Iv found so many ways to get around weight watchers rules, or so it seems. i can only eat 15 or less a day to stay on track?
maybe its that iv found so many secrets that im simply getting to much food?
Who knows exactly how much free veggies are okay? because for dinner i usually eat a large salad full of veggies, enough for a whole dinner, but can i call that free? im so confused on alot of rules. i get so frusterated
Nancy

According to the menu you posted on the other thread, you are only getting about 1000 calories a day. Too few calories can slow your weight loss almost as much as too many.

You should add in some protein--meat, fish, beans, tofu, whatever--and at least one more serving of dairy. There's been considerable research showing that dairy calcium helps people lose weight. WW isn't giving you all those points to slow you down--it's because their research has shown that people steadily lose weight if the eat the proper number of points. Look again at your introductory stuff--there are guidelines about what to eat as well as how much.

Thank you so much for answering back to my question. Maybe it is that iv found too many loopholes to get around WW? If i tell you the things im eating maybe you can help me decide what im doing wrong?

Breakfast:
1 c 1 pt WW cereal
1 c fruit
1, 1pt, yogurt or pudding..mix, for a wonderful parfay

lunch
6 c air popped popcorn i usually add 2 tbs parmesean, some butter spray, and soy sauce to this mix, and count it as 3 pts instead of the 2 points for 6c air popped popcorn

snack
i usually eat some fruit, or more popcorn, for about 2 pts

dinner
i usually eat a huge salad full of veggies, enough to make a meal outa it. I use vinagrette dressing thats 5 cals for 2 tbsp, and some salsa, soysauce, and parmesean to spice it up.

I usually end my nite with about two cups of coffee with 0 calorie torani chocolate syrup added, and a little splenda which should still average out to 0 calories- 0 points

its not working everyone? im going crazy. help

Like the previous poster said by eating this low consistenly all you do is serve to slow your metabolism so far down that eventually you will stop losing or even possibly start gaining and IF you make it to goal there will come a time you will feel like you are dieting just to maintain.

W/W is a sound medically researched program and the TARGET aka MINIMUM points are there for a reason. To keep your body from doing this.

For good health you are not getting in the nutritional needs for your body. One thing I see lacking in what you posted is your 2 healthy fats a day, another thing is your dairy (which is research proven to help you lose weight).

Here is some information you need to look at:

If you are eating properly with lower fat and higher fiber foods your average should be as follows:

18 points = 1050 calories
20 points = 1150 calories
22 points = 1250 calories
24 points = 1350 calories
26 points = 1450 calories
28 points = 1550 calories
30 points = 1650 calories
32 points = 1750 calories
34 points = 1850 calories
35 points = 1900 calories (Weekly Points Allowance)
36 points = 2050 calories

Remember this is not always true but a good guide and DOES NOT include the 200-250 calories a day W/W built into the program for free veggies.

Typically my day is as follows:

BREAKFAST
Cereal and Milk or Smoothie (4 points)

MIDMORNING SNACK
Fruit (1 point)

LUNCH
Leftovers from dinners during the week (3-4 points)
Salad w/croutons and bacon bits and dressing (2-3 points depending on the dressing - this includes on of my healthy fats a day)
Yogurt (2 ponits)
Fruit (1 point)

MIDAFTERNOON SNACK
Fruit (1 point) or Snack size popcorn (2 points)

DINNER
3-6 oz lean proten (3-6 points)
starch <pasta, potatoes or rice> (3-4 points)
veggies and lots of them (0-2 points - this includes my other healthy fat a day)

EVENING SNACK
Depends on what was had durnig the day

Additonally you get APs to supplement that 20 TPs a day. Remember the TPs are your BARE MINIMUM to keep your body from feeling or falling into starvation mode. You also have your 35 FPs a week to supplement your TPs.

Also review your PointsPies. My leader gave this tip...utilize your TPs to get in your nutrition based on the points pies and use your APs and FPs to get in those 'treat' things (McDonalds, Skinny Cows, etc):

Points Pies

Balanced (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8-9 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 6-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Protein (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 5-6 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 9-11 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-1 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-4 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Carb (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 9-10 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 5-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 1-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 1-2 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

-----

Balanced (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 11 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 10 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 3-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Protein (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 12 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 4-5 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Carb (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 13 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 8 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Also are you following the 8 Good/Great Health Guidelines (not really guidelines success for being healthy and losing weigh):

1) eat at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies a day (0-3 points right there)
2) choose whole grain foods when possible
3) include 2 servings of dairy a day (3 if a teen <which you get 2 more points a day> or over 50)
4) have 2 tsp of heathy oils (canola, sunfallow, safflower, olive, or flaxseed) a day
5) get enough protein (2 servings of approximately 3 oz is recommended)
6) limit sugar and alcohol
7) 6-8 8oz glasses of water a day minimum
8) multivitamin

And finally to copy from CIN (a W/W leader who posted this in a thread on the General Forum):

"I will make it short and sweet.

You NEED to eat more & follow the sugestions WW makes in the Gettng Started Book.specifically pages 34-41...Read the healthy steps to weight loss and you will see you need to make some changes.

Do not be afraid to eat some of or all of the 35 weekly points allowed also!

I am POSITIVE you will lose and get the results you desire!"

