Weight Watchers March ~ Countdown to spring! [Archive]

Couperine

03-05-2007, 07:21 AM

Hi everyone!

I think we are ready for a new month thread, so I'll do the honors this month.

I had Lasik on Friday in both eyes, and my husband cooked for us over the weekend. My MIL cooked us some delicious but super cheesy soup that we ate for two meals as well, so unsurprisingly this morning when we weighed, I was up 2.0 lbs. Pretty stinky, but I'm cutting myself some slack. We're going back to planned meals with vigor this week!

Congrats on your 10% goal, krhm. Sounds like you are well on your way!

Welcome to the boards, DiP. We have a nice crowd of people posting and lurking here! I look forward to hearing more from you.

Kelly, maintaining for a week is great in my book - I still am amazed that you've lost weight while having to eat out so often.

My memory isn't that fabulous from posting from February to here, so if you have a comment or question that you still want answered, post it again!

Have a fabulous week losers!

Meganator

03-05-2007, 07:42 AM

Good morning all and good wishes for a successful March!

I usually just lurk here sporadically, but I have a question that I'm sure one of you can answer.

I do WW Online, and when I originally read through the plan as posted on the website, it said that a serving of fruit/vegetables was 0.5 cup, except leafy greens which are one cup. So that's how I was counting my fruit/vegetable servings.

Then today I noticed on the point tracker screen, over on the right-hand side where you check off your water/milk/veggie/oil/vitamin/activity units for the day, that when my cursor is over top of the fruit/veggie icon, a box pops up that says that a serving is 1 cup. :confused: I did notice that in choosing from the tracker, the default portion is often 1 cup, but I assumed that was just to encourage you to eat more veggies.

So what is the correct serving size?

Thanks,
Megan

JenniferJJ

03-05-2007, 10:45 AM

Hello

I don't think I posted in February.

Anyway the good news was that...I made my goal!!! Well, sort of. I set my WW meeting goal 2 - 4 pounds higher that what I want my real goal to be so that I could start maintenance earlier and so that I could stop paying sooner. I look fine at this weight, but just think I'd look a little better 2 - 4 pounds lighter.

Anyway, the bad news is that I haven't been able to maintain it very well. I am 5 pounds higher than that as of this morning. I think it has to do with a few things: 1)just taking a break of eating on plan, which I did several times while losing 2)giving in to a few cravings that I had during my loss time but didn't give in to very much. I think I have had 6 or 7 Big Macs in the following 2 weeks. 3) Not exercising. It's really an event to go to the gym in this bitter cold...don't want to get in regular clothes sweaty, so need to take a shower, which means I need to dry completely and pack fresh underwear. At least when it's a little warmer, I'll dress for the gym at home and then wear the same clothes home (warm enough to run to the car) and take my shower at home - much more convenient. Or dress for my workout at the gym, but not take the shower there. And I'm all for winter sports, but I can't find my cross country ski boots and can't afford to go out west and it's just SO COLD here to go walking. Well, it would be the same temperature to go cross country skiing as it would be to go walking, but I guess I'm bored of just walking so that I'm adding cold and bored both in to the mix of not wanting to do it. So, maybe I'll go hiking in a state park later this week.

I found out they let you be more than 2 pounds over your goal when you're in maintenance because they say you're trying to figure out how much you need to eat when you're maintaining. So, I was going to relax during the 6 weeks and I thought that would coincide with the weather being warmer. But, 1)I'm afraid my maintenance might be up this week and 2)the number this morning was just too higher, so I'm going to stop relaxing today.

My goals for today:

exercise for at least 30 minutes
eat fruit
drink water

Nancy...sometimes you need to relax when you are having surgery and others cook for you

Megan...I look at the Complete Food Guide to find out how much a serving is. Seems like 1 Cup is rather common, but different things point out differently, and that's what I pay attention to. For example, 1 C of peas is 3 points, 1 C of cucumbers is 0. If you have questions about some specific fruits/veggies, I'd be happy to look them up and find out the points for you.

Cheers.

krhm

03-05-2007, 11:01 AM

Megan, I noticed that too, and I don't have an official answer for you. My thoughts are that 1) these are just the health guidelines and don't really factor into the calorie/fiber intake and 2) since serving sizes do vary, they just rounded up.

But there are discrepancies like that in the plan. One thing I've always wondered is if you're making a recipe that has the nutritional info, do you use that to determine points or do you determine points based on the point value of each ingredient? For example, the 0-point veggie soup would have a point value if you looked at calories, fat, and fiber, but would not have a point value based on the ingredients. In this case, I usually do both and end up going for the middle number.

Kari

Phoenixcooking

03-05-2007, 11:21 AM

Hello Everyone,

I am doing WW on line and have had my ups and downs back on the downs right now and trying to stay on track. It is nice to find other off the WW site who are doing the plan to share, information and recipes with. I look forward to have a new place to check in and talk with others.

Donna

DiP

03-05-2007, 11:53 AM

Hi Nancy, Thanks for the welcome. Glad that you Lasik went well.

Hi Donna, I'm a newby at this site too and look forward to exchanging tips here.

Kari, Good summation on the points and portion sizes, I usually roundup if in doubt.

Jennifer, I can see where your at, although I'm far from my goal food is a way that I reward myself. Keep tracking your points when you have those Big Macs! DH and I had colonscopy's on Friday, since we can only have fish on Fridays we ran by Culvers and ate a cod fish sandwich with fries, figuring that we hadn't used any points for a day and 1/2 we'd splurge. That one meal was nearly my allowance for the whole day! Luckily, (I guess?) my stomach felt off for the rest of the day and all day Saturday keeping my points below my allowance. Tracking really helps me get back in gear when I exceed my points and with my many weaknesses with food that is quite often.

We have a bug going around the office and it finally got me, today I have a bit of a chest cold and sore throat, but my appetite is back.

My goal for today, stay OP and walk the dogs 2 miles.

Di

Meganator

03-05-2007, 12:01 PM

Megan...I look at the Complete Food Guide to find out how much a serving is. Seems like 1 Cup is rather common, but different things point out differently, and that's what I pay attention to. For example, 1 C of peas is 3 points, 1 C of cucumbers is 0. If you have questions about some specific fruits/veggies, I'd be happy to look them up and find out the points for you.

Cheers.

Bleh. My post disappeared into cyberspace, so I will try again.

Jennifer, thanks for the info and good luck getting back on track. I assume the online points tracker is the same as the Complete Food Guide, so I will just go with whatever they list as the default servings...unfortunately, that means I've probably been undercounting my servings. :rolleyes: Good thing I like veggies, I guess, since I will be eating more of them.

Couperine - Congratulations on the lasik (I'm weighing that option myself). I bet the cheesy soup was good!

Kari, if there is nutritional info available on a recipe or package, I always assume it is reasonably correct and just go with that. Mostly just because it is easier!

