I don't understand activity points. Obviously they require activity to earn, but how it is measured? Time spent doing something? Intensity? And what point value is given to which types of excersise? And the points can be added to how many you can eat each day, correct?
I don't go to the meetings (can't afford them and don't have time to go) and I don't do it online either. I'm just doing it on my own from home! So I don't have a calculator for activity points.
Activity points are based on intensity level, time done and your current weight. If you do meetings you will get a paper slider like the food point slider that helps figure the activity points (or you can buy the electronic calculator) and if you do online (or have e-tools) you have the Points Calculator as well as the Points Manager/Points Tracker.
As the previous posted stated at the Week 3 meeting (for your 4th week) you get all the information however if you do e-tools or online you can start immediately. Also if you let the leader know you have been active and have a program in place many times they will give you the activity information before Week 3's meeting.
Many activities are included for activity points that I personally would not count. I only count traditional exercise but housework, car washing and things like that are also included in the database/books for activity.
The activity points are optional to use but they are added on the day earned to your daily aka target points and can be used as the person sees fit.
There is no limit on how many points you can earn or use but W/W suggests if you have not been active (not ready to move on to a higher level) or are not under the guidance of a fitness pro or MD that you limit the earn/usage to an AVERAGE of 4 points a day. This is not to say that you can only use 4 a day but an average. This is so you 1) don't over exercise and hurt yourself and/or 2) you don't over exercise just to over eat or compensate for over eating.
Now your next question is probably going to be isn't it counter productive to eat what you just exercised away...no! In general (very general terms) an activity point is approximatley 100 burned calories whereas a food point is approximately 50 calories so you can see there will always be a deficit of calories.
Can someone explain the rationale behind only being able to eat your activity points on the day you earned them? I guess I don't understand why it is ok for me to have an extra serving of low-fat dairy on the day I exercise, but not the next day when my muscle is repairing itself? Any insights would be appreciated.
Can someone explain the rationale behind only being able to eat your activity points on the day you earned them?
It is because on days you are more active your body needs more calories to keep itself from thinking it is starving. It goes back to Basal Metabolic Rates. I have info on that if you want I'll repost it.
It's important to know your metabolic rate so you can balance enger in (the food you eat) with the energy out (how active you are). Because of different activity levels, each person's metabolic rate is different. Follow these steps to calculate the the amount of caloires you burn in a day. Remmeber, if you eat more than the calculated amount of calories, those extra calories eventually get stored as fat.
1. Convert your weight from pounds to kilograms by dividing by 2.2 (2.2 pounds = 1 kilogram). So, a 130-pound woman would weight 59 kilograms.
2. Women: Multiply the results of Step 1 by .9 (59 x .9 = 53). Men: Skip this stpe and go directly to Step 3.
3. Multiply the results of STep 2 (or Step 1 if you are a man) by 24. This gives you the minimal number of calories you need to survive, or your RMR (resting metabolic rate) (53 x 24 - 1272 calories).
4. To calculate the extra calories you need in order to perform your normal activites, you must calcualte a certain percentage of the RMR. Then add it to the RMR for that day's calorie needs. For example, a relatively sedentary day--say, a lazy Sunday spent watching TV or laying around--would require only a 20 percent increase in caloire expenditure (1272 x .20 = 254 extra calories). So, 254 added to 1272 equales 1526 calories.
Activity levels vary depending on how vigorous an activity it is and how long you're active. Here is a general rule of thumb based on nutritionists recommendations for energy.
Additionally, low calorie diets (under 1200 for women and 1400 for men) are not the way to go because you don't get enough folic acid, magnesium and zinc along with putting your body in a perpetual state of starvation.
I wear a pedometer every day to work. I am on the go most of the day, and I usually get 3-4 miles in during the day. It isn't a specific amount of time since it is all day.
I also do either water aerobics two days a week and more walking during the week after work and on the weekends, but my concern is about what I'm doing at work. I have arthritis and fibromyalgia, so that makes a difference in how much walking that I get in each day. When I hurt, I do less.
I just received the activity slider at my meeting last Thursday. I can ask the leader this week the same questions, but I thought maybe someone on here could help me out.
Most people and leaders say if it is something that is a normal part of your routine such as walking in the day or during the course of your work to not count it. Others say to count it. There really isn't a specific way to count 'steps' or 'miles' with a pedometer.
I don't have the WW pedometer. I bought this one a couple years ago. My doctor wants me to get in at least 3 miles (6000 steps) per day, so I aim for that but usually go more. That 3 miles is while I'm at work, and then anything after that I count separately. I just got home from work, and today I had over 12000 steps which is 6 miles. (worked 7:30-8:15 today)
Maybe I should find someone who has the WW pedometer and compare the steps/miles to mine.
justsomegirl , 10-26-2006 12:06 AM
NewDay4MeToo , 10-28-2006 12:56 AM
