Jaime - Way to post at the same time I MADE pizza last night. It is actually pretty low in points. I make it with the Pillsbury dough, Ragu Pizza Sauce, turkey pepperoni, and reduced fat shredded cheese. Yummy! Pillsbury has a thin crust dough and we tried that last night and it was REALLY good. Oh and try some lemon in your water to help with the salt!

That made me laugh Mod! Way to go at being almost back to goal! Happy you are workin' it!

Well, things are calming down for me too. I'm back from vacation (when I returned I was 204.5) now sitting at 201.5 for this week's weigh in! Pretty happy about that. I've been getting consistent exercise and trying to eat more whole foods, less processed anything! Work was crazy for me the last 2 weeks but letting up now too. My secret confession however is that I'm not really strictly WWing...I'm mostly calorie counting though I do sometimes look up the points as well and kind of combine my thoughts about a certain food. But, I miss chattin with you all, its worth looking up the points just to hang out here I sorta go back and forth between wanting to know points and just wanting to know actual food nutrition content. I still consider myself a WW though. WW has taught me HOW to eat and now I'm going further with that idea too!

Sweet new tat Suite, and GOOD job on the running!

Happy Monday everybody, lets get chatty!

Hello everyone!

I'm working on day 1. Good Grief, I'm gonna have to get up earlier just to eat all my points!

I remember two different socks! Also big feathered hair, big belts, and crop tops. I can't believe some of that stuff is coming back - so funny.

So I have to go eat some more. See you later.

I can't believe it either! They say if you wore it the first time around you're too old to wear it again...well, I'll take that advice under consideration When I get to goal I might just wear the biggest, widest belt ever to show off my waist but I'll leave the rest to the youngins

HEY Michelle, glad you decided to jump on in! I saw your other thread. I second what the others said, WW works IF you work it! It totally does! I'm a slow loser because I was going over my points range all the time (a couple weeks of the month I'd use all my flex points and even over) and not getting exercise. When I am on plan totally, the weight keeps on marching down. Now, that said, I like WW because I can maintain this lifestyle! I DO go out to eat, and have friends over and etc, but I've been getting better about incorporating healthy choices into every area of my life, even vacation! I've gotten much more serious since the end of May and I'm quite pleased with my progress.

Keep on chattin' here, there are some wise, encouraging people with good info to share!

Jaime - Thanks for the well wishes for the 170's but it didn't happen. I was up 0.4. Boo! I'm hoping that I've done better this week. I shouldn't be too hard on myself because the person who crafted my strength training workout warned me that I would gain weight even if I was losing fat. It's just hard to see the number go up instead of down.

Mod - The pizza I make sounds similar to yours. I love that Pillsbury dough! It actually tastes good, it's not high in points and if you stretch out the dough a lot to make it very thin, you get a big serving! I put all the same as you on mine along with green pepper and pineapple. It sounds weird to most people until they try it. It's delicious!

I don't have much to add, sadly. I went to the Phillies game this weekend and got the worst sunburn of my life. I spent most of the weekend after that not letting anything besides aloe touch my skin and fighting off the chills. Yesterday I went up the street and joined the LA Fitness gym that's close to my apartment. I liked my old gym but I was bored with it and needed something new to shake me up! I also did a bit of shopping over the weekend and am wearing the cutest outfit today.

Hey gals! I can't believe how much less stress I feel now that work has gotten better. Phew!

michelle - If you are having trouble getting in all your points, try focusing on high point healthy food like nuts. 1 ounce of nuts is 4 points. And don't forget your 2 servings of oil every day - that will get you 2 points!

Manick - I think whatever you are doing in order to eat healthier is great! Keep sticking your head on in here so we can see how you are doing though Don't forget us!

