Two quick questions!

1. Is there some website calculator where I can plug in values and get a point total? I have this oatmeal that I eat for breakfast that according to my "slide rule" it is 3 points. I think though that this is wrong because it has more than 4 fibers so I don't think that is the true points value...make sense?

2. I was looking at a Lean C. frozen pizza box and according to my "slide rule" it is a 6 point pizza...however, on the side of the box it says that is 7 points for the WW program. Which point do I use...I would rather use the 6, but I don't want to cheat either!

Thanks!

There is an online calculator on the WW site but you have to pay to use the online tools to use it! But I'll tell you one thing, the slide rule & the online calculator are usually the same-the online calc doesn't calculate the fiber differently than your slide rule.

As for the frozen pizza (or any pre-packaged food), you always go by the calculations on the slide rule. In this case you're lucky because its less, but often times its more! Just always use the slide rule.

The additional points for exercising depend completely on how long you exercise & how strenuous the exercise is.

And 20 points per day is probably WAY less points than you should be eating-especially for someone who works out! Some people who are lifetime members of Weight Watchers eat 20-22 points to maintain their weight-not to lose!

I don't have my book here with me, but I'll give you an idea about the workout thing. If I run for 30 minutes & it strenuous enough to make me sweat A LOT then it gives me 4 additional points.

crzychx,

Did you receive a Points Booster at your meetings? This tells you how many Activity Points you earn when you exercise. You can choose to either eat your APs or not eat them. It's up to you.

I agree with ADqtPiMel, 20 points a day is very little points with the amount of exercise you are doing. Are you eating your Flex Points?

I think you got our names confused. ;)

Sorry! Please reverse the names!

Lost 6.2 more pounds this week. I'd been stuck at the same weight for three weeks.

12 pounds to GOAL!
17 to personal goal!

That will bring me to 100 pounds lost at goal and 105 at personal goal!!!

I've just started reading some of this thread and I'm wondering if Weight Watchers is easy to follow? I would love to drop some post baby weight that just won't go away and then a few pounds after that.

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It's incredibly easy to follow. You'll get the basic tools when you join. You can also buy a food companion and dining out guide that makes it easy to find something when you go out to eat.

I gained all of my weight after having my son. I would recommend it to anyone.

Even my husband does it to some point. He has lost 50 pounds.

You don't have any special foods. You just count the "point value" of regular foods.

Weight watchers is amazing. Group meetings really help me and my mom stay on track.

CONGRATULATIONS! :D That's awesome Tippiechick! It sounds like you're getting close to your goal!

And AXi1257, I agree that WW is really easy to follow. The thing that I've really gained out of it is portion control. The size of meals that I used to eat compared to what I eat now is drastically different. My body doesn't even want huge portions anymore. It is really easy to follow and the fact that you have options is great.

WOW! Congratulations! I need more motivation to get back into WW & I think your post just might be what I needed! :)

I'm down another 1.25 pounds this week, which I'm happy with because I thought I'd be up this week. That puts me at 33.1 pounds overall. I'm getting closer to my goal (45 pounds), but right now I'm just working on getting to 35 pounds.

I weighed in last and was not able to last week due to picking up some hours at work. According to their scale, I am down 5 lbs in two weeks. That is good, but I believe I am down more than that. First, there is a difference in my home scale and their scale of 4 lbs. When I went to weigh-ins before, there was like a difference of 1-2 lbs max. And, the lady working last night is brand-new so I am wondering if there may have been an issue with her scale. Plus, when I weighed myself this morning there was a 4.5 lb difference to yesterday at the weigh-in. Don't get me wrong, 5 lbs is great and my clothes do fit a lot better, but I guess I just need to keep track of what my home scale says compared to the weigh-in at the meetings.

Honestly, if I were you, I'd forget your home scale. Go by what the meeting scale says every time. It is the only scale that matters when it comes to being a lifetime member & keeping track of two weights just sounds like HELL to me! ;)

I have a home scale too & I try to keep in mind that my weight fluctuates at certain times of the day, every day. Especially when I'm on my period & I'm retaining water-I've seen a 5 lbs. difference on my home scale in just 1 day! :D

I have lost 19 pounds since Jan. 7. If I don't make 20 tomorrow when I weigh in, I am going to be mad.
(but I'll keep on trying)

I have been on ww for 6 weeks now, and I have lost 10 pounds, so I am pretty happy with it!! I just bought a scale at wal mart yesterday for $20 it tracks your weight lose for you!! They also have a WW scale, but I didn' like that one.

