Weight Watchers Question

[chelle]

I'm only allowed 20 points a day which is really hard,
I didn't think it would be this difficult.I'm still hungry!
I'm trying to figure out the activity points too.
The leader said that she will talk about it in 3 weeks
but i wanna know how it works now lol
I'm just going to take it one day at a time i guess
but if i decide to drop out,i can control my portion
sizes on my own.
I just wished that i wasen't so hungry,their motto is"
"Stop Dieting and start living" but it feels like a diet to me lol
The good thing is that the portions are smaller
and that's the key to losing weight.
I pay as i go $12.00 every meeting ( which is on Thursday )
like my husband said,"Why pay $12.00 a week when you
already know what to do"
he made a good point.

Has this happened to anyone on WW where you're
still hungry? i also have the shakes too.
My Doctor told me that the skakes is from not
getting enough protein in my diet and that i should eat
a peanut butter sandwhich,well how can i do that if i already
used my points for the day? lol
It really is so confusing,you have to keep track of
your points plus watch your portion sizes by
measuring your food.

All i know is this has been the most confusing and difficult
diet that i have ever been on just by the points alone.
All i need to do is walk for 30 minutes a day and be a low
fat diet,i can lose the weight cause i did it before
with no measuring or counting points.

 

[twstychik]

Originally Posted by chelle

I'm only allowed 20 points a day which is really hard,
I didn't think it would be this difficult.I'm still hungry!
I'm trying to figure out the activity points too.
The leader said that she will talk about it in 3 weeks
but i wanna know how it works now lol
I'm just going to take it one day at a time i guess
but if i decide to drop out,i can control my portion
sizes on my own.
I just wished that i wasen't so hungry,their motto is"
"Stop Dieting and start living" but it feels like a diet to me lol
The good thing is that the portions are smaller
and that's the key to losing weight.
I pay as i go $12.00 every meeting ( which is on Thursday )
like my husband said,"Why pay $12.00 a week when you
already know what to do"
he made a good point.

Has this happened to anyone on WW where you're
still hungry? i also have the shakes too.
My Doctor told me that the skakes is from not
getting enough protein in my diet and that i should eat
a peanut butter sandwhich,well how can i do that if i already
used my points for the day? lol
It really is so confusing,you have to keep track of
your points plus watch your portion sizes by
measuring your food.

All i know is this has been the most confusing and difficult
diet that i have ever been on just by the points alone.
All i need to do is walk for 30 minutes a day and be a low
fat diet,i can lose the weight cause i did it before
with no measuring or counting points.

Wow... 20 points isn't much. I get 24 a day and am often still hungry. That's when I use my weekly points or try to find something with 0 points to snack on like fresh veggies. If you need a little protein boost I'd eat a piece of cheese (1pt for 1oz or small slice) instead of a PB sandwich which has LOTS of points because of the bread.

If meeting work for you then go but I'm with your hubby. I'm going to cancel my trial before they start charging me because I can track points myself. I'm also going to ignore activity points. I'm not entirely sure how they add up and convert to food points. My thinking is that instead of eating more by earning activity points I'll just lose more.

It can be confusing... some people find the points easier but it's basically the same as counting calories & fat. I like the points because it accounts for fat and fiber for me.

 

[katachtig]

Remember that you have the additional 35 points for the week above your 20 per day. I allocate 5 of those points per day unless I have some special occasion that I need to save for. That 5 points should cover a PB sandwich as an afternoon snack. You can also look at other sources of protein like the low-fat cheese sticks or a boiled egg.

 

[callista]

Hey, just a caution: If you do a scientific, controlled study with Weight Watchers, you find out that the success rate is just 10%; and that only 10% of those who lose weight will keep it off for five years.

That's not to say Weight Watchers is a bad program; it's considered to be the best out there.

Suggestion: Exercise; turn the 20 pounds into muscle instead.

 

[tari]

I've lost 70 lbs so far on Weight Watchers. I've still got more to go, but I've had a bad couple of months. One of the things you learn is that we all have our ups and downs.

I had the same problem, chelle, with being hungry all the time during my first week or two on the program. It does get better after the first week or two, when your body has adjusted to the lower food intake. Also, 94% fat free microwave popcorn was a godsend to me...it can be pretty filling for just a few points. Also, make sure you're drinking your water...that helps you feel fuller, too.

I understand the frustration with having to wait to find out the activity points, but they want you to focus on food for the first few weeks. As you've found out, tracking everything can be enough of a challenge, especially the first few weeks when you have to look up everything. That gets easier, too, after you've had time to learn the points values of the stuff you eat most often.

 

[chelle]

Teri congrats on your weight loss...that is great!!!
With such great support here,i can do it i know i can
It's getting easier as the days go on,i have my meeting
on Thursday and i can't wait to see how much weight i have
lost.
I haven't even touched my scale because i don't want to
be discouraged if it's not the # i wanna see.
There is a couple in my meeting and they both lost
10 lbs in 2 weeks.Is this typical weight loss in such
a short time?

