Weight Watchers - How about the Stuff we hear at meetings ....

I thought this would be a good idea for a thread ... I apologize if it has already been done.


I thought we could share some of the things we hear at meetings that we have found to be helpful or things we possibly have a question about.

It would also help our fellow Weight Watchers whom are doing it from home and arent able to attend meetings.


I'll start......

Last week at my meeting ... he told us that in order to Loose a Pound a Week we have to eat 500 less calories a day.

500 less then what ? the day before .... the week before ...
I didnt ask But will ..... but until then what do you guys think ?

i love the idea i tried rto start a thread like this awhile back but got response. i havent been to a meeting in awhile but am returning thur.
i personally think thats its a combo of cakl reduction and exwrcise not just cutting 500 cals.

1 pound is 3500 calories so to lose a pound a week you need to reduce your caloric intake of what it takes to maintain your weight by 500 calories a day.

This is a combination of both exercise and food.

If you do some research on Basal Metabolic Rate you can find out the approximate number of calories it takes to maintain your weight. To lose 1 pound a week you reduce the caloric intake for the week by 3500 and that averages 500 calories a day.

Here is some stuff on caloric intake and basal metabolic rate:

How may calories do you burn in a day?

It's important to know your metabolic rate so you can balance enger in (the food you eat) with the energy out (how active you are). Because of different activity levels, each person's metabolic rate is different. Follow these steps to calculate the the amount of caloires you burn in a day. Remmeber, if you eat more than the calculated amount of calories, those extra calories eventually get stored as fat.

1. Convert your weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2 (2.2 pounds = 1 kilogram). So, a 130-pound woman would weight 59 kilograms.

2. Women: Multiply the results of Step 1 by .9 (59 x .9 = 53). Men: Skip this stpe and go directly to Step 3.

3. Multiply the results of STep 2 (or Step 1 if you are a man) by 24. This gives you the minimal number of calories you need to survive, or your RMR (resting metabolic rate) (53 x 24 - 1272 calories).

4. To calculate the extra calories you need in order to perform your normal activites, you must calcualte a certain percentage of the RMR. Then add it to the RMR for that day's calorie needs. For example, a relatively sedentary day--say, a lazy Sunday spent watching TV or laying around--would require only a 20 percent increase in caloire expenditure (1272 x .20 = 254 extra calories). So, 254 added to 1272 equales 1526 calories.

Activity levels vary depending on how vigorous an activity it is and how long you're active. Here is a general rule of thumb based on nutritionists recommendations for energy.

Sedentary (sitting, standing, watching TV) = 20-30 percent
Light activity (housecleaning, golfing, garage work) = 50-60 percent
Moderate activity (skiing, bicycling, dancing) = 60-70 percent
Heavy activity (football,s occer, basketball, jogging) = 90-100 percent.

Additionally, low calorie diets (under 1200 for women and 1400 for men) are not the way to go because you don't get enough folic acid, magnesium and zinc along with putting your body in a perpetual state of starvation.

but how does that translate into points? If I reduced that by 500 per day, I'd only be getting 973 calories per day, which would be starvation mode. And I'm not losing weight right now (20 points/day plus 35 flex points/week).

I used the formula and come up with needing 2436.48 cal/day. That seems wrong but I know the bigger you are the more you need to maintain. So if I want to maintain then i do nothing but eat 2436.48 cal/day. BUT since I'm trying to lose weight I need to adjust that by 3500 cal per week to lose 1 lb, right? And that comes from both reducing what I eat and exercising. OK I can do that. But I have some questions. I used my current weight and my normal activity level. But what about the days I exercise? Do I need to calculate differently on those days or should I just use the same one? AND as I lose weight should I be changing that as well? I assume so on the weight but I'm not sure about the 3 days I exercise.

but how does that translate into points? If I reduced that by 500 per day, I'd only be getting 973 calories per day, which would be starvation mode. No, no, no! W/W has already done that for you. You don't need to reduce anymore. W/W has already worked the system based on BMR and done that reduction.