Donna, welcome to the boards. I'm not sure how many people here are doing the WW Online, but that really works well for me. I've only been doing it 2 or 3 weeks so far. I have the points tracker up on my computer all day at work, and on the laptop at home on the counter, so I can keep continual track of my waters, veggies, milks, all that stuff on the right hand side. I like the visual of the little smiley face when I've gotten in my servings for the day! :) I find that if I get all the waters and veggies and oils and milks in, I'm not so hungry that I am tempted to go over my points at suppertime.

Megan

Meganator

03-05-2007, 12:04 PM

Welcome Di! We were posting at the same time.

Julzer

03-05-2007, 12:34 PM

Welcome, Di and Donna!

After a week of not counting points and not working out (due to illness) I lost 4.2lbs! I haven't weighed in in over 2 weeks so I was so ecstatic! I didn't eat too well last week and still lost. I plan on getting back on track this week but leave for vacation on Wed. and hope to do well while I"m away. It's usually the car trip that kills me. I bought all kinds of healthy treats and we are stopping for a picnic. I plan on journaling and using hand weights and a balance ball for some short work-outs. I'll also be near the beach so I should get in some good walks too. Have a great week everyone!

AZLorena

03-06-2007, 05:47 AM

DiP

03-06-2007, 09:09 AM

Hello everyone.

I haven't posted in a while. Lately, I have been finding it hard to keep up with these threads. I have not fallen off the wagon or anything.....just not too much time for posting.

Jennifer-Congrats on making goal. I am setting my goal about 5 lbs higher too....for some of the same reasons. I am now within 20 lbs of my goal. Hopefully, it won't take too much longer to get there.

Welcome Donna and Di

My progress is slow but steady so I have been pretty happy these days. I am actually under 170 (169.4 to be exact). I am less than 2 lbs away from my next ribbon.....and have now lost a total of 117.6lbs and I am wearing a size 12. That is the smallest size I have ever worn in my adult life so I am pretty thrilled. I am hoping to get that ribbon within the next month. (I lose slowly so that will be a big accomplishment)

I hope to get online and post a little more often this month. I hope everyone is having a great OP day.

Lorena
Thanks for the welcome Lorena. Keeping up with the post can be so difficult -- I had initially tried 3 different threads on the WW site for Missouri, and have dropped two of them, just way too many post.

Slow and steady is the way to go, you have done wonderful! 117.6! and a size 12! DH and I are celebrating our 25th anv this May and I so want to be in at least a size 14, currently I'm in a size 18 now.

So, Congrats to you! Your an inspiration.

Di

DiP

03-06-2007, 09:11 AM

Julzer,

Good luck on the car trip!

Di

DiP

03-06-2007, 09:22 AM

So I come home last night, and what does my DH have cooking? Meatballs, rigatoni, toasted ravioli and salad. No cutting calories, he fried the meatballs in oil. Grrr. And wine, the only saving grace was no dessert.

I had a 1/2 glass of wine, 1 1/2 small meatballs, a huge salad and a very small portion of rigatoni (I visualized a froz diet dinner helping). For dinner I had 16 pts allocated and I haven't tallied up the points yet. Does anyone else have trouble with their spouses sabatoging their efforts? And mine, is supposed to be on the program with me. When I asked him about the ravioli's he said they were for our son -- a whole box full? !?

Hmmm, the question is... will we make it to our 25th? ;) Or will this couple be on the evening news.... surburban mayhem, husband choked to death by his dieting wife.... :eek:

Di

scout1222

03-06-2007, 10:04 AM

Does anyone else have trouble with their spouses sabatoging their efforts? And mine, is supposed to be on the program with me. When I asked him about the ravioli's he said they were for our son -- a whole box full? !?

Oh, Di, this is so so common! With family, with friends, whatever. Did you say anything to him about wanting to have lighter meals? If you haven't I recommend that you do. He may not realize how important this is to you, or he may not realize how tough that meal was for you to handle. You could maybe say something like "I appreciate that you made dinner last night because it saved me a lot of time. But it would really make achieving our weight goals easier if we cooked a little bit lighter. Let's look for some leaner recipes that we can make next week." (I know, that sounds corny, but giving him the benefit of the doubt that it was innocent and then telling him what you need and why might prevent it from happening again.)

Good luck. I'd hate to read about you on the news. :D

DiP

03-06-2007, 10:14 AM

Thanks Scout. I tallied up my points and it appears that I used my remaining points for that meal "16" -- not as bad as I had thought. I will have that talk with DH tonight, those ravioli's were very tempting, but I stayed away from them. The extra large salad with light balsamic dressing is what saved that meal.

~d

Couperine

03-06-2007, 10:43 AM

Di, I totally hear you about your DH!

My husband joined WW online about a month after I did; even then, it can be so hard to get him to stick with the program. Weekends are killer for us - sure I love experimenting with breakfasts on the weekend, but we still have to watch the rest of our day.

My biggest problem with DH about dinner is how many points we each have by that meal. Without fail, my husband has 22 pts to eat once he comes home on weekdays. I range from 12-14 pts, so it makes things harder. To try to keep meals in line, my husband picks recipes from my cookbook collection to try, and he's gotten good at picking lighter, but filling meals. I tweak things to work on cutting bad fats and adding fiber foods, so we tend to have filling meals. I shove pre-bagged crackers at my husband when he comes home to balance out our points differences, and he usually eats the other 1/2 serving of dinner that our toddler can't eat.

I've had more weeks than I can count, though, where my husband picks cookbooks that are full of high calorie foods. Those are the times when I've sent him an e-mail letting him know I just cannot tweak those recipes enough to make it worth our while. He's much better about facing the reality of the recipe when it's not a mealtime. :)

I definitely don't want to vent about my DH - he's doing so much more in the kitchen, and he's starting to have enough success under his belt that he's taking pride in what he cooks and cooking for others. He has also gradually started looking harder at the nutrition of what we eat, so I feel like we're making progress, but it can be frustrating when one or both of us takes a step backwards.

It took us 11 years to get to the weight that we started at, so it's going to take quite a while to get us both in a healthier frame of mind about cooking. I will say that once my husband's nurses commented that his pants kept falling down because he'd lost weight that he started getting more motivated. :D

Phoenixcooking

03-06-2007, 11:39 AM

I do most of the cooking and DH will eat almost anything I fix for dinner. He would eat rice every night if I would make it. DH does not have to watch he weight at 6"7' and 200 lbs it is the least of worries. I do try to keep things balance for him as there is a history of high blood pressure run in his family (he's good so far) It works out pretty well for us I eat larger servings of vegetables and smaller meat starch, he likes his meat so I cook a lot of fish and chicken. I would have to say I am the culprit when it comes to making foods that aren't point friendly I sometimes cook something and then take it to may sisters just because I wanted to make a cake or brownies or I bake cookies and give the whole batch to the kids next door. It is sometimes hard to live with someone who eats whatever they want and never gains a pound our DD seems to have taken after him she is 5'11" and 115. Everyone said wait until he get older things will change but both he dad and uncle are in late 60's early 70's and are still rail thin.

scout1222

03-06-2007, 01:57 PM

Phoenix, my boyfriend is much the same way. He'll eat whatever I tell him we're eating! Which is fantastic, because I can cook light and he doesn't care at all. I usually serve him up a bigger portion than I take myself, and it all works well.

