My leader told us that we can eat fewer points than we are allotted, but you should eat a minimum of 20 per day.
For the others that don't feel like 29 (or 25 or 26) is enough, make sure you eat the filling foods- I am always full after broccoli or carrots, etc. And lots of water!
The other thing to keep in mind is that while eating fast food could technically be within your point range, it's so typically full of salt that you could be retaining a lot of water which would impede your weight loss.
ITA with this. In theory, it shouldn't matter if you eat 30 points of hamburger and fries, or 30 points of fruits, veggies, high fiber cereal, yogurt, milk, chicken, and lean steak. But in reality, at least for me, it makes a huge difference. The sodium and fat will really keep the weight on, and lean foods and loads of water will really take it off.
My advice is to plan ahead each night what you will eat the next day. Not down to the exact point, but a rough overview so you can space out your points throughout the day.
Tomorrow I'm going to try eating a whole 10 points or so at breakfast. Then I have a 9 point Subway sandwich (yum) that I will eat for lunch along with an apple or something and then another 10 points at dinner. That leaves me 6 points for snacks throughout the day and then maybe a glass of milk before bed or something.
I find that just eating an english muffin in the morning makes me hungry all morning and then after lunch I usually don't get hungry at all until night time. It's weird. But I have never in my 27 years on this earth actually listened to my body and paid attention to what it's telling me I need. I'm quickly learning that if I really pay attention to what I'm FEELING (appetite wise, not emotion wise) then I can tell exactly what I need and how much.
So I'm thinking bigger breakfast smaller dinner might be what's going to work. The beauty of this diet is that I can try different approaches without really hindering my weight loss, as long as I stay within my points.
I will also be drinking a lot of water tomorrow to clean out all the salt from the dinner I just ate which was 12 points and I'm not going to tell you what it was!! Let's just say it was way too yummy to be healthy!!
I also find that just an english muffin, makes me crazy hungry by mid-morning - more hungry than if I had skipped breakfast entirely. Even a piece of fruit will do much the same, though not quite as badly - and it's the carbohydrates.
I'm not saying that you have to go on a low-carb or carb-controlled diet, but pairing a carbohydrate with a healthy fat and some protein may make a big difference in how long it satisfies.
but pairing a carbohydrate with a healthy fat and some protein may make a big difference in how long it satisfies.
hehe, I actually eat it with a turkey sausage patty and a piece of cheese lol. I eat that at 6am and I ALWAYS end up eating my cereal by 8:30 or 9. I may add some grapes and a glass (or two) of skim milk in the morning. Milk always helps me feel full. Mmmm...that sounds like a good breakfast
I just wanted to check in on how you are doing so far and how your first weigh in went. I started just about 2 weeks ago and I weigh in on Thursday nights. I lost 4.2 lbs my first week, but am nervous about this week as I have the same issue as you. For my weight I get 37 points and I feel like I am just eating WAY too much. I said something about this to my leader at my first weigh in, but then I lost the 4.2 pounds (after 5 days on the plan) and thought . . . well I guess this must be working. I have tried adding things into my diet like cottage cheese with my dinner and adding bananas into my cereal in the morning and packing extra snacks for during work, but I feel like I am STUFFING myself with food. I asked my leader about eating less points and she said that it is not recommended as weight watchers is supposed to be a slow weight loss, which I understand and is why I joined in the first place.
Then at the same time when I think about why I failed in my other attempts, and think it could have been that I was restricting myself too much and that because of that, the weight watchers philosophy is exactly what I need.
I have never joined WW but adhere to many of their principles. I have done a ton or reading about the program, have several friends on the program, and have even been to a meeting.
There are days I am naturally *hungrier* than other days. If I have a day that is unnaturally low calorie, I don't stress about it. The days when I am in the mood to eat more, even the low ones out. I definitely would not consider fast food meals and candy bars as any key to weightloss efforts. Those foods are what made me obese in the first place! I think if you begin journaling your foods you will begin to establish what foods work for you and which ones don't. For me, it has greatly aided me in finding specifics that are both doable and sustainable.
I know it isn't easy and I know we all have to tweak our own plans to make them acceptable for us individually. I just wanted to share these thoughts with you. --Wishing you the best in your efforts.
I really don't get this idea that WW offers a ton of points. I get 29, and that is barely doable. When I had 35 before it was more doable, and a few times perhaps I was under. But I read on here about people who find it hard to eat all their points, and I think well what were you doing before? Kwim? (Not directed to you OP, you probably get a decent amount of points at your size? But also towards other people, like the poster who said 25-26 points is a ton of food. IMO it's really not).
Hi, new here, but decided to jump in. I have 25 points and I'm not finding it to be a ton of food. Maybe this has to do with what I'm eating.
