[SqueakyBirds]

Hi, another question...eek, i seem to have so many

Is it normal to feel like I am eating so much throughout the day? I am allowed to have 28 points daily, and here it is 10:30pm and i still have 5 points left, and I already feel like I have eaten a lot! Does this seem normal?
Breakfast: Muffin 3pts
Lunch: baby carrots 0 pts
ww meal 4pts
brownie 1pt
Dinner: Microwavable pizza 9pts
slim a bear ice cream 3pts

and i just had some dry cereal for 3 pts...for 23 points total! I am still trying to work some more fruits and veggies in...but i am also still trying to find some more fruits and veggies that i like...hah. Anyways, I almost feel like I am dieting wrong, since i have eaten a lot and i am pretty satisified...hah, go figure. Am I missing something? Maybe when i exercise tomorrow I will be more hungry or something because i burned more calories? Hrm, I hope I'm not the only one who thinks this.
Thanks : )

[Allie Abbott]

When I switched to eating healthy food instead of the prepared foods and junk I was eating before, I realized that I was going to be eating a lot of food! I snack on fruit and veggies throughout the day, just so I can get all my points! It really works, though, to eat that much. When I plateaued, I realized that I was not eating enough of my flex points (less than 1/2). Once I started making sure that I ate at least 3/4 of them, my weight loss started up again.

[Kelly_S]

Review the points pies and there is no reason why you should ever drop below your minimum. I see some basic things lacking in what you posted:

1) dairy --- right there that is 4-6 points a day; remember it is 2 servings for everyone except nursing mothers, teens or over 50 where it is 3 servings

2) healthy fats --- you need 2 a day and that is another 2 points

Here are the Points Pies

Balanced (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8-9 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 6-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Protein (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 5-6 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 9-11 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-1 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-4 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Carb (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 9-10 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 5-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 1-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 1-2 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

-----

Balanced (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 11 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 10 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 3-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Protein (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 12 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 4-5 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Carb (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 13 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 8 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Also review the 8 Great Heath Guidelines (while it is says guidelines they really are requirements because we want not only to get thin but be healthy too). These start on page 34 of the Week 1 booklet or can be found for online people by going to the W/W website and after you log in, it can be found in the Select a Resource dropdown menu located in the Shortcuts toolbar on the left hand side of the page. Click on Weight Loss Topics of the Week in the My Plan section of the dropdown menu. On the next page you will see the View Topics Archive link in the box on the upper right side of the page. Click the link to be brought to the topics archive. 8 Great Health Guidelines is the first first link on the archive list. But in general they area:

1) 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day
2) choosing whole grain foods whenever possible
3) 2 servings of dairy (3 if nursing, teen, over 50)
4) healthy oils (2 a day) such as canola, olive, sunflower, safflower or flaxseed
5) getting in enough protein
6) limit sugar and alcohol
7) 6-8 glasses of water a day
8) multivitamin

[Kelly_S]

Your menu you posted to me does not seem like a lot of food:

Breakfast: Muffin 3pts
Lunch: baby carrots 0 pts
ww meal 4pts
brownie 1pt
Dinner: Microwavable pizza 9pts
slim a bear ice cream 3pts

Here is yesterday for me (I get 22 TPs a day, earn 3-4 APs 6 days a week and utilize all my 35 FPs a week):

BREAKFAST: Smoothie (3 points) [consisted of 1 cup of strawberries, 1/2 a cup of vanilla fat-free yogurt, 1 1/2 oz banana and some flavored water -- 2 fruit servings and 1/2 a dairy serving)

MIDMORNING SNACK: 1 snacksize microwave popcorn (2 points)

LUNCH: Ham Salad Sandwich (3 points) [consisted of 1 slice Aunt Hatties Potato Bread, homemade ham salad w/a smidge of Miracle Whip Free]; 1 cup of watermelon (1 point) [2 fruit servings]; 1 Jell-o Sugar Free Fat Free Pudding Cup (1 point) [1/2 a dairy serving]; 2 cups salad greens w/7 gms bacon bits, 7 gms croutons, 2 tbsp Newman's Own Light Balsamic Vinegarette (2 points) [2 veggie servings; 1 fat serving <although I know it is not healthy fats I use whatever fats I can to get in my 2 servings a day>]

MIDAFTERNOON SNACK: 1 cup skim milk (2 points) [1 dairy serving]

DINNER: 6 oz Tyson 97% fat-free b/s chicken breast (4 points); 2 cups of green beans (0 points) (4 veggie servings); 1 cup Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (3 points)

EVENING SNACK: Piece of Reese's Pie from Schwans (7 points); 1 apple w/2 tbsp fat-free caramel (3 points) [1 fruit serving]

I earned 3 APs at the gym yesterday and I used them plus I used some of my FPs for the week.

[SqueakyBirds]

Thanks for the input, and I can totally see where I will have filled more points up with the dairy, protein etc. When I sit down to plan my 'menus' for the day, I will keep a list of the stuff I have to include, otherwise I will never think to eat it.
I guess it seemed like a lot of food to me because I was eating so much less when I was watching/counting calories...
Anyways, I know I will be faced with lots of food this weekend at my sisters birthday party and a graduation party to go to. I guess I will be utilizing those flex points : )

Thanks so much for all the notes and help!