[Christina S]

ok so i weighed yesterday and gained 8 ounces...last week i gained 4 ounces....i am watching what i eat...tracking....working out with trainer 2x per week and walking on the treadmill about 4-5 days per week...any suggetions..oh and i am getting in more than enough water....i need some suggetions..i think i need to change things up a bit but not sure how...i am on the flex plan...i thought about the core plan but i dont eat alot of the foods that are allowed...i would probably starve or binge on something unhealthy (im a picky eater)...any suggestions??...thanks much!

[Kelly_S]

Well you didn't give us much to go on so:

1) Where in your points range (range meaning utilizing your TPs, APs, and FPs) are you eating? Most people find they lose better when eating most if not all of their points for the week. Especially if you are exercising you need to eat toward a high point total and not the lower end. The reason is because your body thinks it is starving and slows down your metabolism and holds on to the calories you intake.

2) What are you spending your points on? Review the 8 GOOD HEALTH GUIDELINES/POINTSPIES (Also make sure you get in your healthy oils. I had subconsciously removed almost all fat from my diet and had plateaued for SIX (count them 6) months. Make sure you get in some fat. Again W/W and nutritionists recommend for health healthy fats such as olive, canola oils etc but the important thing is to not eliminate the fat and get in at least 2 points in real fats (this is from nutritional courses).

3) Are you drinking your water?

4) Are you eating a lot of processed foods (canned, frozen, etc.) which contain a lot of sodium, which causes water retention. What about diet sodas? They can cause bloating and water retention.

5) Are you exercising? Have you taken your measurements to see if you are building muscle while losing? Remember muscle weighs 2.2 times more than fat volume for volume (this means for a 3”x3” piece of muscle and a 3”x3” piece of fat the muscle will be 2.2 times heavier). If you are exercising remember you may need to eat your activity points. Also if you just started or changed this activity your muscles tend to retain water and thus show sometimes gains or maintains that are true.

6) Are you journaling? This includes every BLT (bite, lick and taste). Those BLTs can add up in 'hidden' points. My leader suggested for each BLT or freebie to put a tick mark in your journal and for each 4-5 add 1 point to your day.

7) Are you calculating points correctly? Ninety percent of new members don't count points correctly. I have a favorite muffin and I realized my 3-point muffin is really 6 points because it is 2 servings. Make sure you use the nutritional information rather than the 'generic' list W/W puts out. You'll find a lot of differences.

[fireflytrance]

It's hard to say without more information but I'd say maybe dip into your flex points less? I try not to eat more then 10 out of the 35 each week. Also if you add extra points for working out you could stop doing that. Those are the two things I do and if I stopped doing both of them I'm not sure I'd keep losing weight.

[Christina S]

thanks guys for your responses...

kelly: i eat all of my points most of the time...my leader stated to eat them all so my body doesnt go into starvation mode..also we were told when we exercise to make sure we use those points also..i did do some analyzing of my points for a couple days, and i am a big carb eater..like i will eat oatmeal and a banana for breakfast..so i am going to try to cut more carbs out of my diet..the problem is i am going to have to do a ton of research cause i am not sure what foods naturally have carbs in them (bananas) cause i dont eat a lot of premade processed foods..actually barely any.....i am exercising..i walk/run on the treadmill 30-40 minutes 3-5 days a week and i see a personal trainer 2x per week...i am drinking about 60-80 ounces of water daily...also, i do count my points per serving and i think i am doing it correctly..i hope i am..thanks so much for your input...if after reading my mini book here yu have any more suggestions i would love to hear them..thanks

katie: i usually dont use my flex points...once in a while i will "treat" myself to icecream but thats only about once per month...thanks so much for your insight..i really appreciate it

[Raindancer]

I've found in life, not just ww, that I do better if I incorporate some protein at every meal. WW doesn't really "promote" that, but if you do it, you'll find you'll crave carbs less (particularly snack time carbs, my biggest downfall.)

Try eating yogurt, or a couple of ounces of ham. Kashi has wonderful granola like cereals, with lots of protein and fiber, that keep you full for a long time, and they are full of whole grains, and other good -for - you stuff! (And they are yummy IMO).

Sometimes I have a cup of yogurt and add granola for a 3 pt. snack in the afternoon. It gives me a little bit of sweet, a little bit of crunch, and is packed with protein, without leaving me feeling deprived for carbs.

I also drink lots and lots of water all the time. The more water I drink the better my scale looks on wi day. I think with all the excersise you are getting, more water could be key.

Another thing to try is having 1 cup of lowfat chocolate milk following a workout. It offers you protein and carbs, and hydrates you as well, and a few studies have shown it can improve your performance over the long term.

Plus it tastes good!