I lost 2 more pounds this week, bringing my total weight loss to 36.1 pounds. I've only got 9.5 pounds to go, I'm so excited!!!:D

I've lost 21 lbs. but I am sure losing motivation lately.
I think it is sorta the "blah" time of year.

bumping because I'm wondering if anyone is doing or has recently done WW. I'd like to start going to the meetings.

Like many people who have done WW, this wasn't my first go at it.

I did it with great success in 2001, lost all the weight, stopped going and it came back and brought some friends.

So I started it again in January- and I have to say, I love it.

They have redone the program - it's still a version of points - called Points Plus - and you can eat fruits and vegetables (most of them) for "free".

I've lost 11.4 pounds in six weeks, and am on track for another multi-pound week again.

I don't feel deprived. Mostly. I mean, duh... but it isn't bad.

You do have to plan ahead though - the fruits and veggies you need don't just magically appear in your fridge.

That said, I highly recommend it. PM me if you want more info.

I am in Week 4 of WW and I'm loving it. I have lost 4.8 lbs since beginning the program and am trying to be patient. Someone told me once that I didn't gain all this weight overnight, so I shouldn't expect to lose it overnight.

I decided to go to meetings and am very lucky that I found one with a wonderful leader. I've heard that not all leaders are that way, so be sure to find one that you like and don't quit trying until you find her/him! More power to the members who do it online only. I know that I have to be accountable to myself, and to do so I *MUST* attend a weekly weigh in and meeting. I'm on a monthly pass and exercise at home...quite a bargain from gym fees.

Fruits and vegetables have been such a blessing, especially on the nights where I've already used up my 29 points and don't really want to burn my weekly points just yet. My freezer is stocked with SmartOnes that I usually eat for lunch. Quick, easy, and good with the Points.

I'm a newcomer to WW so I only know Points Plus and only Points Plus. Several ladies in my meeting are re-treads from the old system and are still very resistant to change. They love their sliders and sliders only but WW does not make sliders anymore. Just the calculator...if you can get your hands on one. My center has a few dozen, but they're experiencing a massive shortage nationwide because WW did not expect to see a response like this. I guess Jennifer Hudson was THAT convincing. ;)

Feel free to PM me as well if you have any questions. Good luck!

You can access the calculator through e-tools or with a phone app.

DaffyKD

Right. I should have mentioned that but forgot! I ended up getting a calculator though I have the app installed on my Droid because I spend a LOT of time at the store going from food product to food product calculating PP values. It does a number on your phone's battery if you use it as much as I do.

I spend time reading the WW message boards and unfortunately not everyone has a smart phone. The calculator's free on e-tools, but obviously isn't as convenient.

It was on sale for $5.95 at my center but has since gone up to the regular price of $11.95. It's such a hot item on eBay now...people are actually buying them for 4-5x the regular price! Crazy!

Hi TLD, I did WW in 2009, and for 5 months in 2010. I was most successful in 2010, losing about 15 pounds. I joined WW to "lose weight" but I stayed because I needed the reminders of portion control. I went to meetings in Queens with a wonderful leader. She was African-American, and spoke to the unique struggles of African-American women losing weight.

I loved WW, and would have continued going if not for the cost. I lost my job and have not been able to keep up membership. I did the meetings, regular workouts, and ate only real food - nothing processed, not much candy, etc. I cannot wait to go back. I plan to start running, and will use my WW materials as a guide to healthier eating.

It will be tempting to buy WW materials. The most helpful, to me, was the food guide that outlines points for tons of food items. I loved the food scale, but you can get them cheaper.

Once I joined, I found many blogs of current and former WW members. My favorite is msbitchcakes, she's a Brooklyn WW member. She's really changed her life and eating habits through hard work and reflection.

Good luck if you decide to join.

Ha, I actually felt that way more on the old system than I have with the new one.


On the old system, I would eat a lot of fake food; fat-free Cool Whip, Olestra Pringles, etc. to try to get in at under points. And yeah, if baby tiger had been low points, I'd have gone to every Kroger in town to find it (see also Laughing Cow Cheese).

But on the new program, they really try to get you to eat real food - fruit, vegetables, meat, whole grains...

I honestly have to work to eat all my points now, and I feel better than I have in years.

And since January 5th, I've lost 14 pounds, easy peasy.