This all reminds me that when we first started living together, he would go to the grocery store and buy one of those slices of cake (just a single slice) that they sell in the bakery section. It would take him the course of a week to eat just that one piece of cake - he'd slice a bit off and eat it in the evening with a cup of coffee. All the while, I'm trying my hardest to not break down and eat whatever he didn't eat that first night, and it would just boggle my mind that he could LEAVE CAKE UNEATEN.

I finally got to the end of my rope and told him how much that cake taunted me. He was surprised, because the thought never even crossed his mind - obviously he has no food issues, unlike me! His compromise, once he knew it was a problem, was to go out and buy a single slice of pie (which for some reason he can eat all at once) when he wants a dessert, and make sure he doesn't leave it behind. I can withstand watching him eat it (most of the time) and I don't have leftovers calling my name.

I should probably hang on to him, right? :p

Kelly23

03-06-2007, 04:42 PM

My DH is also one of those guys who can eat whatever he wants and not gain weight. But he is good about eating whatever I make at dinner with no complaints. I came home from my travel last week to see that he had bought 5 boxes of girl scout cookies :eek: I am trying so hard to avoid them but I haven't been completely successful.

Can anyone recommend a good cereal that is low in points? All the ones I seem to buy are around 4 points (with skim milk) and I would like something a little less.

JackieO

03-06-2007, 07:44 PM

Hey...looks like March is off to a livelier start than February! This is good! Welcome to the newbies.

I'm having a crazy week -- busy at work and at home; not a lot of control over my menu. Lost my typical 0.6 lbs last week :rolleyes:, but as I told my leader, as long as it's a downward trend, I'm happy.

Rec'd my results from our health/fitness analysis that we did last month at work -- nothing new there. I'm in good shape, need to watch my blood pressure and drink less wine. :eek: If my only vice is a couple glasses of wine at night, so be it. I'll give up the 1.7 years of my life I could gain by quitting! :D

Can anyone recommend a good cereal that is low in points? All the ones I seem to buy are around 4 points (with skim milk) and I would like something a little less.

Check out the baked oatmeal threads/recipes (or PM me if you can't find them) for cereal choices -- the Quaker oats recipe is 4 pts if you only make 8 servings; I find half of that to be filling (with a piece of fruit) in the morning, for only 2 pts, and the recipe freezes well. The CL recipe is about 2.5 per "muffin" -- a less dense product, but equally filling. I also have a bran muffin recipe that is only 1 pt per muffin...I can post any of them, if you'd like. The neat thing about the bran muffin is you can slice it in half and spread 1 T. of peanut butter or Nutella on the halves, and it's still a 3 pt. breakfast.

Valchemist's breakfast cookies are 4 pts per serving, and quite satisfying. You can search for the recipe over on the Great Food board (or again, I can post here).

Here's to another week of weight loss! :cool:

krhm

03-07-2007, 05:49 AM

Can anyone recommend a good cereal that is low in points? All the ones I seem to buy are around 4 points (with skim milk) and I would like something a little less.

Kelly, check out the Kashi line. I love Kashi Heart to Heart. And I mix cereal with Fiber One (I do count the points for Fiber One) because I can't handle it on it's own. If you can, though, FO is a very low point alternative!

Meganator

03-07-2007, 07:24 AM

Can anyone recommend a good cereal that is low in points? All the ones I seem to buy are around 4 points (with skim milk) and I would like something a little less.

I eat Cheerios. 2 points for 1 cup (if you choose Honey Nut you only get 3/4 cup which is too little for me), and they are whole grain oats, which are good for you besides. I was eating oatmeal every morning, but I switched in order to get my milk servings in a little easier.

Kelly23

03-07-2007, 09:42 AM

Thanks for your suggestions for cereals Meganator and krhm- I'll have to try these!
JackieO- I have seen the threads on baked oatmeal and have always wanted to try them, now I will. I did not realize you could freeze it. That would help because my DH doesn't usually eat breakfast. I would love it also if you would post your bran muffin recipe.
Thanks!

DiP

03-07-2007, 11:53 AM

I eat Cheerios. 2 points for 1 cup (if you choose Honey Nut you only get 3/4 cup which is too little for me), and they are whole grain oats, which are good for you besides. I was eating oatmeal every morning, but I switched in order to get my milk servings in a little easier.

Megan, Try cooking your oatmeal with milk, you'll get your dairy plus the oatmeal taste richer.

Tonight is our weigh-in, I hope the scale shows a loss!

Di

Phoenixcooking

03-07-2007, 12:03 PM

I am big fan of Cheerios and often have them for breakfast also ike oatmeal. I have not tried the Kashi line in a while but I realy did not care for them the frist time around I know they have a larger selection these days. I also like raisin bran which is 3 pts for a cup. I will give the baked oatmeal a that sounds good I never thought about freezing it.

Molli526

03-07-2007, 12:08 PM

Jackie-

Could you please post your 1-pt bran muffin? Thanks!

applecrisp

03-07-2007, 12:48 PM

From a lurker who should so emerge from lurkdomw since this thread is great.

Another vote for the Kashi Heart to Heart -- it tastes similar to cheerios, but I prefer it since it is crunchier and doesn't seem to get as soggy.

I have been off and on with trying to follow a good eating plan the last few months, but strangely have been doing well the last week or so, and seem to be on a roll. Just finished 30 minutes on the treadmill.

Since I seem to make poorer food choices in the PM -- I am trying to be extra good for breakfast and lunch and eat things that I know how many points/calories are involved. I am absolutely fine with having little or no variety at breakfast or lunch -- I am not really tempted to eat "bad stuff" at those meals. So...... have been having my Kashi Heart to Heart with fruit/skim for breakfast, and turkey with lettuce/tomato on light whole wheat for lunch, with some carrots; and maybe a laughing cow mid day --- doing this seems to give me more control of what I am eating and leaves me with more flexibility. And, certainly better off than starting the day with grabbing a bagel and cream cheese on the run.

Good luck to all.

helios7

03-07-2007, 04:13 PM

Meganator

03-08-2007, 08:20 AM

Megan, Try cooking your oatmeal with milk, you'll get your dairy plus the oatmeal taste richer.

Tonight is our weigh-in, I hope the scale shows a loss!

Di

Wow, light-bulb moment! Thanks! :)

Phoenixcooking

03-08-2007, 08:27 AM

Still lurking...

And seriously lacking motivation. Here's what's been derailing me off and on all year (school year) long. Maybe if I face it and admit it someone will relate and/or I can get past it. When life is "normal", I can keep track of points and eat well and lose weight. But it seems like every week or so something derails me. As a vegetarian, there simply aren't many "grilled chicken breast and steamed veggie" options at restaurants. So.. as soon as it is challenging to figure out the points, I give up. Or I make a recipe that is healthy but not WW, I'm too busy to figure out points, and i give up for that week too. And I know I should climb back on the next day, but I don't ... I like to make clean starts but there have been too many clean starts lately!

