Am I misgivin in that thought? I think for my 29 points per day I get a LOT of food and, nope, I'm not loading up on fruit. I try to limit fruit to 2 servings per day because a) I'm diabetic II, b) while they say it is free, it really isn't a free for all and c) I don't want to add more "free" empty calories when I'm trying to get in that daily point quota.

Plus, I get weekly points too, that I barely dip into. Not to mention activity points--shame on me, I don't move my butt too much. I hope the exercise component will kick in at some point. I'm thinking about it, and it really does amount to putting on a pair of sneakers and walking around the neighborhood. I do believe, in time, that will come. I certainly didn't want to start in 90 degree heat <---good enough excuse.

Anyhow, unless you're trying to fit in donuts and junk all the time, this program truly is quite livable. WW really does want people to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, and I do think the points plus formula is designed to do just about that for the average person.

I wouldn't call it eating to maintain because most people are using it to lose. But, I wouldn't call it a diet either. I think it's a learning process and a complete lifestyle makeover. I had a friend tell me she loved WW, but every time she stopped it, she'd gain the weight back. You cannot stop weight watchers and expect to keep the weight down unless you're counting calories or still tracking, etc. It doesn't claim to be a miracle weight loss system and I love that.

Amen.

Even though they give out Points based on age, height, weight, activity, etc there's still a large amount of this whole process that is individual.

My own mother is a very short woman, and... I don't want to call her old, but she's in the upper sixties now. She also gets 29 points a day, but still struggles to lose.

One of the (small) drawbacks to this system is that 29 points is the lowest you can go officially. That is about 1000 calories a day NOT INCLUDING the 200-ish calories they have built in to the system for "free" fruits and vegetables. Added together... a person on the lowest end of the WW system is getting in about 1,200 - 1,300 calories a day as long as they're following the program as intended.

One of the reasons WW can't really go much lower than that, is because they would likely get a frown from the people who claim "no one should eat fewer than 1,200 calories a day".

This becomes a problem for some women who are VERY short or... again I don't want to say very old... but older like my mother. They simply do not always need as many calories to sustain their body.

This is also another reason why people might be getting the same number of Points a day, but one person can eat all of them plus their weekly plus their activity points, and another person has to strictly stick to just their daily points.

Which returns me to the purpose of my post: It's about finding our own balance within the system.

I agree that PP is much more about eating to eventually maintain. Incorporating more vegetables and a reasonable amount of fruits, whole grains, listening to our hunger signals, etc.

I want this to retrain me to eat normally most of the time, while still giving me the controlled flexibility to indulge and not have to feel like I "failed". It's why I have so loved the WW system since beginning. It speaks to me.

"Eat healthy most of the time. Be more active than you used to be. And yes, you can have a piece of cake at your birthday party, because celebrations are a part of life."

That's the way I want to live the rest of my life.

I get what you were trying to say. Seems like everyone in my Tues AM meeting is getting 29 points, or at least those I speak with regularly. A group of us that go are lifetime members that have re-gained all, and sometimes more than our original weight. It's kind of discouraging but I keep on keeping on and I am forever hopeful that something will work for me. WW is responsible, I think, for keeping me at this current weight, though I am not losing.
This current weight is "livable" and I look "OK" and like the average American you see out there, slightly overweight. But, I want better than that. I have examined time and time again and what I figure is going to make the difference for me (still not a success story but it's ME and how I work this that will make it work ultimately) is how I spend those 29 points and what kind of serious activity I put into my day. I have a tremendously hard time with activity as I hate it... but I try. Trying isn't good enough, though, is it?

So, how can a 5'9" woman who weighs (not me just an example) 195 and a 5'2" woman who weighs 165 (me) and two others who are slightly different ALL get 29 points? Seems odd to me and I've wondered about that too.

Then, to top it off, when I go on "maintenance" if I finally get this right and lose the weight and get to goal, will I still get only those 29 points? How can I keep from gaining the weight back then? I've rolled this around in my head. I've even thought of cheating their system and giving myself only 27 points for awhile to see if I can chisel off some weight on my own. But, I'm hungry and I have yet to do that and think it's probalby not a good idea.

Here are a few observations from me, but I am not practicing what I preach here:

1. quality vs. quantity: 29 points is not all equal, lean protein, low fat, those hard to get in dairy and oils are so important and we all tend to let those things slide.