LeeAnne - I wasted money on the gym this year. And it was a lot of money. I don't go. And if I did go, all I can do is ride the recumbent bicycle. I should have just bought one of those! Its because I injured my back and hip. But I think even if I wasn't injured that I wouldn't want to go to the gym. I like doing natural exercise a lot (playing frisbee, etc) or jogging outside - especially during the summer!

OK so I guess I really need to get back to the gym because I'm just wasting money by not going. Hmmmm maybe I'll go tonight and use the bike.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

Manick, I'd feel ridiculous turning up my collar again. Have you seen that high waisted pants are trying to come back? No one is thin enough to pull those off!

Modkit, good advice. I'm only at 19 out of 28 points (at 8:21 p.m.!!) and I'm stuffed. I'm going to post in the accountability area and see if I can get more help. I'm trying to do the healthy thing...

So it's day 3 and other than having to force feed myself, this is wonderful! I don't quite understand how I'd figure out points for a restaurant dinner and it's a mathematical feat to figure out how much my sub was, but it's doable. I would imagine that at some point figuring this stuff out becomes second nature, right?

Michelle, just a quick note. If you're wondering about points values for restaurants, check out Dotti's Weight Loss Zone. www.dwlz.com. She has a restaurants section on her site where she's calculated out a lot of points values for various items. I would not take her word as the be all and end all of points calculations but at least you will get close--within 1 or 2. Restaurants are always a gamble like that. Even if it's a chain with information posted from corporate headquarters, the people making your food may not be using scales and measuring spoons!

80s resurgence - Okay, most ridiculous one I've seen apparently coming back: HYPERCOLOR t-shirts. Yes, those were the unfortunate shirts that changed color when they got warm. So yes, everyone looked like they had sweaty pit stains because underarms are naturally warmer. WTF is that doing back in popular culture????

Mod - Hey, if you're doing well, then that's great! No reason to force yourself to do something you don't feel is necessary. I will always be an advocate of meetings but if what you are doing is working (which it is!), then why worry. Also, I need to get into making pizza myself. It'd be far better for me. Pita pizzas are good (as are pizzas on wraps), and I've made a Pilsbury crust pizza before, which is also good - but there is just something about delivery pizza! Maybe I should keep the box, put homemade pizza in it, and get our neighbor to stand in our doorway with it or something It just has a hold on me....

Manick - I am over here cheering for you, woman. You are so close to Onederland. You are kicking butt and taking names Even if you vascillate between calorie counting and WW I hope you'll still pop by to chat with us now and again.

Michelle - There are a couple of great calorie-dense foods for the days when you're lacking in points. It's vital that you eat your target every day. Like Mod said, an ounce of nuts is 4 points, and if all else fails, eat 2 servings if that's what you need to finish your day. Avocado and peanut butter are also great sources of points - both healthy fats and delicious (they don't count towards the WW healthy oils guideline, though). I have been known to have 1/2c sf vanilla frozen yogurt with a spoonful of pb on top in the evening if I have the points And yes, visit dwlz for the restaurant points... It's a great resource, I've relied on it heavily.

LeeAnne - ugh, sunburn! I burn super easy so I know just how you feel. And you can't give us that "I am wearing a supercute outfit" statement without at least a description, woman. Oh, the humanity!


This week has been a little rocky. DH's interview for permanent residence is tomorrow morning and we're both a little stressed about it. A mid-week peek at the scale showed no change from last week so far, but that's pretty good considering I had two days of some pretty serious eating Sun and Mon. I'll take a maintain any time!

Wanted to run last night because the humidity was so low, but we got sidetracked by this stupid immigration stuff, pulling together all the paperwork, etc. Ran out of time. That's ok though because we'll be up at my dad's house tonight since it's closer to Fairfax where the interview is, and he lives on a FLAT road - so it should be a lot easier to get out there than it is here, where you have to climb a new mountain at every turn.

Not much else to share.... Things are going along pretty nicely at the moment...