And I'm not losing weight right now (20 points/day plus 35 flex points/week). Look at the following and see if you truly are following the program. If you are then you may want to talk to your doctor for a medical reason you aren't losing or start to pay with the number of points you are using...

1) Where in your points range (range meaning utilizing your TPs, APs, and FPs) are you eating? Most people find they lose better when eating most if not all of their points for the week. Especially if you are exercising you need to eat toward a high point total and not the lower end. The reason is because your body thinks it is starving and slows down your metabolism and holds on to the calories you intake.

2) What are you spending your points on? Review the POINTSPIES (Also make sure you get in some REAL fat (butter, margarine, mayo, real salad dressing, etc) however your fats really should for health concerns come from non-saturated sources. I had subconsciously removed almost all fat from my diet and had plateaued for SIX (count them 6) months. Make sure you get in some fat. Again W/W and nutritionists recommend for health healthy fats such as olive, canola oils etc but the important thing is to not eliminate the fat and get in at least 2 points in real fats (this is from nutritional courses).

3) Are you drinking your water?

4) Are you eating a lot of processed foods (canned, frozen, etc.) which contain a lot of sodium, which causes water retention. What about diet sodas? They can cause bloating and water retention.

5) Are you exercising? Have you taken your measurements to see if you are building muscle while losing? Remember muscle weighs 2.2 times more than fat volume for volume (this means for a 3”x3” piece of muscle and a 3”x3” piece of fat the muscle will be 2.2 times heavier). If you are exercising remember to eat high in your point range.

6) Are you journaling? This includes every BLT (bite, lick and taste). Those BLTs can add up in 'hidden' points. My leader suggested for each BLT or freebie to put a tick mark in your journal and for each 4-5 add 1 point to your day.

7) Are you calculating points correctly? Ninety percent of new members don't count points correctly. I have a favorite muffin and I realized my 3-point muffin is really 6 points because it is 2 servings. Make sure you use the nutritional information rather than the 'generic' list W/W puts out. You'll find a lot of differences.

Once you have analyzed these things then you need to start playing with the program to adapt it to you and your body. Like reducing the carbs and increasing the protein and stuff like that.

I used the formula and come up with needing 2436.48 cal/day. That seems wrong but I know the bigger you are the more you need to maintain. So if I want to maintain then i do nothing but eat 2436.48 cal/day. BUT since I'm trying to lose weight I need to adjust that by 3500 cal per week to lose 1 lb, right? Yes if you were just doing a calorie counting but it is a little more complex. Remember exercise adds to the use so if you were eating that many calories and doing enough exercise to give you 3500 calories utlized you'd in theory still lose.

But I have some questions. I used my current weight and my normal activity level. But what about the days I exercise? Do I need to calculate differently on those days or should I just use the same one? AND as I lose weight should I be changing that as well? I assume so on the weight but I'm not sure about the 3 days I exercise. W/W has already done this figuring for you. W/W allows us as an option item to use ActivityPoints on days we are more active and techinically yes you'd do it on a daily basis for activity just like W/W does. As you lose weight the amount of calories will go down just like with W/W the points go down.

Understand?

Thanks, Kel. That does make sense to me. After reading your last posts for me and Thinfor5minutes I realized why I need to eat the points levels I'm told to eat. I always thought if I didn't eat my FP then I'd lose faster. But I'm exercising now whereas I wasn't before, so I should be eating at least my AP and some of my FP too.

Ok, I'm starting to keep a binder of all the things I've learned. Do you mind if I print off some of your posts to put in it so I can reread them as I need to?

Thanks again for your knowledge, Kel. How do you know so much? :)

Okay So I came out with 150 x 2.2 = 68
68 x 9 = 612
612 x 24 = 14, 688 ........... what am I doing wrong ???

I have also along with being in my point range been keeping track of my calorie intake .... should I not do this?

Also I am not sure how to get in the fats ?

I have stopped eatting alot of the boxed meals and have made food at home that I freeze and take for lunchs .... as to cut down on some of the sodium intake. So I am cooking alot more .... should I cook my chicken in canola oil and how do I factor that into the points ?

Say I cook and the meal is 4 points how do I add in the oil I cooked in ?

