Back to counting points from core and I only get 19!
 

Can some of you that are "low pointers" give me some ideas about how you spend your points? Also, if you have any low point meal ideas, I would appreciate your sharing those as well

i only get 22pts a day (i follow the old WW points system from when i joined 3 years ago, it worked for me then so im sticking to it... or else i would be getting 26pts) i find that dividing points up for each meal helps. 5-breakfast 5- lunch and 10- dinner and 2 for a snack. my typical day is 1c. cereal and 1/2c. milk for 3pts and a light cheese stick 1pt. Lunch is a turkey (3pt) cheese (2pt) wrap (tortilla- low carb 1pt) and dinner is always different. I love making a tuna pasta
reciepe:
1c. uncooked pasta (1 1/2c. cooked) (6-7pts)
1 can light tuna (2pt)
2 tablespoons fat free mayo (0pt) (or 4 tbsp = 1pt)
1 cup diced celery, onions and pickles (0pt)

hope this helps! i also do the pasta plus 1/2 low fat pasta sauce for 1pt and some low fat mozzarella cheese sprinkled on top

I agree with dividing the points up to see what you have to work with. I still do a combination of core and flex to make sure I get the most bang for my points. I get 24 points a day and the biggest thing that helps to keep me comfortable on the hunger scale & low in points is fresh veggies that I tend to graze on all day.

My favorite low-point dinner is this:
1 point tortilla
1/2 c black beans (2 pts)
Whatever veg you have on hand

Sautee the veg with chili powder and garlic and onion, add beans, and make a monstrous wrap. Very filling, very core-friendly, fantastically healthy. I usually top it with avocado and cook it in EVOO but that adds to the pointiness.

I tend to arrange my points in a kind of upside-down pyramid fashion. My breakfasts are hearty and my meals decline in volume as I approach dinner, as I find I just don't need as much food later in the day. Figure out what you are comfortable with in terms of how you want to eat, then spread out your points accordingly, making sure there is room for snacking.

don't forget that non-starchy vegetables are ZERO points. i can't remember all the starchy ones off the top of my head, but some of them are green peas, winter squash, and potatoes. you can use the non-starch ones to add bulk to most meals without adding points.

my favorite dinner is:

non-starchy veggies, chopped (i like zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers)
ragu light tomato basil spaghetti sauce (1 cup, which is 2 servings)
1-2 tsp olive oil (depending on how many i need to fulfill the guidelines that day)
3-4 ounces of lean ground turkey
1 T parmesan cheese

i typically just throw the turkey on the george foreman grill b/c it's easy. meanwhile, saute the veggies in the olive oil and then add the pasta sauce and the turkey, turn the heat down, cover, and simmer. the longer you simmer it the more water will cook out of it.

you can put this over pasta, but i typically just eat it as is, like a super thick soup. depending on the amount of oil and turkey you use, it can range from 6 to 9 points. and of course the parmesan cheese is optional.

you can get in a lean protein, both healthy oils, and 3-4 servings of veggies this way (i count the pasta sauce as 2 servings).

Do they really go as low as 19? I thought 20 was the lowest... or was a long time ago. That seems a bit ridiculous if an average point is 50 calories can they seriously be suggesting a possible less then 1000 calorie diet? (I know you can bulk that out with fiber, but STILL)

Not to try to sway you from your diet plan, but psychologically it may be more satisfying to see that you are allowed 1400 (or however many) calories, it also gives you more flexibility since points can range from 50-100 calories. You don't want to end up eating 900 calories and thinking that you are at your limit for the day.

I often "bulk up" a meal with extra veggies, those frozen steamer things come in handy.
I also got some frozen strawberries and blueberries this weekend, they were surprisingly flavorful, nothing but the fruit on the ingredients label.
oh yeah, I almost forgot, salad on the side, even if it's just lettuce and tomato.

Don't forget your flex pts. and activity pts. if you don't eat enough, your body will go into storage mode instead of burning mode.

best to all :sunny:

Thanks for all of your replies! I used the formula in the new booklet and came up with the point goal of 19. I have not asked my leader; maybe I should. I do agree that it is pretty low calorie, but I have lost 1.2 and 1 pound for each of the last two weeks. I do add the wpa's and free veggies and fruits. I also use the filling foods and snack on them during the day. I have been managing pretty well that way, so I'll stick with it until I get to goal (I am seven pounds away) unless I hit a plateau. I have actually been using the "divide up the points" method that several of you mentioned, and it really helps.

Thanks again!

Go back to Core...
 

I think you cannot get all your healthy guidelines in the day with 19 pts. You would need your wpa's to supplement you. I looked at menus for these low points and it isn't anything that WW wants you to do. I don't understand why they go that low.

It is a challenge for SURE. I also think it is almost impossible to get in their daily guidelines given the low points you have to play with. So I just live my life and don't worry about it. I cut out the oil points and half of the dairy points requirements. Veggies over fruit to get the 5 servings without the points. And I take a great multivitamin every day, too...

Kira

Several years ago when I was doing WW I only got 22 (I was smaller then) and was always hungry. I used to make a supposedly zero point WW soup that used to be around at that time. I don't think it was really zero but still low.

I started with water or broth and then added 1 bag shredded carrots, 1 bag shredded cabbage, 1 large can diced tomatoes, onions and pepper if I felt like cutting them. Then I used whatever seasoning I was in the mood for - sometimes Mexican - cumin, chili powder, garlic -- sometimes Italian - oregano, garlic, basil. I always topped it with Texas Pete because I like things spicy.

It really helped on the days when I was hungry!

I am bumping this thread up because I just joined and I, too, only have 19 points. It is a struggle and I find myself eating a lot of vegetables (which I guess is a good thing). It is definitely hard to get in all of the requirements, such as healthy oil and dairy servings, so I don't worry too much about it. I just try to stay within my points and eat a lot of veggies. My day looks something like this:

B- Oatmeal
S- Greek yogurt with berries
L- Big salad with some nuts or cheese thrown in and lowfat dressing
S- Fiber One Bar
D- Another big salad with a few oz. of lean protein
S- WW ice cream

I should probably subsitute the ice cream for something more nutritious but I always crave something a little decadent at the end of the day!

AirJewels, do you use your 35 weekly flex points and/or activity points? Spreading those out over your week could help you fit in some extra protein or other food if you feel like you're not getting enough.

just wanted to add to this. I am also a 19 pointer. Just started tonight so I am looking for any and all suggestions.

I am allowed 18 points per day. It isn't easy, but I've been sticking with it. I rarely have a snack that is more than one point. Breakfast is usually 3-4 and lunch is 4-5 points. Much more than that in any of those areas makes for a difficult evening. Another thing that may help is making sure to get in some activity points.

Can you give me an idea of what you are doing for breakfast and lunch? Those are my hardest meals, I have to force myself to eat since I am not usually hungry during the day. So when I don't have any ideas what to eat or everything seems to be too many points, I will just skip a meal. I know it's bad, but I am too busy at work to be bothered.

For Breakfast, I usually have egg white, ham, spinach and lf cheese on an arnold's thin or other whole wheat bread that is low in points. This filling, protein filled breakfast is usually 3.5 or 4 points. It helps to have a little of it done the night before, but is simple enough to do on the fly in the morning too.

Lunch is usually a low point soup or low point smart one with a big green salad with a small amount of lf cheese and dressing spritzers. Either that or a turkey sandwich with carrots or another veggie on the side. My lunch strategy is to eat something along with a salad or veg that adds the veg serving, without many points, and helps me to feel like I'm getting a lot to eat.