2. exercise: darn. Yes, if we truly add in those activity into our day it could really be the key to it all as well as the quality thing above.

If we follow the program and stop junk foods that INCLUDE some of those WW treats we buy, we might have a better success rate.

Spoken by the person who had a 2 point WW ice cream on top of a 2 point WW little chocolate cake the other night. Could I have had a 2 point glass of low fat milk and a banana instead? Maybe the other two points might not even have been necessary?

I personally find that I do best when I eat all 29 daily points plus my APs (at least 6 per day, from jogging and walking with the dogs) and leave my 49 weekly points alone. And so far, I am losing an average of almost 2 lbs per week (1.9, officially). For me, it is not eating to maintain.

Yea, what I mean is...it isn't a drastic, crash diet, of say 700 calories per day. It is, to me, as close to eating to maintain, with a calories in/out deficit, as I've seen in a program...which is why generally WW states that people should lose 1 to 2 pounds per week (after possibly more in the initial 2 weeks I should add). I did a crash diet in the 1980s, losing 30 pounds in 9 weeks. I couldn't maintain it. I'd gain, then crash, rinse/repeat. I think people get frustrated with diets of the WWPP type when the weight doesn't fall off of them...but if we're honest with ourselves, we get a lot of choices on WWPP and, for me, yes, I'm losing that 1 pound per week so far, but...I could go starve myself and "get there", wherever "there" is, quicker...but I've already learned that lesson. I never want to go back again. I want to reach WW's goal for me, possibly surpass it, and maintain 4ever more. Clearly, its designed for weight loss, but it really has, already, given me perspective that I could eat this way for the rest of my life.

So, what happens when I reach goal? If I'm not mistaken, I get some extra maintenance points, right? OMG, I won't know what to DO with all those points!

For me that's the key. On the old Momentum or Flex, I never felt like it was something I could keep up with long term. I'd hit a wall at six months and gain it all back plus some. I did that twice. Now, on PP, I'm seven months in and still have the same momentum I had in the beginning. I'm not worried about hitting that wall. I feel better, I excercise more, I eat better. I have a much healthier relationship with food and I don't feel like I'm dieting. This IS a lifestyle change for me and it's one I've adapted to quite well.

Like, this past week I 1) Went out to dinner twice 2) Had my family reunion, so there was lots of food and sweets and 3) Had my period. And I lost 1.2 lbs.

I don't think PP is eating to maintain, but I do think it takes maintence into consideration. Losing the weight is only the first step. I mean, what's the point of losing all that weight if the program isn't something you can stick with for the rest of your life.

As for the 29 points, well, the old programs always had a minimum amount too, right? I guess it's just because of the way the PP is restructured that more people are at the minimum than the old program.

Me neither!! I'm seeing my boyfriend trying to maintain right now and he's struggeling. He has to add many points to his intake and ''poor guy, he's still loosing''... (from time to time I want to bit his head off when he comes out of the bathroom saying ''I still lost, dam***!''. Poor.Little.Guy. LOL)


I think the reason I love WW so much is because I'll be able to continue this lifestyle when I reach goal. I feel better, I exercise more, I'm having a better cardio.

And honestly my metabolism changed so much that now I'm feeling so bad when I eat scrap. Like not feeling bad ''oh no I'm feeling guilty'' but physical stomach pain and everything that comes with it. So I don't mind not eating this food anymore

Yes! At my family reunion on Sat we had this scavenger hunt and one of the things was to get a picture of our team members eating ice cream. So we ended up at Cold Stone. Now, I ordered the small size and planned on eating at least half of it, but after three bites I was done. I didn't need any more, which was a big change for me!

But then, within 20 minutes I had a TERRIBLE headache. I think it's because I haven't had that much sugar in so long. Even from just a few bites!

Our bodies are changing, and changing for the good! I think that diserved a carrot dance!

I am loving the new program. On the old one I lost 25 lbs but I literally ate a lean cuisine for lunch and subway or wendys for dinner every day. Not healthy plus my weight loss stalled and I got frustrated and quit. I am so glad ww recognized how unhealthy you could eat on the old program.

I eat all my points Plus I use 5 or 6 weeklies per day and I still have some left for a treat and I've been having great losses. I choose higher point healthier foods a lot. For example, I eat larabars which are 5 pts and I could find a 3 pt granola bar but I think I'm making a better choice and I am still losing great! This program is very maintainable.