[mkookies]

Hi everyone!

I'm new here. Never thought I would say that I would be counting calories, but here I am on Weight Watchers.

I'm 25 years old, female, 5'5", currently 168 lbs. I started Weight Watchers about a week ago, now. When I started, I was 170 pounds or so. So I guess it seems to be working so far.

Anyways, what I am wondering is... am I starving myself? Is Weight Watchers just a widely accepted form of starving yourself? Because the numbers are just... baffling.

I am allowed 27 points per day. 1 Weight Watchers point is almost exactly worth 40 calories. That's 1120 calories per day. That goes below starvation mode! Then I come on here, and people are ranting in the forums about NOT using your weekly points, or to just use a few, or to NEVER use your activity points. How do these people function with so little calories and food in their stomachs?!

I'm always hungry! People say to fill up on veggies, but they just don't fill me up. I can only eat so many before I get sick of them. Another way to stay full is by whole grains and proteins - but they eat up so many points, so I can only have a little bit before my points run out.

I do eat very healthy. I also go to Bootcamp five days per week. But it just seems that my points are pretty much gone before I know it. And I am not using it on crap. I also notice that Weight Watchers seems to promote artificial sweeteners - sure, it's low in calories, but what it lacks in calories it makes up for with lots and lots of chemicals and added crap to make it that way. I've never had a diet soda in my life.

I even have myself a Weight Watchers cookbook, but cannot use half of the recipes because the ingredients they use are just diet crap. I'm not going to use a cup or two of fat-free egg substitute from a carton - that's just wrong. I think people see something as fat-free and get so excited, but they don't seem to wonder *how* they made it that way. I've went to the grocery store and got to see most of the ingredients on a few official Weight Watchers products. It's kind of gross, actually!

I really don't get it. I really do feel like I am starving myself, and in the process I feel like I am being encouraged to buy into all this low-fat chemical laden crap. In the end, I'll be skinny - but will I be healthier?

Thanks for listening to my rant. I'm sure this made one heck of a first impression, huh? I want to lose weight, but I also want to be healthy. But I am not sure 1120 calories per day is going to get me there...

[fitbyforty]

Are you eating your activity points? With boot camp 5 days a week you would earn a lot of points.Use the 49 points as well that is what they are for. That way you can eat more grains and protein without it eating up your daily points.

[fitbyforty]

Have you tracked your food on a calorie to site to know it is 40 calories? Not doubting just wondering. Are you meeting all of your good health guidelines?

[mkookies]

No, I haven't eaten my activity points because I am afraid to... so many people in these forums have warned against not eating them. I ate all my weekly points, though. And I still feel hungry. Lol.

Jeez I feel like such a glutton.

[mkookies]

Yes - I did the protein/fiber/carb/fat numbers to get the actual PointsPlus number. Then I took the number of calories and divided it by 40. It came out to the same number every single time. I have confirmed through a lot of math that 40 calories is indeed the equivalent to 1 PP.

[fitbyforty]

Eat the activity points you won't be hungry.Lots of people eat all their points and still lose weight.

[fitbyforty]

Make sure you get in all your health guidelines.The oil will help keep you full longer.

[mkookies]

Yes - I am getting plenty of veggies, especially. Fruits. I get my proteins, healthy fats, whole grains... it's all checked off by the end of the day.

I'll start eating my activity points too and see what happens.

[seagirl]

Eat your weekly points. And your fruits and veggies will add a few hundred calories to each day, that will get you closer to 1500 calories a day, which is where you should be. The daily points are just a base, your weeklies and your fruits and veggies are a vital part and will get your calories up where they should be.

[fitbyforty]

Also you have the option of going to 29 points.

[mkookies]

29 points? Why is that?

[mkookies]

Thanks, seagirl. You're right - I did the calculations for daily + weekly + activity points, and that has me closer to 1,500 calories daily - that is much more reasonable. Thanks.

[fitbyforty]

I was a tweak that WW did to the program last year.Originally the lowest points you could be allotted was 29.They gave people the option to drop as low as 26 if they were not losing on 29 pp. If you were losing well without the drop you could stay at 29.No matter if they give 26, 27 ,28 you can choose to be at 29.It is all in how you lose and if 26 isn't satisfying your appetite.

[mkookies]

Thanks, fitbyforty! I might try that to see if it works.

You guys have been very helpful. Thanks!

[fitbyforty]

Good luck!!