I am TRYING to not be discouraged, any weight loss is better than no weight loss, but come ON.

I followed Weight Watchers pre-PointsPlus last summer, and lost 30 lbs within about 2.5 months. And that was with minimal exercise. I went from 222 to 192. Went through some major emotional crap in September, quit WW/tracking, and between September and this past May slowly gained 16 lbs back. Mid-May I decided enough was enough and restarted WW, only on the PointsPlus plan. (*I have the materials at home, not a paying member). I track diligently and properly, I rarely go over my 29 points allotted (yay for being OCD). I am exercising on a daily basis doing Zuzana's hardcore body weight workouts @ Bodyrock.tv. I do NOT eat exercise points on to my daily allotment, only because while the workouts are hardcore, they are only 15-20 minutes max, and I spend the rest of my day on my butt. I also do not eat any weekly points. I find that eating even 5 points over my daily allotment either maintains weight, or adds a lb. Anyway, by this time last summer I had lost 23 lbs... this time around I've only lost 13. I realize muscle weighs more than fat, but I'm not noticing much of a decrease in inches, and the scale is barely budging. I've maintained 195- 197 for weeks, and the majority of my loss was following a day of sickness where I barely ate more than some saltine crackers.

What the heck.


(*husband is a State employee and was doing WW for free until an injury forced him to quit, so I'm using his brochures and calculator. Also have a WW magazine subscription, and new PP cookbooks)

Not sure if it's worth noting:

- I try to eat whole, clean foods (vs. processed).
- I eat (spinach &) banana in a protein smoothie (which also include plain greek yogurt, a little peanut butter, and whey protein powder) after workouts, and other than that I limit my fruit intake to 1-2 pieces of fruit/ day.
- I rarely eat sugar, or things with sugar in them, and I definitely do not eat sugar-free things.. with the exception of an occasional WW ice cream bar/ popsicle- and that's like once every 2 weeks, so far.
- I drink at least 64 oz of water/ day, and am trying to increase that to about 96 oz/ day. I try not drink anything else because I don't want to drink my points, but I will occasionally have unsweetened tea.
- I eat reduced-fat things where I can, and stay away from non-fat (with the exception of my plain Fage greek yogurt) to stay away from added sugar. (I have a major chocolate/sweet tooth, and would eat a pan of cake/brownies if I could).

Go to the Momentum/Flex group in this WW section and read various people's stories of why they switched back to the older program. Points Plus is not working for everyone.

Weight loss is difficult alone without comparing your past weight loss to your new weight loss.

There could be a number of new factors coming to into play as to why you aren't losing the same.

So, first of all. You've lost weight. And THAT'S success. Losing "fast" is nice, and all, but losing it FOREVER is BETTER. So, losing 13 pounds is actually superb as long as you can keep those 13 pounds off forever.

You might find that eating a few weekly points causes a gain one week... whereas over several weeks to a month you might see a loss. Weight loss is not linear, and requires long-term commitment and experimentation.

There are other things I'd check. Following the Good Health Guidelines is incredibly important on Points Plus. Getting in the right amount of healthy oils. Eating fruits and vegetables... but not OVEREATING fruits (just because they're zero points does not mean we get to have 10 a day). Drinking enough water. All things we have to balance on Points Plus.

You might actually want to post a whole honest week's worth of food up (including the points totals) and have us take a look at what we might see from an outsider's perspective.

Are you saying that you started following Points Plus in mid-may and now a month later you are upset you have only lost 13 pounds. I think you are doing great.... It isn't realistic to expect to lose 30 pounds in 2 1/2 months on a regular basis. That is more than 2 pounds a week.

I realize it sounds ridiculous.. but I know my body is capable considering that was my experience with Momentum. I would have kept up with the loss way back when- except getting cheated on by your 8-year partner kinda messes with your head. :\ Yes, I've lost 13 lbs in one month, but nearly half of it was due to being extremely sick and vomiting (sorry, TMI) over the course of a weekend. I haven't lost ANY weight in over 2 weeks and it's frustrating- I would be happy with even a 1/2 lb loss per week as long as I could see the #'s drop. I'll post a weeks worth of meals here in a bit, maybe I'm miscounting something?

