PointsPlus

Club WW pulled a fast one last week and changed up their program. They introduced the PointsPlus plan the week after Thanksgiving, to the horror of many a member and the 100 calorie snack pack food industry.

Dillypoo, however, was pretty excited about it. The higher powers at WW headquarters must be reading my blog because they finally had the same epiphany I did earlier this year: not all calories are equal. A 100 calorie pack of Cheetos is not the same as a 100 calorie banana.

It's The Crap Theory mathematically manipulated into a system that encourages healthy eating over processed crap.

(Yes, Dillypoo did just take credit for PointsPlus. Ha!)

In fact, the "C" word (calories) isn't even part of the equation any more. It's all about nutritional value -- points are now based on fat, fiber, carbs and protein -- and fruits and vegetables can be devoured all day long without spending any precious points on them.

Because nobody ever got fat eating too many strawberries. Or apples. Or bananas.

So I decided to jump on the PP bandwagon and try out the new program. Dillypoo needed a challenge to pique my interest, which has been waning a bit since reaching goal. Tracking in my food journal has been less than stellar the past few weeks.

That also means I decided to finally utilize my $12.95 per month WW eTools subscription. It was the easiest way to access all of the new program information without dropping another paycheck on new pocket guides, journals and other gadgets.

It took the better part of a loooong lunch on Thursday to enter in 23 months of weigh-in data, but it was worth it because I got to see my journey mapped out like this:

Pretty neat, huh?

And I've been tracking my points through my iPhone, which is easier than I thought it'd be. I like seeing my extra activity points rack up:

I've already noticed that I'm thinking twice before opening a snack bag to curb the munchies, which is the whole point of the new program. Since last Tuesday, I've eaten my way through a package of fresh blackberries, most of a box of red grapes, one bunch of bananas and half of a bag of apples. I even paid $10 for a bag of out-of-season cherries. And though I may be giving up bags of chocolate dipped graham crackers and chewy granola bars, I'm keeping my beloved VitaTops and Cheezits.

Because life isn't worth living without my muffins and Cheezits.

Weigh Day is Tuesday. We'll learn then if I followed the new plan properly. In the meantime...

Don't forget that for every comment I receive on this or any other post by December 15, I'll donate one can of food to my local food bank. So please leave a comment and send me to the grocery store!