I'm going to save my 35 points for the weekend when
i really need them lol

I have been snacking on baby carrots which are 0 points
for 10 pieces..that works for me.
Does anyone know if you can have string cheese and
how many points it is? it doesn't say in my book
and i don't wanna eat it til i know for sure i can have it.

 

[whisky'sdad]

Originally Posted by chelle

I'm only allowed 20 points a day which is really hard,
I didn't think it would be this difficult.I'm still hungry!
I'm trying to figure out the activity points too.
The leader said that she will talk about it in 3 weeks
but i wanna know how it works now lol
I'm just going to take it one day at a time i guess
but if i decide to drop out,i can control my portion
sizes on my own.
I just wished that i wasen't so hungry,their motto is"
"Stop Dieting and start living" but it feels like a diet to me lol
The good thing is that the portions are smaller
and that's the key to losing weight.
I pay as i go $12.00 every meeting ( which is on Thursday )
like my husband said,"Why pay $12.00 a week when you
already know what to do"
he made a good point.

Has this happened to anyone on WW where you're
still hungry? i also have the shakes too.
My Doctor told me that the skakes is from not
getting enough protein in my diet and that i should eat
a peanut butter sandwhich,well how can i do that if i already
used my points for the day? lol
It really is so confusing,you have to keep track of
your points plus watch your portion sizes by
measuring your food.

All i know is this has been the most confusing and difficult
diet that i have ever been on just by the points alone.
All i need to do is walk for 30 minutes a day and be a low
fat diet,i can lose the weight cause i did it before
with no measuring or counting points.

If you are still hungry, move over to the Core plan. There is no way I would be able to do the Flex plan! And I'm allowed 42 points a day! I used to eat enough for 2-3 people in a sitting! It's been a month for me on Core and I've lost 5 lbs so far! A little at a time!

WW is all about changing your eating habits. I'm eating about the same amount of food, but just healthier food! Oh, and I'm moving more!

 

[whisky'sdad]

I was going to just do the online part of it, but the lady at the meeting suggested the weekly meetings. I hooked up with that and I'm glad I did! The support is wonderful and it keeps you motivated!

Something else that keeps me motivated is watching "The Biggest Loser". If that doesn't motivate you to get off your rear and move, I don't know what would!

My main problem with excercise is that I was thinking to myself, "What is my motivation?" I have no girlfriend or kids. So, the motivation was just reworking my thinking. "If I lost the weight, I'd have a better chance at finding a girlfriend" DUH!!!!

At 5'8" and a starting weight of 323 lbs, I've lost 5 lbs so far and my goal is to be down to 225 lbs by September 2008.

 

[twstychik]

Originally Posted by chelle


Does anyone know if you can have string cheese and
how many points it is? it doesn't say in my book
and i don't wanna eat it til i know for sure i can have it.

Regular cheese (not low-fat or anything) I think is 1pt for 1oz. I'd invest in a food scale. You might also wanna check out www.dwlz.com. She has lots of point values and other good stuff there.

 

[chelle]

Can you do both plans at the same time?
and how does it work?


Thank you twstychick for the web site

 

[twstychik]

Originally Posted by chelle

Can you do both plans at the same time?
and how does it work?


Thank you twstychick for the web site

You have to choose either core or flex. I'll try to explain both briefly and you might consider doing what I did. WW is currently offering a few one week online trial. You can join, get familiar with how it works, then cancel before the one week and they won't charge you card. That way you can get an idea of how the plans work, how many points you'd have and I even formatted my food journal after their online points tracker. Ok, brief overview...

Flex: Pick your start day and weight yourself. Based on that and your goal weight you will be allowed a certain number of points per day to use how ever you want. The points are for that day only and can not be carried over to the next day. You can also "earn" extra points for activities/exercise. This could be anything from cleaning your house to running a marathon. I personally choose to ignore activity points and any exercise I get will just burn that many more calories. You are also allowed 35 weekly points to be used as needed through out the week. At the start of a new week you get a new 35 weekly points, like daily points any left from the previous week are dropped and you start over with 35. You'll also weigh in again at the start of each new week. Now, if you use WW as you lose weight your daily points will go down. I'm choosing to stay with my allowed 24 points until I reach my goal weight or hit a plateau. If it's the latter I'll reduce my daily points by 2 (apx. 100 calories) and continue to my goal weight.

Core: With this plan you do NOT get daily points but you DO week the 35 weekly points. The core program focuses of portion control and knowing when you full but not stuffed. There is a list of core foods (whole grains, fresh fruit/veg, lean white meats etc.) that you can eat all you want of. The key is to only eat when your hungry and to stop when your full. Tip: Stop eating before you feel full and wait 5-10 minutes before eating more. Since it take about that long for the food to hit your digestive system we're usually full before we stop eating which results in us feeling stuffed/bloated after meals. Then, if you have a craving for a non-core food you can use your weekly points for it. Like flex you'll weigh in weekly and your 35 points will reset weekly as well.

