I'm 16 years old, and just started the Self challenge yesterday with my mom. I'm concerned about my calorie intake... I've been on weight
watchers since November, and have lost 22 pounds (was 175, now weigh 153... i'm exactly 5'3 and my goal weight is 109) eating 18-23
pts. a day (equal to 1050-1400 calories). However, for the past month or two my weight has plateaued, and feeling discouraged, this past
week i binged...and gained 5 pounds, bringing me back up to 153. I'm starting to wonder if i'm not eating enough calories... i guess you
could call me active ( i do cardio at least 3 times a week, do light weights a couple times a week, have dance class, once a week, and take
figure skating... although when i'm at home i sit and watch t.v. (there's nothing else to do in the winter...and lately (the past month or
two) -could this be related to my low calorie intake?- i've been too exhausted to do anything else. i've noticed in the fall (when i first
started WW) i was a ton more energetic, and happier-the winter is depressing me-i've been really down lately. Anyway, according to the
self challenge calculations, (153x10) i should be eating 1530 calories- but that would be out of my WW point range! Please help... Lately, i
haven't been really satisfied with the low range.... But i don't want to gain weight by eating 1530! what should i do? (1500 calories=27
pts. My point range is 18-23, and i've been eating that way for 4 months now (not counting last week...). I don't know what to do. Please
help. Your input is greatly appreciated. Thank you! :0) Kristen P.S. Sorry this post was sooo long!!!
Oh, and i don't go to the WW meetings (i do it at home), so i wouldn't be able to ask a leader.

Kristen,
Don't forget to figure in calories for zero point foods (free veggies, condiments, etc.), as well as the actual calorie count of high-fiber foods when you are converting calories to points. Like you, I'm 5'3", and for some time now I've been tracking both points and calories. Because I choose a lot of high-fiber foods, free veggies, and other "points bargains," I easily reach 1400-1500 cal/day without going over points. I think I figured I average 75 calories, not 50, per point on a typical day eating my usual foods. The points system has built these things in. People who don't eat vegetables and choose high-fat, low-fiber foods are going to get fewer calories for the points (I'd starve on that kind of stuff, because I'd run out of points before dinner.)

As to feeling sluggish and low during the winter, you may well be sensitive to the lack of light. I sure am. When I lived further north, there were days when it was dark, really dark, by the time I left work. I'd go home Friday and put on my nightgown and not take it off until Monday morning! If you are having true symptoms of depression (low mood, uncharacteristic poor thoughts of yourself, low energy, lack of motivation, lack of pleasure in your usual activities and inability to enjoy things that normally make you happy, sleep problems, hopelessness), you may have Seasonal Affective Disorder which would respond to treatment with light or medication.

If you are less active than you are during other seasons, you may be feeling the lack of exercise-related endorphins. Can you get to the rink an extra day, or to a gym for a run or bike ride?

And--do you really need to weigh 109? I know you are a young lady, and at your age (and height), I recall joining WW at 132 lbs (!) hoping to get to 115. How did you choose 109? I'll bet you anything you'll look FABULOUS at 130 or more. Please don't set yourself up for failure the way I did. If I had just learned to MAINTAIN 132, I never would have seen 217.

Kristin-
The other thing you are not figuring into the mix is adding points for your activity. For every 20 minutes of activity, you should be adding a point of food. I also think 109 is a bit low for your weight Good luck on your journey.

Bumby-
Your story sounds sooo much like mine. I am also 5'3". I joined WW when I was 25, at 134, also wanting to get down to 115! I set my goal at 111, the lowest WW would let me go. I evenutally made it all the way down to 107 (on maintenance). I thought I looked HOT, but now I look at a too thin person when I see those pictures. Now, almost 22 years later, I am looking forward to the day when I weigh 134, although I think my goal will be somewhere between 120-125. I also started this latest journey at 219.6 in January, 2000. I have lost 56 lbs. somewhat slowly, but none the less, my life is changing for the better ( and my figure, too!) Best of luck to all of us!

Donna,
Excellent point about the activity points.

Everyone, please remember that the old program (where the points range for <150 was 18-25) gave you two free exercise points. You couldn't eat more unless you earned MORE than two exercise points. Lots of people got in the habit of ignoring their exercise points, figuring they'd rather lose a little faster.

