Have I been overdoing it, or is my mom being paranoid?
Today I kept a journal of everything I ate (WW points wise) and my mom was freaking out because I only had 20. That wasn't even my last meal of the day. I have to see her point of view, however. I've been locking myself in my room playing DDR (Dance Dance Revolution) for an hour at a time a few times a day. I haven't been hungry much, I've been eating all three meals (I'm not used to eating breakfast,) I've been more active and have more energy now, and I've been working harder in PE class. Is she just being paranoid, or should I take it easier?
I don't think you're overdoing it. I aim for less than 800cal/day. Hey, we are the same height! And I love DDR. I play it as often as I can. I try to do LoveShine and Butterfly at least twice a day on heavy mode. And i STILL don't lose weight as fast as I want... T_T
SakuraHime, as long as you are not eating too few points on WW, you're OK. You might want to cut down a little on the DDR, just so you don't wear it out!
Your mom is just worried--wants to make sure you aren't eating too little.
ziichan, your weight is in the normal range. If you dropped to 115, it would still be normal. But, 800 calories sounds pretty low to me! Are you following a program that your doctor is monitoring?
Normal Mom concerns, I'd say. I don't know how many WW points a person your age and weight needs, but you said it wasn't your last meal of the day anyway, and you're even eating three meals instead of skipping breakfast as usual? Sounds pretty allright to me.
Personally, the minimum I would *ever* eat is target points + activity points. Less than that and I think you will go into too big of a calorie deficit. Of course, whether or not you eat your flex points is up to you, but I always try to eat all mine. Most people lose just fine by doing that, and besides, the more points your body is used to eating and still burning fat, the more points you will be able to maintain on. It's really not worth making yourself crazy over just trying to only eat the minimum amount of points possible in order to try to lose the weight faster. You want something that is sustainable over the long run. Not that I'm saying that you're doing that - what I'm trying to say is, don't be afraid/guilty to dip into your flex if you need/want them.
Given that a WW point is roughly 50 calories, I think you may be overdoing it if you're doing several hours of intense exercise with (presumably) less than 1,500 calories intake. So I think there may be some legitimacy to your mom's concerns.
Ziichan, 800 is *definitely* too low -- even a 100-pound person (well below your goal) would need at least 1,100 calories/day to be alive and breathing, not even counting any exercises!
Also, another thing to consider for overexercising (esp. with cardio) -- unless you're training for something like a marathon, it's generally not advisable to do more than about an hour a day, because after that your body starts burning muscles, which will diminish your metabolism (some of that can be offset with a high-protein diet and strength exercises, but like everything else in life, it's better to moderate.)
Given that a WW point is roughly 50 calories, I think you may be overdoing it if you're doing several hours of intense exercise with (presumably) less than 1,500 calories intake. So I think there may be some legitimacy to your mom's concerns.
1 WW point is ~50 calories?
I've just remembered that I have a coupled of WW (French) documents on my computer, and after checking, I've noticed documents titled "Example of 18-points day" (and I've also just realized that's what I'd be supposed to follow if I were on WW), and things like that. Now I wonder if there's a difference in that WW stuff depending on the countries, because 18 points would definitely sound... very low, then.
I would have thought that 20-24 points/day was more the norm... but then, I also don't do WW and have never really looked at those documents, not yet, at least; I guess I'd better start. Anyway, if it's that, then yes I understand the concern a little better, all of a sudden.
A point has a different calorie value for different people. As long as you choose high-fiber, low fat foods and lots of zero-pt veggies, a point is closer to 60 cals. If you eat all junk food, it will be considerably lower. Still not a lot, but doable if you at least eat the points you earn from exercise.
And I still advocate eating all your flex (2100 bonus optional cals/week).
Last edited by rubberlegs; 06-05-2007 at 05:10 AM.
Yup, the primary basis of a WW Point is 50 calories. From there, it can down a bit if your food is high in fat or up a bit if your food is high in fiber. However, a Point is only adjusted to include up to 4g fiber per calculation, so if you have more than 4g at a time, the amount over 4 doesn't "count" (I would post the actual WW Points equation here, but I'm sure it's all kinds of patented and such, so I'll leave it up to anyone who wants to to Google it ).
Personally, I just count calories. I don't need a special calculator or slider to write down the number on the side of my box, but I know some people just think calories are so hard to track for some reason (even though you need to know the calories AND fat and fiber to figure out the Points value).
But whether it's Points or calories that you choose to count, I wouldn't go below 1200 calories without a doctor's supervision--ever. ESPECIALLY if you are young (under 20), and especially if you are exercising multiple hours a day.
Don't forget that WW builds in an extra 250 calories a day to account for zero point foods. So it's misleading to just take Points and multiply by 50 or 60 or whatever. You still have to add on the 250 calories.
WW is a healthy weight loss plan and so long as you're following it the way it's written, you'll be losing weight in a healthy and sustainable way.
I should really print those documents and read them from A to Z once and for all, shouldn't I. *eyes the printer at the office and ponders, a mischievous grin on her face*
Have I been overdoing it, or is my mom being paranoid?
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