I understand you need to count a point for over one cup of a serving of veggies, but what about salad???
I just had what fit into 4 cups (loosely packed) of mixed greens. So would this be 3 points? The calculator says it would be one point (based on calories and only counting 2 grams of fiber).
I'm confused.
Plus, what do you all count the Wishbone salad spays as???? One serving on the calculator says it's zero. Do you count it as zero? If you have over 10 sprays do you then count it as one?
Last edited by violettfem; 05-04-2008 at 11:51 PM.
Reason: spelling
I've never counted points for vegetables that begin as zero points for a serving.
However, if that's the way you do it... Loose salad would be different, because one cup of salad is a serving (instead of 1/2 cup like most veggies). If the calculator says one point, then it's one point.
The dressings, I believe, are one point for 10 sprays. (They're something like 15 calories & one gram of fat for a serving which is 10 sprays if I remember correctly?) That'd be one point.
The dressings, I believe, are one point for 10 sprays. (They're something like 15 calories & one gram of fat for a serving which is 10 sprays if I remember correctly?) That'd be one point.
The point calculator lists 0 for 10 cals/.5 fat/0 fiber so I always counted it as zero, but over 1 serv. I would count as one. I thought I saw somewhere on this site that the Wishbone was zero per 1 serv.
I am just such a slow loser that I want to be sure i am counting everything I should be. I do WW @ home, w/ all my @ Home materials. I have also belonged online last year but I don't have the money this year.
Zero point veggies are always zero points no matter the quantity you eat of them. This article may help you understand the other stuff:
The idea of zero POINTS values fascinated me. How could a food have a POINTS value of zero? I decided to ask around. Suddenly I discovered a massive grey area of myths and intricacies around these no-POINTS-value gems. Everyone had a different answer to my query into how to best leverage the zeros, so I decided to go straight to the source, read everything and compile some truths.
The truth, according to Maria Walls, Manager of Program Development for Weight Watchers International, is that "the idea of the zero-POINTS-value food was not created as such; they are the result of the calculation of the proprietary Weight Watchers formula at a particular calorie level." The only true "zero" is a vegetable that occurs naturally from the earth. They are the only zero that when eaten by the bagful can still be called a zero. According to Maria, the idea of the "free" vegetable was created to give members a break from counting these very low-calorie foods that "generally did not contribute to weight gain."
The other type of food with a POINTS value of zero is one that is a processed food, such as "lite" whipped topping. A two-tablespoon serving of this food—and two tablespoons of whipped topping is, generally speaking, far less than any human wants to consume!—has a POINTS value of zero. Should you ingest the second serving at that same sitting, you would need to double the calories, fat and fiber and recalculate. It quickly multiplies to 1, 2, 3 and 5 POINTS values. The tub itself contains 25 servings (which I have handily polished off in less than 24 hours). Calculated correctly, that adds up to a POINTS value of 12 for the whole container. Regardless of which plan you follow, that is one third of your POINTS allowance.
So let's get down to the nitty-gritty. If I carefully measure my two tablespoons of whipped topping in the afternoon, calling it zero, can I eat a second serving later in the day for zero? In fact you can. Sigh of relief! Officially, the POINTS Weight-Loss System provides an allowance for "man-made" (non-veggie) zeros. The plan suggests that any member limit their servings of zeros to five a day. In the long run, your weight loss will be the guide. If weight loss is slow, you might want to pull back on the zeros. Remember all foods have calories.
Also know that the leading cause of plateaus is "relaxed adherence to the plan." Maria advises that members "be sensible" about their intake of the zeros. What a grand idea. Too bad my taste buds seem to get in the way of my being sensible!
The foods with a POINTS value of zero allow for some flexibility and just a bit more choice. Monitor the zeros well and they can add an enormous amount of enjoyment to your plan, but stop watching them carefully and you tempt the plateau gods to visit you!
Take a look at the chart below to get an idea of just how quickly zero does not equal zero.