Okay, all of this WW talk has convinced me to join. Everytime Jennifer Hudson appears on my TV, I feel like she's shout-singing at me to put down the cupcakes and join WW.
Is WW easy to do if you're fairly busy? I'm a second year grad student, so I usually end up eating on the go.

Believe it or not, JHud had no influence on this decision. My freshman year roommate and I caught up recently and reminded me of when she used to go. I never took it seriously, but she was getting results, and (as a uber fad dieter) felt normal while doing it.

If you're willing to take a little time to plan ahead, WW is definitely do-able. Zero points snacks are a big help, too.

eTools has a lot of restaurants/fast food joints listed in case you like to grab and go. I stay away from McDonalds these days, but Wendy's Pick 2 is usually within my 29 points.

Congratulations and let us know how it goes!

I joined WW for the first time in 1985. Back then, it was all focused on food exchanges. You could have 6-8 protein exchanges (about 1 ounce each), 3 fruits, 2 milks, 2 fat, unlimited veggies and 2 -3 breads. I did fantastic on it. Then they cut the protein some and increased the breads a little and I didn't do as well. When they went to the points system, I totally blew it all the time. I would happily eat 29 points in chocolate and eat nothing else...lol. I would play those games. It's not good to eat that way. From what I've heard about the current program, it's leaning more toward exchanges again, which I think is good. I needed that structure.

All that said, since I can barely eat any fruits or veggies, I'm doing better with an Atkins like program. My biggest issue is that I get bored though.

For those considering WW, find out of your health insurance will cover it. My HMO will cover a 12 week WW program for a $25 co-pay. Great deal! You have to lose a certain amount for them to continue to cover it, so they won't just pay indefinitely for multiple 12 week cycles unless you're making progress.

So, I joined Thursday. The meeting I went to was everything I thought it would be. Now everything I eat has a number attached. My DPT is pretty high since i'm a biggum, and im surprisingly finding it difficult to "eat" all of those points. I didnt eat a lot yesterday, and I had some cashews this AM. Tomorrow may be a different story, as I'm going to a bridal shower and a recital.

Wanted to share good news!

First WI: -3.4 lbs! I am super excited and made some really good choices this week. My biggest downfall was a half bag of gummi worms on Tuesday, and some biryani that was WAY more points than expected. Yummy, but not worth the 22 point dish (though I did have a big portion).

Congratulations - 3.4 pounds is nothing to sneeze at! I hope you're liking the program - I think it's fantastic.

I haven't found many ways to incorporate Indian, and it's a weakness, but the biryani sounds excellent.

I weighed in tonight as well - and since I joined on Jan 5th, I'm down 21.6 pounds. And with a few exceptions, it's been so easy.

Hang in there!

We have WW at work, we've already done 10 weeks and I bounced within the same 5 pounds. So now we're into session 2, and I lost in week 1 *yay me*! Week 2 weigh in is Monday, and I've started "rewarding" myself for my weight loss with $$ transferred into my savings (in preparation for the new wardrobe I'm going to buy!).

Good luck everyone!!

Haven't posted since I started - wow!

Happy to report, -23.8 lbs down!

Good for you!! I think the new program is excellent - I have found it to be relatively painless...

I am down 40.8 in seven months. I highly recommend the program to anyone looking to get it done once and for all.

I did WW last summer and I had a hard time following it. I thought that it was so annoying that I had to track my points for fruits and vegetables (I eat a lot of them) while all that 'fake' food was 0 points. So I think I'd like this system better. Now I'm just on the fence because of the price/my best friend won't be able to go with me this time/having to go back after having gained weight. I know that they're supportive of people 'getting back on the wagon', but are they really?

Bumping for 2012. I signed up recently, and apparently there has been a change in how points are calculated. Many fruits and veggies have zero points!

Hoping to hit my goal weight by mid-June...

I did it for a few months last year. My blood pressure shot up from all the "zero point" mustard and dips I was eating (zero fat but LOTS of salt).

It helped me in terms of getting a handle on portion sizes, but it was way too annoying for me to make it a lifestyle. Getting a job where I'm on my feet all the time probably helped just as much.

I'm curious to know how the Points Plus 2012 works. I did it last year for a few months right after the unveiled the new Points Plus system. Lost 20+ pounds as a result but had to leave WW for health reasons.

Not sure yet if I'll join again as I'm feeling better, but I really wish they'd stop sending me fan mail asking me to come back!