Does anyone else ever have this happen to them? I figured out the points for an English muffin using my handy dandy WW points calculator. It came out to 1 point for the whole muffin (it said 2 in my booklet but I ignored it, because I used the package information). Anyway, I have been happily enjoying my 1 point english muffins with 1 oz. of cheese for a week.
I figured if the white ones were low points, the whole wheat ones must be really low so I bought a bag and ate one this morning. Just for fun, I put it through my calculator and it came out to.........3 points!! How could this be?? I then re-checked my figures and I had been using the grams per serving (65) instead of the calories per serving (161). This made a huge difference.
Does anyone else ever do this? I feel so stupid. I guess I'll have to wait for WI to see if this made a difference!
Also, re the calculator - does anyone else have one? I'd love to hear your feedback. I love it! It didn't calculate wrong - it is only as good as the data entered into it. It makes calculating points easy and fun - much easier for me than the slide-rule. Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
Take care, all. Have a great week. This post should probably be in the points issues thread. Please bear with me as I learn my way around this forum.
Please don't feel stupid. Guaranteed anybody counting points has done something similar along the way. Just keep on keeping on. A great way to avoid this miscalculation having much impact is to use a wide variety of foods. Then if you make a mistake on one food item, it's not something you're eating every day and it doesn't matter all that much.
Good luck. We're all trying real hard!
219/lower
Thanks for the encouragement and advice, Itryharder. You are right - a wider variety is better. I do tend to eat a a variation on the same theme each day - if I find something I like, I stick to it.
The worst part is, I shared this one-point wonder with a friend who is also doing WW. After I realized my error, I called her up and asked how many english muffins she had eaten before she realized I was wrong.........THREE! LOL!
Anyway, she lost this week and I gained .8. This didn't have much to do with the muffins, I don't think but it does do something to me psychologically. Silly, I know, but I'm human.
Cyberlizard's point calculator has been removed because WW didn't want someone else using the points formula. If there is another website with a calculator, could someone please post it? Thanks!
Hey, don't feel too badly -- a couple of years ago I told a WW friend that the Nutrigrain bars were only 2 points. She came back and told me (quite loudly) that I was WRONG and they are 3 points! Oh well; I never noticed that it made a difference in my weight.
I guess we all do make mistakes like this...I did gain .8 at my meeting this week, though. I think (hope) it may be cyclic. I tell you, though, despite the fact that I tell myself it doesn't matter, it sure does seem to. I have been pondering quitting ww because I am so sick of worrying about every little thing I put into my mouth. Then I ask myself - what is the alternative??? Stay this weight, gain, or venture out on my own and do my own program?
(which would probably be based on the ww plan, anyway as points are in my brain, now - there's no turning back)
I know I am not happy at the weight I am at, so what am I to do? I want my life to be as normal as possible so I am not doing anything while I am "on program" that I am not willing to do for the rest of my life. I truly want a lifestyle change. I do not journal as I think this will make me even more obsessive (I am not criticizing journalling or anyone who does it but I just don't see other regular-weight human beings doing this). I just sort of mentally keep track of my points and try to stay under 30, even though I am in the 18-23 range. I just don't think I could exist long-term on this few points. I also have low blood sugar so I have to get the appropriate mix of protein, fat and carbs to keep my blood sugar stable. Low range just does not allow the amount of fat I need for my food to have "staying power" and avoid the dreaded low blood sugar headaches and energy crash. Anyone else have this problem???
Thanks for letting me vent, ladies. I truly appreciate this forum. Any words of wisdom or encouragement? I could sure use some!
Andreasmom,
Hey, forget the perfect message! Few on WW are perfect and we all make mistakes. Just capture the best parts of the program for you and make it work.
I do have one little suggestion that might help you because it helps me. Try boosting the zero point foods in your food plan.
You can get them from a list, and you know they're zero points.
When I'm hungry, I eat veggies and that helps a lot.
You can do this. No one that I know of likes being heavy. Take baby steps and do as much of this program as you can right now. Don't give up because it really does work. You also have a philosophy of weight loss that might fit with the Slow Turtles group under the WW other groups. We all support each other and give lots of useful suggestions. Give us a try!