Food = One Serving = Two Servings
Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber cereal= 0 = 1.5
Cool Whip Lite whipped topping = 0 = 1
Fat-free Italian salad dressing = 0 = 1
Sugar-free Jello = 0 = 0.5
Asian pear = 0 = 1.5
The point calculator lists 0 for 10 cals/.5 fat/0 fiber so I always counted it as zero, but over 1 serv. I would count as one. I thought I saw somewhere on this site that the Wishbone was zero per 1 serv.
I am just such a slow loser that I want to be sure i am counting everything I should be. I do WW @ home, w/ all my @ Home materials. I have also belonged online last year but I don't have the money this year.
Then follow what you've found. Honestly, I wouldn't count the veggies, though. If you use more than one serving of the spray dressings, then count the appropriate amount of points, but if it comes up as zero points for one serving, then it's zero for one serving.
Zero point veggies are always zero points no matter the quantity you eat of them. This article may help you understand the other stuff:
The idea of zero POINTS values fascinated me. How could a food have a POINTS value of zero? I decided to ask around. Suddenly I discovered a massive grey area of myths and intricacies around these no-POINTS-value gems. Everyone had a different answer to my query into how to best leverage the zeros, so I decided to go straight to the source, read everything and compile some truths.
The truth, according to Maria Walls, Manager of Program Development for Weight Watchers International, is that "the idea of the zero-POINTS-value food was not created as such; they are the result of the calculation of the proprietary Weight Watchers formula at a particular calorie level." The only true "zero" is a vegetable that occurs naturally from the earth. They are the only zero that when eaten by the bagful can still be called a zero. According to Maria, the idea of the "free" vegetable was created to give members a break from counting these very low-calorie foods that "generally did not contribute to weight gain."
The other type of food with a POINTS value of zero is one that is a processed food, such as "lite" whipped topping. A two-tablespoon serving of this food—and two tablespoons of whipped topping is, generally speaking, far less than any human wants to consume!—has a POINTS value of zero. Should you ingest the second serving at that same sitting, you would need to double the calories, fat and fiber and recalculate. It quickly multiplies to 1, 2, 3 and 5 POINTS values. The tub itself contains 25 servings (which I have handily polished off in less than 24 hours). Calculated correctly, that adds up to a POINTS value of 12 for the whole container. Regardless of which plan you follow, that is one third of your POINTS allowance.
So let's get down to the nitty-gritty. If I carefully measure my two tablespoons of whipped topping in the afternoon, calling it zero, can I eat a second serving later in the day for zero? In fact you can. Sigh of relief! Officially, the POINTS Weight-Loss System provides an allowance for "man-made" (non-veggie) zeros. The plan suggests that any member limit their servings of zeros to five a day. In the long run, your weight loss will be the guide. If weight loss is slow, you might want to pull back on the zeros. Remember all foods have calories.
Also know that the leading cause of plateaus is "relaxed adherence to the plan." Maria advises that members "be sensible" about their intake of the zeros. What a grand idea. Too bad my taste buds seem to get in the way of my being sensible!
The foods with a POINTS value of zero allow for some flexibility and just a bit more choice. Monitor the zeros well and they can add an enormous amount of enjoyment to your plan, but stop watching them carefully and you tempt the plateau gods to visit you!
Take a look at the chart below to get an idea of just how quickly zero does not equal zero.
Food = One Serving = Two Servings
Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber cereal= 0 = 1.5
Cool Whip Lite whipped topping = 0 = 1
Fat-free Italian salad dressing = 0 = 1
Sugar-free Jello = 0 = 0.5
Asian pear = 0 = 1.5
Thank you so much for posting this article. I was making myself worry. LOL This is getting copied and saved.
Then follow what you've found. Honestly, I wouldn't count the veggies, though. If you use more than one serving of the spray dressings, then count the appropriate amount of points, but if it comes up as zero points for one serving, then it's zero for one serving.
Zero point salad greens and spray
