Flex Points: To use or not to use?
 

I've been officially on Weight Watchers for 6 weeks now and I started off with a bang. Then, the last three weeks has slowly teetered down to near negligible weight loss. It's been very frustrating, as I keep starting the new week with this 'Gonna do everything right' attitude, and end up down only 2/10 of a pound.

I did the program years ago, just at home in the shadow of my sister, and lost 2-3lbs a week and felt great. I can't seem to figure out what is going wrong.

I've heard rumours that say you actually lose more weight if you eat more of your Flex points? I wanted to know if anyone has experienced this? My first week, I was exercising, staying right on Target Points, but having one splurge day. Lost 3.8 Second week, much the same. I didn't count activity points for either of these weeks because I didn't have the formula for it yet. Lost 4. Week three, I started trading AP for more food, and hugged my TP and barely dipped into Flex Points. Lost 1.6 Then, it was much the same plan, and I lost only 8/10 and then last week, I stayed right on Target points, didn't count AP and made darn sure to get 5 fruit/veggies a day, and lost only 2/10.

I know that you will see bigger losses your first two weeks, but I was happy with 1.6 even. .2 is depressing when you are changing so much and getting so little of a reward.

I tried to tell myself last night, that the program has to be able to work using all your Flex Points, or else people wouldn't stay with it. You can't tell someone, 'you get 35 frees' a week, then tell them 'oh but really you can only eat 10 if you want to lose' - Right?

So this week, I planned to vary the points per day (My Team leader said I may be telling my body to run more efficiently between the lower points and the activity)

I plan on using 20 flex points, and 12 AP traded straight for food values. The FP will come in varying amounts day by day. So 2 one day, 10 the next, 4, then right on target, then 2, 6, target. Etc.

Has this worked for anyone else?

For most it is not rumor that you lose more if you eat more. Your body is like an engine and needs food to function properly.

It goes back to Basal Metabolic Rate and how much your body needs just to stay alive.

The TargetPoints are the bare minimum your body needs to function, when you are more active your body needs even more and that is where the ActivityPoints come into play -- remember this MUST BE USED ON THE DAY EARNED, then W/W and the formulas and studies by MDs, RDs, and Fitness professionals show that there is an additional that MOST can use and still lose and that is the 35 WeeklyPointsAllowance aka FlexPoints.

Back when W/W started with points they gave us a 7 (which then turned to 5) point spread a day and what we didn't use we could bank for future use. W/W just made the program more liveable and flexible by giving all we could bank up front.

Don't be afraid to try to use them.

Not only that. Sometimes you just don't loose pounds every week. You could be losing inches, or you could be going through one of those "idle" times we all go through while losing weight.

I posted a reply to this in a different thread, :( oh well. I became lifetime under the selection plan, and they had eat less, basic and eat more. I could never lose weight consistently under eat less, if you're not eating enough your body thinks it's going to starve and stores fat instead of burning it. You may have to add in a little (maybe a pt. or 2 a day for a week) until you find your optimum range.

Don't compare to someone else's weight loss either, everyone loses differently. Also it's good to keep looking at your overall loss, steady down is the goal, right?!

Also, looking at progress in exercise (more minutes, reps, strength) is also motivating.

I'm telling myself as well as you, thanks!