I'm sure this has come up several times before, but I want to calculate my exercise points as I was walking (just light exercise, can feel it but not perspiring, etc) for about 4 hours straight today. I was just wondering if you can only have a certain number per day? I think I have heard there's a max of 4? I don't usually count my activity points but I went out for lunch and used quite a few flex points on the meal. I found the exercise points calculating thread on here but it doesn't say anything about a maximum number, except that you can only get 28 per week.

Could someone set me in the right direction here? Thank you

Ok, I just read an article on WW.com for you about this This is the article:

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/a...=30731&sc=3009

On the second page, they say that eventually you should work yourself up to 28 activity points per week. They don't say that there is a limit to how many you can earn in a day. However, if you divide 28 by 7 days you get an average of 4 points a day that you would have to be earning to reach the 28. I don't think there is a limit per day though. I don't really think that the 28 is a "limit" per week, just the number they say they would like you to reach by the time you hit maintenance.

Okay, that's great information, thank you. I'm off to read the article now. The thread I read here, this one: http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72156 gave me the impression that I could only earn 28 per week in total.

Thanks modkitten! I guess if I can earn more than 4 per day I don't feel so bad about the lunch. With so much walking, I must have earned more than that anyway!

Thanks for the link. I've never seen anything printed in WW material with a maximum on the activity points (per day or week). But I don't have my books with me here at work. I'll have to check when I get home. The article I gave you says to aim for 28. It doesn't say that you shouldn't earn more than that, though. Imagine if you were a marathon runner, after reaching your goal. How you would you deal with the 28 point cap?! But I'm sure most of us don't have THAT problem

Haha, yes, having too much exercise certainly isn't a problem I have!

I've never seen officially where you could only use so many, but I guess they don't want you working yourself to a frazzle so you can have some ice cream In the book about moving more, or whatever it's called it does tell you to work up to 28 pts a week, it says you need that for maintenance. They have you start small and add a pt. or two when you're comfortable at that level. The main thing is not to overdo, since you might end up injured or too sore to stay active.

I just got the new "week 2" booklet, and they don't encourage you to go over 28 points. I asked my leader and she said that 28 points is the max that they encourage you to earn. So once again, not a clear cut answer but I can't see why it would hurt to go over. I think with the 28, they are saying that is what you should get per week if you are maintaining your weight. Now, I have a friend who runs marathons. She runs every day. She eats more than a person her size needs to in order to maintain her weight because she runs so much. I'm assuming this is why they cap it at 28 - because then you would be losing weight again instead of maintaining if you exercised more than that.

I got this e-mail...there is no limit on how many you can earn OR use

Via email from WW -

*********************************
Thank you for contacting Weight Watchers with your inquiry and comments.

As you may have noticed, we changed the way Activity POINTS values are swapped on the Web site with the launch of TurnAround. Because many of us exercise vigorously on one day and rest on the next, the Web site will now allow you to swap as many Activity POINTS values as you've earned into Foods POINTS for the amount that you exceed your POINTS Target on that given day.

However, Weight Watchers® follows the recommendations of the American College of Sports Medicine, which means that we recommend not earning more than an average of 4 Activity POINTS per day (or 28 Activity POINTS per week) to reduce the risk of over-use injuries.

If you are earning more than an average of 4 Activity POINTS per day (28 Activity POINTSâ per week), we recommend that you be under the supervision of an exercise specialist.

Thank you for your cooperation.

Customer Service
www.WeightWatchers.com

Thanks Kelly, that's very informative. And to the rest of you for your answers as well! It's been a bad week so far... I'm only on day 5 of my week and almost through all my flex points already (two meals in restaurants and one at a friend's) but have no plans for the next few days so am going to focus on what I'm eating and stay under my daily point total of 24 to make up for it. Perhaps I'll be getting out and moving more in order to eat a little Skinny Cow ice cream or a WW cookie for a treat after dinner. This might not be such a bad thing... knowing that I have no flex points might force me to earn some activity ones! lol

Thanks again ladies

I'm starting to wonder, reading all this stuff on activity pts and such. If I do a 2 mile walk every day, every day, which I have for quite a few months now.

Should I be refiguring how I figure my daily points? I always think of the daily activity level as at work. But, if I truly, regularly exercise every day, does that become my daily routine?

I'm confused now

Please don't eat under your daily target! Your target should be the minimum number of points you eat in a day. Your body needs a minimum amount of energy to survive on for a day, and that is what your daily target is. Don't worry about having used those flex points. That is what they are there for!

Also, thanks Kelly for posting that e-mail. When I workout, I'm usually earning 4-7 points a day (working out 4 days a week) but I meet with a trainer every few months to revise my routine.

Sorry modkittn, I didn't mean it like that! I meant that I usually go over, but I always eat exactly 24 points, or 23.5 or something like that. I couldn't eat under my daily point total - I'd be way too hungry! lol

Those are still activity points. They've become part of your routine, which is what we're supposed to work up to, but they're not part of something you do as "work" like construction, or office work. You're walking as a workout, and that's an activity.

No problem! I guess I just read into it wrong Bound to happen on boards like this every once in a while!

Thanks Faerie, I was thinking that, but wasn't sure. It's working for me the way I'm doing it, so I'm not going to change until it stops working.

I'm thrilled with how things are going, hope ev1 else is doing well!