Starling Fitness: Daily writings on Fitness, Diet, and Health

Back when they introduced the Core Plan, Weight Watchers added the recommendation that we eat two teaspoons of healthy oil every day. There are even boxes to check off on the Quicktrack form. I keep my journal on my Palm, so there are no healthy oil boxes for me to check on it, but I make sure I get them in every day. I’m a rule follower, so I’m following the rules.

I usually put a teaspoon of Sunflower oil and a teaspoon of Flaxseed oil on my cereal each morning and get them both checked off first thing in the morning. I use those two types because they are different kinds. Flaxseed oil turns into an Omega-3 oil in the body, so it’s supposed to be extra healthy.

I put Flaxseed Oil on my cereal because it has a strangely nutty flavor that I really like with milk and cereal. The truth of the matter is, I really like Flaxseed oil much better than any of the other healthy oils (including olive oil). I heard a couple of women at my Weight Watchers meeting talking about not being able to find it. I rudely broke into their conversation.

“You can find it at Wild Oats in the refrigerated section. I’ve seen it at Smith’s Marketplace in the hippie section and it’s refrigerated there too.”

“Flaxseed Oil?”

“Yeah.”

“Has it made you lose weight?”

My head tilted to the side in confusion. I didn’t know how to answer her. I sputtered, “Well, I have been losing weight, but the only real difference I’ve noticed is that my hair and nails are less brittle. I have really dry hair.”

They nodded and looked at me with blank stares. I continued, “I know they say it’s supposed to make you feel fuller, but I haven’t really noticed that. I just like the flavor of it. It’s kind of nutty.”

They thanked me for helping them and went back to their conversation, understandably wary of me. The truth of the matter is, I haven’t noticed a big difference by adding healthy oil into my diet. My nails are growing well. My hair is a little less dry. Other than that, I haven’t noticed anything. I started adding it to my diet because Weight Watchers told me to. I’m just following the rules. I like the Flaxseed oil. It tastes nutty. In all sincerity, though, I’d rather use those two points I allot every day to something else.