Now the program allows you to count ALL activity points as food points, and use/bank them just as you would food points. If you want to keep "ignoring" activity points BEYOND 2/day (14/week), that's o.k., BUT I would like to urge folks who earn at least 14 points/week of activity points to continue to think of their range as 18-25. You are not the people WW lowered the top of the range for. The people who were eating those "free" 2 points/day without doing any activity are. There are lots of reasons folks might be unable to incorporate enough physical activity to earn 2 points/day, and it's fair to figure out a points range that allows you to lose under those circumstances. Good for WW for doing so. BUT, those who are able to get those 14 points/week should keep their range at 18-25 like before the program changed.

I'm not a leader, so I'm just saying this as a commonsense interpretation of the program changes.

Also, Kristen, at your weight, if you are doing intense cardio, you actually earn 4 points for a 30 minute workout!

Here is the calorie table for the point ranges (they are set for the old system but with the new system you should or it is recommended to earn back 2 points in activity a day):

18-25 points = 1050-1400 calories
20-27 points = 1150-1500 calories
22-29 points = 1250-1600 calories
24-31 points = 1350-1700 calories
26-33 points = 1450-1800 calories
28-35 points = 1550-1900 calories

And these DO NOT include zero point veggies.

Hi Daisy!
Would you believe this is my first time on ":the boards"..I have chatted in the chat room here for over a yr and love it but havent ventured further than that.

I had to officially register just to reply to you because someone read what you posted to day and ask ME to chat with you! Dont you feel special?

I am a WW leader who lives in Lexington Kentucky.Mother of 2 daughters and Grandmother of 4 little ones all of whom reside in my household. I dont have a lot of time to read the message boards but I did read YOURS and yours alone!

My advice to you is this...........relax......forget calories..follow the WW plan to the best of your ability.Stay within your range as much as possible. RELAX.and enjoy it! It does not fail anyone who follows it like it is written!

Sounds to me like you have alreasdy done extremely well.we always want faster but slow is better!

I am not new at this. I have been a WW Leader since I lost 42 pounds 12 years ago.!!!

I love it when teens do WWers cause its such a wise choice on your part!! Such a healthy way to lose.

Read your material............do the best you can but realize NONE of us can be perfect or even have a perfect day........work on progress NOT perfection!

I wish you great success on the plan! Think long and hard about what you want INSTEAD of what you


want at the moment!

Sincerely
WW CIN ( Cindy)

Wow, I'm so glad I found this thread. I got on board tonight to ask someone to tell me the calorie amounts per range, and here it is. I am also doing the SELF challenge and was struggeling with whether to change my calorie intake or not.
I'm 47yrs old, 5'3" and 124 lbs. 1500 cals seems like alot to me so I am sticking with the WW program. My weight loss has been slow with a few month-long plateaus along the way. But the weight has stayed off.

So Daisy, don't get discouraged and give up. You are doing great. If you keep a daily journal, take a look at what you ate when you were losing weight compared to what you are eating now. That's what I did when I had a plateau, ( I was eating too many carbs ) and making some changes helped. Good Luck with the SELF challenge!

Bumby~~~Thanks for the info on calories~fiber, free veggies,etc. That helps to explain the high calorie amount. And I love veggies!
~~~Sil
137/124/120

I'll add a few comments to the GREAT responses above.

I lost more weight when I ate my activity points than when I didn't. I am in the 18-23 point range, earn a minimum of 3 points per day (sometimes as much as 5 or 6), and eat an average of 25 points per day. My average loss is 1.7 pounds per week. Eat more, lose more--pretty cool, huh?!

For FREE, you can take out exercise video tapes from the library. TV isn't your only option. Or, while you're watching TV, you can stetch or do some yoga. Read something inspriational--try Thin for Life by Anne Fletcher or some great short stories by Mark Twain.

For the winter blues, I put in a full spectrum light (about $10) in my reading light and make sure it's on a bit, especially during the winter. I make sure my shades are all up also, to get in as much sunlight as possible. Even in the cold, I'll bundle up and take a walk. When you move, it can feel as much as 20 degrees warmer than it is. If it's 30 degrees here, I'll dress for 50 and go for an hour walk and am fine.

Goo luck to you.