HELP!!! I am starting my WW diet again today anyone have any ideas on the MUST haves to get at the store today. Like the Weight watcher staples. I sat down and tried to come up with a list and all I can think about is all the sinful food I ate during the holidays. I gained 22 pounds since October so I truly need help.
Thanks a bunch
Jen

Jumperhop,
Good luck! This is what I would do:
I'd roam the store with a shopping cart avoiding high cal aisles
I'd shop for:
DAIRY
LF or FF versions of cheeses
skim milk
yogurt
98%FF tortilla wraps
Lite I can't Believe it's not butter
eggs
egg substitutes
BREAD
LF or FF or Lite breads, English Muffins
CANS
load up on FF or LF healthy choice or progresso or campbell soups
lots of veggies--any type you like that can be thrown into homemade soups or you could eat in a pinch
I especially like tomato products--crushed tomatoes
diced tomatoes
tuna
mushrooms
FROZEN
LF Pierogies
Any Boca product that you like
FF Cool Whip
FF puddings and SF Jello
MEAT
chicken cutlets
small pkg. pork chops
LF chop meat
FRESH FOODS
celery, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, onions, lettuce or spinach to make a salad, tomatoes, etc.
fruit--bananas, apples, oranges, etc.

I'm sure you'll see your favorites in the store. I don't buy Snackwells or the Quaker Crisps, or even the Kashi Good Friends, but you might like those. Also you'll want some high fiber cereal and maybe some instant oatmeal and instant diet cocoa for quick breakfast days.

Good luck--hope this helps get you thinking about the things you like to eat that are good for you.

234/208/199soon

More ideas:

MISCELLANEOUS
Cereal
Oatmeal
Salsa (good on baked potatos)

FROZEN
MorningStar vegetarian products (frozen)
Frozen low cal dinners (good in a pinch)
Frozen potatoes -- I like Ore Ida steak fries and their chopped breakfast-style potatoes

PROTEIN
LF hot dogs
Tofu
Fish (fresh or frozen -- but not frozen fried fish!)

SNACKS
Light popcorn
Rice or corn cakes (they have so many flavored ones)
Frozen ice cream type product -- I sometimes get frozen yogurt, but then there's the portion size problem, so now I buy preportioned things like LF ice cream bars (Healthy Temptation brand are good in VA) or fudgecicles
Frozen fruit bars
Pretzels

Hi,

The people who have posted have told you what works for them. Some or all of those suggestions may work for you. They may not.

The thing is that since WW isn't a diet, there are no "WW staples". People on program eat the same food as everyone else. There are no "sinful" foods. A lot of people do change a lot of their food choices, but many people don't. I've tried different foods, but I only keep the ones I really love in my food plan. And I eat the foods you probably call "sinful" regularly.

What you need to learn is that some foods, eaten too often or in "standard" sized portions, have more calories (fuel) than your body needs and they must be eaten in smaller quantities or less often. But if you eliminate them completely, you set yourself up for cravings, overeating, or bingeing. The point system has your point range and banked points to help you fit these foods into your plan so you don't have those problems.

The key is to remember that WW isn't a "diet". You don't go on it and then get to goal and go off. So, don't make changes in your life in order to lose weight that you aren't willing to do for the rest of your life. That's the most important piece of advice anyone has ever given.

That usually means that you will make changes slowly, as you're ready to make them. The most important one is to journal everything. That journal will tell you what's working and what isn't. You will learn how to use it to do that as you go along.

The other best piece of advice I've gotten is not to be impatient. Losing slowly allows you time to develop the skills you need to keep off the weight--build a lifestyle that works for you. We're all individuals and WW finally figured out how to treat us that way. It puts more responsibility on each of us to learn our own bodies instead of following a formula, but more people are succeeding than ever before. You will, too.

Good luck!

Lin

Hrm, I guess I both agree and disagree with that.

If you look at what's been listed so far, the WW staples, they're really just foods in general that are healthy to eat in moderation. I used to wonder what "normal" people ate, and I have to imagine it's the same type of things I do -- cereal and oatmeal and sometimes a bagel, some meat and some veggies, sandwiches and soups, potatoes, sometimes going out for a sub, sometimes going out for something higher in calories, eating cookies and desserts now and then, etc.

Now, I guess people vary, but I can tell you before that I did NOT have a well-stocked kitchen for eating healthy when I started. I couldn't just eat less of what I had in the house that I was eating, because what I was eating was junk food. Even in moderation man cannot live on Cheetos, Haagen Dazs, and fast food alone. It simply doesn't work.

So I guess the argument can be made that what you don't want is WW staples specifically, but just suggestions of healthy foods to eat. Which is what's in these lists. More or less.

Now if you really want a list of staples -- what to keep around so you can cook things that are healthy -- there's a great cookbook I have at home. It lists things that are commonly used in recipes. As someone who doesn't cook much, I found it very useful. Things like sugar, flour, oil, vinegar, and all the other things I forget. Unfortunately, I'm away from my house and don't have access to the book, or I'd list the title.

Okay I stocked up on the essentials. Mostly Fruits veggies and chicken. I bought about the same as I usually do but just skiped the junk food. I figure I will just have to snack on Microwave popcorn and diet soda when I am in the mood for the munchies. I am not to fond of Fat free ice cream so I bought fruit for smoothies when I have a sweet craving. Oh they were having sales on soups and I bought a few by the case, quick and easy lunch that will be great for me and my 3 year old.

Thanks to all who responded I have some great ideas. And started a list for my shopping list for next week.

Jen

Hi,

Scuttle, you're right about people needing to change what's in their pantries if they've been more or less living on junk. That aspect of pantry-stocking didn't occur to me because a junk food diet was never my particular problem. I've always eaten a very healthy diet. My dh always complained that I buy one of everything in the produce department when we go grocery shopping. But I gained weight and couldn't get it back off because my ideas about portion sizes were way off from what my body actually needs to fuel itself.

What I was referring to is the difference between a diet and a lifestyle. I've been on most WW programs for a lot of years. Most of them were diets. Most of them were very restricted and I found myself desperately eating food I hated, hoping that finally I'd get thin. One day I decided to stop doing that. I decided I'd rather be fat than spend my life putting awful food that didn't satisfy me into my body. I decided that I'd never try to lose weight again unless I could easily fit my own recipes into the plan. And I could eat my favorite foods. All of them. I stopped gaining weight once I made that decision, which was a blessing in disguise.

Then WW came out with the point system. I learned about it and they said there are no forbidden foods. As long as I stay within my point range, I could eat what I want. I took them at their word. I eat what pleases me. And I can, and am, losing weight. Slowly, but for the first time in my life the weight is coming off and not coming back.

Lin

i can't stand the fat free ice creams either. but ben and jerrys makes some awesome yogurts. don't taste like yogurt either...the smores one is sooooo yummy.

another hting that i've found helpful when i do the healthy eating thing is to have a variety of frozen veggies available. i've fixed up some baggies of assorted veggies and i can just dump them with some noodles and water and broth cubes and boil and have instant soup. strangely, i like the mustard greens cooked this way.

if you are a chocolate fiend, instant oatmeal with a spoonful of quik or carnation instant breakfast is really yummy. it may sound gross, but it's good.

Lin S, i can totally understand the eating stuff you don't like aspect of former weight watchers plans. i hated the fat and fiber plan. all i ate was high fiber icky foods. blech.

andrea