It seems hard to me ... to have only 20 points to eat a day and then have to use 2 of those for Oil and stuff ..... errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I do love Mayo .... should I use that as my fat ?

Also I am VERY confused by the Activity Points system.

I usually walk on the treadmill for about 40 - 45 minutes 3 times a week.
It usually says I have burned about 230 calories or so. How do I figure out what my AP would be. And then if I am staying in my Point Range - Do I now need to eat my AP ?????

Sorry so many questions.

Just a little confused by it all.


Angie

pmoswife - multiply by 0.9, not 9

It seems hard to me ... to have only 20 points to eat a day and then have to use 2 of those for Oil and stuff ..... errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I have the same problem...20 points doesn't get you far. It's easier now that I am using my flex points too, but still extremely difficult, especially when I see a great WW recipe and then notice it is 10 points...

Thank you .... okay I got .... 1468 - That seems High.

But okay . . .

Now what happens when I dont get that many in a day.

I think I have been getting between 1100 & 1300 ... ? ? ?

Maybe I should eat some of my extra Points today ?

Thinfor5minutes - I KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN.

I have been doing good so far this week ... But I am a little more hungry then I have been.

I sit at a desk all day and I usually am not able to eat dinner until later in the evening ... like 7 or so.

So I wait until 11:30 to eat my Oatmeal ...

except this morning I am already eatting an apple cuz I am hungry

And then I wait until 2:30 to eat my lunch ....

That way I can make it through the day with out getting hungry and pigging out

In my mind if I eat Beakfast at like 9 or so I'll be Hungry by Noon
and then If I eat at noon I'll be dying by the time 5 o clock rolls around ...

But I can make it from 2:30 - 7:30 Because after 5 I am busy

and not trapped at the desk ... I think I am babbling LOL

Thanks again for your knowledge, Kel. How do you know so much? :) I have taken many nutritional classes trying to get my degree.

Our WW leader made a point at this week's meeting that really struck home with me. First, she asked us if we could only have 1 car for our entire lives, what would we choose? Then, wouldn't we take the best care of it possible to make it last as long as possible- regular maintenance, check-ups, good fuel, etc. She then said the same is true for our bodies, we only get one in a lifetime and we need to take as good care of it as we possibly can by eating healthy, exercising regularly, etc. This analogy has really helped me get on track and stay there this week and I'm hoping it will continue to do so.

I also park as far away from the grocery store, Wal-Marts, etc. when shopping so I get in a few extra steps. Helps keep down the dings in the car doors as well! ;)

Okay So I came out with 150 x 2.2 = 68
68 x 9 = 612
612 x 24 = 14, 688 ........... what am I doing wrong ???

I have also along with being in my point range been keeping track of my calorie intake .... should I not do this? I think you finally figured out how to do the equation but that 14xx calories a day is just to maintain your current weight. That is not to lose. Why oh why would you want to track your calories too when W/W already figures that into their formula?


Also I am not sure how to get in the fats ?

I have stopped eatting alot of the boxed meals and have made food at home that I freeze and take for lunchs .... as to cut down on some of the sodium intake. So I am cooking alot more .... should I cook my chicken in canola oil and how do I factor that into the points ?

Say I cook and the meal is 4 points how do I add in the oil I cooked in ? Oils are necessary for oil soluable vitamins, keeping hair and skin moisturized, helps your digestive track, and helps keep you satisified because it takes longer for them to digest. Use it to cook with, use it with your fat free dressings.

It seems hard to me ... to have only 20 points to eat a day and then have to use 2 of those for Oil and stuff ..... errrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

I do love Mayo .... should I use that as my fat ? Mayo does not count. It used to but it is mostly saturated fats and the program is for healthy fats. I'll post PointsPies in a minute to show you how to divide up your points and you'll see that you can do it. FYI you DON'T JUST GET 20 POINTS A DAY you have APs you earn and WPA to use.

[quote=pmoswife]Also I am VERY confused by the Activity Points system.

