Hello again everyone. I've joined WW about...6, 7, 8 times. (I can't remember). I've always thought about how many calories I am actually eating when I eat my points and today, I finally took the time to figure it out, because 1) I am starving and have eaten all my points and am going to have to cut into my flex points for dinner and 2)I just feel like it's not very much what I have eaten today. So here is the grand total (granted, I know the hash was NOT my best choice, but I was starving and couldn't find anything else to eat) 1320 calories. and I rounded up. Since I already ate my points for the day, isn't that bit low for daily calories? I would GREATLY appreciate it if anyone else tallied their calories and got back to me, since I am wondering now how everyone else is doing

luna bar 220
2% milk 130
pizza sandwich 290
yogurt 100
corned beef hash 400
9 baked ruffles 120
chip dip 60

I haven't really had any fruit or veggies today, so maybe that is the problem?? And, I did work out today. Who knows? Advice is appreciated!

Well it depends on how many points you get a day. Remember a higher fat item will yield higher points and higher fiber items can yield a bit lower points.

Yes you can lose by just staying within your points but you will feel better, not feel starving if you would follow the 8 Good Health Guidelines (page 76 in the week 1 booklet or http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/a...1&art_id=21901 if you are online or e-tools):

1) eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies (remember this is a combo and a serving is only 1/2 a cup except for leafy greens where it is 1 cup and 100% juices that are 3/4 a cup)

2) choose whole grains whenver possible (brown rice over white; whole wheat pasta over white; etc)

3) 2 servings of dairy products (while many think it is a waste you'd be surprised at how dairy can acctually fill you up)

4) 6 8oz glasses of water a day

5) 2 tsp of healthy oil (canola, flax seed, olive, safflower, sunflower) (again many thing this is a waste of points but it actually does fill you up)

6) get in enough protein

7) limit the sugars and alcohol

8) take a multi vitamin


Also this is a general idea that W/W put out on the average number of points for each point:

18 = 1050
19 = 1100
20 = 1150
21 = 1200
22 = 1250
23 = 1300
24 = 1350
25 = 1400
26 = 1450
27 = 1500
28 = 1550
29 = 1600
30 = 1650
31 = 1700
32 = 1750
33 = 1800
34 = 1850
35 = 1900

But remember this can be up or down based on fat and fiber and DOES NOT include the 200-250 calories a day that W/W built into the program for free veggies.

also since W/W is a proven weight loss program I trust them so I don't count my calories but here is a typical day for me:

BREAKFAST:
Cereal & Milk - 4 points (1 dairy)

MID MORNING SNACK:
Fruit or Snack Size Microwave Popcorn - 1-2 points (1 fruit serving if I have fruit)

LUNCH:
Large Salad w/fat free dressing + 1 tsp Olive Oil - 2 points (2 veggies)
Sandwich (usually consists of 2 slices low calorie bread, lean lunchmeat, cheese, lettuce, tomato, Miracle Whip Free) - 3-4 points (1/2 to 1 dairy)
Yogurt or Pudding - 2 points (1 dairy)
Fruit - 1 point (1 fruit serving)

MID AFTERNOON SNACK:
Fruit or Cheese and Crackers - 1-2 points (1 fruit or 1/2 a dairy serving)

DINNER:
3-6 oz of lean meat - 3-6 points
1-2 cups of veggies - 0-2 points
starch (pasta, rice or potatoes) - 3 points

EVENING SNACK;
Depends on how many points I used during the day and how many Activity Points and/or Flex/Weekly Points I have left

That's very true about the veggies. I just feel like 1300 calories is very low for me and that I (should) will lose a lot of weight too fast. Such a stupid worry, but I have a relatively high metabolism. I'm used to eating...oh a pint of ice cream every night, so if I cut that out, in addition to eating my points, that's a lot of calorie deficit,ya know? Ah well, I shouldnt be too worried about losing weight too fast, I need it!

Can I ask how many points a day and what your weight is? If you have a high metabolism are you eating your APs and WPA/FPs too?

Right now my weight is 167.8 and I get 23 points a day. Before I started WW again, I ate dinner, then a pint of ice cream, sometimes cookies and milk. So cutting back on my calories to 1300 is a drastic measure for me. I know I'm overweight, but I would think that I would weigh more than I already do. And, yes I do eat my flex points. Some days, I don't know if I would be able to survive the day. I actually went over my points every day last week and ate a fast food burrito and nachos and lost 5.2 lbs.

Cytheria, Kelly always has the best/most accurate info that she shares, and I think she has a good point.....try to make sure you're getting in your 8 healthy guidelines and you shouldn't be hungry. Also, as you probably know from past experience, once you've been on ww for a bit your stomach does begin to shrink causing you to want less to eat anyway. Good luck!

