I am a sucker.

This week I went overboard with my Weight Watchers points and I gained at my weigh-in today.  Usually when this happens I feel guilty and I can pinpoint a day (or a few days!) where I overindulged.  Looking back at this week though, I feel a little different.  I feel as though I had a pretty balanced diet throughout the week and made smart choices on what could have otherwise been a really out of control weekend, full of eating out.

However, what really got me is the fact that I am a sucker for snack foods that make me feel as if I am being healthy when I am really not.  After a trip to Trader Joe’s on Friday, I spent the rest of the weekend munching on almonds, dried banana chips, and Powerberries… little dark chocolate covered fruit juice pieces.  I kept these foods around and munched on them in between meals to curb hunger.  Now, none of these foods are very low in Weight Watchers points but for some reason, they make me feel as if I am eating healthier than I actually am.  Having been working on losing weight for 11 months now, I know my stuff and you would NEVER catch me sitting around just munching on a full fat bag of potato chips or M&Ms unless it was a special occasion and a controlled serving size.

Despite the fact that banana chips aren’t much better than potato chips and the Powerberries compare to M&Ms, I had no problem chowing away at these foods.  I am a sucker for the marketing and the cues my brain picks up from these foods.  Bananas?  Healthy!  Fruit pieces and “Power” in the title? Healthy!  Nuts?  Full of essential fats and protein, healthy!

Snacking has been one of the challenges for me as I go through Weight Watchers.  I am someone who finds comfort and satisfaction out of eating and the repetition of food-to-mouth.  I’ve definitely worked on breaking that habit but also on trying to find healthy ways to snack and make the right choices about what I am consuming.  Some of my best friends throughout this process have been popcorn, Edamame, and grapes, which allow me to be able to repeat that food-to-mouth comforting behavior.  I doubt I will ever grow out of being a “volume” eater but I am continually working on making smarter choices and eating a balanced and healthy diet.