Thank you for responding, tho, it helps to have some kinda of feedback/ support since the husband isn't trying to lose weight anymore.

I track on a spreadsheet, wish I could post it's loveliness here, lol. I made it all fancy.

BFAST
Green Monster smoothie:
straw, banana, spinach- 0
3/4 c 1% milk- 2.5
mountain high yogurt, .25 c- 0.75
.5 tbsn pnut butter- 1.25

LUNCH
dbl fiber bread- 2
1 can tuna- 3
mayo- 1
sriracha, onion, pickle- 0

DINNER
bar s cheddar sausage- 6
bun- 3
mayo- 1
mustard, sauerkraut- 0
baked beans, .5 c- 3
asparagus- 0
baked cheddar lays, 10 chips- 3

SNACKS
bar s deli ham, 1 slice- 1
boiled egg- 2

TOTAL 29.5
REMAINING PTS -.5

~~~~~~~~~~

BFAST
Green Monster smoothie:
banana, spinach- 0
pnut butter, 1 tbsn- 2.5
mountain high yogurt, .5 c- 1.5

LUNCH
reduced sodium kidney beans, .5 c- 2
tuna, .5 can- 1.5
lite caesar dress, 2 tbsn- 2
lettuce (as a wrap), onion, beet, ground pepper- 0
croutons, 6, smashed- 1

DINNER
Hamburger Helper cheesy enchilada, 1 c- 8 (crap food, but didn't have time to make seperate dinner)
black beans, .25 c- 0.75
Daisy lite sour cream, 2 tbsn- 1
tortilla chips, 12- 4
chili garlic sauce- 0

SNACKS
WW popsicle- 3
pretzels, 20- 1.5

TOTAL 28.75
REMAINING PTS .25

~~~~~~~~~~~~
BFAST
bagel, 1/2- 3
cheese, 1/2 oz- 1.5
turkey slices, 1/2 oz- 1
lettuce- 0

LUNCH
V8 veggie soup, 1 cup- 3
6 croutons, smashed- 1
parm cheese, 1 tbsn- 0
garlic chili sauce, 1 tbsn- 0
yogurt, 2 tsp- 0

DINNER
lasagna, 1 cup- 12
garlic bread, 1 slice- 3
salad- 0
caesar dressing, 2 tbsn- 2

SNACKS
tea, 16 oz- 0
pickle- 0
boiled egg- 2

TOTAL 28.5
REMAINING PTS .5
~~~~~~~~~~~~
BFAST
frozen waffle, 1- 2.5
mountain high yogurt, 1/4 c- 0.75
lite syrup, 1 tbsn- 0.75
apple- 0

LUNCH
pork & beans, 1/2 cup- 3
20 LF pretzel sticks- 1.5
string cheese- 2

DINNER
london broil, 4 oz- 3
corn cob- 2
potato, small- 3
sour cream, 1 tbsn- 1
mayo, 1 tbsn- 1

SNACKS
banana- 0
pnut butt, 1/2 tbsn- 1.25
fage nf yogurt, 1/2 c- 1.5
choco pro powder, 1/2 scp- 1.5
WW ice cream- 2
boiled egg- 2

TOTAL 28.75
REMAINING PTS .25

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BFAST
frozen waffle, 1- 2.5
fage grk yogurt, 1/2 c- 1.5
lite syrup, 1 tbsn- 0.75
strawberries- 0
egg- 2
oil- 1

LUNCH
pretzels, 20- 1.5
string cheese- 2

DINNER
turkey hotdog- 4
bun- 3
chili, 1/2 c- 2.5
cheese, .5 oz- 1.5
onion- 0
sriracha- 0
sour cream, 1 tbsn- 1
orange- 0

SNACKS
smoked salmon, 1 oz 2
boiled egg- 2
Laughing Cow cheese wedge, 1.5- 1.5

TOTAL 28.75
REMAINING PTS .25

