This is my second attempt with counting points and I HATE to journal. I am sure that is why I stumbled last time. But now I have a RS FoodMover and I use it to keep track of points. If you have seen one it has 34 windows and you stick a card in it and you count fats, fruits, starches etc. I never did like keeping track that way. In the morning I open 31 of the windows, that is my high point range. During the day I close a window for each point I use. I can quickly see how many points I have available. I hope I explained this to you so it makes sense. There are also 8 windows for water, 1 for excercise and 1 for vitamin. Plus several motivation messages. I have found that this is really working for me.

------------------
BEING FAT IS HARDER THAN ANY DIET!

QL,

I have one of those! So you just use a window per point not really caring what's behind the window?

Naylene

Hi Quilting Lady,
I have the Foodmover. I've had it for quite some time now. The reason why I bought it was to try what you're doing instead of journaling. I have a cup of light ice cream just about every night & I couldn't figure out what window to close. I guess it would be milk. Since I couldn't figure it out I gave up & starting writing everything down again. Silly me I think it's a great idea especially if you're out all day.

Good luck on your weight loss

NayNay, What I did was take a white piece of poster board, made it the same size as the cards that come with the FM and slipped that in the place where the cards go. I do not use the cards at all. And then I just count each window one point. I do not keep track of fruits/veggies or milk products. I am pretty good at getting these in so I didn't need to find a place to remind myself to get 5 servings of these and 2 milk. But I guess you could use the Motivators at the bottom to help remind you. There are 7 windows there.

Lingfit426, I don't put foods under any category. I just close windows-1 window for each point. I do use the water windows to record by glasses of water and the excercise window and vitamin windows to remind me to get them in. As I said above, if you feel you need to keep track of you Milk products, and Fruit/veggies, use the Motivators 7 windows for that, but still count the points in the section above. Just use the motivator section to remind you that you need to get 5 Fruit/veggies and 2 milk products in. So your cup of lite Ice Cream would be aprox. 4-6 points, so I would close that many window in the above section and then under motivators close one because you got a milk product in.

Is this clear as mud?

QL,

I understand exactly what you mean. I'm doing exchanges to get to goal. When I get to goal I'll switch to points on the foodmover.

Naylene

Where do you get the foodmover? Is it specifically designed for the points system? It sounds like something I would like to use. I also don't like to keep track of the points by journaling. I think it is because after almost 4 years on program, journaling everyday faithfully, I am bored of it. Moving little windows sounds like a nice change and that it would be much faster and simpler.

Do you get them at WW meetings? At my meeting here in British Columbia, Canada, I have never seen them.

Garbanzo

GB,
What I use is the Richard Simmons FoodMover. This FoodMover is NOT a Weight Watcher product. His plan is that you count Food exchanges, ie:Starches, fats, etc., where in Weight Watchers you count points. What I did was bought one and use the little "windows" to flip closed when I used a point. (See above reply for how I use it) This can be purchased through Richard Simmons infomercials on TV, or Richard Simmons sells them at his site or you can get one on the auctions at Ebay. That is how I got mine for under $5.00 but you then need to add shipping so it was just under $10. The FoodMover itself will usually sell for under $10 on Ebay. But if you get the whole deal, which incluse excercise tapes, cookbook,etc. it will cost about $30-$35.

------------------
BEING FAT IS HARDER THAN ANY DIET!

[This message has been edited by quilting lady (edited 02-09-2001).]

What a very clever idea !!! Denise in Va.

quilting lady,

I think your way is a great idea. I'm going to try it.

Garbanzo, sometimes Avon sells the Foodmover. It's compact. You can take it anywhere. I bought mine from Richard Simmons website. I paid $21.00 but I got his program & a restaurant guide. The only thing I didn't get were the videos. I really don't need them. I have my own selection.

Enjoy your weekend

I recently started WW and I'm doing ok with the points - but I am curious about the RS plan after seeing the informercial.

I was wondering whether it would be a better fit for me - but then I'm not sure how it compares with WW.

Seems they use an exchanges program - but the reason I like WW - is that I can eat out - and be able to stay on OP since I can get the points from - say a blended food like Chinese - or Italian.

How does that work on RS? Does anyone know of a site that compares the two plans? THANKS

I think this is a great idea.

I have one question: YOu said you made your own card for the foomover is there anything on the card

ncmom,
I used a blank white card so when the windows were open it showed white. This way you could see at a glance how many points you had left.

vegasbride,
You could check out the Richard Simmons Forum. There is a big difference between the two programs. In the past I have used the exchange program the RS endorses but I find the points program is easier for me to follow and I feel as if I'm not "playing" with my food, figuring out which exchange it belongs in. Is it a protein or milk, etc. Too much to figure out. Plus like you said, it is easy to figure out points for eating out and frankly I want to eat out now and then without having to disect the meal I just had. What ever plan you choose good luck because:


------------------
BEING FAT IS HARDER THAN ANY DIET!

I was on the WW 123 plan when it first came out several years ago. Did OK the first couple months, then my success rate fell rapidly. I threw in the towel.

I was on the FM site and found someone that was willing to sell hers, so I could give the FM program a try. I just received it and after reading all the information can't believe the restrictions compared to WW. guess I had it pretty good years ago!

The problems I was having is writing everything down, and eating too many starches. I DO like your idea of using the FM
just to journal instead of writting things down. (maybe this will be something I need to get back on track once again!)

I have a couple questions. I have the information to the old 123 program and with the new one I understand the fiber is counted differently, can you explain the difference, and also how many breads/starches should a person be eating? I need some guidelines and hoping the FM will help me see them. With the WW program pretty open to eat what you want, I did just that. mostly starches.

Thank you for your help and such a good Idea about the FM.

Cheron

Cheron,
The new program limits the fiber to 4 grams, so you can use your old sliding scale, just don't go above 4 grams of fiber. You can eat items with higher fiber than 4 grams but you can't count it any higher than that. This hurt my chili that I was eating that was 12 grams of fiber. A serving was only 1 point in the old program, but now 2. I used to eat 2 servings for 2 points, now I think a little more about 2 servings for 4 points.

You need to get in at least 5 servings of fruits/veggies and 2 milk products. A serving of carrots is now one point as well as a serving of onion. Has to do with natural sugars?!?

I feel that they are not so concerned about starches. You can pretty much eat anything you want as long as your points are in your range. But it sounds like starches may be your "trigger food" that trigger you to want more? That is mine too. I would rather eat a sandwhich or pasta than anything. I do ok with bread because I can put the loaf away but with pasta I always make more than the family really eats and I pick at it afterward. So I have been trying to get the pasta off the table as fast as possible after everyone has had enough.

Alot of people that had success with the old point system are continuing to use it. Good luck in whatever journey you take!


------------------
BEING FAT IS HARDER THAN ANY DIET!

[This message has been edited by quilting lady (edited 02-11-2001).]

The RS Foodmover works great for keeping track of points but without the journal you can't look back to see what foods worked worked and what didn't. When I hit a plateau, I look back in my journal and critque it( too many carbs? not enough protein? )This way I can go back to eating the foods that helped me to lose and break the plateau. I think a combo of the foodmover and journaling would work well. Just a thought~~~Sil