When you have the word 'food' in your job title, it's hard not to eat 24:7.

If I'm not eating out, I'm trying out new foods or developing recipes at home. I've never been one of those lucky people who could eat what they wanted and remain svelte. I've always exercised to balance out my greed. Even if I did outdo myself and put on a few pounds, I could rein it in for a few days, move more and the pounds would drop off. 

I've reached an age where that is no longer possible.  The pounds were creeping on any my clothes were straining. Just a little. 

So, just before Pesach, I took myself off to my local Weighwatchers meeting.

It worked wonders. There is no rocket science to it - you eat less, you move more and you lose weight. 

What I like about it this time is that the plan is clearly steering you to a new and healthier way of eating.

A huge number of foods (fruit, veg, eggs, grilled poultry and fish plus herbs, spices and fat free yoghurt) are 'free'. Provided you don't eat them to excess you can eat fress freely.  Other foods are given points values. They clearly steer you towards healthy choices and to make full us of those free foods. Higher sugar and fat foods and even breads have fairly high point scores.

I can eat 23 points a day, and to give you an idea of how those points go, a plain white bagel would be 5 points and the tiniest slither of cake could be 15 or 20! Two tiny spoonfuls - just about 30g - of Ben and Jerry's fudge brownie ice cream was a mega 4 points. It was hardly worth opening the freezer for!    

Over Pesach - which included a family holiday - I halted the usual cinnamon ball fuelled increase and actually managed to lose a couple of pounds.

I'm still doing my job - sampling less than I would normally and making healthier restaurant choices, but I'm feeling so much better.