Weight Watchers: On Plan - Not ALL Points Are Created Equal!

Something that bothers me is when people say "I've been eating my points, why aren't I losing weight??"
My first question is always "have you been tracking 100% everything you put in your mouth 100% all the time?"
If their answer is yes, my next question is "well, have you been eating fruits, veggies, and lean protein?"
Usually, the answer is something like: "Well, no, but that doesn't matter as long as I stay within my points, right?"

WRONG!!
wrongwrongwrongwrongwrong

Let's get one thing straight:
The beauty of the Points Plus program is the freedom it allows. Sure, you can have a slice of chocolate cake or a piece of fried chicken.
ONCE IN A WHILE.
Let's face it.
You eat it every day, I don't care HOW many points you count, you're NOT going to lose.
WHY?

Well, it's the same concept as the old saying that "Not all calories are created equal".
For example:

A slice of 100% whole wheat bread is 2 points plus per slice.
So is three Hershey's Kisses.
Let's say you go on a binge and eat 14 slices of whole wheat bread.
Now, let's say you go on a binge and eat 42 Hershey's Kisses.
Besides the fact that you're probably going to get sick eating all that chocolate, let's look at something besides just the points plus values:

Whole wheat bread has fiber, iron, riboflavin, B12, beta keratin, and a slew of other wonderful, marvelous vitamins and minerals. Not to mention it's low in fat.

Hershey's Kisses, on the other hand, do NOT have these wonderful minerals, nor do they contain fiber, and they are most certainly NOT low fat.

Now I'm not telling you to run off and eat a loaf of whole wheat bread.
Nor am I telling you not to ever eat Hershey's Kisses (that would be blaspheme!)
But I am saying that, even when we're counting points, we still have to be mindful of what we're eating.

Spend your points on the "good stuff" first: lean proteins, whole grains, low fat dairy, healthy oils (since most veggies and all fruits are free!). When you have points left over, THEN add in the "extras" that make the Points Plus program so wonderful.

And remember, not all points are created equal.
Some will help you burn fat, while others will help you keep it on.

Here's to being losers in 2011!