Hey guys,

I've heard, and I'm sure you've all heard too, that NOT eating your extra 35 points a week can actually cause you to lose LESS weight. That you have to use ALL of your extra 35 in order to get the best results.

That makes a certain amount of sense because it shocks the metabolism, I guess. But, still, it also makes sense that I would lose more by eating fewer points in a week. .... Thoughts? What's your experience been?

I have found that for me personally using half of my allowance points I lose more. For instance last week I used 7 of them and lost 6lbs, this week I used all but 6 and only lost 1.2.

Play with it a bit and see what works best for YOU

I haven't used any yet and have lost 6.2 pounds in my first 2 weeks. I am a little scared to use them, a little too much freedom is not a good thing for me, I need black and white!

I just began WW again, because I did so well a few years ago with it. If I used any of my 'extra' points at all, it is rarely over 10 or so...My first week back I lost 2.6. happy with that! I don't feel like I would lose if I used all of them, but then, that's me. I think that if you are hungry and need to eat, I would use some of them, but I wouldn't just eat them because they are 'there'. Does that make sense?

So what I'm hearing is that no one thinks you HAVE to use your extra points to lose. That sounds right. I think I'll save them for particularly problematic restaurants and special occasions. Thanks, guys!

I think using them has helped me maintain long-term success on WW, but everyone is different. If it feels like a diet, it won't last and the points allow you some freedom to be human. Just my .02.

This is my second major time doing WW (gained weight back after I quit smoking) and I am finding the 35 extra points makes this so much easier. I use all of mine, and I am still losing 1 pound a week (all I ever lost on the older point system) but am much happier.

I have to be careful. I can use some but definately not the entire 35. But everyone is different.

could NOT live without them.....I really try to use the allotted daily points on filling foods, so I need the 35 to splurge on the wild side a bit! I don't find they hinder loss at all. In fact, I know ppl who choose to never use them and they don't seem to have any greater success than those who do...but that is just my opinion, no science behind it.

I've only been doing this for 7 weeks, and have lost consistently each week, but I rarely go over my daily points. The weeks I have used some of the weekly 35, I haven't lost as much.

I only use them when absolutely necessary. Like my job having an event and I HAVE to eat the food.

Four weeks in and I've lost 17 lbs without touching my 35 weekly.

I use most of them but tend to not use my activity points. In a typical week I will earn 10-15 activity points and then have the 35 points. I could then use all that. I usually will use 25 or so points of it but it varies.

I was just wondering about this issue myself. I guess I'll have to experiment and see what works the best for me.

I do love having a safety net there to allow more freedom when things come up.

I am so afraid to use them in the beginning of the week because who knows what will come up at the end of the week and I don't want to use them right before I weight in because I like to think that they wont allow me to lose the maximum amount of weight.

I enjoy the fact that they are there for when I want to use them though.