I ate pork today and I didn't exercise.

I can't remember the last time I ate pork. It was at least two years ago, maybe longer. I've never been very fond of pork, probably because of my mother's pet pig story she told me when I was a kid. Eating pork was akin to eating dog or cat. Even when I'm not trying to lose weight, I don't eat much pork.

I quit eating beef when I started Weight Watchers (too high in Points), so my choices have been limited to fish and chicken breasts, which quite frankly, are boring me to death. I've been adding vegetarian meals a few times a week, but I need more protein.

After nineteen weeks on Weight Watchers, I felt like I needed something different. My husband loves pork so he was thrilled when he saw I had purchased a large package of boneless pork chops. I found a Point friendly recipe from the pastaqueen.com website and thought I'll give it a try. It was different and delicious.

I also had a glass of red wine in an effort to raise my HDL, something I've been trying to do two or three times a week.

My dinner:

1 pork chop w/ sauce - 7 Points
1/2 sliced sweet potato, roasted - 3 Points
1 glass of red wine - 3 Points
1 T. Olive Oil for the pork chop & sweet potato - 3.5 Points

Total for dinner = 16.5 Points

Satisfaction = Priceless

It was a lot of Points for dinner, but it was worth every Point spent and I had the Points available (Weekly Flex Points). It was real food, food that regular people not trying to lose weight would eat. I think Jennette Fulda in Half-Assed made me realize that sometimes, you just have to eat like a regular person. Not a crazy person on a binge, but a regular person eating regular food.

Weigh in is tomorrow, and I never have a big dinner the night before my weigh in. Do real people regulate what they eat based on when they have to step on a scale in front of other people? I don't think so, I think if they're hungry and they want to eat, they eat.

I also didn't exercise today. Around 4pm I thought I don't want to exercise, I don't feel like it, and dammit, I'm not going to do it. That was that. No beating myself up about it, just taking a day off. It's okay. Real people living regular lives take an occasional day off from their routine. It's good for the soul.

I don't expect a gain tomorrow, but probably not a huge loss either. I've been good all week, eating healthy and within my Points, exercising every day except today, so it will be okay. Life will go on even if I don't make that 2.4 pound goal I had set at the beginning of the week.