That is good Melbell! Better than gainining!! It is hard sometimes when I look ahead and realize just how long it is going to take to lose all of this weight . . . . What makes it harder is that I was talking to my husband and said, "Ok, if i stick OP and can lose 2 pounds a week, I can lose 24 pounds by my birthday" and I was pretty excited by that. To that I get this reply: "well, thats just the minimum amount right?"
GRRRRRRR, just when I am starting to feel good about it and thinking, yes I CAN do this, I get Mr. Unsupportive opening his big mouth. He just doesn't understand though because as he says, he can lost 20 pounds in a month. And to that I reply (in my head of course) . . Then why don't you?? hahaha
Last edited by MeganJ04; 11-08-2009 at 11:20 PM.
Reason: typing mistakes
It's not just better than gaining it IS great - really, really great.
Because every once in a while I could lose 5 to 7 lbs a week, most of my dieting life, I thought I SHOULD be losing 5 to 7 lbs a week.
1% of your body weight a week is an extraordinary (not just an ok) loss, so half of that is still awesome. We're brainwashed by society (mostly through misleading and inaccurate information courtesy of women's magazines and dieting books) to think that 1 to 2 lbs is the minimum that anyone (even with only a few pounds to lose) should accept and that anyone over 190 lbs should be losing "Biggest Loser" style 5 to 10 lbs a week.
When I think of how many times I beat myself up over "only" losing 1 lb (or 2 or 3 or even 4), I feel like the biggest idiot on the planet - but it's what "everyone else" seemed to be doing, so I jumped on the "never good enough" bandwagon with everybody else.
1 lb is an awesome loss - it really is, because most people no matter how much they have to lose - don't do it, at least not consistently. And losing 1 lb consistently or even 1/2 lb consistently is an accomplishment that (even if you have more than 200 lbs to lose like I do) most people just don't do.
I think we tend to think of weight loss as a race, and place ourselves someplace at the back of the pack - but in reality just being in the race every week puts us in the lead.
Don't sell that 1 lb short, it's a praise-worthy accomplishment.
Tomorrow I'm going to try eating a whole 10 points or so at breakfast. Then I have a 9 point Subway sandwich (yum) that I will eat for lunch along with an apple or something and then another 10 points at dinner. That leaves me 6 points for snacks throughout the day and then maybe a glass of milk before bed or something.
I find that just eating an english muffin in the morning makes me hungry all morning and then after lunch I usually don't get hungry at all until night time. It's weird. But I have never in my 27 years on this earth actually listened to my body and paid attention to what it's telling me I need. I'm quickly learning that if I really pay attention to what I'm FEELING (appetite wise, not emotion wise) then I can tell exactly what I need and how much.
So I'm thinking bigger breakfast smaller dinner might be what's going to work. The beauty of this diet is that I can try different approaches without really hindering my weight loss, as long as I stay within my points.
I will also be drinking a lot of water tomorrow to clean out all the salt from the dinner I just ate which was 12 points and I'm not going to tell you what it was!! Let's just say it was way too yummy to be healthy!!
Ladies, ladies, please don't get sucked into the 'you must lose weight at an inhuman rate' bull that's out there.
Let me put it this way - I've ONLY lost 1.38 pounds a week... but, oh yeah, that's added up to 137 pounds over the last 99 and a bit weeks. I admit that I'm not a fan of The Biggest Loser, but honestly, the longer it's on the less I think it does for people who want to lose weight. It's not a good thing when you feel like a failure for losing weight.
melbellrocks
It's unlikely that you're packing on muscles just walking, however, there are tons of reasons why some weeks you don't lose as much weight as you think you should. For women especially - water retention is a huge issue. If walking is new to you, and your legs are sore, then you're likely retaining water. Also, your monthly period will affect water gain/loss. In my case, I can do everything right the week before my period and I'll still gain weight. The first few days of it I drop pretty much two pounds. If you're not consistent with your water intake you body is going to hold water for a day or two after a day when you don't drink much.
So just stick to your plan (ie. don't eat too little / don't eat too much) and start moving around a little more. Hey, I know what it's like to want it all gone (like now)... but slow and steady wins the race most of the time.
Wow Anne, what motivation. Thanks for the reality check! I have been off plan for 3 days now, and am so down on myself, but I am just going to get back on plan and even if i gain this week, it will all even out in the long and it WILL be worth if in the end. Even if it is 1 pound a week, life will eventually get easier as the weight comes off, slowly but surely.
I agree with you about biggest loser. I used to HATE watching it because I can't lose weight like them and would think, well then I just won't do anything. Now I can watch it and realize that that is just not realistic with my life or MOST people's lives. This is a lifestyle change, not a diet. I am working on rewiring my brain.
I saw on someone's signature the other day something like "If hunger isn't the problem, dont use food as the solution." That has been resonating in my head and I think I might just put that on my cupboards and my fridge as a reminder.
Let's just say it was way too yummy to be healthy!! 
