The calendar says May, and leaves and flowers have sprouted, but Spring on Cape Cod is more fantasy than reality. Ocean breezes that cool us during the summer chill us in April and May. But the sky is blue, and the crabapples are in full bloom, so life holds promise of warmth to come.

With even the hint of warmth and light that lingers until 8 o’clock comes the urge to get outside. The bike path is filtered with light through a canopy of leaves that seem to have unfurled almost over night.

Also time to lighten up in the food department. The Big Guy and I are counting points again, using the slightly older iteration of Weight Watchers that we’ve had success with in the past. Our goals are pretty simple this time. Unlike bears who lose weight when they hibernate for the winter, we tend to put on a few pounds with winter inactivity.

This whole Weight Watcher thing is such a mind set. If the WW fairies are whispering in your ear, you tend not to reach for the roll and butter, or order the fried seafood. It also becomes sort of a game to see how many points can be shaved off of a recipe.

Case in point: Last night, I made a shrimp and cabbage dish. I found myself measuring a teaspoon of oil instead of simply splashing some into the pan to start the process. In addition, I put a half cup measuring cup next to the rice cooker to measure out an appropriate amount of brown rice. It’s often the seemingly little things that add up.

In my mind, the trick with Weight Watchers is to treat it as an adventure instead of a burden. Maybe that’s the trick for most things.