Yep Not using all points and still gaining

[tooophatt]

Hi All

First I hope I am not breaking any rules as I am male but have found the mens forum to be dead. I hope to find help and see this is very active.

My problem...well my weight problem has been a very long time issue. Got hurt at work in the 80's and had cervical reconstruction in the 90's and have had issues ever since.

I have been up and down with weight. I first tried WW home 2 years ago using the points program. I lost 50 lbs with a target total loss of 75 lbs. I had a goal to lose weight to fit into ONE plane seat for a trip to FL. I was able to do it and after that trip I kinda just gave up and yes I gained it all back!

My daughter who is 25 lbs overweight (nothing compared to me) she asked me to buy the WW PP since she was buying it too. I just got it 2 weeks ago.

My first full week ended and I gained 1 lb. I keep leaving 10-30 points a day. My daily points are 57. I do eat a well rounded mix of food. I no longer eat fast food, eat much frozen WW and LQ meals, and make many meals at home too. I love veggies cooked not raw but I eat them. I do like lettuce raw no duh right!

I eat either cold cereal like cheerios or flake type and hot oatmeal.
I will have a WW or LQ meal for lunch or a tuna sandwhich (1/2 cup tuna, lettuce, on homemade bread) and supper varies, I love to use my pressure cooker so I throw potato's carrots and maybe a lean beef or chicken or the like and pressure cook it. I do weigh and stick close to portion size and I do over estimate point rather than under. I find myself eating snacks when I would not normally to get the points in. I have not used all the points yet and I still gained weight.

I do sit as I edit video and do computer work. With my back issues I do not exercise much but I do try and walk and try to activity things in when I can.

The old WW plan I lost weight from week one and now I am worried this may not work as well.

I tried to read the forums and I have seen others talking about points I did not see any that GAINED weight like I have.

Any help is appreciated.
BTW I am 52 years old and 6' tall. I have a goal of 225lbs as I am large boned and never could be fit less than that. Even when I was 17 I was 185 and felt weak so I went 200 and felt good.

[peanutt]

First, give it more than 1 week. Let your body take a few weeks to adjust to the change.

Second, it could be because you're leaving so many uneaten points. Yes, the points target may seem like a lot, but we should be making efforts to meet that target (or at least come close to the target) daily while not eating to overstuffed. I would expect that occasional days when you leave uneaten points aren't such a big deal, but the 30 uneaten points would be. Your body needs fuel to keep your metabolism up.

My DH gets a lot of daily points too (over 50). He doesn't eat "diet food" because they don't provide enough points for him to meet his target. When I say "diet food" I mean he eats regular cheddar instead of fat-free/low-fat, regular yogurt instead of fat-free, regular steel cut oats instead of low cal version, etc.

Did you eat a lot of the frozen meals before starting WW? The sodium content of those (depending on how frequently you're eating them) could be accounting for your body holding on to excess water, especially if you weren't eating them regularly before.

Good luck!

[nationalparker]

Yes, definitely eat your points. Nearly every time someone who is "following program" but not losing - isn't eating their points. Focus on whole foods with good nutrients and healthy fiber. As they say, if it's something that your grandmother wouldn't know what it was, skip it. Make sure you're getting in your dairy and your healthy fats. Good luck!!

[tooophatt]

Thanks for the help.
peanutt... I was only eating frozen WW and LQ diet meals when I was doing the WW program two years ago. I used them while I was dieting (and I lost weight) but stopped eating them when I gave up the diet, stupid I know.
Good point about eating non diet foods. I really do not go crazy for diet foods but I use 2% milk instead of skim, I eat mayo and use oils but olive oil. I have tried to eat better this was from WW the first time. I guess I learned something. I am having a hard time grasping eating more than I feel right doing but it makes perfect sense.
I think I cut back on eating the first go round and I got used to it. Maybe I am not eating enough but it sure feels like I am.
I will give it a few weeks and try to eat all the points and I will report back here. I hope to have good news.

Thanks All

[nationalparker]

Good luck! Sounds like you're approaching it wisely, which is half the battle, sometimes!

[peanutt]

My DH had a hard time readjusting his thinking to the big daily points target. Instead of trying to choose foods that are lower in points he had to really work hard to find healthy, nutritious foods that were also higher in points. Now I think he's reached a point where he's eating all his points most days, but not feeling like he's eating too much food. So....you're not alone and with some time and thought you'll find what foods and meals work for you!!