Some things just aren't meant to be fat free....

You know what one of the most depressing things is about dieting?

Using fat free half & half.

That shit tastes NOTHING like the real thing.

And from a self proclaimed coffee junkie's point of view, it can kill your morning caffeinated cocktail in just one little pour.

My relationship with coffee's better half (and half) hasn't been an easy one. It all started when I developed a taste for "coffee" by going to Dunkin Donuts where I proceeded to order my coffee with cream and sugar. If I had to give an educated guess, I'd venture to say the coffee to cream ratio is about 1:1 when you order it that way. In other words, the beverage is damn near white in color. Hot milk, if you will, with a splash of something that may or may not have been picked by Juan Valdez. Add in the 5 lb bag or so of sugar they like to toss in there and you've got yourself a sugary, creamy scalding hot treat that someone had the balls to pass off as coffee. I used to enjoy this beverage at least once a day.

Knock Knock....Are we still wondering how I reached 232 lbs?

All I can say is, thank the Lord for the invention of Splenda..... barring, of course, any study that comes out in the future linking it directly to some hideous form of cancer. 

The truth is, I've gone steady and broken up with half & half many times throughout my life, dumping it like a bad habit (which it was) whenever I was trying to lose weight. This time around, on Weight Watchers attempt #562, I decided I would try to keep it incorporated in my diet since 2 Tbsp is worth only 1 measly point. 

That's all well and good when you have 26 points in the day to play with, as I did when I began the program in February. It never infringed on consuming other foods so I really didn't mind giving up the point in order to drink my coffee the way I enjoyed it best.

But since then, due to my weight loss (and hey, I'm not complaining!) I have dropped to an allotment of 24 points per day. And while 2 points doesn't sound like a lot for those that don't speak WeightWatchers-ese, it's a kings freaking ransom.

Or at the very least, it's a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwich, which, when you're dieting,  is essentially as valuable, not to mention as strongly desired, as a king's freaking ransom.

So, I've begun to juggle my points and figure out how I can get the most bang for my buck so to speak, for my points expenditure. I've had to take into account, I usually like to have my dessert fix somewhere in the day and am less likely to give that up than anything else. Using half and half just doesn't seem worth the point anymore.

Or so I thought - until I decided to end things with Cream and try to establish a love affair with Land o' Lakes Fat Free Half and Half.  Let's just say it left me feeling.....well, unsatisfied.

My FMIL swears by the stuff and it's what she uses at her home and at the beach house so this isn't the first time I have consumed the stuff.  But I find I never enjoy my coffee quite like I do when I am using the real deal. 

I've toyed with the idea of drinking my coffee black, as I did when I was on the South Beach Diet - but I remember after a month or two of doing that it looked like I had a bad chewing tobacco habit, my teeth were so horribly stained. With the wedding coming up, a pearly smile is important to me and if I go the black route, I'd have to take stock in Crest White Strips. Frankly speaking, they're expensive and I'm unemployed, so it's safe to say that's not gonna happen. And that myth that once you go black, you never go back?  Not true. 

We're still talking about coffee here, right?

So, what's a java junkie to do?

Suck it up - that's what.......

I think back to the days when I didn't like beer. (I know, I know - insert laughter here).

I started by drinking half hard cider, half lager.....and then eventually grew to love....no, correction - FUCKING LOVE -  just beer. Again, this love contributed greatly to my weight issues, but thats not the point I'm trying to make here. The point is - for me, beer was an acquired taste and maybe that's the case with fat free half & half too. If I can go halvies for a week or so and gradually switch to all fat free, maybe, just maybe I'll learn to like it. 

And for zero points? It's worth a try.