Hi, so I just started WW Online on Sunday. My mother used it years ago and just raved about it. She just recently started back up with the new program and is all excited and she suggested I should try it too. She does the program with the meetings. I, however, would rather try this online.

I've gotten the hang of tracking my points and downloaded the PP app onto my phone to calculate the points in stuff I eat; however, I'm a little stumped on the Weekly points. Are these like treat points? I get that you are suppose to eat them over the course of the week and that they do not roll over from week to week.

I'm just having a hard time grasping that I should/can go over my daily points and I feel guilty if I use them! Like the whole day of eating "good" is wasted or something.

Also, I saw her books that she had--the "member kit". I don't have that. But the information looked interesting. I'm wondering if I should pick the kit up too. Maybe it could fill in some of the blank spots about the program. I feel sort of like I jumped in blindly here. I'm enjoying it so far though. Opinions?

Read all you can on the "My Plan" section of WW. I eat my weekly points, I would keel over without them. I get 29 per day. I'm sure if I got 41 a day I'd eat fewer weeklies.

I use them for a beer with dinner, or pizza (like tonight) or just some extra food, not "cheating" just some more calories in my day.

I've been losing an average of 1.5 pounds a week using all but 5 or so weeklies, so my plan is to keep using them.

I totally feel the same way about using the extra points like I'm 'cheating'. I have heard a few people at meetings talk about how they spread their weekly points toward each day, so 7 extra points a day. Then you would just always have 36 points (if you are at 29 already). I have been using them on Saturdays after my weigh-in, for a semi-cheat meal, but only about 10 of them on Saturday. I guess I figured I had a whole week to burn off those 'extra' calories, and I love being able to go out to eat or have a cookie on Saturday night (date night)

Good luck!

i assume they figured those weekly points into your allowance. They know people are going to have a treat meal or go out to eat. So they try to build it in. Because everybody gets the same, and it never changes. Only the other things change for each person.

Last week I used all my weekly points (out for lunch twice, and dinner once) and lost 4.8 lbs (first week of the diet, though). This week, I haven't touched them; my husband's away and it's easier to have light dinners.

I like the weeklies because if you go over a little on your daily points, it's no biggie; you don't have to stress/feel guilty, just dip into the weekly allotment.

At my WW meeting yesterday, the leader said your weekly points aren't for junk, but whatever; I used mine for wine!

ETA: I didn't use them ALL for wine

Your weekly points are for whatever you want to use them for! Sometimes I use almost all of them, usually I always use at least half. I WI on Monday and right now I have 27 left.
Our leader also suggests leaving a few as 'overdraft protection' if you eat out a lot and try to calculate the points value without actual nutritional information. A lot of times it will be higher than what we think and those few extra points can help even it out for you.

That is a great suggestion from your leader! I eat out once or twice a week, and I have tried using the E-tools to calculate the points, but even when I think I am over-estimating, I still worry I could be off since restaurants are notorious for being unhealthy (generally). I have been using only half my Weekly points and very few, if any, of my exercise points, so your leader's advice I think makes very good sense!

Totally how I use mine! I'm going out with my girlfriends tonight and I won't know 100% how they prepare their food, so I'll leave some leeway in my weeklies to allow for error.

Good luck!

I like the term "overdraft protection", I use mine that way a little, but usually save them for planned eating out, or allowing myself a little treat.

I have never used more than half of the weeklys, and many weeks none at all-- but knowing they are there gives me a sense of freedom that keeps me from feeling trapped.

Cool, thanks! My boyfriend and I are going to PF Changs for dinner tonight for his birthday so I may use some. Fortunately they list all of the information for their dishes on the website so I know how much to eat for a portion. It's amazing, some of those plates they hand you in the restaurant have 4 "servings" of food per plate!

I went to Pei Wei not long ago and got calories counts to figure points. It was only right before ordering that I realized the counts assumed that one order was two servings. DH and I ended up ordering and splitting an item and then split an order of spring rolls so it worked out.

On the weekly points -- I used to eat all or almost all of mine and my weight loss was very slow, a half a pound a week was good.

I got really tired of this so quit using my weekly points.

For me if I'm not eating out much it is actually easy just to eat my 29 points (in fact I often am under by a little bit). This week I've used 3 weekly points in 5 days, basically because I was hungry late one night and had an extra snack. Another time that I will sometimes use them is when I go out to eat but I try not to do that to often. For me, I do better and lose more not using hardly any weekly points.

It is certainly not cheating to use them. You just have to try and see whether you can lose at a rate pleasing to you if you eat all of them. Some people can.

In my case, btw, I do use activity points before I use weekly points.

As you can see, it's pretty much personal experimentation to see how you use the weeklies.

Myself, I tend to use all of them. My built in 'overdraft protection' (love that term!) are my activity points, which I tend to just bank and leave alone.

For the weeklies, those usually go to a couple of meals out on the weekends, although from time to time I will spread them out throughout the week.

I have found that I can't use both weeklies AND activity points. It's one or the other if I want to lose. (But perhaps I'm dipping into my overdraft more than I think, so it could be that. I know many people - my meeting leader included - who use every point they're given.)

It is difficult to compare those of us losing weight to a leader who is maintaining weight. When I use all my weekly points I get perilously close to simply maintaining my weight, losing about .2 to .5 pounds a week. Eating fewer points, I tend to lose a bit more although I've never been a fast lower.

I do think that one advantage of not using a lot of weekly points is the "overdraft protection" part. The other day I went to a restaurant that was not part of a chain so I had no nutritional information and just had to look up generic versions of each food. Also, even with chain restaurants some studies have shown that the actual calorie counts as prepared can be quite different from what is posted since they may not be that precise on measuring ingredients. I don't stress as much about these things as I know that these inaccuracies are taken care of from the unused WP.

I'm glad to see someone else equally is confused about going out to eat on WW! I try to use the online tools to guess the points in food items, but it is so hard! I really like the idea of the 'over-draft' protection, so that is why I am never planning to use my APs. I am also going to keep trying to save at least some of my WPs, although I tend to use at least half of them.

Does anyone have good suggestions for figuring out non-chain restaurant items without bringing measuring cups and a scale! LOL!

It is difficult. I tend to write it down or record it (voice memo on iphone) while I'm there. I note any specifics that might affect it. Note the size. Read the WW materials on how to estimate portions.

I also try to order things that are simple where there is less wiggle room. That is something without a lot of sauces for example. Veggies that are zero point. That kind of thing. Just avoid desserts altogether.