So far this week (my first on the plan), I have earned 14 activity points, and have used 11 weekly points. I reset on Thursday mornings. Should I be aiming to use all of my points up? I have consistently eaten at least my daily allowance of 30, and ate more on a couple of days (one day it was b/c of an extra glass of wine), but I am not sure if I should be eating more.

Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

No, you don't have to, the weekly points are there if you NEED/WANT them. Some people can lose while eating all or some of their weekly points and some people can't touch them at all to even see a loss but you should aim to meet your daily point allowances.

As for AP (activity points), I personally only eat up to 4 AP of whatever I earn that day, usually if I feel really hungry or weak. I don't bank them for later in the week but that's just me.

Good luck with WW, you can doooo it!

Thanks!

I'm not "banking" the APs. WW online either pulls the extra points from your WP or your AP, and I like seeing the AP number up there as motivation. I didn't think it really made a difference. Am I wrong?

No, I don't think you're wrong, honestly think it does not make a difference where it comes from, either WP or AP, as long there is accountability.

I was just going to ask this question!
I am on week three of WW and used about half of my weekly points for two splurges. I've only lost a half a pound this week and hope this is b/c I am nearing my period, and not b/c I messed up by splurging. ( ;

Whether or not to use Weekly Points or eat back Earned Activity Points is a long discussed topic.

Here are some basics:

You get a number of Daily Points that you should eat each and every day. It allows your body enough calories to fuel itself while still being a deficit and therefore your body will burn through excess storage and you should lose weight.

The Weekly Points are also your points to do with as you please. They can be spread out evenly over the week, you can use them for a special day, you can use some of them... you can even use none of them if you're satisfied! They are not EXTRA points. They are included in the plan as a leeway option for people who want to eat a little more. It is still very possible to lose weight while eating Weekly Points on top of Daily Points. However, it is individual as to whether you want to use them all, some of them, or none of them.

Earned Activity Points can also be eaten back. The plan allows for some of the Earned Activity Points to be eaten back IN ADDITION to Weekly Points and -still- allows for weight loss. Again, however, I must stress that this is individual as to whether a person wants to use them.

A person can choose to first eat their Weekly Points, or they can choose to first eat their Earned Activity Points.

ALSO! And very important to note, like any other plan Weight Watchers must be tweaked to fit your lifestyle. Some people will be able to eat all their Weekly Points and Earned Activity Points, others might not be able to. There is no "right" or "wrong" there is simply "trial and error". Find what works for you.


I hear this a lot, too.

You cannot "mess up" by using your Weekly Points. You simply chose to use your Weekly Points... it's part of the plan.

"Only half a pound" is quite frankly a good amount to lose over a week. We have to set ourselves up for success, and a good way to set ourselves up for success is to keep our expectations realistic. Half a pound is good. Be proud and happy with your loss.

I don't suggest people expect to lose 2 pounds every week, because number one that is NOT the average weight loss of every person on a diet ever (no one has those numbers, we will never know the average weight loss of every person on a diet ever, so there's no use trying to compare our weight loss to another person... especially another FICTIONAL person named "average dieter who loses xx lbs a week"), and number two even if were the average weight loss of people on plan that does mean they lose 2 pounds every week. It means one week they lose five, the next week they gain 1, the next week they lose half a pound, the week after that they lose 3, the week after that they gain 2, the week after that they lose 3.5, the next week they maintain... etc. etc.

Follow the plan. Commit. Adjust. The weight will follow.

It is up to you whether to eat WP or AP. I tend to aim to eat about 10 of my WP a week (I actually eat AP first so if I exercise a lot then I may not eat any WP). But, it just depends. If it is a week where I eat out a lot then I like knowing I'm on program if I eat more WP. I find that if I am eating at home I rarely eat much more than my daily points.

In general, someone who eats say all WP will lose weight slower than someone who doesn't. Calories do matter. However, someone who eats their WP and finds it easier to stay on program will lose weight faster than someone who feels deprived without them and goes totally off program and then quits....

So, now that I've been doing this for a tad over a month, I have found that I personally should eat back my activity points, but I generally leave my WP alone (my weight loss stalled last week, when I used about half of them on a big, bad party splurge). And I try to eat back my APs with foods like low fat Greek yogurt, a stick of string cheese, or almonds - higher protein, bit of fat. Seems to be working for me.

Thanks for the advice!