Boy I have been totally unmotivated in EVERYTHING in my life lately. Work, eating, exercise, chores around the house... I'm actually really upset about it but then I don't do anything to make it better. Whats wrong with me lately????? I mean, its not just bad... its REALLY bad. I just don't know what to do about it anymore. I'd rather sit around and watch TV or play playstation than do anything around the house. And even at work I'm SUPER unmotived.

michelle - Just make sure you are following the healthy guidelines. That makes it a lot easier to fit in all your points. My target is 22 for losing and I find it SO hard to eat that little!!

sunshower - I think its been a long time since Dottie has updated that site, hasn't it? WW has a dining out book that is pretty good. Also, I go online to the restaurants' websites and you would be amazed at how many of them offer nutritional information (at least the chains).

Jaime - I love homemade pizza crust. I have a bread maker that I make it in. Yuuuummy

Hi everyone! Just thought i'd drop in and introduce myself. I'm Jess and I just joined WW for the second time, doing the Flex plan (we call it Points plan over here in Australia)

Jaime: i know what you mean about being addicted to delivered pizza.... maybe i should start prepping the neighbours too!

Leeanne, Dottie's site is GREAT! Thanks.

Jaime, where is DH from? How did you meet? I haven't seen the color changing shirts yet.... I like to run as well, but I had to attend the Teacher of the Year thing in Orlando and I cut the crap out of my feet with the CUTEST shoes EVER!! So I have to wait for them to heal. I've been doing the eliptical in my daughter's flip flops.

Modkit, 22 points is terrifyingly low! That's a pure back to basics diet. I'll stop complaining about all my points. It sounds like you are just plain old stressed out and overwhelmed. Have you tried planning a couple of "you" days and relaxing - WITHOUT the guilt?? Take care of yourself.

Hi swae and welcome!

DH and I went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth. It was little kidish and a serious suspension of belief, but a good clean adventure. I had movie popcorn!! It was so GOOD!! I saw on the WW site that a large popcorn with butter was about 40 points, so I thought I could spend my 35 extra points on that. I ate about half of a medium - yummy. I just can't believe that I didn't cheat and this is okay. I can't believe I didn't screw up my weight loss. It feels weird.

So here's my next question. Do you spend your points on healthy stuff, chocolate and pizza, or do you save them? Have you noticed any difference in your losses?

Sunshower--owie--too many showers of sun, eh? And congrats on feeling great in a new outfit.

Mod I'm sticking my head in...next week's weigh in is going to be VERY exciting...that's my update for today

Suite thanks for the cheers! Its been such a battle for me... but, its finally working on a consistent basis...I will be holding good thoughts for you and DH this weekend that you breeze right thru with no complications.

Swae85 welcome!

Michelle I do tend to use all my flex points every week. I will only occasionally splurge now on a non-healthy thing (like a single serve bag of pita chips or a piece of olive bread (non-whole grain) etc.) When I WAS eating other stuff, including sugar substitutes, either the weight did not budge for me, or my pattern looked like this: down 2 pounds, up 1, down 2.5, up 1, up 1, down 2, etc. VERY annoying. I think it has to do with how healthy your metabolism is and mine, being unhealthy required a lot of whole foods to repair it. So I mostly eat fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, whole grains to get it back on track. I think I've only had one WW convenience food in the last 3 months (an ice cream bar). But that's me.

People have all different experiences with this, you will know pretty soon what works for you. The general saying around here is if you can eat more and still lose, why wouldn't you? The Flex points are there to be used, but you must make sure you definitely get all your daily points in at a minimum! That will keep your metabolism functioning and your body will know it is not starving. Some people also tack on their flex points in little amounts throughout the week, I tend to do this rather than save them all for one day, though many people do that without problem. Now, if I have a big food eating event I try to make sure I've gotten alot of exercise that day to offset what I'm going to eat, and during the rest of the week I don't really use my AP's to eat more. I let the activity I've earned points for be the thing that pushes me over into weight loss. Hopefully that makes sense.