I usually walk on the treadmill for about 40 - 45 minutes 3 times a week.
It usually says I have burned about 230 calories or so. How do I figure out what my AP would be. And then if I am staying in my Point Range - Do I now need to eat my AP ????? To figure you APs you utilize your points calculator or slide and put in the intensity, time done and your current weight. Calories burned is not a real valid way to figure APs but some people use it as a guide. Remember APs can only be used on the day earned.

Sorry so many questions.

Just a little confused by it all.


Angie

Thank you .... okay I got .... 1468 - That seems High.

But okay . . .

Now what happens when I dont get that many in a day.

I think I have been getting between 1100 & 1300 ... ? ? ?

Maybe I should eat some of my extra Points today ? As I stated before the 1468 is to MAINTAIN your current weight. In my personal opinion everyone should try to eat their WPA because the more you eat while losing the more you'll have at maintenance and the less chance you'll feel like you are dieting to maintain...

20 points = 1150 calories
22 points = 1250 calories
24 points = 1350 calories
26 points = 1450 calories
28 points = 1550 calories
30 points = 1650 calories
32 points = 1750 calories
34 points = 1850 calories
35 points = 1900 calories (Weekly Points Allowance)
36 points = 2050 calories

Remember this is not always true but a good guide and DOES NOT include the 200-250 calories a day W/W built into the program for free veggies.

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

Try doing many small meals a day so your body is not feeling hungry.

I do breakfast, midmorning snack, lunch, midafternoon snack, dinner, evening snack.

If you PLAN your day with your meals you can get in all your requirements and stay satisfied and not feel hungry.

Also make sure you are following the 8 Great Health Guidelines:

For onlines here is how to get to them:

You may visit the Web site and read 8 Great Health Guidelines. 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.

For e-tools and meeting people it is page 34 in your Week 1 booklet.

Thinfor5minutes - I hear ya! I get 22 points and try to save flexpoints for weekends and occasions where I know I am going to need them.

If I see a recipe is more than 7 points I don't bother making it :lol:

kelly s., i am glad to see that you also do what i so lovingly refer to as "mini-meals." in my meetings, they often talk about having three meals and two snacks, but i was starting to feel like maybe i shouldn't be including my after dinner snack, as i also do breakfast, snack, lunch, snack, dinner, snack.

i do have a question, though. i like to have my nighttime snack about an hour or so before i go to bed. will this affect me in any way? i've heard people say it's not good to eat so soon before bed.

i do have a question, though. i like to have my nighttime snack about an hour or so before i go to bed. will this affect me in any way? i've heard people say it's not good to eat so soon before bed.

Unless it causes you problems like disrupted sleep or GI (such as heartburn) problems or makes you very hungery the next day when you eat makes not difference.

Myth: If you want to lose weight, you can’t eat after 6 P.M.

Truth: It’s been a popular belief that eating at night packs on the pounds, but solid research debunks this thinking. “A number of studies show there isn’t much evidence to support this,” says nutrition researcher Barbara Rolls, PH.D., author of Volumetrics: Feel Full on Few Calories (HarperCollins, 2000). “The main thing is not to get overly hungry so you are triggered to binge at night, “says Dr. Rolls. Instead of filling up on sugar-laden nighttime snacks, reach for fresh fruit or a bowl of soup when the munchies hit. “Remember,” adds Rolls, “it’s no so much when you eat, it’s what you eat.”

Weight Watchers Magazine September/October 2000 Issue

It’s a Spanish tradition: Have your last meal late at night, about 9:00 P.M., not long before you head to bed.

Eating right before bedtime? Isn’t that an invitation to obesity?

Evidently not. There’s now scientific evidence that you don’t gain more weight if you eat late at night. Several studies confirm that when you at has no connection with weight, and survey by the Department of Agriculture has demonstrated that evening eating in particular has no more effect on your weight than morning eating.

It’s the total number of calories consumed daily and expended in activity that makes – or breaks – weight gain. Apparently, the time of day when you consume those calories or burn them is really not an issue. The calories in your bedtime snack will be burned when they are needed. Even sleep burns about 50 calories an hour.

Dr. Howard M. Shapiro

woohoo! thank you!