[feather319]

Hi, I'm interested in the WW plan. I'm a 25 year old female - 186 pounds and about 27% body fat. I've done a paleo/low carb diet for years. I don't eat grains and really don't want to because of health reasons. I don't eat much dairy either. Maybe regular (not fat free) cheese or 2% cottage cheese. I pretty much don't eat anything that isn't natural - just meat, veggies, fruit, and nuts. I just eat too much! That is why I thought weight watchers may be for me.

I think that 1-2 servings of protein a day is way too little. I lift weights pretty heavy for a woman so protein shakes post workout are a must. I workout intensely for 60-90 minutes 6 days per week.

Can anyone give me advice on how I should approach WW? I don't want to join unless I can change it to fit with a no grain, no dairy lifestyle.

Thank you!!!

[sidhe]

With WW YOU choose what you are going to eat every day. They do have guidelines on how you spend your Points, but they're not written in stone. If you for your body and your activity level need more protein, then by all means eat more protein. If you don't want to eat the "whole grains" recommendation, then don't!

I myself am lactose intolerant, and some days I just don't have pills with me or I just don't feel like dairy. So on those days I give it a miss. I'm also sensitive to wheat and try to avoid having meals that are primarily grain- or carb-based, so some days I just don't get it in.

The beauty of the WW plan is that it is eminently flexible. It can be whatever you want it to be. Use it to teach you portion size, if that's what you need. It's all up to you!

[feather319]

That is very reassuring. I asked my roommate who does WW about my questions and fears and she told me that I'm brainwashed into thinking I need more protein and don't need grains. Whatever. I'll try this my way. :-)

Thanks so much!

[kaplods]

Originally Posted by feather319

That is very reassuring. I asked my roommate who does WW about my questions and fears and she told me that I'm brainwashed into thinking I need more protein and don't need grains. Whatever. I'll try this my way. :-)

Thanks so much!

I'm brainwashed too, I suspect then. I've noticed a grain connection with many of my autoimmune symptoms (I noticed the connection before I read the various books linking autoimmune disease to grain consumption). I'm continuing to experiment to find the specific culprit(s). I initially thought it was carbohydrates in general, but I'm finding that may not be true. Wheat definitely seems to trigger it. So it might be specifically wheat, or it could be gluten grains, or grains in general.
.

[sidhe]

Keep in mind that the dietary recommendations are based on the GENERAL population. In general, for the way our society lives now, we don't need that much protein. But if you're a lifter, especially a heavy lifter, then you specifically need more protein. Lifting tears up your cells. Protein helps rebuild them. More lifting, more protein.

As for the whole "need for grains" thing...yeah, um, not going to go there, but you could ask your roommate to consider just how long our society has been refining grains, and what our health has looked like since then. Of course correlation is not causation, but the body can't evolve that quickly, either. TO ME, it is obvious that our bodies (mine, at least!) haven't really got a good solid idea how to cope with most grains. I feel better when I limit them. End of story.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that every body is different. You do what's right for your body, and you'll do fine.

[feather319]

Yeah, thanks everyone! I'm glad I'm not alone in my thoughts. I try to stick to what the Weston Price Foundation recommends. If you haven't heard of Weston Price, just Google it. Awesome information that I truly believe in.

As far as WW, I think I'm just going to do the CORE plan until I can find a happy medium with the momentum plan. I will try to limit portions and fill up on raw veggies.

[sidhe]

I'm poking through the Weston Price website. I have to say, the second rule of basic nutrition ("Eat only foods that will spoil, but eat them before they do") made me laugh out loud! I know the spirit in which it was written and I know how it was meant, but it certainly sounds funny!

[shcirerf]

I have some food allergies. Certain foods give me horrid stomach cramps. Fruit is a big culprit, so I don't eat much of it. Chocolate is the other, but I think that's probably a good thing. lol.

But, I found it easy to do WW. For vitamin c, I eat a lot of veggies high in it.

Grain wise, I eat some oatmeal and Sara Lee whole grain, 45 cals/slice. No more than 2 a day, and I use whole wheat or whole grain tortillas now and then.

I have some protein at all 3 meals. I have a very physically demanding job, and if I don't have my protein, I find I'm starving all the time. Which leads to mindless munching.

I try to stay away from to much processed food as well.

With a bit of creativity I think you can get WW to work with any food issues you may have.

I've worked all my issues into the program and it's working nicely for me.