hey there, i probably sound stupid for asking about this, but here goes...i really have a problem eating my flex points. it's like, if i do i feel like i have blown it already. i am losing steadily so far, but would eating those 35 points hurt my weight los if i am doing good already, or slow the weight loss down? it just makes me really nervous to even dip into those 35 points, i have never eaten all of them because i am afraid i won't lose. please give me some woulds of reassurance.
I think I personally stopped losing once I started eating my flex points...but at the same time when you don't eat them, your body will get use to eating just your base value, and you will be stuck with your base value the rest of your life.
You will begin to gain if you do not incorporate them sooner rather than later.
I would recommend incorporating them slowly, like maybe 5 the first week, 10 the second week, etc.
I have this same fear! I always try my best to stay within my points. If I go over by a couple here or there I make it up by walking. I never have and don't plan on using my 35 flex points. I read the post above and it doesn't make any sense to me that eating them will help me lose?! Is there truth to that or is that your personal experience? I'm totally new to dieting and don't have the slightest clue what to do! I've decided that if the walks don't make up for the couple points here and there that I go over (only like 2 a day if any, and only twice a week at most) then I will say those are part of the 35 flex points. But that's the only way I use them. I don't get how going from 26 to 31 points a day would work? ho-humm.... i dont know
In the beginning, I had a lot of points (like... 40) so I couldn't eat my Flex Points if I tried. I just had too much food to deal with at first.
As my points dipped over the months, I found that I started using my Flex Points for a little extra on the weekends or whatnot. I found that in my experience they didn't change my losses from week to week... or in some cases even boosted the loss! (Eat more... lose more... I know it's weird, but for many it's true!)
Lately, I was wanting to try something new, so I planned out my Flex Points into my weekly points. I'm using almost all my Flex Points each and every week. I'm still losing weight rather steadily. In some cases 3lbs a week.
Weight Watchers would not give us Flex Points if the extra points were going to sabotage our efforts.
Try out an experiment, a little challenge. One week, use 5 Flex Points. You could have extra pieces of fruit, or a handful of nuts, or maybe even a little dessert. Just 5 little FP. Then, see how you feel, and watch your weigh-in.
This is going to be individual as well... we're all individuals. So, you'll have to test your own body out. It could take a few weeks to find the formula that works best for you. (And even then a couple months later you might have to find a new formula.)
Please forgive me, as I've decided to add a little more...
I've been on WW a year now, and only just got over the fear of using FP a couple of months ago.
I realized a few things about my body. It matters MORE what foods I eat than if I use my FP or not. There are weeks that I stayed at points perfectly... PERFECTLY... and only dropped .2 . There are weeks that I dipped a good deal into my FP and lost 4 lbs. (The reverse is also true...)
Using a few FP to eat an extra cup of whole grain pasta, or half breast of chicken is not a bad thing. Use them wisely, just like you are using your Base Points wisely now.
The first time I was on WW I was scared to use them, and I didn't, and after about 25lbs I stopped losing and quit (and gained 30 lbs back). This time I was afraid to use them for the first few weeks, and I didn't. Then I just kind of randomly started using them... It wasn't a conscious decision, I just had a "hungry" week I suppose so I decided what the heck, and I ate about 22 of them, and I lost that week. I've used them every week since then and I've lost for every week I feel I should have lost (i.e., I don't lose before TOM and I don't lose when I eat a billion FPs over the 35). I don't feel they are detrimental to my WL, and I actually feel that they are an asset. They make this process more flexible, more livable. My base points level - 27 - while not as low as some people's just doesn't feel enough some days. Some days I'll be fine, others I want another 5 or 7 to eat and I do that.
I agree with with Faerie said, WW would not give them to you if they were going to make you gain weight. That's just silly. But I also think that if you've come a long way without using them and you want to start, you'll need to do it slowly, watching HOW you add them in (healthy foods), and watching how your weight responds. When I first started adding them in my max was about 20 per week before the WL would slow, but now I'm at the point where I can eat every one of them and it seems my body is still okay shedding some weight that week.
It's highly individual, but I encourage you to try eating a few of them. If you can eat more and lose, why not? Diets don't have to be restrictive, you shouldn't be *afraid* to eat.
My first week was a struggle for me regarding my daily points - not to mention my FP! I would, daily, have 5-8 points left over for the day without even touching my FP.
Yesterday, we went shopping for a new kitchen table & chairs (found one btw.. ) and decided to go out to dinner at our fav Mexican Restaurant. I kept having to remind myself that I had 35 FP for the week that I hadn't dipped into along with all but 2 of my points for the day!
I wrote down EVERYTHING I ate, breaking the meal down by each component to figure out the best I could the total number of points I ate. I am still not totally positive as to how many (I think the margaritas I drank totally sunk me). Close as I can figure I could have consumed 25 points of my daily points in one meal! Then the drinks (which I love from there) had me dipping into my FP.
But... I couldn't finish the meal. That is why I have no idea as to how many points I ate.... But I sure felt good & relaxed after the meal.. but also slightly stressed as to the points.
He and I discussed this, and decided that I could use this as a 'reward' for my successes though out the month and only go there once a month.