It's really getting old. I would like to lose 10 pounds to feel good about myself and get excited by warm weather/new clothes etc. I have a loving husband who doesn't care either way ... which is fabulous but makes it easy to throw in the towel. And I work long hours. I'm up at 5:45. at work at 7:15 and don't usually get home until 6 or 7. RIght now I "could" go to the gym... but I'm tired and the house is a mess so ... eh. I'll skip it ... again.

Can anyone relate?

I can relate, I can always find a reason it is to hard to stay on track and exercise any reason not to is a good one. But when I take the for myself I feel less tried and and find I get more done in a day.

I joined WW on line and so far I am finding this is working for me. I plan my menus, have the system figure out the points on any non ww recipes, add them to my point tracker for the week and print my shopping list form there. It takes a bit of time to put the recipes but once they are in you are set. I do most of my prep for the weeks meals as soon as get home form shopping.

It is hard when you have a lot going on but I find planning ahead helps me. I also had to go through my pantry and get rid of things that would make easy to slip back into old eating habits. It is more of a challenge eating out but again planning ahead helps her also If you know what places you normally go take the time to figure out the points for a few menu items so you know before you go what you can order. The WW website has a long list of national restaurants as well as just commonly order food items for sushi to buffalo wings that can help keep you on track. On so far I have found find other on line and in my life how are trying to change eating habits and live healtier has helped me stay focused. I have tried going it alone and it is much harder. Just keep going, we all have days when the call of the ice cream truck is more then we can resist.:p

greysangel

03-08-2007, 09:05 AM

Hi Everyone:

I haven't posted in a long time because there's no real news and it's a little depressing (or good depending which way you look at it) to report the same thing. I am still hovering around 200...jumping between 201 and 203. I am wearing a size 14 misses (I'm 5'3") with the exception of jeans that are still a 16. While I haven't lost anything, I'm in a great mental place. My body likes it here, I feel I look good and I'm not busting my back to maintain here. I could do some extreme diet to try to break onederland, but I'm just not in the mood right now and wonder if I would have to keep that intensity to maintain any lower than where I am. I love love love boxing...it's a huge confidence builder and I am getting a nice amount of definition which helps clothes look better. So in short while I would love to lose a little more and have that glorious size 12, I'm not willing to change my lifestyle at this point to try for it.

j

alinnell

03-08-2007, 11:33 AM

Good morning. I'm kind of a newbie to the CL board, but not a newbie to boards or to dieting.

Quick intro: I'm a calorie counter who prefers low fat and unprocessed foods. I lost about 30 pounds last year and am hoping to shed another 10 this year. I'm not having a lot of luck in that department, though. I was 3 pounds from goal at Thanksgiving and I gained 8 pound between then and Christmas. January was terrible. I tried and tried (got a lot of exercise in!) but didn't budge a pound. I believe I was craving hot, creamy, cheesy foods. So, I got out my CL cookbook and during the month of February, started making some fabulous CL recipes and finally the scale began to budge!

I've entered into an Easter Challenge on the diet board I belong to and hope to drop 6 pounds by Easter. I have plenty of time! From there, I'll have just 3 or 4 to goal.

I did want to share one thing. Joining the diet board helped a whole lot. The members there are so supportive! I found so much helpful information, too. One book that I bought that was really helpful to me was the SuperFoods Rx. It isn't really a diet book, but several of us made a game of eating only superfoods each day. The goal is to eat 10 different ones each day. Not an easy accomplishment! But, even though we were eating, we were eating very healthy whole foods and the weight came off. I had found the other board when I found myself on a diet plateau.

Good luck to everyone!

JackieO

03-08-2007, 11:45 AM

Wow! The month isn't even into double digits yet and we're already on the second page of this thread!

Here's the recipe for 1-pt bran muffins. Super easy, and they freeze well. Oh, and I use blackstrap molasses, but the regular stuff is good, too.

Bran Muffins
2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup Quaker Oats Uncooked Unprocessed Bran
2 Tbsp honey
1 1/4 tsp baking soda
2 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg white(s)
1/2 cup molasses
Instructions

Combine the flour, bran and baking soda; whisk to blend.

Pour buttermilk into a 4-cup measuring glass, add honey, egg white and molasses. Stir to blend.

Add buttermilk mixture to flour/bran mixture and stir just until moistened.

Spray two 12-cup muffin tins with cooking spray; fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. Bake at 350 for 20-25 mins.

DiP

03-08-2007, 02:08 PM

Weigh-in was last night and I was down -1.6 pounds. Very happy with that!

I agree with a low point breakfast and lunch strategy, it's when i get home that I tend to "eat up" my points.

Today I grabbed a slimfast bar at Quick Trip and for lunch I had grilled asparagus spears, hummus and a low calorie wrap. For snacks, a fruit cup and an orange.

Di

Couperine

03-08-2007, 02:46 PM

Kelly, I have Rice Krispies pretty much every morning - I know they are rather on the fluff side nutritionally, but the 1 1/4 cup serving size makes me happy.

Helios7, it sounds like you are having a rough time. I guess the option of a "clean slate" doesn't motivate past a certain point. Since you sound a bit overwhelmed by trying to do the perfect diet as well as keep up with a perfect house, might I suggest that you pick one aspect of these things to focus on for a while? If having poorly thought out meals kills you, pick that to work on, and let yourself be ok with a messy house and no work-outs for a while. To my thinking, having true success with just one goal you are striving to achieve is better than continually missing the mark on all of them.

JeAnne - I'm glad you posted - I love seeing your updates on boxing and what it is doing for your confidence. It's pretty cool that you are obviously building muscle while maintaining your weight - perhaps you will find a nice bonus that your additional muscle eventually helps you burn more calories and the scale will move again for you. You've had such a tremendous journey - you sound happy with where you are, and that's great to hear. As an aside, it's pretty awesome that you are a dress 14 at your weight - I was a dress 14 at 160 (10 years ago), so numbers like yours give me hope. :)

Welcome Alinnell! What diet board do you frequent regularly? Quite a few of us on this thread do WW online, and we've had a hard time finding a comfortable WW forum. If you have a nice regular posting group there or elsewhere that you like, I'd love to check it out. Your superfoods challenge sounds fun to me - anything to spice up weight-loss!

JackieO - thanks for posting the bran muffin; I know that since you are posting it that you think it's good, but what kind of texture and loft are you looking at? The last bran muffins I made, we all called them "bran bricks" because they didn't rise at all. I know the regular forum bakers tend to sub whole wheat pastry flour for AP flour in recipes because it tends to give a lighter result than WW flour - I just don't want to make 2 dozen more bran bricks because I play with a recipe that was perfect in its original form. I also ran it through Mastercook wondering how many rehydrated raisins and chopped nuts I could add to it to make 2 pt muffins. :o I cannot leave recipes alone!

High-five on that weigh-in Di! And I'll take those grilled asparagus too - yum.

Well enough typing for now - one benefit to typing these long posts is that I'm not near the kitchen. :D

alinnell

03-08-2007, 02:51 PM

Welcome Alinnell! What diet board do you frequent regularly? Quite a few of us on this thread do WW online, and we've had a hard time finding a comfortable WW forum. If you have a nice regular posting group there or elsewhere that you like, I'd love to check it out. Your superfoods challenge sounds fun to me - anything to spice up weight-loss!