219/lower
First of all, thank-you so much for the words of encouragement. It means so much to me to get a reply. Sometimes I feel like I am the only one who feels this way, even though I know realistically I am not. I was asking myself today, if I had had a loss last week instead of a gain, would I have felt like quitting? Probably not! I was really happy when I was doing well.
I am afraid I engaged in a bit of self-sabotage tonight. I got myself in such a state, I had a mini-binge before supper, then ate a full supper, then ate lots of red licorice. This is the night before my weigh-in - how stupid is that???
You are so right about taking the bits from WW that work for me and adapting those. For instance, I picked up a bag of Jolly Rancher gummies last night and almost bought them. In the past, I used to consider these a once-in-awhile snack that didn't do me any harm calorie/fat wise. Just for fun, I calculated the points - 3 whole points for only 10 gummies!! I used to eat the whole bag!!! These sorts of things really open my eyes and these are the things from WW that really help me.
However, what does not help me is the fact that the more I concentrate on points, the more I think about food. In fact, it is almost all I think about!!!! I am obsessed with these forums, points and, most of all, what I am going to have for my next meal!
You are right about having more 0 point foods. That is a very helpful suggestion and one I don't do very often. I have been known to eat a small bowl of salsa and lots of dill pickles but that's about it. I really should try making the soup. I ate a can of beets last night and, while I like beets, they sure don't satisfy like potato chips!
Anyway, I am going on and on... I am definitely going to check out the Slow Turtles - thanks so much again, Itry. I will not quit tomorrow.
Andreasmom,
Talking about self-sabotage, I think we are very complicated persons. When you start to analyze food like the Jolly Ranchers, that's great. After awhile this stuff gets to be second nature. I love what my friend Lin says--it's something like this: Dieting is not my life. Living is my life and I'm developing a food plan as I go. Well, trust me, she says it much better. But the upshot is that putting WW on top of my priority list is what I need to do right now. However, many successful WWatchers are able to live a normal life and incorporate all the handy WW suggestions into their lifestyle. I'm aiming to reach that goal and plan on being successful.
I think you've got everything you need to lose weight and I'm glad you keep on responding. Good luck!
By the way, I've had a tough time of it lately--lots of stresses, etc. and I regained some of my lost weight even while attending WW. I decided to simply rejoin and make believe I was starting for the first time. It worked for me this week. Now it's up to me to make it work next week too.
219/217.6/lower
I know exactly what you mean about wanting your life to be as normal as possible. But if you stop counting points, what will you substitute that will help you lose the weight, won't harm your health, and won't involve counting something? There really isn't anything. Trust me, I've been searching for that magic formula all of my life.
However, I think that journaling has helped me become less obsessive because once I've written it down, it's done and over with. I'm not thinking about it after that until the next time I need to eat. I haven't skipped a day in my journal this year and it's made a huge difference in my ability to stay OP.
Here are my tricks for making it more "normal" and for dealing with the low blood sugar thing. I get those headaches, too, but my blood sugar has always been normal when the doctor tests it.
1. I keep in my house a variety of foods that I like and that fit into the balanced plan I like to eat. That way, I don't have to spend hours planning menus and balancing points. I can find choices that work whenever I get hungry, which is how I decide when to eat something. My best low-point, fills-me-up, food is vegetable soup with beans and pasta (the little orzo pasta that looks like rice). It's 1 point per cup and is balanced nutritionally, so it keeps my blood sugar even without breaking the point bank.
2. I eat mini meals. If you work, the easy way to do mini meals is to make your regular meal and eat half at one time and half later. I eat between four and six mini meals each day. The one in the morning sometimes gets skipped, if I get up later than usual. And I rarely eat between dinner and bedtime, only if I stay up later than usual and get hungry. The thing is that no matter how much I eat, I get hungry two to three hours later. So I decided to eat smaller meals and follow my body's preferred eating pattern.
3. I love to cook. So, I've revised my recipes and created others that are "point friendly". This allows me a lot more freedom in my food choices and I don't feel like I'm doing something different from everyone else.
4. I make sure I don't let myself get to the point where I'm craving any particular food so much that I'm tempted to eat too much of it. I got into that mode where I was deciding I didn't want to spend the points, but then I overate, so now I make sure I plan in those things on a regular basis, in smaller portions.
