I love that episode of Seinfeld when Elaine is pondering if a certain guy is “sponge-worthy.”
In case you’re not hip to that storyline, she was, shall we say, hesitant to use her stock of soon-to-be-off-the-market birth control on guys that she wasn’t sure deserved her, um, goods.
And like Elaine, I’ve come to learn, over the years, which foods simply are and aren’t “point-worthy” for me. Which foods are worth spending “money” on.
Fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, fat-free dairy, healthy fats … those healthy choices are a huge percentage of my diet (in the literal sense of the word) and clearly always “point-worthy.”
But in my opinion, so is a couple bites of cheesecake.
I’m not sure about you, but from all the years of watching my weight and being a restrictive eater, I’ve pretty much ruled out certain foods from my diet.
Some might say this makes me “inflexible” and only fuels disordered eating behaviors, but in my mind, it’s how I roll now: “My body, my temple.”
For example, I can’t tell you the last time I ate a French fry or a hamburger out. When I have a craving for them, I make both at home, using 96% lean beef and making my own oven “fries.”
I love Italian food as much as the next girl, but I can make a delicious lasagna or baked ziti or chicken parm in my home kitchen using fresh, reduced-fat ingredients.
And just because my husband or friends want pizza, doesn’t mean I have to eat it. I know when I go home to New Jersey, I’ll have “real” pizza and I’m willing to hold out for the good stuff.
There are just some foods worth “saving my Points for” (like a special dinner or dessert out) and some that simply aren’t going to make my mouth (and head) happy.
Exhibit A: I gave up on Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones when I got married. (With all that salt, I’d rather just cook my own healthy dinner!)
Exhibit B: Nutrigrain bars don’t fill me for squat, but a FiberOne chocolate-chewy oat bar or a tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter with apple slices can tide me over til a late dinner.
For someone with a sweet tooth, not all confections are created equal. I love icing, but don’t really love cake. I love pie and donut fillings, but have since I was a kid, I always tossed the cakey part. To me, the icing and fillings are totally “point-worthy” but I don’t want to waste points on mediocre stuff.
Candy doesn’t do it for me, but chocolate … oh dear, dark chocolate!
I can pass up alcohol and juice, because frankly I’d rather eat my calories than drink them. (An occasional glass of wine is “point-worthy” to me, but I don’t drink often).
And while I love good, crusty bread, if I take a piece from the bread basket and it doesn’t taste the way I want it to or expect it to, I don’t finish it off just because I took it. It’s simply not “point-worthy.”
I think in many ways, looking at my points (or calories if you don’t follow WW) as money — what I’m willing to “spend” has helped me maintain my weight all these years.
I’m not perfect, and sometimes I choose things that aren’t worth it or overdo it on things that perhaps are.
But more often than not, judging food not as good as bad but rather as “point-worthy” or not has been beneficial to me.
Repeat it: “My body, my temple.” And own it.
How about you? Are there any foods that you just will not eat because they aren’t “point-worthy”?
In case you’re not hip to that storyline, she was, shall we say, hesitant to use her stock of soon-to-be-off-the-market birth control on guys that she wasn’t sure deserved her, um, goods.
And like Elaine, I’ve come to learn, over the years, which foods simply are and aren’t “point-worthy” for me. Which foods are worth spending “money” on.
Fruits, veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, fat-free dairy, healthy fats … those healthy choices are a huge percentage of my diet (in the literal sense of the word) and clearly always “point-worthy.”
But in my opinion, so is a couple bites of cheesecake.
I’m not sure about you, but from all the years of watching my weight and being a restrictive eater, I’ve pretty much ruled out certain foods from my diet.
Some might say this makes me “inflexible” and only fuels disordered eating behaviors, but in my mind, it’s how I roll now: “My body, my temple.”
For example, I can’t tell you the last time I ate a French fry or a hamburger out. When I have a craving for them, I make both at home, using 96% lean beef and making my own oven “fries.”
I love Italian food as much as the next girl, but I can make a delicious lasagna or baked ziti or chicken parm in my home kitchen using fresh, reduced-fat ingredients.
And just because my husband or friends want pizza, doesn’t mean I have to eat it. I know when I go home to New Jersey, I’ll have “real” pizza and I’m willing to hold out for the good stuff.
There are just some foods worth “saving my Points for” (like a special dinner or dessert out) and some that simply aren’t going to make my mouth (and head) happy.
Exhibit A: I gave up on Lean Cuisines and Smart Ones when I got married. (With all that salt, I’d rather just cook my own healthy dinner!)
Exhibit B: Nutrigrain bars don’t fill me for squat, but a FiberOne chocolate-chewy oat bar or a tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter with apple slices can tide me over til a late dinner.
For someone with a sweet tooth, not all confections are created equal. I love icing, but don’t really love cake. I love pie and donut fillings, but have since I was a kid, I always tossed the cakey part. To me, the icing and fillings are totally “point-worthy” but I don’t want to waste points on mediocre stuff.
Candy doesn’t do it for me, but chocolate … oh dear, dark chocolate!
I can pass up alcohol and juice, because frankly I’d rather eat my calories than drink them. (An occasional glass of wine is “point-worthy” to me, but I don’t drink often).
And while I love good, crusty bread, if I take a piece from the bread basket and it doesn’t taste the way I want it to or expect it to, I don’t finish it off just because I took it. It’s simply not “point-worthy.”
I think in many ways, looking at my points (or calories if you don’t follow WW) as money — what I’m willing to “spend” has helped me maintain my weight all these years.
I’m not perfect, and sometimes I choose things that aren’t worth it or overdo it on things that perhaps are.
But more often than not, judging food not as good as bad but rather as “point-worthy” or not has been beneficial to me.
Repeat it: “My body, my temple.” And own it.
How about you? Are there any foods that you just will not eat because they aren’t “point-worthy”?