Thanks for the welcome. The other board is called Three Fat Chicks on a diet. There is a whole section there for WW as well as lots of other support sections.

JackieO

03-08-2007, 03:20 PM

JackieO - thanks for posting the bran muffin; I know that since you are posting it that you think it's good, but what kind of texture and loft are you looking at? The last bran muffins I made, we all called them "bran bricks" because they didn't rise at all. I know the regular forum bakers tend to sub whole wheat pastry flour for AP flour in recipes because it tends to give a lighter result than WW flour - I just don't want to make 2 dozen more bran bricks because I play with a recipe that was perfect in its original form. I also ran it through Mastercook wondering how many rehydrated raisins and chopped nuts I could add to it to make 2 pt muffins. :o I cannot leave recipes alone!

I think these muffins are surprisingly "light" -- they are rather moist, but not very dense. A former landlady gave me this recipe about 30 years ago! Yikes, I'm old! But that was way before my tweaking days, so this recipe is in its original state. (Gladys, the landlady, also gave me a recipe titled "health-nut quick bread" -- I remember that being particularly good toasted. I'll have to see if I can find that recipe, too.)

If you don't mind a 3-pt muffin, you can split one of these in half and spread each cut side with a half-Tbsp of peanut butter. YUM.

JackieO

03-09-2007, 09:28 AM

(Gladys, the landlady, also gave me a recipe titled "health-nut quick bread" -- I remember that being particularly good toasted. I'll have to see if I can find that recipe, too.)

Is talking to yourself allowed when the boards are slow? :eek: :confused:

I found that "health nut" recipe and ran it through the WW recipe builder -- 4 pts. a slice :mad: I had forgotten the recipe calls for 3/4 C. of light corn syrup.

Good news on the weigh-in front: I was down 2 lbs. this week! That's my second-best week! On Wednesday, I felt like I was having a good week. The slacks I was wearing felt very loose. Yesterday, I was wearing a pair of khakis that didn't feel nearly as big as I thought they should, so I was prepared for another "two sticks of butter" week. Instead, I had an EIGHT sticks of butter week! :p

Unfortunately, I came home and celebrated with an Italian chicken sausage in a deli roll with Provolone. (It was a wheat roll and the cheese was reduced fat!)

Kelly23

03-09-2007, 10:37 AM

Congrats Jackie and Di on the weight loss this week and thanks for posting the muffin recipe Jackie- I will definitely have to try this.

Well, my week has not been as successful. I am up 0.5 lb today at 138.5. For about a month now I have been stuck at the 138-139 lb range and I am getting a little frustrated. At the same time though, I know it is my fault as I haven't been eating as well and working out as much as I was previously. I think I have hit a slump and need to re-motivate myself. I am trying to remember my goal is to be 130 by May 18th when I leave for Hawaii. I think I will up my running/walking on the treadmill as I only have been doing 1/2hr when I go. And I just found out that my Y is going to offer Pilates classes more than just once a week so hopefully I can get myself going more often. I am going to go hiking tomorrow so that will give me at least a little exercise this weekend.

I hope everyone has a great weekend and remember to drink lots if water ;)

LeaBill8

03-09-2007, 12:05 PM

Hello, everyone. My name is Lea and I am new to this board as well as to Weight Watchers. Having played diet yo-yo all my life, I am trying Weight Watchers Online and I'm hoping this is the ticket for me. I'm tired of the fat and skinny wardrobes(no room left in my closet), and all the health problems that come with being overweight (not get any younger, either!)

Today was my first weigh-in and I lost eight pounds. Now I KNOW that most of that was water weight and I am not going to keep up that kind of weight loss each week (although I wish!), so I thought I could get some encouragement from hanging out on these boards. I work from home (catering), so I don't get a whole lot of interaction and I'm the type who needs constant reinforcement to stay OP. (Being around food all the time certainly doesn't help!) I would like to go to WW meetings, but something always seems to get in the way.

I haven't started to include any exercise in my day yet (unless pointing and clicking counts as exercise!), but I did just order three workout dvds that I hope to use, and I'm going to start working out as soon as the weather gets warmer. I wanted to join an exercise class, but I hate that feeling of being the only fat woman in a group of nubile young girls! So I've told myself that I will use my dvds and walk until I hit my 10% goal and then I'll look for a class.

I love CL! I've tried to form supper clubs in my area, but I can never find any else who is interested. But I find that the recipes track really well into WW and they taste so yummy! I am also finding the WW cook books to be another terrific resource. I've even started using recipes from CL and WW in my catering business and am thinking of starting a service for those of us who are forever dieting!

I hope everyone has a good day!

Lea

Kelly23

03-09-2007, 01:35 PM

Hi Lea and welcome! Congrats on your first weigh in!
I am also one who works from home (when I am not traveling) and I understand the temptations that come with it. These boards are great- you'll find lots of great recipes and encouragement.

Couperine

03-09-2007, 02:06 PM

JackieO - I hit the store looking for unprocessed bran; is the Quaker version you call for the same as unprocessed wheat bran from Bob's Red Mill that looks like little itty bitty flakes? If so, I'm ready to give these babies a go tomorrow morning! Grats on that nice weigh-in as well.

Kelly - I hope you have a great hike this weekend; your reminder about the water was a good thing - I've been grabbing diet 7up instead of water, and you made me take the extra 2 seconds to pour a glass of water from the icemaker! I've been hanging out in the same 10lbs since January - I think I finally am in the bottom half of it for good, but man I know how hard it can be. I too am trying to get that exercise in again - maybe I can convince my hubby that Hawaii is a excellent goal reward. :)

Howdy and welcome Lea! I'm on WW online as well since meetings just don't fit in my schedule. I enjoy WW online, and I do love how you can work the CL recipes into your WW plan. That 8 lbs lost sure sounds fabulous!

I know how you feel about classes - I enjoyed trying both Pilates and yoga at the health club I used to belong to, but I always was behind the class because I had to work with so much more body than most of the other women had. I actually really loved the water aerobics classes I took as well, and if I went to the gym again, I'd do that - water helps so much with that extra weight. Currently, since I'm a SAHM with a toddler, I walk with my baby and dog, and I've been working on riding my bike with a trailer to the park. I am trying hard to live a better lifestyle example so that when he's older, it's natural to exercise as a family. Of course I hear that Queen song "Fat-bottomed Girls" in my head as I ride! :) Catering sounds like a hard occupation while dieting - I'd be tempted all the time!

On the WW boards, pretty much everyone has a signature that shows their weight, where they are, and their goal. I'm definitely not putting it in my sig for here, but to keep me honest and remind me that I really do have a long term goal to accomplish, I'll finish with my stats. I certainly need this reminder that I'm not done yet! :D

Me: 254/214/140

JenniferJJ

03-09-2007, 02:56 PM

Hi

I don't have time to reply to everyone, but just wanted to make about a comment about exercise:

Someone in my meeting a few weeks ago made the comment that we should just think of it like brushing your teeth - something you just need to do every day for 30 minutes. I must admit that I didn't make that part of my day for a while due to reasons in my previous post, but it's in the low 40s today and should be in the 50s this weekend, so I should be better.