 

[chelle]

I wanted the free trial online but i don't have a Credit Card

I have only used 8 points today because i have a nasty
cold and don't feel like eating.

On the Core plan can your eat just the food that is
listed?

 

[twstychik]

Originally Posted by chelle

I wanted the free trial online but i don't have a Credit Card

I have only used 8 points today because i have a nasty
cold and don't feel like eating.

On the Core plan can your eat just the food that is
listed?

Do you know anybody that would let you use theirs for the trial? Or do you have a debit/credit card... that's what I used. You can also still buy the books and things even if you aren't a WW member.

You mostly eat foods from the core list but you also get 35 weekly points to use on non-core foods.

I do flex because buying healthy core foods can get expensive. I could spend a small fortune on fresh produce but my income seldom allows it.

 

[tari]

chelle, in answer to your questions:

It's better to only weigh yourself weekly because, you're right, seeing daily weight fluctuations can be discouraging. The amount of weight loss is different for everyone, but dropping a lot of weight the first week isn't uncommon. It's mostly water weight because you're probably consuming a lot less salt as you start eating healthier. In the normal course of things, though, you shouldn't lose more than a couple pounds a week. (Personally, I lost 10 lbs my first week. After that, I'd go for a week or two with no loss or even a gain,then drop several lbs in one week. Like I said, everyone's different.) Remember, though, this isn't a diet, it's a change of lifestyle.
It's a marathon, not a sprint.

I usually save my 35 points for the weekend, too, and allow myself some junk food on Friday nights with my husband.

String cheese is a good snack. Most of it is 2 pts for one string. (I have found some lite string cheese, though, that's only 1 pt) You need to eat one and a half strings to count as a serving of dairy, though.

And even though you have to pick either Flex or Core, you can switch between the two programs. You just have to do them for a minimum of one week at a time. Personally, I usually do Flex, but switch to Core when I'm travelling. It's much easier to not have to worry so much about tracking points when I'm on the road.

 

[chelle]

Today was not a good day..using 20 points a day are getting
to me and not in a good way.
I eat things with 0 points i'm still getting the shakes and
i'm so hungry for something solid!!
I'm depriving and starving myself.
I ate a regular meal for supper without counting points.
and it was soooo good!!!
I'm still going to cut my portions in half but i'm not
going to do the points anymore because im starving myself.
This is not the healthy for me at all.
I may try the Core Plan and see how i do on that
maybe it will work for me better than the Flex Plan.

 

[tari]

If you're so hungry you're getting the shakes, then the plan definitely isn't working for you. You may be better off with Core...or on a different program altogether. There's definitely not a one size fits all plan that works for everyone.

 

[twstychik]

You shouldn't be getting the shakes. Here's my suggestion. Eat how you want to but keep a journal. Continue tracking your points but don't worry so much about limiting them to the 20 your supposed to be eating and see how may points you need to eat a day to feel stable.



Here's my first week's report. I ate all my 24 points a day, all my 35 weekly points plus some. I'd say I was probably over by at least another 30-40 points last night (which is the end of my WW week) but I was being conscious of what I was eating the whole time and writing it all down. The only time I stuffed myself was last night. I'd had a pretty crappy day and gorged a little on chicken nugets. I was afraid my weight wasn't going to be any different but somehone I managed to lose 4 lbs!

 

[katachtig]

Originally Posted by twstychik

You shouldn't be getting the shakes. Here's my suggestion. Eat how you want to but keep a journal. Continue tracking your points but don't worry so much about limiting them to the 20 your supposed to be eating and see how may points you need to eat a day to feel stable.

Here's my first week's report. I ate all my 24 points a day, all my 35 weekly points plus some. I'd say I was probably over by at least another 30-40 points last night (which is the end of my WW week) but I was being conscious of what I was eating the whole time and writing it all down. The only time I stuffed myself was last night. I'd had a pretty crappy day and gorged a little on chicken nugets. I was afraid my weight wasn't going to be any different but somehone I managed to lose 4 lbs!

This is a very good idea. When I first started, I found that I was consuming a lot of sugar (mainly Coke). After a big battle, I've eliminated soda from my diet so I can now eat more healthy filling foods.

 

[twstychik]

Originally Posted by katachtig

This is a very good idea. When I first started, I found that I was consuming a lot of sugar (mainly Coke). After a big battle, I've eliminated soda from my diet so I can now eat more healthy filling foods.

I had a really crappy day yesterday which is why I went on a nugget binge. I had a Pepsi with dinner too and was shocked to later find out that a regular cola of 3 points of pure sugar!

 

[snosrap5]

Originally Posted by katachtig

This is a very good idea. When I first started, I found that I was consuming a lot of sugar (mainly Coke). After a big battle, I've eliminated soda from my diet so I can now eat more healthy filling foods.

That's my problem in a nutshell. Soda!!! I find I just have a hard time giving up the SODA!