Prettynpink, I'm not sure what you mean when you say you're eating by the numbers -- don't the numbers include millk products?
In any case, I don't eat closely by the numbers. Some other folks do; maybe one of them can respond. But you can get a LOT more food for 22 points than you listed. You should count fiber; it'll help. And a cup and a half of chili at 12 points seems awfully high to me.
I fully understand the desire not to give WW any more money -- that's one reason why I'm now doing it at home. (I attended for about a year.) But it might make sense for you to attend a few meetings just to get in the swing of things and to get some advice on how to make the plan work for you.
I do lose weight better when I eat lower in my points, too. I aim for about a pound a week, though I usually lose a little more slowly than that. It adds up, though; I've lost almost 60 pounds. I fill up on products that are higher in fiber and lower in points -- like lowfat popcorn, fruit, beans, whole grains, and veggies. I also have learned to make sure I eat enough protein and fat to keep me from feeling hungry.
Also did you know the average loss OP is .5 - 2 pounds a week. It might be .2 one week and 3.2 another week and 2 one week and .1 one week but in the end (unless you are a real slow loser or hit long plateaus [I've had 3 at 6+ months]) it will end up around 1 pound a week.
Prettyinpink,
For "eatting by the numbers", I use an old selection journal to check off the boxes at the bottom of the page and use the top part to count daily and weekly average points. I'm also looking at another factor... how I spread my points throughout the day.
I noticed you said you eat light during day and eat most of your points at night. I traditionally do the same thing and have been having a very slow go of weight loss this time around. Someone suggested the book, "Outsmart the Female Fat Cell" by Debra Waterhouse. It has a very interesting discussion of the reasons to become a daytime eatter. I'm gonna try getting 2/3 of my daily points in before dinner instead of 1/2 and see if it makes a difference. The info in the book is very complementary to WW if anyone's interested.
Prettynpink---I understand perfectly your insistence that you need to eat at the lower end of your range; though we're in the minority, some of us really do not lose unless we pare back. I think, though, that you could get more bang for your buck, point-wise. I don't know if the menu you posted was typical for you, but it is awfully sparse; the same 22 points probably could be put to a more satisfying use. I usually eat 18-20 points per day, and eat TONS more than you do! Look over the eating by the numbers chart again, and make sure you really are getting the recommendations in. That means getting in the fruits/veggies (if you don't like them, you might want to make a contract with yourself to try one new one per week----you may be surprised to find that there really ARE ones that you like!), protein servings, grains, added fats, and milks. It takes some getting used to, finding the balance that keeps you satisfied---but it is well worth the effort, because it helps you get rid of the "I'm dieting/starving" mentality and lets you move toward something you can really live with.
I haven't posted it on the recipe board 'cause I'm such a toss-this-in-without-measuring dressing maker! What I do is measure the oil, 'cause it's the only ingredient with points...I use a teaspoon of sesame oil (you can also use olive, and just a drop or two of sesame if you don't like a strong sesame flavor), probably about a tablespoon of light soy sauce, about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and a hefty amount of rice wine vinegar. Then I sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes and let it sit while I make the rest of the salad. If it tastes too acidic to me, I might add a teeny bit of Splenda or honey, but with fairly good-quality vinegar, this usually isn't necessary.
I'd say about 2 tablespoons, if the salad I'm making includes citrus (the juices mix in with the dressing when the salad is tossed), and 3 if there isn't any fruit juice contributing to the dressing.
Here's a more "formal" recipe for oriental dressing that I use for an oriental noodle salad (noodles, jicama, pea pods, red pepper, scallions, etc.). It comes from the Ravinia Festival's Noteworthy cookbook:
1 teaspoon peanut butter
1/2 cup white rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sugar (I use Splenda)
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon ginger (the recipe calls for dry, I prefer fresh)
freshly ground black pepper
I dont' keep official track, but "eyeball" it to eat by the numbers and do believe it helps me.
Here's some thoughts:
I think Chilli con carne is chilli with meat and has nothing to do with rice. If you ate two cups of vegetarian chili instead of 1 1/2 cups chili con carne, it would be only 6 points. That give you an extra 6 points to eat something else! If you don't like vegetarian chili, you could have 1 cup of your chili plus a HUGH potato for a more filling, 2 point less meal.
Where I live a soft pretzel is 6 points, so make sure you are calculating that right.
Also, I don't see any milk and veggie items.
A typical bfast for me is eather 1 1/2 servings of a high protein cereal and 4 oz soy milk (4 points) or a veggie egg white veggie omlet with cubed potatoes all baked in PAM (4) or 2 cups fruit salad and slice veggie cheese (5 points).
Lunch might be cup rice and cup of veggie chili (6 points) or a PINT of hot and sour soup (they make it special for me, so I count it as 6), or a tuna sandwich on LF bread loaded with veggies and salad (6) or 6 oz peice of fish with greens (6) or 12 pieces sushi (6) or TWO boca burgers with two different veggies (3) or 8 oz yogurt with 1/2 cup Fiber one cereal mixed in (4).
Snacks are protein bars (4) or fruit (I'll eat 1 or two pieces (1-3) perhaps adding slice veggie cheese, Baker's breakfsat cookie (4), brussel sprouts or artichokes or snow peas(0) yogurt.
I eat veggies with almost everything and drink water with everything I eat. Also see that I get LOTS of food for little points. My snacks are low point foods. I usually eat most of my points by 5 pm and have a 2-5 point dinner, just becuase I'm just not that hungry.
For the record: The translation of "con carne" is "with meat". I've never heard of a chili recipe that uses rice. The basis of chili usually is beans, tomatoes, and chilis. The rest of the ingredients are up for wild debate. Just check out any chili competition!
As for "Eating by the Numbers", WW means spreading out your points in very specific ways among the food groups. A certain amount of points for protein, for complex carbs, for fruits/veggies, for genuine fats, and for milk products are given in the booklet. But the actual numbers vary depending on whether you're eating a balanced plan, a high-protein plan, a high-carb plan, or a vegetarian plan.
Since eating by the numbers seems so new to you, I'd recommend that you either purchase the WW At Home kit, which includes all of the materials and you can study them at your lesiure. Then incorporate them, one new idea at a time, into your day. It gets too overwhelming to incorporate them all at once, which is why WW doesn't give them all to you at the first meeting. If you can't get the At Home materials, or prefer not to, I suggest that you attend meetings at least until you have obtained the complete program and have had an opportunity to ask all of your questions. After you're really comfortable with how the program works, then you might try following the plan on your own, if you still feel that meetings are not for you. But, no matter which choice you make, I think it's really difficult to make this kind of change in your lifestyle successfully without support from other people. Like these boards, which have been my lifeline since 1997.
I have read through all the posts here and I also think that you need to make sure that you are getting some fat in each day. The other important thing is to maybe try some recipes etc. that the whole family will enjoy so you don't have to eat a frozen dinner while they are eating real food. There are many WW recipes that you can make and they don't even realize that it is WW friendly. I also find that you get more food when it is cooked than when we get the processed frozen dinners. You are able to control how it is made which gives you the freedom of cutting back on things that make it higher in points.
What I do is measure the oil, 'cause it's the only ingredient with points...I use a teaspoon of sesame oil (you can also use olive, and just a drop or two of sesame if you don't like a strong sesame flavor), probably about a tablespoon of light soy sauce, about a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, and a hefty amount of rice wine vinegar. Then I sprinkle in a few red pepper flakes and let it sit while I make the rest of the salad. If it tastes too acidic to me, I might add a teeny bit of Splenda or honey, but with fairly good-quality vinegar, this usually isn't necessary.