Tomorrow is my WI and then I have some days where I will have total control of what I eat (not eating with others), so I have some great WW recipes picked out and feel great about it.

Something I did the other day was to make a list on Word of all the WW recipes I've made in the last six months and what cookbook the recipe is in. I'm sure that most of the cooks on this board have done this, but I really don't consider myself an experienced cook. The frustration it took at having to find a recipe just led to more bad choices.

Deb67

03-09-2007, 07:50 PM

I didnt WI this week because I had a bad food week. I didnt stay OP all week. Today I have done well and had a great 4 mile walk in our 80+ degree weather. (I walked in the morning so it was perfect temp) This is going to be a better week! I promise myself. I am postiing this so that I will be accountable. Now it's in writing.

JackieO

03-09-2007, 08:25 PM

Elbows

03-10-2007, 09:11 AM

Well, I think I'll join in, too! :cool:

I used to pop in on some of the WW threads here a couple of years ago, but some weight has crept on since around Christmas time (gee, wonder how that happened?) I figure it's cheaper to lose those pounds now than buy new clothes for spring, although I'm sure I'll do that anyway! I did get an awful lot of cute things last spring which are still in style enough to wear again. Time to shed the winter coat :p

So, I'm a WW lifetimer (Oct? 2005) and rejoined WW online almost 3 weeks ago, and am already down 3.8 lbs! I weigh in on Mondays, but have been sneaking peeks all week, and am anticipating another loss. Last night was incredibly lazy for me. I was planning to make a nice pizza with lots of veggies and a whole wheat crust, salad on the side... instead told DF when I slogged home (late) from work last night that I just want someone to bring me pizza. Overdid it... blech... hopefully I will remember that uncomfortable, overstuffed feeling the next time I get the urge to overindulge. I mean it too. 41 point day! That's over twice my allotment! But, I did have enough WPA to compensate.

Oh yes, my favourite low point cereal is All-Bran Guardian. Maple brown-sugar flavoured and only 2 points per cup!

Go losers!

Couperine

03-10-2007, 10:59 AM

Welcome Elbows!

That winter coat can hide a host of bad things! :) Congratulations on your losses thus far - I am going to a kids birthday party today where they're having pizza and cake. The cake will be easy for me since I know it's a store-bought cake, and the stores around here all use this fluffy pseudo-cool whip thing that I don't care for. The pizza sounds yummy, but I better enjoy all 4 bites of that 6 point piece of pizza!

I'll check in again Monday, hopefullly with a positive result from my WI!

Couperine

03-12-2007, 07:32 AM

I've been sick as can be ever since the birthday party I went to on Saturday, so it was no surprise that when I popped on the scale this morning, I was down 6 lbs. I've been trying to drink and eat whenever I can, but I'm sure it's all been water weight. I'm having a hard time even thinking of eating this morning, but I know I have to try.

I hope everyone else had a MUCH better weekend!

LeaBill8

03-12-2007, 07:51 AM

Thanks to everyone for their warm welcomes.

Got thru the weekend staying OP, which is always an accomplishment. If I binge at all, it's on the weekends, probably because that's when I have most of my jobs and I can't get into any kind of a routine. Always picking at this or that as I'm cooking!

Didn't get in any exercise, which is kind of depressing. I even had it scheduled in my PDA on both days and I ignored the annoying little reminder ring when it went off. It was actually decent weather here on both Saturday and Sunday, so I really have no excuse, just really wasn't motivated to do it. We're in the process of selling our house (taking FOREVER thanks to the horrible market now) and I spent a lot of time picking up after my four kids because we had people in and out all weekend, and then I get depressed because I LOVE my house but apparently no one else does! Anyway, I've got someone coming this morning, so I'm going to clean up and then drive to the park and walk a mile or two before I pick up my kindergartener from the bus at noon. And I'm writing it here so that I will be accountable so don't let me off the hook!

Nancy - too funny about "Fat-Bottomed Girls" and yes, I understand that because that's just how I feel. I used to love riding my bike when I was a kid, so I've asked for everyone to chip in and get me one for either Mother's Day or my birthday. I've got a great park here about a half hour away that has some really nice biking trails and I'd like to start riding every morning while my daughter is at school.

Your weight loss so far is fantastic and we seem to be in sync with where we started and where we need to end. My starting weight was a little less than you, but my goal weight is only five pounds less. How long has it taken you to get where you are?

I'm going to have to check out the WW boards. I'm really a newbie at these message boards, but I'm finding that I like this one, so I'm hoping that the WW one will be as great!

Jennifer - I like your comment about making exercise a thing you do like brushing your teeth! I think the hardest part comes in getting exercise into the routine. I don't know about you, but when my schedule is packed, exercise is generally the first thing to go. And being a WAHM with four kids, my schedule is always packed! But I'm going to work really hard to get it into my routine because I would NEVER not brush my teeth, so I should NEVER not exercise!

I totally understand about getting off plan when you don't have your meals planned out. We were so busy on Saturday, that I didn't have any idea what we were doing for dinner and we had had pizza out for lunch, and NOTHING looked good at the store! So I wound up letting the kids do frozen dinners and I had a Lean Pocket. OP, but 6 points and totally not worth it! So just like with brushing my teeth and now exercising, I'm trying to get into the habit of getting the evening meal menu ready first thing in the morning. This way, I can run to the store while I'm out exercising and then I won't have to eat a Lean Pocket!

JackieO - don't know where you're from, but I would take 80 degree days! We've just come out of a very bad cold spell and it was supposed to be nice this weekend, but it didnt really get above 40. I've got cabin fever from having to stay in doors so much and can't wait until we move! We're heading to Arizona and I'm so excited to be in a place where I never have to worry about finding hats and mittens again!

Elbows - welcome! I try not to get on that scale except for WI and I've been successful so far. I used to get on daily, but it was much too hard on me, with the fluctuations for every little thing. I did read somewhere, though, that people who got on the scale every day were more likely to be thinner, maybe because they would freak when they saw the fluctuations and work out more or eat less. I don't know the reasons. But I saw those fluctuations, freaked, got discouraged and ATE. So the weekly WI is just fine for me.

I know what you mean about that overstuffed feeling. I used to feel like that all the time, just eating to eat or to compensate for something else. Now this is only my second week on WW, but I'm really feeling good and hope that you are too!

I just read in Prevention magazine about a water bottle that is interactive and lets you know when you aren't drinking enough. Has anyone heard of this and does it work?? The whole water thing is a big issue for me. I can barely remember to drink one glass, much less six, and I'm trying to figure out ways to get in all the water that I need. Anyone have any suggestions?

Again, thanks to everyone for the warm welcome! I hope you all have a great day and stay OP!

Lea

Phoenixcooking

03-12-2007, 08:43 AM

Good Morning Everyone,

I am very proud of my this morning had a good weekend, walked to the grocery store and had DH pick me up instead of driving the 2 miles on Saturday and went hiking on Sunday for about an hour and half ( more like a nice walk uphill )but a nice bit of activity for me and I stayed OP so I will see how weigh in goes tomorrow.

