Need help with Weight watchers points system...

[LapBandFan 22]

I have been doing low-carb for a while and am burned out with it and wish to try weight watchers on my own again. I am a previous member of WW before my band surgery and have dug around and found some of the reading material and my WW points electric calculator but I cannot remember exactly how the plan works. I entered my weight in the calculator and it gave me a list of points, is this list of points what I should strive for each day and no more? The calculator is very cool and you record your daily wieght and Water intake, activities etc. How many points do I get to add daily for exercise? Seems like it was you get one extra point for every 20 minutes of exercise? Is that right? Do I just look at the food label and find calories/fat/fiber for the point value of a serving of that food? I hate to be in the dark about this but I cannot find the main book that came with WW and don't have time to join the meetings locally. Thanks for any information.

[NVanDev 0]

Weight watchers points. Every thing has a point value based on calories, fat and Fiber. (around 50 calories per point). You have your alloted daily points and then you have 35 points per week of extra points. You can use these however you choose, either spread out through the week or for a special occasion out on one night. Or you can choose not to use them.

You do earn activity points. It is based on your current weight and then your level of intensity. For example if you are 200 pounds and do 20 minutes of high intensity it earns you 3 points. Moderate intensity will earn you 1 point. 35 minutes of moderate intensity earns you 2 points. Just to give you an idea.

Target points (Daily points)

Less than 150 pounds 20 points

150 - 174 =22 points

175- 199 =24 points

200 - 224= 26 points

225-249 =28 points

250-274 =30 points

275-299 =31 points

300-324= 32 points

325-349=33 points

350 and more= 34 points

Hope this helps

Any other questions let me know

Nicki

[NVanDev 0]

You do calculate your points by putting the calories fat and Fiber of the food into the calculator. Remember this number is per serving.

Hope this helps

Nicki

[cashley 0]

I'm doing weight watchers now. I use the online tools (called e-tools) to count my points and activity.

The activity depends on the intensity. But basiscally it works out to about 1 point per 100 calories you burn. So if you are using a machines that ask your weight, age, and tracks you heart rate you can count the calories on the machine as accurate. If the machine doesn't ask all that or you are using something not on a cardio machine then you would have to gage it on your own.

Here's some examples I looked up on e-tools...

Ellipitical - Moderate Intensity - 30 minutes - 2 points (I don't know why cuz I burn 400 calories)

Walking Moderate Intensity - 30 minutes - 2 points.

Stationary Bike - 30 minutes - High Intensity - 5 points.. (this is weird since I only burn 200 calories on it)

I hope this helps...

Also, I get 26 points a day plus the 35 extra per week and I don't lose. If I cut my points to 20 still exercise 60 - 90 minutes per day and don't use the 35 extra I'll loose about 2 pounds a week. - Sad huh?

I think I've realized finally not that I'm banded that I just can't eat as much as others. Now it's a bit easier since i have the band to stay under 20 points.

[Sunta 4]

Hi Weight Watchers online is awesome! It's sooo easy to track points and it's only $16.95 per month! I used this during my pre-op diet to lose four pounds. I think it's a fantastic program. The Website is www.weightwatchersonline.com

[LapBandFan 22]

Thanks for the input! I am struggling with looking and making myself read the food labels. I have done lowcarb so long I was just used to knowing what I could eat, but I really really need Fiber in my diet and hope the WW points program will work for me. I know it will if I MAKE myself do it! ha ha!

Cashley, is use of the etools WW online free or only free to current WW members? What is the website link?

Thanks again.

[cashley 0]

It's not free but not to expensive - it's like 10.00 per month (either $9.95 or $10.95 I can't remember)

You are supposed to be a member but.... you can go to one meeting since they have free registration, sign up, get all your material and ask for an e-tools code. The first meeting is only $11.00

I think e-tools is actually better then Weight Watchers Online and it's cheaper. Of corse weight watchers wants e-tools to be for members of the meetings only but once you put the code in they don't check again.

I'm a lifetime member so it's a good alternative.

[LapBandFan 22]

Good idea, I might just join the local meeting to get the information and then do it on my own after that with the Etools.

What do you do to become lifetime member? Once lifetime, meetings are free right? Just was thinking that was what I remembered them saying but was not sure.

Thanks again for the info. I will call my local WW meeting and find out when and where they meet.