If I could sneak my scale in, I would know the points better, but I am not so sure they would approve of it. But, since I didn't eat the whole meal (maybe 1/2) I could weigh the leftovers! <-- just thought of that as I was typing.. lol
So, this is a new week and a new plan to reach my weekly goal.
If you want to take your food scale into a restaurant, go for it. I've often taken in my own salad dressing (the whole bottle, before I found small tupperware-type containers).
Ive been on the weight loss rollercoaster for 36 years (since age 5), and I strongly believe that "perfectionism" destroys the majority of weight loss attempts. There seems to be an unwritten diet law that demands that we hold ourselves to an extremely strict standard and beat ourselves up if we deviate from that standard even an iota.
The "flex" in flexpoints really is a new way of looking at weight loss. It's as much a mindset at as a "rule." "Flexible" can be done for the rest of your life, "towing the line" required concentration and diligence to the point that lapsing is nearly inevitable. Guilt is a saboteur, not a friend.
Be willing to experiement and let the scale let you know if you need to do something differently. In the long run, relaxed confidence will carry you further than rigidity and fear.
(back from 2 weeks off with flu ) I've also gone back and forth on flex points. Like vdaybaby, I find I do not lose when I use the flex points. I try to use them sparingly -- for emergencies. BUT some days I'll be about two points under and the next day I'm quite hungry and then I will use the flex points and it balances out. It looks, from these responses, as though many of us have issues, have experimented and come up with a balance that works for us.
THIS is why I love this forum! You all are so helpful!!! After reading all the posts I've decided that I will start off with 5 or maybe 7 per week- 1 extra a day. Then slowly take it up to maybe two or three.
So if I don't count my activity points, like when I walk for an hour I guesstimated that I earn about 3-4 points back, will this hurt me? I don't see how it would or could but I didnt see how not using the flex points would either (again, THANK YOU) so if i'm going to incorporate my flex points 1 a day and I exercise enough each day to earn 1 point back does that mean i should eat 2 more points a day? I hope this makes sense
Net Knee - The FP & Activity Points are very separate. If you exercise and earn an AP, you can eat that and then also add in a FP if you so choose.
This is another experiment/personal choice situation. I don't eat my AP. I never have, and maybe if I need to switch things up down the line I'll eat a few that I earn during the day, maybe not. I'm not opposed, but I just don't need to right now. I get in plenty of food for me as it is. Not eating my AP has not hindered me, yet.
I always eat my APs before I touch my FPs. And I always eat my APs. I feel like I need the extra energy when I'm exercising, and it doesn't seem to hinder my progress. Then again, I think when I'm regularly exercising (which I haven't been in too long) I don't end up eating as my FPs during the week, so I think in the end it evens out.
But I agree, this is another area where you'll just need to experiment to find what works for you!!
I believe that what Faerie and Suite said earlier is very true, it's more about what foods you're using your Flex or Activity points for, rather than how many. I eat every point I can get my grubby little hands on
If you're using your flex points for something that makes you feel guilty for eating it, or for something that makes you crave something else then maybe you should look at that aspect rather than the number of points.
As you progress in your weight loss journey you will learn all kinds of ways to eat what you want, where you want without sabotaging your program. And like Kaplods said, the perfectionism sometimes bites you in the butt (not her exact words...) if you fall off your program you have to learn to get right back on the next meal if you can...as soon as you can. For some reason we try to be perfect in our WL prog. and end up stressing ourselves out (which we all know can lead to bad food choices)
We like to go to 5 guys burgers and fries sometimes, so first we quit getting the fries, it was hard the first time, but they give you SO many. I was watching them make up an order once, they have a little bucket they toss in after they give you whatever size you ordered. Then I started ordering the little burger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup, mustard, it's great, they use good stuff. Anyway, the point of this ramble, is that I didn't do so great the first time we went there as a treat, but now after a couple tries I'm doing better and enjoying it just as much.
So, keep working your program and try different stuff and see what works for you. We're in it for the long haul, so don't be afraid of making mistakes.
I've been working on getting this weight off for a year and a half and am very happy that I'm losing it slowly and truly changing my lifestyle, I want this to be off for good this time, my first time with WW I was a perfect WW, the weight fell off and when I got to my goal I thought I was "cured" and went off my "diet" and gained it all back and then some. Something drew me back and now again it's working.
Anyway, enough blabber...sorry...let someone else have a turn
thank you all for all of the tips. i guess i will just try different things out and see what works for me. and i will try not to feel guilty about eating my flex points since that is what they are their for. you have all been really helpful and given some great insight. i'm also glad i'm not the only one with point issues. i guess none of us would really be here if we didn't have some kind of food issues
problems with flex points
it's like, if i do i feel like i have blown it already. i am losing steadily so far, but would eating those 35 points hurt my weight los if i am doing good already, or slow the weight loss down? it just makes me really nervous to even dip into those 35 points, i have never eaten all of them because i am afraid i won't lose. please give me some woulds of reassurance.
But I sure felt good & relaxed after the meal.. 
THIS is why I love this forum! You all are so helpful!!! After reading all the posts I've decided that I will start off with 5 or maybe 7 per week- 1 extra a day. Then slowly take it up to maybe two or three. 