So you are saying the nachos and burrito caused you to lose weight - is this a new diet plan in the making - lots of money from the book you know! Actually, how you spend your points is very important. If you are eating the wrong foods weight will not come off and you will be hungry. 1300 is only an estimate. You have deduced calories for fiber and added calories from fat. 200 more calories are added if you have your veggies.

Haha oddly enough, it's true. I eat so much junk food that slowing it way way way down always causes fast weight loss. Only problem: I love love love junk food. I've stayed on WW for more than 2 months and I still had the cravings.

Fast weight loss is either extreme dieting or low carb diet or it is early and you have a lot of water losses or you have a large amount of weight to lose and it comes off a bit faster at first. Junk food doesn't fuel the body and this is why you are hungry. Sorry to sound so disbeleiving but it is very much true. If you eat healthy and get in all your points utilize all available (daily/target; activity and flex/weekly) you shouldn't lose extremely fast. You should lose at a good rate. However if you have a high metabolism you may actually have to eat higher in points.

So enjoy it on occasion but when you start to eat healthier you'll find that many of these cravings go away or you find things that are healthy to make something like or very similar that you can enjoy for your cravings. I've been on W/W since 1998 and I still have cravings and I still enjoy them but just not everyday and I strive to hit my 8 Good Health Guidelines before I allow myself junk. The daily points are a great way to get in the guidelines and I use the Activity points for additional dairy and/or protein and my weekly/flex for my indulgences.

I think everyone likes treats! That's why god gave us 100 Calorie Packs at 2 points apiece

Hi there,

I am a long-term maintainer and for several years I was in the habit of going to WW every 12 mos or so to lose the 5-7 lbs that inevitably creep back on. It always worked GREAT, but all of a sudden when i went back in spring 2005 I found it wasn't working for me at all. I've been back once more since then and, again, found it just wasn't working.

When I looked back over old journals etc., I decided that for me the difference was when they changed the system so you get fewer daily points and a pool of 35 Flex points per week. At my weight (at the time) I was allowed 22 pts per day and I just COULD NOT stick to that little food. (Even with all the zero-point snacks in the world.) And though I rationally knew that this is what the Flex points were for, I couldn't shake the feeling that using them was "cheating." So I constantly felt either hungry or guilty. My leader suggested just divvying up the 35 Flex points into 5/day and allotting myself 27 pts daily, but again, I just felt guilty, like I couldn't stick to the "real" plan. I got stuck in a cycle of losing .75-1 lb per week, then regaining it the next. Ultimately I figured maybe my head just wasn't in the right place for it and decided it wasn't worth the $$ I was paying so I gave it a break.

Fast-forward about two years and sure enough, the scale has gone up 15 lbs total (my greatest regain in 10+ years of maintaining). I am now in the process of losing those lbs but I am not doing it with WW -- I'm doing "my own" plan with support from 3FC. I'm allowing myself 1600 cals a day and journaling everything in FitDay... and it is working. I've lost 5 lbs in the first two weeks. (I also have never stopped exercising for more than a month or two in 10 yrs... so that certainly also contributes to re-losing as well as maintaining!)

Sorry to write such a long post, but just wanted to say, although WW is a proven plan, there are elements of it that just don't work for everyone. Personally I think it is just too darn restrictive for me and ends up being self-defeating.

Holly

Cynthia: Looking at your one day's food, I can see you have a lot of fat in the choices, which like the other posters said, yields higher points. You really need to take in stuff with higher fiber grams and that means, reading labels. It is imperative you read labels. When you go to choose a food, try and keep the fat % less than 25 and 20 would be better, in other words if you have something that is 100 calories, don't let the fat calories be more than 25 or 20. Really try upping your fiber. There are some great high fiber muffins you can get online that are chocolate and can curb that sweet feeling you need. You can pm me if you want the web address. They are only 2 pts for a huge 4 oz muffin and have 12 g of fiber in them. Go to 100% whole wheat bread, buns, etc. Not only do you get a twofer so to speak as you get two slices for one pt versus a pt a slice for white bread, you get more fiber. Eat higher fiber cereal for breakfast. You don't necessarily have to eat things like bran flakes, though those are great, even things like cheerios are better than other types of cereal. I read an article just recently, I think it was in my aarp newspaper, that said those breakfast type bars are not always the best way to go. Even those that have better fat and fiber numbers are usually pretty small so don't fill you up much. Most of them are not very nutritional, though I looked and the Luna bars aren't too bad. Even pasta can provide more fiber for you. When fiber gets into the stomach, it breaks down slowly so you feel fuller longer. Fat breaks down quickly distributing into the bloodsteam fast as does sugar so not only do you feel hunger faster because it is out of your stomach, your insulin gets out of whack making you feel hungry too! I would almost guarantee if you eat more items that have less fat and more fiber grams you are going to feel fuller for a longer period of time.