Kelly23

03-12-2007, 02:33 PM

Hey Lea- where in Arizona are you moving to? I live in Tucson. I do love it here but get a little tired of the heat in the summer.

Couperine- I hope you are feeling better this week.

Well, I am sitting in the airport, waiting for a later flight because my flight has been cancelled. I am going to try to buy my lunches this week at a grocery store so that will be one less meal I will be eating out every day. I hope this helps get me out of my slump.

Have a good week everyone

SusanPC

03-14-2007, 10:03 AM

Hi ladies. I haven't posted in a bit because I have been distracted by my IVF cycle and work travel. I haven't lost any more weight but I believe I have held my 6lbs loss. No alcohol and only a tiny bit of caffeine so going overboard is less fun w/o the wine :D

I keep checking in here though and will post if I have any progress. So far, just focusing on eating healthy, etc. But, not really counting points or anything. Also, I am not supposed to exercise....like I needed that excuse :rolleyes:

Anyways, keep up the good work, ladies!

Phoenixcooking

03-14-2007, 12:55 PM

Hi everyone,

Hope your week is going well. Had my weigh in and I am down 3 pounds.

Jennifer- I never really thought about exercise quite that way before but I like the analogy Just like brushing your teeth something you just do everyday without thinking about it.

Does anyone use a pedometer and keep track of their steps. They are starting a 10,000 step club at my office and wonder if any of you have ever counted steps and if you found it motivating?

Couperine

03-14-2007, 01:33 PM

It's been a less-than spectacular week for me. After me being sick this weekend, my toddler got sick yesterday, and he is still a little dehydrated today. My DH has been cooking but without regard for WW, which is fine with me because I'm still a little queasy about food anyway. Tonight I still have to make really mild stuff, and since I don't intend to make different food for everyone, it's definitely another off-plan night.

I took a look at the pics from the birthday party this weekend, and it really got me thinking about your mental image of yourself versus what you actually look like. I was truly surprised by how much smaller I looked in these pics than I feel; I feel linebacker wide through the upper body, yet in the pictures I looked smaller than the lanky men I was next to, and I looked more like the other women than I expected.

How long does it take for your mental image of yourself to merge with what your body really is? I still look at shirts and pick them to fit my larger size, and mentally push myself to try on a shirt that is supposed to fit me and usually does. I lost weight in my 20's at college, and I never reconciled my outer body size with my inner size. I'm sure it's an issue others have faced as you approach your goal, and I'm just curious. :)

Phoenixcooking - Congrats on your WI! I got a pedometer for Christmas - I found it really motivating until I figured out how many steps I was going for pretty much any combination of walking throughout the day. I like to slip it in my pocket when I'm doing a different activity, but since I have a fairly regular routine, I didn't need it there on a daily basis. The biggest reminder it gave me was to walk faster so that I could work in more aerobic walking steps per day.

SusanPC - I'm glad you checked in - I hope you are staying sane with the IVF regimen. It's hard, and your IVF regimen is more important than WW at present. Let us know how you're doing -- I'm sending you good vibes.

Kelly23 - I'm glad you mentioned picking up lunches from grocery stores while travelling - we're taking a trip in a couple of weeks, and that should help us out. I chose a hotel with a small kitchen, so I'm hoping we can keep things sane for breakfast and lunch.

LeaBill8 - I started WW in the middle of October 2006. I lost regularly until Christmas, and finally within the last few weeks things are moving downwards again. My final weight could be lower (and technically should be), but I could live with the idea of 140. Perhaps as I get closer my mindset will be different about the goal weight. :)

Enough of my epic - time to try and slog back more water since I think I'm still dehydrated.

scout1222

03-14-2007, 02:23 PM

How long does it take for your mental image of yourself to merge with what your body really is? I still look at shirts and pick them to fit my larger size, and mentally push myself to try on a shirt that is supposed to fit me and usually does. I lost weight in my 20's at college, and I never reconciled my outer body size with my inner size. I'm sure it's an issue others have faced as you approach your goal, and I'm just curious. :)

I have been at my weight goal for 9 and a half years, and I still gravitate towards the large t-shirts when I know full well a medium will fit me. I still think of myself as "the fat girl" even though I haven't been for a very long time. Maybe because it would be so easy for me to fall back into that old lifestyle - I feel like I'm one shred of willpower away from being the fat gal I used to be, you know? I also have horrible self-esteem when it comes to looks, so I'm sure that doesn't help.

Phoenixcooking

03-14-2007, 04:51 PM

Nancy,

Thanks for the pedometer advice I think I will get on, remind me to park a bit further form the building and things like that.

You mentioned going on vacation and having a small kitchen in your room. I don't know if you toodler will be travailing with you but when DD was young we would try to fix a big breakfast in our hotel pack snacks to get her through the morning and eat a late lunch in a restaurant, in many places lunch prices are about half the cost of dinner at the same restaurant and then make dinner in our room since she would be ready for bed and not in the mood for table manners at 7 or 8 when we wanted dinner.

JackieO

03-14-2007, 08:30 PM

For all you gurus about points/quantities....two questions for you.

Last week, I used the WW on-line recipe builder to calculate the points value for a warm black-bean salsa. When I finished entering the recipe, it came out to 2 pts per serving. I reviewed the recipe, saw that I forgot to add a can of tomatoes, and when I did, it calculated the serving as 3 pts. :confused: Aren't tomatoes "free food?" Is it because the quantity/volume of the serving size went up? And does that mean there is no such thing as unlimited quantities of supposedly point-free food? (I know we've had a similar discussion about counting veggie points/no points, but guess I didn't grasp the concept entirely.)

Second question, along the same lines. I made myself a HUGE salad tonight: I filled a dinner plate with romaine and boston lettuce, added a little raddichio, some fennel, some parsley, four steamed asparagus spears, some red pepper and carrots. Topped it with a 2-pt pouch of pink salmon; a r-e-a-l-l-y thin slice of bleu cheese, crumbled; and dressed it with 1 tsp. of olive oil and some white balsamic vinegar. So....given that the veggies are pointless, I only counted the salmon (2 pts), oil (1 pt) and bleu cheese (1 pt -- it wasn't anywhere near an ounce of cheese, but since it has fat, I counted it). Does that sound reasonable? BTW, it took me 20 minutes to eat it, and it was delicious. :D

krhm

03-15-2007, 11:06 AM

JackieO

03-15-2007, 07:13 PM

JackieO, I've had that happen too, and there is a great deal of discrepancy between the "free" food list and the point values of recipes. I calculate the values for both, once using the nutrition information and once just calculating the point value for each ingredient, then I split the difference.

In general, if you are having a lot of low-point meals like your salad, you might be in trouble. But if you just do it every now and then, I think it's okay. Technically, that's how the plan works!

I remember years ago before the fiber cap was on the points, people would eat these very popular breakfast cookies that had tons of fiber and so were considered something like 1-2 points. But they'd eat several a day, then complain that they hadn't lost any weight!