5. Lastly, when life gets weird and I don't have the best choices available, I make the best of it and move on. I don't let an occasional gain throw me into making poor choices in the future because I know I can take off that small gain and move forward. The alternative seems to be letting it get to me and overeating, leading to even more weight to take off later. So, I just move on past whatever it was and get back OP ASAP.
Once those things became a habit, the whole program got easier and it doesn't feel like I'm obsessed. It feels like this is how I do my food, exercise, water, etc. It's natural and normal.
Itryharder and Lin S - you are great! So many useful tips and so much encouragement - that is so kind. I gained another pound this week but I just got back OP and I am sure they will be off by next WI. Ever since I had that little binge, I haven't felt as obsessed.
Itryharder - I love the quote you gave me about dieting is not my life, living is. I think adapting the basics and incorporating them is the key for me. I may just have a turtle philosophy. Give myself a few more points, maybe not lose quite so fast, but slow and steady wins the race.
I'm sorry to hear that you have been stressed. I hope it is nothing too serious. Making a fresh start is a great idea and I am glad it is working for you. Please keep us posted. By the way, your encouragement truly kept me from quitting ww last week, so I owe you a huge thank-you. I know you can do it, too, and it sounds like you have the positive self-talk that is so critical to success. Thank-you again so much. Keep in touch.
Lin S - What great tips! Awesome! Thank-you so much for taking the time to post these. You are so right about if not this, what then???? I will always be searching for the answer. I have lost weight on my own in the past, using portion control but I have always gained it back, too. Perhaps the group support and weigh ins will help keep me on track.
I hear it all the time at the meetings - journalling is a very valuable tool and a lot of members swear by it. I just plain and simple forget. It does make you think twice about having something, if you know you have to write it down. Besides, if you had a good loss week, you can use those menus again. Good for you for being so diligent with your journal. That is great.
Have you posted your soup recipe anywhere? If so, I would love to find it. Also - any others you would like to share would be greatly appreciated. I am going to try the mini-meal idea. I think this would definitely help with the blood-sugar thing.
It sounds like you have a great philosophy. You are very encouraging and helpful and I appreciate it greatly. I am going to print off these tips and keep them for whenever I need a boost.
You are so right - this is just my life and my normal. The program is becoming much more second nature - I guess it just takes time.
Planning little treats in may help me, too. I must start watching for these little warning signals.
My soup recipe isn't really a "recipe" per se. Here it is:
1 large can (the 6 cup size) low-salt, no fat chicken stock. (Or 6 cups of beef stock, vegetable stock, or water.)
2 bags or 3 boxes of frozen vegetables.
2 cans beans, drained and rinsed well or 1/2 pound dried beans, cooked.
8 ounces orzo pasta, cooked
Salt, pepper, and any herbs, spices, etc. you like. If I do an Italian or Southwestern style seasoning, I usually add a can of diced tomatoes, including the juice.
When I do an Italian seasoning, sometimes I'll grate a teaspoon of the expensive, imported Parmesan over the top of each serving. It's worth the money because a small amount has so much flavor and it keeps for a long time. A trick I learned from a chef--save the rind from the Parmesan cheese and put it in the soup when it's simmering. Take it out before you serve it and you get great flavor, no points. Another tip--the real Parmesan from Italy has the words imprinted on the rind with little dots. That's how you know it's authentic Parmesano-Reggiano.
The thing is that if you vary the vegetables, the types of beans, and the seasonings/condiments, the soup doesn't get boring. I went through cookbooks and checked out soup and stew recipes for different types of seasonings I could use. That's why I don't have an actual recipe. I just put in what "sounds good" the day I make it.
Don't be afraid to experiment. The recipe can be easily cut into smaller sized batches you can use for experimenting. Then make big batches when you figured out what combinations you like.
Good luck!
BTW--I've been trying to decide whether or not to correct Judy in her quote. I finally decided that I had to make one minor correction. I don't believe in "dieting" and I'm kind of obsessive about that subject. So, it's iimportant to me that you don't think I said that dieting wasn't my life. It certainly isn't because I don't diet. What I actually said was "My weight is not my life."
Miscalculations!!!
