I just joined WW this weekend after failing on the plan a few years ago. I'm confused by the "extra" 35 points that you can use. At first I thought about not using them at all. My leader said that some people will add 5pts a day, or bank some for a day, etc.

Where do these points come from? Is it because there aren't ranges any longer, there's just one definite point target?

Since this is my first week, I'm not going to be sure, but based on the way the weekend went, I think my regular point target will be okay for during the week. Saturdays and Sundays are always going to be my hardest days because of eating out or just not having work to keep me occupied, so I figured I'd give myself the extra points on these days if I need them, an extra 5 or 10 points each day...does this sound good?

To me, it would make me breathe easier if, instead of having 20 points per day with 35 extra for the week, they'd just give me 25 per day to begin with. Otherwise, I feel as if I'm cheating, and then I feel bad for using the 35points.

W/W is based on a minimum (Target aka Daily) points to keep your body from thinking it is starving and a maximum for the week (Flex aka Weekly Points Allowance) and still allow your body to lose. It is also based on the need for more on days you are active with exercise (Activity).

Both the Flex/Weekly and Activity points are optional but the majority of people lose more consistently with using them.

W/W original points plan had a range of 5(or 7 depending on when you started) points between a minimum for a day and a maximum for a day that if you didn't eat them all (you must eat your minimum otherwise you risk the chance of slowing your metabolism down) you could bank them for later in the week. Thus the 5 point difference x 7 days a week = 35 WPA/FP.

They have always been part of the program but to make it more liveable and flexible they gave these 'banked' points to you up front so if you needed them earlier in the week you had them to draw from rather than having to put them into a bank and wait to spend them.

Many people were doing what the called reverse banking when we had ranges (taking from days in the future of their week) and then feeling like a failure and falling off.

So my question to you is WHY WOULDN'T YOU USE THEM. Even using them you are still taking in less calories than when you started otherwise you wouldn't be at W/W in the first place.

Besides W/W wouldn't give them if they didn't work because then you'd quit and they'd lose money.

So you have the option of using none, some or all of them and you can use them all on 1 day or spread them out evenly or have a few here or there with more somewhere. Get it?

I experience better results when I use my flex points. I haven't tried spreading them out over the course of a week, but I'll invariably use quite a few over the weekends. When I stay completely OP for the whole week, my loss results aren't as satisfying..... I'd recommend using them!

Well, my leader said we could use them or not, so it's a little tricky there.
It's so different than when I was a member before - it feels like cheating.

How do you use yours, Kelly?

I tend to use a few everyday as a before bedtime snack - a habit I can't seem to kick.

I resolve every week not to use them. But something always comes up, so I use them up at dinner out, on movie popcorn or on an extra glass of wine. I still end up losing and am grateful they are there because I don't feel like I am cheating.

Kelly hit the nail on the head. On the old WW, if I went over points, I would throw in the towel for the week, tell myself I was going to start tomorrow, or next week, or next month... and never do it. With the extra points, I can have a bad day, check them all off, and keep going like I never made a mistake in the first place.

I use mine. Last week was a tough one ... and thank goodness I had them to use ... it made it a little more bearable. I use mine a couple days a week and save the rest for the weekend. I like to be able to have something "naughty" on Saturday & or Sunday . . . Makes staying OP easier for me during the week.

I tend to have a bigger loss if I use some. My pattern has been that I use about 15 or so per week. Usually that comes from 1 or 2 big days. Intellectually I know that I do better when I use them and that they wouldn't give them to us if they were going to mess us up. Still, I tend to have a tremendous amount of guilt when I actually do use them. I've never even come close to using all of them and I've lost each week so I need to relax and accept it. Still, I always feel better on weigh in days when I've used have my flex points and still had a loss.

How about activity points? Do you get to use them on top of the flex points? I am always confused. I often find my self using at least 2-3 flex points per day, and I usually have a few extra on the weekend, I do feel as though I am cheating and nevering following the diet but I am still loosing so I guess its ok!

Jenn

activity points can be used on top of flex points but no more than 4 activity points per day can be eaten. So if you earn say 6 activity points and eat 10 points over your target you use the 4 activity points and then dip into the flex so you would lose 6 flex points for the weekand the other 2 flex points are gone not carried over to the next day. This is info from my leader, I didn't see anywhere in the book where it said you couldn't eat all your activity points but it seems to work better this way for me, I have been losing more ..goodluck!

That is right just like before you didn't have to use all your range. For example if you were in the 22-27 point range you had to eat the minimum (guess what you still do) and you could bank those 5 you had left for later in the week (guess what you still have a banking points but they give them all up front that you could bank for the whole week)

So if you didn't think you were cheating before why would you feel that way now? I am just dense sometimes and have never felt that way....

I make my own ranges by dividing them up evenly over the course of the week. If I use them fine if not what I don't use I roll over to the next day. If I use more than 5 I take away evenly from the rest of the week so I still have some each day.

Activity points are also optional and you have to use them the day they are earned thus they (if you choose) get used before you Flex points. Yes I do use each and every point I am given or earn. I earn 3-5 APs a day and I use them every day.

I just responded to this in both my other posts on this thread...don't feel guilty, don't feel like you are cheating.

This is a common misconception. You can eat as many as you earn. W/W NEVER has had a limit on what you earn or eat. It has always been if you have not been active or are not under the care of a fitness professional and/or medical doctor to limit the earning and use to an AVERAGE of 4 points a day so you 1) don't over exercise and hurt yourself and 2) don't over exercise just to or compensate for over eating. It is more a liability thing than anything. This is directly out of a leaders manual that my leader shared with us in one of our meetings after TurnAround came out.

But it all comes down really to what works for each individual but your leader is going back to misinterpreting the wording.

You can eat all the APs you use but really be honest with your assigning of points. Most of us will never truly get to a high intensity...but usually somewhere between high and moderate is where most of us will land.

A tip my leader gave me is figure the points for Mod intensity and points for High intensity and take a happy medium if you know for a fact you are above Mod and not sure if you are High. I use a heart rate monitor and know that I am truly in the high intensity level but I still use a 'happy medium.'

Hello,
I'm new to the weight watchers progam and am trying to get things straightened out. I found a "daily points target" which says I should be at 22 points, and then I found "daily points range" which goes from 20 -25 points. So, which is the newest points scale and where do the extra 35 flex points come into play? Can someone explain how this all works? And also, how much is the companion food guide and eating out guide at weight watcher stores? I've found them on e-bay but they're getting up to like $40 plus for the 2006 starter kits, can I get a starter kit cheaper at a store without actually being a member?

I think the range incorporates some of the 35 flex points... I've always just worked off the points target and used the fp if I needed them. Seems more straightforward to me.

As for the ebay thing -- I've been watching those auctions too, I have not seen a single starter kit go for under $38. (I'm using my roommate's old stuff, I'd like a set of my own, but I have the same issue as you, I don't want to buy membership again.) One note about the ebay stuff: do not bid on any product coming from the UK -- any time I have (for calculators and such), the auction has been closed due to copyright infringement. I think there's a company making knock-off WW stuff and trying to sell it cheap. Ebay inevitably closes the auctions down before they end.

Good luck and let us know if you have more questions