How do you all handle your activity points?
 

Let me explain.

I set up my etools to take from my activity points before my weekly points - this just makes more sense to me, as I burn those points on a daily basis, so why wait until the end of the week to use them?

Anyway - I exercise a fair bit, at least an hour a day and at least half of that is usually intense cardio. On the old WW plan, my leader recommended that you only "earn" 4 activity points per day, and she always said it was probably best if you don't eat them all, probably stick to half.

Well, now we're on the new plan. I've noticed that the activity points are a little more liberal. And I'm training for a triathlon so on any given day I can earn between 8 and 14 activity points. Because I'm exercising so much, I'm starving and I need to refuel, so sometimes I wind up eating more than half/all of them.

Because of Christmas/New Years I haven't lost any weight for the past 2 weeks (but I've maintained, woo :) ) so I haven't really been able to test if the activity points are detrimental.

How do you all deal with your activity points? Do you eat them? Do you leave them alone?

I earn a lot of AP and I have my etools set to use them before WP. I do eat them all. I try not to eat all my WP, it makes losing a little easier for me.

Oh, and good luck on your triathalon! I'm training for a half marathon.

I didn't know you could change the order?! That makes a lot more sense.

Right now my etools is setup my weekly is before my activity. Since I'm at my last 10ish pounds I wasn't going to eat any activity points and play around with my weekly points to see if I can still lose. So far it's been easy to stick to the 29 points a day with a few splurge points, but I also haven't been eating out.

I guess my answer is I don't know yet! But I agree they do seem really liberal.

I have a HRM and I use that to determine my effort so I know that most of the time I am in high intensity.

Thank you all for your replies :)

I use my AP before WP. I rarely eat all my AP, but will regularly eat some of them (maybe half?). I usually time activity to be before a regular meal or snack anyways. And since it came up, I too use a HRM to determine level of intensity. :)

And good luck with the triathlon!

what kind of hrm are you using? I really need to get one because I never know where my intensity is at, I'm not a big sweater even in the summer so it's hard to guage off of when I start sweating...so I probably let it pick lower ap's for me than what I really am burning. Last time I did ww (several years ago) I didn't exercise at all.. this time I want that to change so I'm working out but I'm a beginner so I'm starting slow, 15 min yest, 20 min today... I'm working up to 30 solid min and then go from there :) Oh and so far I am not eating my ap's.. only because I'm only earning like 1 ap a day.. not really much to sneeze at but it's progress, LOL

spryng - I have a Polar RS100. It's a couple of years old and is a hand-me-down from my DH who just upgraded to a Garmin gps watch. It's a pretty basic unit, but it has served me well so far. I like that it provides audio alerts when I reach my target HR and that it gives feedback on calories burned during my workout.

I have a sportline. I just got it for Christmas.

Before that I used the whole "how are you breathing" as a way to gauge my intensity.

If I can carry on a conversation without breathing heavy = easy
Carry on a conversation, but I'm out of breath = medium
Can't really talk = high

It goes the same with singing, which sounds silly but I'm one of those nuts who accidentally sings at the gym :)

I used a formula for heart rate i found online to get an idea of intensity. It gives you a number range based on age and weight. Then when I am working out I count my rate for 6 seconds and add a 0 to the number ie - 13 beats would be 130. If the number is within the range i calculated, which happens to be for me 124-168 then I know i am working within calorie burn. I consider under 140 moderate and over high.

I use AP before WP. I don't mind using AP particularly on the day of the activity. I don't usually use them if I don't use them on that day. I try to use few WP (most days none, or maybe 1 or 2 occasionally, more if I go out). Some weeks I use no WP, others maybe 10.

I am very conservative on how I count AP.

Um, I use it however it is set up in the system? I didn't know you could change it now. Where exactly do you go to do that?

I don't remember how you change it - but it was during the set up. I think if you search it on the website, it tells you.

In the online Plan Manager there's a little black arrow beside the "Activity Remaining" field. Click that and it will say what your preference is for AP or WP first. There's an edit button there to change your setting.

this is truely different. I had no idea you could change the order either. But 'm not going to as they told us to use our weekly points also.

I don't seem to eat them. I must not be eating enough but then again, that chinese food I ate last night must have been 49... lol