Points are determined by your age, weight, and activity level (at least here in NL). I have 22 points a day (though in the US you would have more because you guys count fruit).
I have a breakfast of 2 - 4 points on average
yoghurt with all-bran cereal and some fruit
1 egg/2 egg white spinach mushroom scrambled eggs in a tsp of olive oil and some light feta on top
snack is usually a piece of fruit and I always have 1 Triple Tall NonFat Latte at work
Lunch I like to get my veggies in so I have a salad (greens) with tomatoes, maybe some leftover rice, cottage cheese or chicken or beans, up to 5 or 6 points
Snack again, fruit (an apple or mandarin), maybe some cottage cheese if I didn't have it at lunch, cucumber, carrots, sometimes some roast beef slices, up to 3 points
I use most of my points for dinner which is usually chicken, beef or turkey, with rice or couscous, and lots of veggies 10 points usually during the week, maybe up to 15 on the weekends.
I drink lots of water and tea at work and that's all zero points.
This is me...but I find myself hungry late at night. What to do!?
WW daily pts: 20
Breakfast: 1 banana and 1 cup of special K Snack: 1 Hostess 100 cal Cinnamon snack Lunch: 1 whole grain turkey wrap with 2 TB of sweet onion dressing w/100 cal pack of Harvest Cheddar Sun Chips Snack: 100 cal Yoplait yogurt Dinner: 1 small chicken breast with salad and 1 Hostess chocolate creme for dessert with 1 pt WW ice cream.
Lynn, I'm a newbie here but am very familiar with the WW program and am following it now. What I see from your list is that you're eating a lot of low-nutrient, low-fiber foods, so I can see why you're hungry!
My personal opinion is that 100 calorie packs aren't something that you should be eating multiple times a day. Those "snacks" are eating up a lot of your points - points that could be spent on much better REAL food.
Example:
breakfast - oatmeal with blueberries
snack - veggies with hummus (grape tomatoes, cucumber, celery) OR a crispbread with a laughing cow light wedge, topped with a slice of ham and some cucumber, OR almonds and string cheese, etc.
lunch - keep the turkey wrap if you want, but how about adding a salad? If you really want the crunch, keep the 100-calorie pack (they're not evil, you just don't want to eat too many of them each day). I'd add the salad TO the rest, though, to up the volume of food.
snack - yogurt is fine, but how about adding in some fruit? Strawberries or raspberries have a lot of fibre and taste great.
dinner - grilled chicken breast, brown rice, and a HEAP of steamed vegetables (broccoli, carrots, cauliflower). Drizzle a little soy sauce over the veggies if you like. Or make a big stir-fry with a bunch of veggies, some garlic and ginger, and a little teriyaki sauce. Add the chicken and serve over brown rice - even just 1/2 cup of rice is enough, and this is a huge and satisfying meal.
Dessert - fruit salad with a tablespoon or two of fresh whipped cream, or some crumbled vanilla meringues (TJ's sells minis that are only 1 calorie a piece). If you want something decadent, how about a measured serving of good-quality dark chocolate?
The key is to think about ways to add bulk and volume to your meals without adding a lot of points. Miso soup is good to have with lunch or before dinner - many are only about 1 point per serving, but the soup goes a long way to satisfying hunger and doesn't alter the point tally of the meal very much at all. If you're having pasta, try mixing it with vegetables before topping it with sauce - more volume, more filling, for not many more points.
Also, protein is key for keeping hunger at bay. Empty carbs will leave you feeling ravenous. I like combining protein with carbs whenever possible. You may want to think about having an egg with a slice of whole-grain toast in the morning, or some natural peanut butter on whole-grain bread. This will stick with you much longer than cereal and a banana.
The options really are limitless - just try to avoid the quick-fix snacks, which rarely offer much for the points.
SueSays!!! THANK YOU!!! This was such a helpful post...so many ideas! I love it!
I like the convenience of the 100 cal packs. I know myself...Sun Chips are my fave to eat with a sub or wrap however if I have the whole bag, I will eat all of it. I like that these 100 cal packs proportion the food for you.
You are right though, I am NOT eating enough protein which explains why I am hungry! I am not really a big fan of PB but I do love hummus. And veggies, the dreadful veggies, I am not big on these either but I see how they are essential to my diet. I will try adding the soy sauce and teriyaki for added flavor.
For dessert, I love chocolate so I do look for chocolate type of desserts. Got any other ideas for chocolatey desserts?
Another random question: someone mentioned for a snack - raisins, almonds and dark chocolate chips...how many pts does this have??
With fruit, I guess opinion will vary depending on who you ask. For me, I don't really see the point in limiting fruit UNLESS you have blood sugar issues, or are eating fruit to the exclusion of vegetables. Fruits do contain sugar, but it's a naturally-occuring sugar in a package loaded with lots of other nutrients and fibre. There are always other areas where you can limit sugar, and I would look to those places first before avoiding fruit.
That being said, I'm careful to balance my fruit with veggies - of the 8-10 servings I have a day, only about 3-4 of them come from fruit.
With veggies, it's important to find ones that you like - and to find ways of preparing them so they taste really good! I like roasting, as it adds great flavor to so many veggies. You can roast asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, squash, etc. Just toss the veggies with a little olive oil, some cracked pepper and some salt (I like Maldon sea salt, it is flaky and has a great taste), and roast in a hot oven until browned at the edges and tender.
