handheld calculator! (When I get an iPhone I will use their cool scanning app.)

The biggest tip I can give you in regard to picking foods on Weight Watchers is for you to find the lowest point value foods for things you like. You HAVE to eat and there's no reason to feel that you can only eat salads or a chicken breast. Experiment, look for recipes, and always figure out the point value so you'll know how much you can eat at a sitting.  It's really that simple!

After 7 months on Weight Watchers, I can't imagine going back to my old bad habits even after I hit my goal weight, but if I slip and gain more than 2 pounds, I know what to do to regain control. THAT feels great to me...and no longer do I feel afraid of food or guilty about eating.  I look at each day as a new 24-hour period to make good food choices and use up all my points. Every shopping trip is an adventure for me to discover a new low-point food option!

It's nice to have a plan, isn't it? Thanks Weight Watchers!