Okay,

So i used to be part of weight watchers several times a while back. I have the complete food companion along with one of those handy dandy point machines that you punch numbers into and it gives you point values and i have my dining out guide and all the week booklets and so i was going to try it again now.

Originally my endocrinologist said "low carb diets only" will help you lose and she dissed the ww plan. But...i am not allowed to be on low carb anymore. In fact, i suffer from enough stomach issues and health problems, that the different kinds of food i eat are restricted to mostly carbohydrates as my body no longer tolerates proteins easily.

Point is: I need to go on ww because their is no other option except calorie counting..and well.. i rather count points..

So here is the thing: According to my height which is almost 6feet and my weight which is just under 300..about 298 to be exact... i need like..42 points... and im following the flex points plan.. BUT.. here is the thing..i counted up my points yesterday..just for fun to see what my total would come out to for the day with all the limited foods i eat....and the total was 22...that was for breakfast lunch and dinner..

So two questions: 1) How can i be gaining weight if im eating an average of 22 points a day when ww says i can have 42? and 2) How do i get more points in????

What are you actually eating? Are you eating lots of fruit and veg to the exclusion of everything else? Also, are you calculating the portion sizes and therefore points correctly? 22 is under the current minimum so personally, I would say you should be aiming for the target you calculated, or at least within a few points of it every day.

im calculating my servings fine..its just that i cant eat a lot of things so it makes my choices very limited..
Im not allowed:
Fruits with peels(the exception is berries, grapes apples and pears)
No Dairy
No Wheat
No Gluten
No Meat
No Soy
Restricted veggies(asparagus, cauliflour, broccoli, peas, corn,beans, lentils)

I live off of berries, coconut milk, bananas, rice, potatos and quinoa. Im still trying to find a form of protein that doesnt make me feel sick after eating it, besides the quinoa..Im wondering if it has to do with the fact that im eating lots of starch?

It could be a starch issue but if you're only getting in 22ish points, the calories are still seeming really low, unless you're gorging on the fruit and veg items you can have, and even then, it seems like it wouldn't be enough to stall you out.

This is definitely a tough one so I hope someone with more knowledge comes in and helps.

Do you suffer from Celiac Disease or Hypothyroidism?

I wanted to point this out that you're on the Flex Program, so that if other members are able to give you advice they realize that it's not Points Plus.

You say you counted up your points for fun. Does that mean you went and measured out exactly what you ate? Serving by serving? Or as in "some of this a little of that maybe this"? The results for those types of points counting could vary greatly.

You say you're gaining. If you only recently added up the points for fun, then I'm not sure how or what you were measuring or calculating before. Or whether you were just eyeballing your servings, etc. Just as many other plans, it's important on Weight Watchers to have a scale and measuring cups in order to make sure our servings are what we think they are.

If you've only recently come off of a low carb program, there is bound to be water weight gain. The body needs more water in its system when there are more carbs around. If you have up until now steered clear of carbs, then any recent gain may be due to your body building up that water supply.

With your restrictions, it's hard to give you advice on what more to eat considering there are medical factors there and we're all just forum members.

The USUAL things I suggest when people have a hard time getting in their daily points are as follows:

-Remember the daily oil servings. (From the Good Health Guidelines requirements.)
- Nuts. In general they're good for you, but a small serving has many points.
-Add in Peanut Butter or other Nut Butters.
- Dried fruit
-Avocado
-Full fat or higher fat Dairy products
-Wheat breads/wheat pastas


It could have to do with the amount of carbs/starch you're introducing to your body. Especially after you've restricted them.

If you want people to give your daily intake their opinions you could always post the detailed information for your meals. (ie 1/4 cup (28 g) cashews - 6 points, etc) But, that runs the risk of still not determining what the cause is for gaining.

You have incredibly restricted & specific dietary needs at the moment. While we might be able to give you ideas, I want to remind you that we're still just laypeople. There could be a medical reason for you gaining, and I hope you're working closely with your doctors to handle it.

In my opinion, if you are living off of the same 6 foods over and over again then you should be counting calories instead of points. It will be easier and more accurate for your body so it should have the results you are looking for.

I think you should also take your list of foods to your doctor and get suggestions for other foods you can eat as well, because if you stick to that short list then you have a long list of health problems waiting for you down the road. I can think of dozens of very healthy and easy to digest foods that you should be eating (whether you like them or not lol). Google will be a big help there if you can't see your doctor right away.

But regardless, if you eat those foods AND you count your calories very carefully so you know how much you consume (and burn thru exercise) and you STILL gain or lose weight then you need to seek the help of a specialist.

My heart goes out to you because I know you have tried every diet supported on our forum without luck and this has been going on a long time. If the route I suggested above does not work then there is no diet that we can help you with. You will seriously need the help of a medical professional to determine what is happening in your body. I truly wish you the best of luck with it

Another thought is that if you're so far under your points for the day, your body thinks its starving. If you're hitting about half your points, then you're likely throwing your metabolism for a big loop. I'd really try to get closer to your points. We want a calorie deficit that's large enough to cause our bodies to need to burn fat to keep going, but not so far that our bodies go into survival mode. When that happens, your body will hold onto EVERYTHING you eat because it thinks it must.

I think you need to connect with a nutritionist who can give you an individualized food plan first. WW really isn't designed for people who have such a restrictive diet. You're supposed to be eating dairy, lean proteins, healthy fats, etc. If you're body cannot process some of the core products the program is founded on, its not going to be the most effective form of weight loss for you.

Plus, really, someone with a medical background should be able to suggest some foods to expend your diet.

No, it really doesn't. If this worked people who were really starving wouldn't lose weight and wouldn't die. But they do. WW has a good article about starvation mode being a myth. Yes, as you lose weight your metabolism may slow some but that isn't the same thing as starvation mode.

http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/a...1&art_id=35501

I'm also gluten free (severe allergies), so my diet is restricted as well.

Can you eat gluten free products? You can try gluten free oatmeal), nut butters, almond milk. They sell coconut yogurt now as well.

Can you eat beans? Or if you like, traditional diets from other countries (Thai, Korean)? A lot of those cultures tend to eat more plant based/rice diet, so it offers some variety if you like those foods?

I too am about 5'11 and found that the less I eat during the week, the less I lose. I work out, so my body does go into a starvation mode if I don't eat enough for the calories I burn.

That's interesting about the starvation myth, I'll have to read that article. In any case, I would say that properly fueling your body will allow it to work its best at burning fat, and the OP should be careful about undereating.