You'll figure it out... and it does get easier...just concentrate on week 1 for now...the rest will come!

Biggest tip for me when I was starting...label everything with a sharpie with the points per serving--so when you open your fridge or cupboard you know what point values things have at a glance. Label the tortilla bags, milk, cans of soup, cereal, etc and pretty soon you'll have memorized it all!

Hello Ladies, I am returning to WW after a lenghty sebatical

I have been reading these posts for a few days and you guys are so very motivational. I remember a few of you from my last stint with WW. I have been back on program since Tuesday and have had 3 excellent das, even went to the gym--yaaaah me!!

I wanted to thank those of you that posted about eating nuts and high calorie healthy food to finish up your points for the day. I am allowed 38 poitns per day so it is very hard to eat that many when you are eating healthy, so I went out the other night and bought some pistachio nuts--my favorite--and I was able to have 1 cup of them Wed night. That is a great snack for vegging in front of the TV watching Big Brother. They take a long time to eat and you have to work to get to them

I hope you all have a fantastic on program weekend!!

Stephanie

Huzzah! DH got approved for his green card today, in 3-6 weeks he will be an official conditional permanent resident (condition being that we remain married for another year)! Whew, that was a huge weight off our shoulders. We were planning on going somewhere fancy for dinner tonight to celebrate, but #1, my WI is in the morning and dinner out would surely affect it, and #2, I am trying to disassociate food with emotion and reward to the greatest extent possible. Sure, we are ecstatic, we want to celebrate, but must it be with what would invariably be a high-point meal? So we decided we will go to a movie tomorrow night instead Just as celebratory, something special for us, but not food-centered!

Mod - I go through phases like that too. I have absolutely no advice for you because I am terrible at pulling myself out of those ruts on purpose - usually I just wake up one day weeks later and say, well, enough's enough, back to it Jaime! And off I go as if nothing happened. Try not to beat yourself up. Perhaps you just need some off-time? I'm sure you'll come back to it full force eventually.

Swae - I'm on my second go-round with Flex too. The first time worked out great but I gained it back... Not happenin' this time, no siree! As for the pizza, sometimes I'm totally disgusted by the idea of delivery pizza (weird, huh?), then others I can't get enough. I don't know why this happens. So it goes. I look forward to seeing you post more so we can get to know you!

Michelle - DH is from Brazil. We were both students at a school in Ontario at the time - he was my TA for a philosophy class though we didn't start dating til a year after I stopped being his student After I graduated I came back to VA for grad school and we got married And hey, if you're gonna cut your feet up, it might as well be with supercute shoes!

As for the how you spend your points question - I'm going to be a fence sitter here. Sometimes (like this week), FPs go to cookies and chips and ice cream. Others they go to a really nice meal out (or a whole nice evening) without worrying about how much it'll "cost" me. Then others I just can't get enough of the healthy stuff so I pile on extra servings of whole grains, prepared veggies, fresh summer fruit, healthy fats, etc etc. I DO notice a difference in my weight loss with these different kinds of weeks - I never lose as well when I'm spending the extras on junk, but I will usually see a (small) loss. However - I still have weeks where I spend my points on junk, knowing perfectly well it may jeopardize my WL for a week - I feel like having those weeks helps me stay on track overall, long-term, because I end up feeling more comfortable with making the changes and don't get too stressed if I really want movie theater popcorn, you know? When you start resenting your way of eating, you are never gonna be able to stick with it. So me and the WW WOE have a good relationship

Manick - Thanks for the thoughts Everything workeda out!

steph - Hey! I remember you! I love pistachios too, yum. They are a great TV snack if you can control your portions because they do take a long time to eat. Unfortunately I'm not good at controlling portions of cashews, pistachios, or peanuts - so the only nut I can keep around is almonds unless I want to spend my whole week's worth of points in one sitting with a can of nuts Welcome back, glad to see you posting again!