But to answer your question on veggies my leader prescribes to what our region states and zero point veggies are always zero points but there is an exception she states...if you hit a plateau and have tried and tried to break it you may want to evaluate how much zero point veggies you are consuming. But since most are 15-20 calories per 1/2 a cup and (this is what my leader's manual states) W/W allows 200-250 calories a day for those zero point veggies that is a lot so mostly we don't need to worry about them. Besides did ya get fat eating veggies - probably not!

Very interesting I always wanted to know how much of what????
I have written this out. Who should use Balance and Who should use High Protein???? I heard this week on line that you should do 3pts a day workout??? thank you for all the information I am so glad to be back
Have a great day

W/W would like everyone to strive for an average of 4 a day or 28 a week. Personally I do 3-4 a day 6 days a week with Sundays being my total day of rest.

It depends on the individual. There is a quiz some where (and I don't think I have it here at work with me but I'll look for it this weekend and try to post it) that helps you decide but basically it is what keeps you the most statisified. For some it will be more Carbs, for some it will be more Protein....for me it is more Balanced.

How to get those 5 servings of Fruits/Veggies!?!?!


We've all heard it before, time and time again: Eat at least five servings of
fruits and vegetables a day. But most of us flounder when it comes to putting
the "Five-a-Day" mantra into action. In fact, the average American eats a measly
three servings of fruits and vegetables per day (and that includes potatoes)!

So, that's why Nutricise is here with 10 tips to help you get your 5-a-day the
easy way!

1) Sauté savvy: Add sautéed peppers, onions and asparagus to an egg-white
omelet.

2) Jump-start your day: Sprinkle fresh fruit over your cereal or pancakes at
breakfast.

3) Pile it on: Choose vegetable toppings, such as spinach or mushrooms when
eating pizza.

4) Spice it up! Spoon some fresh salsa over your favorite sandwich.

5) Make it easy on yourself: Buy ready-to-eat veggies and salad greens.

6) Sweet tooth satisfaction: Add berries or bananas to yogurt for a yummy treat.

7) Sneak it in! Toss extra fresh veggies into canned tomato sauce or soup.

8) Cool treat: Try frozen grapes or blueberries for a refreshing snack.

9) Color me healthy: Challenge yourself to have 5 colors on your dinner plate!

10) Grab and go: Sprinkle raisins in salads, cereals or yogurts, or eat them on
the run!

So, come on, eat as much as you want -- it's good for your health, and your
waistline!
(How often do you hear that?)

Veggie Hater's Guide to VegetablesBy Leslie Fink, MS, RD for WeightWatchers.com

Gag at the thought of eating boiled broccoli? Can't stand the sight of steamed cauliflower? Nobody says you have to eat them if they make your stomach turn. Maybe you just haven't found the right vegetable yet. These foods are good for you (nutritious, low calorie and full of fiber), and one truth about vegetables is that everything tastes better dressed up. Here are 12 great ways to sneak veggies into your diet.

Sneaking Those Veggies In
· Opt for something au gratin. Cut a slit in a baked potato and fill it with chopped spinach, tomato sauce and shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese; broil or bake until bubbly. Experiment with other fillings.
· Onion rings are made from vegetables too! Give ours a try.
· Stir shredded carrots into jarred tomato sauce white you heat it up, or chop some fresh tomatoes into marinara sauce. Toss sauteed vegetables (cooked with olive oil or cooking spray and sprinkled with salt and pepper) into an omelet, frittata or scrambled eggs. The smaller you make the pieces, the less you'll know they're there.
· Make your famous casserole recipe and toss some veggies in. Peas, diced carrots, chopped broccoli florets, spinach or tomatoes make wonderful additions. Who can taste them in a casserole?
· Don't downplay the value of starchier vegetables. They're more caloric than leafy greens, but much heartier. Try a baked sweet potato, some butternut squash soup or a roasted winter vegetable casserole.
· Pair sweet, crunchy vegetables with salsa or your favorite dip. Red pepper strips, sugar snap peas and jicama sticks are delicious carriers for hummus, light ranch dressing or our Seven-Layer Mexican Dip.
· Toss some roasted vegetables into your lasagna; some broccoli or green beans into your next plate of fusilli.
· Don't overlook baking. Experiment with lightened-up recipes for zucchini muffins, carrot bread or sweet potato pancakes.
· Make a big pot of vegetable soup, puree it and finish it with skim milk for a creamy touch. Our Cream of Broccoli Soup gets rave reviews.
· Experiment with new flavors: Use pureed, cooked cauliflower florets as a dip base. Simply season it up with your favorite condiments, herbs or spices. Or try using boiled and then pureed asparagus spears as a base for guacamole, instead of avocado.
· Turn your kids onto vegetables at a young age: Serve them grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches cut into fun shapes with cookie cutters and top pizza with broccoli floret "trees." Give lean hamburgers some personality by using shredded carrots for hair, red pepper strips for mouths and diced cucumbers for eyes and noses.
· Finally, avoid repetition. Even a veggie lover will get bored with a nightly side dish of steamed green beans. Mix it up a bit by varying your seasonings and sauces. Robin Vitetta-Miller, MS, nutritionist and food writer, suggests four ethnic ways to flavor your string beans: Thai - sauté in peanut oil, add a squeeze of lime juice and top with chopped peanuts.Chinese - sauté in sesame oil and top with toasted sesame seeds. Greek - sauté in olive oil and top with crumbled feta cheese. Italian - sauté in olive oil with diced tomatoes and dried oregano.