It's not free but not to expensive - it's like 10.00 per month (either $9.95 or $10.95 I can't remember)

You are supposed to be a member but.... you can go to one meeting since they have free registration, sign up, get all your material and ask for an e-tools code. The first meeting is only $11.00

I think e-tools is actually better then Weight Watchers Online and it's cheaper. Of corse weight watchers wants e-tools to be for members of the meetings only but once you put the code in they don't check again.

I'm a lifetime member so it's a good alternative.

[DonnaB 3]

I just found out about www.FitDay.com. It's essentially the same kind of thing but it's free. I'm loving it. It breaks down where your calories are coming from, how many calories you need to lose weight, tracks your activities from housework to exercise to sitting and watching a movie (!). Seriously, check it out before you pay another monthly fee for something. I understand from JanetC that you can purchase FitDay and download it to your computer and the purchased version has even more features. It can't hurt to look, right? (If you become a member of FitDay - just sign up, no fee or anything, the purchase price for the downloadable version is less than just buying it from another source.)

Good luck.

[cashley 0]

What do you do to become lifetime member? Once lifetime, meetings are free right? Just was thinking that was what I remembered them saying but was not sure.

You have to get to your goal and stay there for 6ish (i can't remember it's been so long ago) weeks. Your meetings are free for as long as you stay within 5ish (forgot that too) pounds of your goal. If you go over (or under) then you have to pay again until you get back to goal.

The good thing about being a lifetime member is you only have to weigh once a month so you can go but only weigh once a month so you don't have to pay for 3 of the 4 weeks.

I just found out aboutwww.FitDay.com. It's essentially the same kind of thing but it's free. I'm loving it. It breaks down where your calories are coming from, how many calories you need to lose weight, tracks your activities from housework to exercise to sitting and watching a movie (!).

I like Fitday except a lot of the foods I eat are not there and they take a long time to enter. I rarely have to enter anything into Weight Watcher manually. I may go back to fitday one day since it gets better after you add things to your favorites. I just like the accountablity of weight watchers for some reason keeping my points at 20ish is easier then shooting for 1000 calories or less.

[Jonathan 5]

I rarely have to calculate my own points, but if you do have to, you can use the points calculator, as you said. Since I just do the WW Online, when I enter my food it tells me how many points each item is. My wife and I have been making a LOT of the WW recipes lately.

I'm amazed at how much I forgot about how important food choice is. I've lost about 18 lbs on WW so far, and it's a plan I can live with for the rest of my life.

I hope you find WW useful, no matter which tools you choose to use.

Jonathan

[LapBandFan 22]

Thanks Jonathan, Cashley and Donna for all your pointers. I have found a local meeting here for this Thursday that I plan on attending to get me refreshed on the WW Points program. Again, good luck to all of you on your journeys and good job on your losses so far. I have been at a plateau for so long it would scare me to death to start losing again.....

Have a blessed day!

[LapBandFan 22]

Ok, I went and did it. I rejoined weight watchers today and got the information for both the flex plan and the core plan but I am aiming to stay on the core plan. Any of you on the core plan?

I really think I am going to enjoy the support group meetings themselves. I live too far away from my surgeon to go to the lapband support meetings he has there.

Please pray that I can get off this pleateau now!! Thanks.

[cashley 0]

I never tried core. I've read though it and didn't feel it was something I could stick too. I travel 2 - 6 hours per day to clients and then work all day with them and ususally eat out (with them). I can't complain about my job I love it but it makes it hard to diet when you're eating just about every meal out. I've heard lots of people including my Weight Watcher leader tell me to pack a lunch or take food with me but I'm just not that type of person. I don't like sandwiches or anything really I could pack in a lunch. Plus part of my job is to entertain the client and take them to a nice meal or two.... I can't do that if I'm eating a sack lunch.

With the flex plan I can eat all three meals at fast food or even slow food and still maintain my points. The big bad with out-food is how much you can trust them to not lie about the portion or put more in then they are supposed too. A lot of times I think that's why I'm stalled so much. I'm not willing to change my life style so I just dropped my points down to 20 per day. And I have to say.... I'm finally losing! (so excited to see 1 pound come off)

[LapBandFan 22]

cashley, I completely understand about your job and entertaining the clients on your job (whatever that may be). It does sound like flex would work better for you. I am gonna try the core as it is very similar to the southbeach diet I had been following anyway but I get to have fruit finally! I will try core for a while and see how I do on that, if not results in a while, I will switch to flex points.

I honestly think I just need to show up in front of people to weigh every week and be made accountable! I am like a kid, I need to be slapped on the wrist for goofing up..... but I have not come this far to give up now...Take care and thanks for responding.