So what am I going to do about it?

I'm going to cut everything but vegetables out of my diet and work out 3 hours a day with a trainer!

Yeah, right. That would get me approximately nowhere, since I could last about 1 day with that plan. Actually, I'm not sure I could make it through the 3 hours, so not even a day. No, I've been trying to incorporate morning walks into my routine since January, and since that didn't get me very far (it rained a lot in January) I decided to join Weight Watchers. Now, I'm not one of those disciple folks who thinks WEIGHT WATCHERS IS THE ONLY SENSIBLE DIET EVER but WW has a couple of distinct advantages to me -- it has a program for nursing mothers, and it allows me to eat real food. Whatever I want. Just maybe not as much as I want. I can't do anything extreme without jeopardizing my milk supply, anyway. And yada yada lifestyle change that's sustainable.

On the plus side, since I am so very fat AND nursing I get a busload of pointythings (don't want to infringe on the trademark). So far this has been pretty easy. It will get harder, I'm sure.

I've tried WW before and failed miserably, however. What will be different this time? I have a PHILOSOPHY

The Philosophy of Dieting

NO FAKE FOOD

Sure, fat free coolwhip is 0 pointythings, but who wants to eat that? What IS that? I eschew artificial sweeteners and I know I go overboard with "diet" snack foods so forget that. Also, they really aren't satisfying for more than a quick craving fix. If I want ice cream, I'll eat ice cream, and account for it. It's much more sustainable in the long run.

OK, BE REASONABLE
Reduced Fat Mayo is already a staple. Skim milk doesn't even count. And low fat cheese is great for some things. Oh, and some energy bars are OK in my book because they satisfy my sweet tooth and the added fiber and protein actually makes me feel like I ate something. But NO ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS. (except for very occasional diet soda)

GIVE YOURSELF A BREAK
Sticking to the diet is a must. Sticking religiously not so much. If it's ACTUALLY a special occasion, I don't need to count it. I just need to a) try to eat lightly the rest of the day so I might have the calories to spare and b) restrict the definition of special occasion. Wedding anniversary? Yes. Going out for brunch with a friend? No.

EXERCISE
Yeah, I hate it, but it has to be done. I'm walking walking walking.

KEEP GOING.

Sometimes you fail, sometimes you gain, but just keep trucking.

Gah, I sound like one of those diet articles in Parade Magazine. No, I'm not doing WW meetings BTW. I don't have the time or the inclination. Just online. Messing about on the computer is much more my speed.