I'm using WW books and a journal that a friend gave me (he had extras, yay!)
I have asked him a million and five questions lately since starting, and I feel like I should give him a break and ask elsewhere... So maybe now I'll be a pest here for a while
If a veggie is 0 points, and I eat more than one serving, is it still a zero?
For instance, I'll eat a whole bag of frozen sugar snap peas... Or frozen asparagus. (I mean, not frozen when I eat them--They're heated up, of course.)
I don't add any butter or any other "stuff" that has calories, just some seasonings--not even salt lately.
But I still feel like I'm "cheating"... Am I?
Gee,
I don't know. I think veggies are zero points no matter the amount. Does anyone else have an opinion?
Itryharder
No, that's not right. Even veggies that are 0 points for a single serving add up, but you can still get a LOT of veggies out of 1 point or even .5 points. How it adds up depends on what the veggies are - starchy vegetables like corn and peas add up much faster than zucchini or bell pepper.
I use the online e-tools, and so the points tracker adds it up for me. I'm honestly not sure how to figure out how 0 point foods add up using pen and paper, unfortunately.
Multiple serving of 0 pts foods do unfortunately end up counting as points. This is how you do it. Look at the number of servings. Say it's 2 servings per can. Double the calories, double the fat, and double the fiber. Remember that you can only go as high as 4 for fiber. That will tell you the points for the entire can. I use frozen veggies regularly, and I think mine are 5 servings per bag and equals 1 point for most. Still not bad, and lots of great veggies!
Has WW changed it's policy, because as I understand it there are only a few vegetables that you have to count if you multiply servings, carrots and tomatoes come to mind, though I'd also include beets and other higher sugar vegetables that aren't quite high enough in starch or sugar to be excluded entirely from the zero point list, such as potatoes, corn and I believe peas (without the pods).
I've also heard leaders (and WW folks here) suggest caps for zero point foods (I've heard estimates ranging from 3 to 7 - usually 4 to 5). You get to consider the zero point foods free for that number, and any over that amount you should calculate.
When I was in WW, we had one leader who recommended adding 2 points to your daily total and counting everything, including veggies on your point calculator. This wasn't a WW-approved variation of the plan, but it was what worked for that leader, so she passed on the information. Another leader recommended that you keep track of all of your calories, fiber, and fat for the whole day and using the totals to calculate your points (this is also not a WW sanctioned plan, and this leader was "corrected" by another leader during the meeting).
Even though the plan is written pretty specifically for everyone starting out, several leaders explained that the plan is meant to be tweaked if it isn't working. For example, if a person isn't losing at their point range, they should discuss it with the leader, and explore several options. The leader might suggest more filling foods, more activity, fewer zero point foods, counting zero point foods, or dropping to a lower point level.
Double check with your leader to see if this is still accurate, as I know WW has gone through a program change since I was a member (maybe three years ago).
I think this is a personal choice- My leader also explained it to me this way... that most veggies are 0. I personally count eating an entire English cucumber as 0. If it is a starchy veg or like a carrot I count points- Depends on how your doing too... if you eat a whole bag of snap peas and count that as 0, but you lose consistently every week I would say rock on! if you are stalling- look back at the zero veggies- maybe you need to count them as a point-
Zero points?