~~~~~~~~~~~

BFAST
Great Harvest hi5 bread- 3
egg + egg white- 2
turkey bacon, 1 slice- 1
Smart Balance butter, 1 tsp- 0.66

LUNCH
cut up veggies- 0
25 pretzels- 1.87
Laughing Cow blue cheese wedge- 1

DINNER
papa murphy veggie delite w/ artichoke hearts, 3 slices- 12

SNACKS
pnut butter, 1 tbsn- 2.5
fage nonfat yogurt, .25 c- 0.75
banana 1/2- 0
chocolate protein powder, 1/2 scoop- 1.5
boiled egg

TOTAL 28.28
REMAINING PTS .72

~~~~~~~~~~~~
BFAST
hi5 bread- 3
egg + egg white- 2
turkey bacon, 1 slice- 1
butter, 1 tsp- 0.66
apple- 0

LUNCH
pnut butter, 1 tbsn- 2.5
fage nonfat yogurt, .5 c- 1.5
banana, 1/2- 0
choco protein powder, 1/2 scp- 1.5

DINNER
beans, 3 servings- 9
reduced fat cheese, 1 oz- 2
dressing, 1 tbsn + 1/8 c grk yog- 2.38
lettuce, pico, taco seasoning- 0

SNACK
boiled egg- 2
pretzels, 1.5

TOTAL 29.04
REMAINING PTS -.04


This weeks worth of food was a little on the craptastic side cuz it was finals week @ school and I was more pressed for time. Thanks for your info, it was all very helping and encouraging. And I've got to say- I LOVE the zombie apocolypse comment in your signature- I love zombie stuff! Can't wait for The Walking Dead to start up again..

I threw away my Momentum plan stuff, and have no idea how I'd get a slider tracker. :\ Switching back is on the back of my mind, but I'm stubborn and really want to try and make PP work, first. Thanks for reminding me that that's an option.

I can completely relate, I tossed my Momentum stuff and now I'll be at a loss if I decide to restart that program. I like Points Plus, I feel like I'm eating healthier than not being on a plan- but there's got to be something to the additional fruit and it's fructose sugar- even if I am only having 1-3 pieces of fruit a day (definitely NOT 10, or even 5). And TWO knee replacements??? You poor thing. I hope your recovery went well and your knees feel better.

You have a lot of fractional numbers in your list of food. PP does not use fractions. If you have a PP calculator you can't say put in a 1 cup serving and get points then eat 1/2 of it and divide the points by 2. It doesn't work that way. A food that might be 5 points for a cup might be 3 points for half a cup (and might be 2 points). What it absolutely will not be is 2.5 points.

I can't tell exactly since I don't see all the quantities on fruits and veggies but I'm not sure that you are meeting your GHG particularly for fruits and veggies, healthy oils, and milk/dairy.

Overall your food for the week in question seems to have a lot of higher carb foods that might be part of the problem.

All of that said -- losing 13 pounds in a month is great. I find that if I am sick, btw, and lose pounds during the illness then the next few weeks I will usually gain a bit or not lose. I know it is frustrating not to have a loss every week (I hate it myself) but most people do have weeks they don't lose. It is more important to look at overall progress than a week or two.

Have you considered, or tried eating more often? I know that when I am able to each every three hours I do see a difference.

So, I find that I'm using a lot of 3/4 or 2/3 cup when using ingredients- so what I do is enter the single serving info into the calculator, then divide the points by 3/4 or 2/3 (as you said)... should I be figuring 3/4 or 2/3 of the nutrition fact info and then entering THAT into the calculator, and using those points for my tracker?

If I list "apple" or "banana" it's only 1 of that item. I rarely eat more than one piece of fruit in a sitting, unless I'm eating mixed fruit and then I'd list that. Admittedly, I don't snack on veggies much, except for carrots and tomatoes, and that week I didn't. I also finding myself shying away from using oil- it's takes up so many points! So, I steam my "fried" eggs in a bit of water and put a lid on the pan. I only really ever use Smart Balance butter, and just a tsp on my toast. I try to get my fat in peanut butter, which I use in my protein smoothies after working out, or for breakfasts shakes that I take to school in the mornings. And I don't drink milk because I think I'm becoming lactose intolerant the older get (upset tummy), tho I can tolerate yogurt just fine.

