It’s only Thursday and I’ve faced so many food temptations this week. I know I can eat what I want, as long as I track it, but when I look up the smart points, it leaves me truly wondering if an item is worth it.

For example, earlier this week I fulfilled a promise to my high school freshman daughter who is studying for her first finals. She was craving Lou Malnotti’s pizza. So we ordered one. If you’re not from the Chicago area, well, just trust me when I say that Lou Malnotti’s is one of the best deep dish pizzas out there. There was no way I was eating a salad while everyone else ate my FAVORITE pizza. So, I sat with the family and ate when they were done (only because I didn’t yet know what I was going to have, otherwise I would have eaten my dinner with them).

BIG NEWS: I DIDN’T eat the pizza. That was Tuesday.

Today, we had a new business meeting in the office. When the meeting ended the leftover food was made available to the rest of us. As you can imagine, there was a beeline to the table. I took a look at what I wanted, an egg, cheese and bacon breakfast sandwich on an asiago bagel (a favorite, of course). I knew it had to be bad news. So, I took a little bowl of fresh fruit (zero points). THEN, I looked up the sandwich points. The smart points didn’t include the bagel, just the regular chiabatta bread. Point total? 16 + whatever the bagel would have been.

For me, there are some things that are worth spending the points on and things that aren’t. One piece of pizza (unplanned for the day) and a truly unnecessary breakfast sandwich aren’t worth it. I could make either one work if I wanted to, but I’d rather plan in advance, instead of eating because it’s there.

This was a huge accomplishment. It reminds me that I’m committed to my weight loss journey. It shows me I can make good decisions. I am no longer powerless to food. Not long ago, I would have eaten in both situations because I didn’t want to be “deprived” of something I wanted. I have finally turned the corner on that excuse for not being able to lose weight. I am making a healthy lifestyle change. Right now, I choose to not eat deep dish pizza or breakfast sandwiches. But, it’s my choice. It’s not that I’m not allowed, or can’t have it. I choose to make better choices — at least most of the time!