[Jano]

After much deliberation over the last week or so I have come to the conclusion that I have to get a proper eating plan. For ease I have decided to give the WW plan another go.

I still have all the splurge from the last time I went, although I have never really been very successful with WW.

I think my problems have been that

1. My portion sizes have ben too big.

2. I need to be able to save enough points throughout the week to allow for a decent week end when I usually eat out.

This is what I have decided to do. WW tell me that I can have 18 - 20 points perday. I have decided I will stick to the lower figure as I don't lose weight very quickly and I sit down all day at a desk, this also leaves room if I under guestimate on anything.

If I have 16 per day Monday - Friday that will allow me to have 20 one weekend day and 30 the other (I know that goes over slightly over the week) Now I can survive on 16 per day if I make the right choices.

Can anyone see any reason why that wouldn't work?
Can anyone advise me on portion sizes. I know you are not supposed to weigh foods but I wouldn't mind to start off with to help me recognise what I am looking for.

I am going to give this a week or so on my own. If I don't get anywhere I will have to re-join a class. The time is getting on, the better weather is going to be here and I am not going to want to take off any extra clothes



I would really like to get on with this diet so would appreciate any help going.

In the meantime does anyone know where I can get a Buddy from without going to a class - I would really like one?. Are they accurate?
I already have the calclulator and find that very useful. Am I correct in saying that the new Pure Points is not much different to the old 1 2 3.?

[tupperware queen]

I don't know too much about WW, but I think the best thing to do is find out for example how many points foods like pasta bread rice etc have. Cook and weigh out a portion adding up to the amount of points then use a container as a guide, i find plastic (disposable ) cups the answer as I just fill em with pasta rice etc, I know how much I can have and I just throw away the cup..no washing up!!
I also cook in bulk and that way I have portion control and know exactly how much I have eaten, it also saves a lot of time.
Good Luck, I think writing it all down really helps, boring but it helps

[Jano]

Naught Naughty makers of Mullerice have not put the amount of Saturated Fat on the pacaging of the 99% far Free MR so you just can't work out the WW points.

I have strawberry and original - an anyone help, I expect anyone who attends a club will know.

I have started this WW thing and I want to get it right.

[tupperware queen]

I'm not much help with this I am afraid, hope someone comes along soon who can help you out.
so annoying when the info is not on the packaging!!

[Smiling Sal]

Am not an expert on WW, if I was I'd be skinny - right. But I am following the points and used to go to classes so here goes.

On the portion sizes I do weigh, 1 ounce of ceral, 100g of meat. Sorry but it is the only way I can do it, other wise I'd have far too much food on the plate for the points & kid myself on. I like the idea of measuring food out in plastic cups. Think I have some in my kitchen somewhere.

On the points issue. The leader at the class I used to go to always said it was the weekly total & not the daily that counted. So as long as you are eating your entire 7 days worth of points over the week - I don't there will be a problem.

Have you tried the Weight Watchers site for a buddy. www.weightwatchers.co.uk You could buy them on line last time I looked. I'm going to treat myself to one when I've lost 20lbs.

Carol

[Smiling Sal]

If the amount saturated fat isn't listed on the label. Count it as being half the total amount of fat in the food.

Carol

[Jano]

Hi Carol

Thanks for the reply... you know after I posted this message I thought that the total fat was to be divided by 3 to get the saturated fat, making the mullerice 1.1/2 points per pot. Its been a while since I did this diet but could chant it like the bible whilst I was doing it. You say its 1/2, I wonder if this has changed from what I learned or if I have it wrong?

Janet

[Little Engine]

Hello all... I don't live in England but I hope you don't mind if I include my thoughts on this...

Janet... I would not recommend eating below your minimum points everyday through the week and then going overboard on the weekends. Our leader has always stressed to us that the minimum is there for a reason - that's the least amount of food that your body needs to get you through the day; to get you through all activity you need to do - to basically sustain you. If you're not eating enough to reach this basic minimum then you're simply not giving your body enough fuel. You run the risk of not getting all the nutrients your body needs; of becoming more tired and lethargic - and worst of all, of going into 'starvation mode'.

When your body knows it's not getting all the fuel it needs on a daily basis (and it really does know this), it will slow down your metabolism in an attempt to hold onto all the fuel it's already got stored. This means that instead of losing weight you will most likely stay the same or (worse) gain it instead. Your body isn't stupid. It does the same thing with water. The less you drink, the more it tries to retain - hence, to retain less water, you must drink more of it.

Basically, eating less does not mean you will automatically lose weight, and it's never a good idea to continually eat less than the minimum recommended.

As for your portion sizes, I would suggest getting a really good, reliable set of measuring spoons. WW here in Canada sells them and they include everything from 1 cup all the way down to half of 1 teaspoon. They've even got a little gizmo on the top that will level off your spoonful (though the back of a knife will do just as well). I'm not saying you have to measure out every single serving of food you eat everyday from now on, but once you see what '1 cup' of a particular food looks like on a plate or in a bowl, you can use your eye from then on. Then, every couple of months, go back and use the measuring cups again to make sure your eye isn't tricking you.

As for eating out, there's no reason you can't incorporate eating out into your week while still staying within your points. If I can do it, anyone can do it. Before the end of my first week on WW, I knew exactly which fast food places I could go to and get something to fit very nicely into my plan. I.e. tons of places now have Veggie Burgers on the menu and they often taste just as good as a 'real' burger (I can have a veggie burger, side salad and diet Coke here for 7 pts) - or go for the grilled chicken burger (here, grilled chicken burger -no mayo, side salad, diet Coke is 6 pts). And if you go out to other restaurants or pubs, there's nothing you can't eat - it's just about making choices. Look for lower fat selections, cut what they give you in half (it's often the equivilent of 2 or more servings on a plate in a pub, anyway), substitute a side salad for fries, etc... And then, if worse comes to worse and you know that you're going to be over in your points, take advantage of the 'bonus points' you can earn through exercise. If you're exercising regularly, then there's nothing wrong with being a few points over your limit a few nights a week.

Christine

[Jano]

Hi Christine

We don't mind you posting here... anything that will help. Thank you for your very interesting reply to my problem but If I don't save points I cannot incorporate my weekend... when I say I eat out I don't mean fast food, that's easy to work out as McD's etc are in the book. I'm talking proper Cordon-Bleu cooking, when you get a menu in front of you like that there are no good choices. It is all very high quality food but usually very high in calories so that being the case I have to save as much as I can through the week.

This is where we ate last night www.oldvicarageworfield.com
This may give you some idea of what I am up against, don't get the wrong idea, I love my lifestyle but it is not good for shifting the Lbs. Also I have a few drinks with my meal which pushes it up even further.

I take your point, and a good one about exercising, I would never "eat" any points from exercising I just forget about them. I sit at a desk all day doing what I'm doing now.

So I have to go slightly below my min daily to be able to save for the weekend. I wouldn't have thought that over the week it makes that much difference.

We shall see!

[Jano]

Does anyone know how many points in Fish shop curry sauce?

Ive had some toniht with a jacket pot and some beans ;-)