Carbs might be the problem. I try to limit 1 carb/bread source per meal, cuz bread is so pointy, but I also find I need some kind of carb to feel full. If I eat fruit/veggie or protein heavy meals I'm STARVING not long after and find myself parked in front of the open fridge wondering what to eat next. :\

I kind of already do? I don't get hungry (I listen to my cues) until about 10AM. Then, a small snack at about noon. Lunch around 3. Snack around 5. Dinner is usually between 6 and 8PM depending on school. I usually don't need to eat after that, but sometimes my "sweet" craving kicks in late, like 10PM, so I'll have a WW ice cream treat.

First I have to address this. I think it's important that we have the right mindset when we go through this whole journey. Setting ourselves up for disappointment and frustration by saying "I used to be able to lose xx pounds a month and now I'm not" is honestly just unnecessary and hurtful to ourselves! Unnecessary frustration leads to thoughts of "not doing things right" and then eventually "I'm not getting anywhere" (usually ignoring the progress that has been made) and giving up.

And giving up leads to weight gain.

Don't put so much pressure on yourself by living by the scale. The changes themselves are the goal, and you're already doing that. Sure, every plan needs a little tweaking and adjustment, but eating healthier (and less) in general is GOOD for us. The scale will eventually follow.

The fact that you haven't GAINED the weight back that you lost when you were sick is actually the best thing. Usually when I'm ill, I'll lose a lot of weight (dehydration and other illness stuff) and then gain it back as water (NOT FAT) when I begin eating healthfully, again. It's just the body recovering. It's normal... it's how we stay alive.

Losing weight is not easy. Especially when we have to play the "trial and error" game. But, it is worth it. So it just worries me when I see people getting so frustrated when they're actually doing quite well!

Reiterating: Weight Watchers Points Plus does not use fractions. You cannot add a total together and then divide. Your math has to be done before-hand.

Example: 1 serving of colby-jack reduced fat cheese

Fat: 9
Carbs: 0
Fiber: 0
Protein: 10

Points: 3

Well if we divided that in half we'd get 1.5 points. But we can't use fractions... so instead...we have to do it this way:

Half serving of same cheese:

Fat: 4.5
Carbs: 0
Fiber: 0
Protein: 5

Points: 2 - Not 1.5!

We divide/multiply/add do all our math BEFORE we put it into the Points Plus Calculator.

Meeting the Good Health Guidelines as often as we can is an important part of the program. It's how the program was designed. So not following the GHG, means that you might not be benefiting from all of the program.

Oil is not a lot of points. 2 points for oil over the course of a day? Oil that can be used to make dressing for a big salad, or added in to a stir-fry. Healthy oils (olive, canola, etc) contain healthy fats. Our bodies need a good amount of healthy fats in order to function properly.

Most fruits and vegetables are zero points, but be cautious of the number of servings (especially of fruits) and remember that there are still vegetables out there that are points... potatoes, corn, peas, etc. A banana might be zero points, but ONE banana counts as TWO servings of fruit (a banana is about a cup of fruit on its own).

Dairy is more about what's in the dairy than the actually... dairy... if that makes sense. Especially calcium and vitamin d. Cheese and yogurt of course counts towards this. So it doesn't always have to be a glass of milk. A lactose-intolerant person obviously has to get their "dairy" fill in other ways...
Often calcium fortified "alternative" milks.... like Almond Milk (delicious, imo), Soy or Rice milks.

Looking over your list, I'd probably add in a few more vegetables and greens. And then just start counting Points Plus without fractions. That's to start. Just be vigilant and after two weeks, check again to see what's going on.

Again, I know the results you were hoping to have aren't what you're seeing right this second. Give it time, give the right amount of adjustment and you'll find what works for you.

P.S. - We've gotta be fit to outrun those zombies!