Even quick additions work wonders - a little soy or teriyaki, as I mentioned before. I also sometimes add a little fresh parmesan (the real stuff) - if you grate it on the fine side of the grater, a little will go a much longer way. Even something as simple as tossing some fresh dill with steamed carrots will make a difference! Veggies don't have to be boring!! A big bowl of chopped tomatoes with fresh basil, salt, pepper, a *little* olive oil, some balsamic - yummy! Like a caprese salad without the mozzarella....of course, you can always add some if you have the points. Filling, and so satisfying.
Oh, another snack I like - half a laughing cow light wedge smeared into two celery stalks, then topped with a good amount of cracked black pepper.
For chocolate desserts....well, I'm a fan of a straight-up square of chocolate! I like Green and Black's, they have an orange/spice flavor which is amazing. You could melt your portion and dip fruit into it for something decadent...how about dipping that banana you used to eat at breakfast time into it, then popping it into the freezer? I don't tend to make up desserts, per se, but off the top of my head I'm thinking you could mix some fat-free chocolate pudding with a tablespoon or two of whipped cream (fold it in) to make a sort-of mousse. I'll let you know if I think of anything else!
sorry Lynn I couldn't tell from your post that you needed more feedback. But I agree with Sue. You may be using your points for what you want, but are you using your points for what you NEED?
so me personally, I would limit those handy packs for once in a while, not every day. And as far as veggies go - give them another try. They will be "dreaded" if you let them be. There are so many vegetables out there, challenge yourself to try something new every week until you find something you like.
And fruit. Yes. Well. I have eaten considerably too much fruit and had a bloated belly and my weight loss wasn't that great. My WW leader told me to knock off the bananas for a while (I was doing one every morning) and eat a kiwi first thing to get things started. And, since I'm an all or nothing kind of gal, I was also eating an entire sack of mandarins instead of 2 or 3 max. 3 apples. So, for me, yes there is such a thing as too much fruit. I try to eat smaller amounts now and spread out throughout the day. I would be especially careful with dried fruit as well.
I do think that if you start off with protein and have protein as a base of all your meals, you will feel less hungry. Less simple-carbs and more complex-carbs. If you are going to have bread, have multi or whole grain. If you are going to have rice, try to have brown rice. If you are going to have cereal, have All-bran. Have things that are going to work with your body for a longer period of time rather than dissapate into sugar almost immediately.
Do you already have one or two veggies that you don't mind? maybe we can give even more suggestions
I love hearing these tips...so keep them coming!!! Sometimes I get so stumped on what to make which is why I rely on "already made stuff" instead of the REAL STUFF!
Renee: I am ashamed to say that as far as veggies...I only like romaine lettuce, corn and tomatoes. I'll eat other veggies if I have to or there is nothing else but it is def not a side I prefer.
Quote:
Originally Posted by SueSays
You could melt your portion and dip fruit into it for something decadent...how about dipping that banana you used to eat at breakfast time into it, then popping it into the freezer? I don't tend to make up desserts, per se, but off the top of my head I'm thinking you could mix some fat-free chocolate pudding with a tablespoon or two of whipped cream (fold it in) to make a sort-of mousse.
What was so interesting to me once I got interested in nutrition and started making healthier choices was how much I really did like things once I gave them a proper chance. For so long, I was eating processed junk, and I find that those types of foods only cause cravings for more of those kinds of foods. Once fruits and veggies became a big part of my diet, it was amazing how quickly they went from being something I "put up with", to something I actually looked forward to!
I think the hardest part is the beginning, when you're working to develop new tastes and habits. I think, though, that if you were to focus on trying some new things and overall just "put up with" adding more fruit and ESPECIALLY vegetables each day, in a short amount of time you may well find that you're craving them. Right now, you're still eating a fair bit of the junky stuff, so it's reasonable that fruit/veggies aren't the most appealing! Give it some time and real effort, though, and it should get easier - your tastes buds really do change and develop. I don't eat the way I do because I HAVE to for my diet - I do it because I genuinely like the food, and the way I feel when I eat it. You'll get there, but it doesn't happen by accident.
Have you tried any of the steam in bag veggies? They are very convenient and come in a variety of mixes, some with sauce or seasonings. Green Giant Just for One has broccoli with cheese sauce for zero points. They are great for a person who doesn't know what to cook because they are quick, tasty, low in points, and help you get your veggies in. In fact, I think I'll pop some in the microwave right now. :-)
These are really helpful ideas! I sometimes get stuck in a food rut, if you know what I mean. I have heard that roasting veggies is really tasty. I have a question though, do you (or can you) use frozen veggies like broccoli and cauliflower to roast or does it have to be fresh veggies?
What was so interesting to me once I got interested in nutrition and started making healthier choices was how much I really did like things once I gave them a proper chance. For so long, I was eating processed junk, and I find that those types of foods only cause cravings for more of those kinds of foods. Once fruits and veggies became a big part of my diet, it was amazing how quickly they went from being something I "put up with", to something I actually looked forward to!
WW Meeting today was about being in a RUT ! It's so easy to eat the same things over and over, that we get to be BORED. She handed out WW cook books to see if we could come up with some different, interesting things for 2-3 pts.
Some of the things that interested me were : chicken,veggie lettuce wraps, veggie/cheese quesadillas (sp), pumpkin pancakes, fish, tomatoes & feta, chocolate/hazelnut toasted sandwiches..... I can't remember everything, but it did get me thinking about getting out of the same-old, same-old rut.
What is a day in the life of a WWer?
I'll eat other veggies if I have to or there is nothing else but it is def not a side I prefer. 
