Small Victories, Ultimate Success

One of the things I love about Program is that it never just says “No” without offering an alternative. There’s very little that’s truly “off-limits.”

Craving an egg sandwich from McDonald’s? Sure, a McGriddle isn’t the best choice (definitely not Dianne-approved), but you can absolutely have an Egg McMuffin — just check your Pick ’n’ Chews list to see how it counts.

And remember that pizza disaster I shared in my very first blog — when I polished off a whole medium Domino’s pie? Not my finest moment. Delicious? Yes. Healthy? Not so much. But here’s the beauty: pizza is on the Pick ’n’ Chews list.

This week, I celebrated a small but mighty victory: I had two slices of cheesy, delicious pizza — and stopped at two. (For reference: that’s 2 proteins, 2 breads, and 2/3 fat.) I felt full, satisfied, and completely on Program. No guilt. No spiral. Just balance. That, my friends, is a win.

But I’ll be honest — one part of Program that usually slips when I’m tired, stressed, or stuck in HALT mode (Hunger, Anger, Anxiety, Loneliness, Tiredness) is weighing and measuring my food. Yes, I know it’s a Behavior Modification Technique:

“Weigh and measure all the food that you eat.”

For me, it’s not the proteins or the carbs that trip me up — it’s the fats. I don’t use much butter, oil, or creamers. But salad dressing? That’s my weakness. I’m guilty of eyeballing it and convincing myself it’s fine.

So, this week, I challenged myself: actually measure it. And those little Thin’s In measuring spoons? Lifesavers. I discovered that sometimes I was over-pouring, but other times, I wasn’t using enough! It turns out, weighing and measuring isn’t just about keeping us from overeating — it also helps us make sure we’re fueling properly.

That’s another victory.

Beautiful Salad with sauteed onions & peppers, 2oz ground veal, 1oz shredded cheese, 2oz corn, and salsa. See - the measuring spoon is there too!

And when you stack those small victories — choosing salad and pizza instead of a whole pizza, or measuring dressing instead of guessing — they add up to something big. Step by step, bite by bite, we change.

This week’s victory: another 2 pounds gone.

This week’s success: a total of 30 pounds lost in 8 weeks.