Kari

This topic came up in our meeting a few weeks ago...our leader re-emphasized the "cap" at 4 grams of fiber and explained the history of it. I was able to chime in because I was a WW member in the early days of Flex and members were gorging on the high-fiber rolls, cookies and muffins from a local bakery, drinking scads of water and actually gaining weight! :eek: It didn't take too long for WW to figure out that fiber cap.

Most of my meals are not ultra-low point or that full of "no-point" veggies. It makes sense that volume has to figure into the intake to a certain extent; it's not just about calories/fat/fiber.

That being said, I had a horrible day today at work and with my volunteer project(s), I missed my yoga class because of a vendor's incompetence, and I grazed my way through the pantry while fixing dinner. I may just use my "get out of jail free" card and skip my weigh in tomorrow. I'm just hoping I don't erase last week's progress! :o

JackieO

03-17-2007, 08:18 AM

I may just use my "get out of jail free" card and skip my weigh in tomorrow. I'm just hoping I don't erase last week's progress! :o

Here I am, talking to myself again. :o I sucked it up and weighed in yesterday, and of course, I was up 1 lb. Oh well, I know where I derailed myself last week (eat restaurant food first, THEN look up the points -- 13-pt Caesar salad, anyone?), slacker approach to exercise, grazing through pantry before dinner. Not good.

Here's to a better week!

Angelina

03-17-2007, 04:41 PM

This topic came up in our meeting a few weeks ago...our leader re-emphasized the "cap" at 4 grams of fiber and explained the history of it. I was able to chime in because I was a WW member in the early days of Flex and members were gorging on the high-fiber rolls, cookies and muffins from a local bakery, drinking scads of water and actually gaining weight! :eek: It didn't take too long for WW to figure out that fiber cap.

What is this 4 grams of fiber cap about? I never heard of it!! Sure, I don't do points, but most people at the meetings do and our leader has never talked about it. :confused:

Angela

JackieO

03-17-2007, 07:22 PM

What is this 4 grams of fiber cap about? I never heard of it!! Sure, I don't do points, but most people at the meetings do and our leader has never talked about it. :confused:

Angela
I joined WW for the first time in Sept. 1998 to lose about 15 lbs. for my class reunion in summer 1999. It was shortly after the flex plan was introduced, and the original points finder had at least eight if not more fiber grams listed on the left side. Consequently, really high-fiber foods/recipes gave points calculations that were not realistic -- 0 or 1 pt for an entire whole-grain foot-long bun, 1 or 2 points for a high-fiber cookie or muffin. There were people who were loading up on that kind of stuff, in addition to other foods and still keeping within the daily points range (which at the time was more generous than it is now but didn't include those weekly points), and not losing, and in some cases, actually gaining weight.

It didn't take long for the nutritionists to figure out that people were loading up on high-fiber foods, drinking copious amounts of water and not losing weight. So the second iteration of the plan made tweaks to how you count high-fiber foods (i.e., there's no such thing as a free slice of bread.) I fell off the WW wagon for a number of years, re-joined in January, and the current points finder stops at 4 grams of fiber. Doesn't matter if your serving has eight grams of fiber, you can only count four.

I'm not a math genius, but this is also related to how one serving of an item can be one point, but two servings can be three. You have to re-calculate the total number of calories, fat grams and fiber grams if you have two servings; you can't just multiply the 1-pt value by 2 and come up with two. If that makes any sense. :confused: I know we have a couple WW employees on the thread who can explain it better than I can. And as someone else pointed out, you can get conflicting results from different WW sources -- the PointsFinder, the Web tools, etc. For instance, my Week 10 (or was it Week 9) booklet on activity points says I can earn 2 points by doing 20 minutes on the elliptical trainer at the gym, and when I enter 30 minutes on the e-tools, I only earn 1 point.

My take on all of this is: WW <is> based on a scientifically and nutritionally based program, but it's all relative. On any given day, one's body is not going to respond "scientifically!" Hormones, stress, hidden salt, exercise intensity (now THERE'S a subjective measure if I ever saw one!), will all affect how the body metabolizes and determine what number shows up on the scale.

Look at trends, not the immediate number.

Judge how comfortable you are in your clothes. Take your measurements.

Assess how you feel (one thing I will say since re-joining in January and pretty much cutting out refined carbs: I feel a LOT better and more energetic.) My family is eating better and DH is losing weight, too.

Sorry...I'll get off my soap box now.

Just needed a little reinforcement since I only ate a smidge of corned beef tonight, while consuming a lot of cabbage and carrots, and I indulged in some parsley-buttered baby red potatoes.

SPEAKING OF WHICH.....in terms of WW schizophrenia. On e-tools, I looked up "corned beef" tonight.

The results: 1 oz. of corned beef brisket is 1 pt.

A few rows down 3 oz. of <cooked> corned beef brisket is 6 pts. :confused:

Angelina

03-17-2007, 09:57 PM

I understand now. I am glad they fixed that mistake! My Mom enjoys her Fiber One every day, and it has no points, so that works out good for her.

Me, I'm doing Core so I don't have to worry about points...Fiber? Ha! Bring it on!! ;)

Angela

Molli526

03-18-2007, 09:13 AM

I agree about over-doing it with the fiber. I have been eating some things like Vita tops and Lightfull smoothies that are 90-100 cal, but have so much fiber that they count only 1 point. Great point bargain, but does catch up with you at the scale. I was even counting the PB Fiber One bars as 2, but they are really 3. After reading your post Jackie, I am back to counting them as 3. The only person who loses is me.

I also tend to over-do the salad/veggies thing if I have over eaten my points earlier in the day. I need to account for them after a certain amount.

I have also gotten back into doing some exercise this week. I was making a lot of excuses. Again, I am the only person who loses on that one. So, I have gotten in 3 good days of exercise so far this week. My week starts on Tuesday as that is my weigh-in day.

I weigh in every other Tuesday, as I am lifetime and pay as I go, and it works for me to weigh in every other week - weight wise and financially :)

Phoenixcooking

03-18-2007, 09:29 AM

Thanks so much for all the explanations about fiber you may have saved me form big meal planning mistakes. DH who does not have weight problem was just told his cholesterol is to high and we have to change he diet more grains, fiber fruits and veg less meat. So I was thing how much easier this would make shopping and meal time prep for me, but now I will have now I know even the so called free stuff can still get you in trouble if you don't keep an eye on the amounts. which of course makes perfect sense but when see it in black and white and get the benefit of a lesson learned form others it makes it easier to understand. I really find this site and thread helps me stay on track thank you all for your willingness to share

Donna

JenniferJJ

03-18-2007, 12:52 PM

I find the "how many points to count when fiber is involved" game frustrating, too. For instance, 1/4 C of a granola cereal that I put in my yogurt is 3 point, while 1/2 C is only 5. The way my body reacts, the difference of the 1 - 2 points in cases like this has never been an issue.

I also have a hard time with the way that activity points are counted on the slider. I just go by my own judge: I know that when I exercise 30 - 60 minutes a day, I lose more.

Anyway, I made my lifetime last week, so know I don't need to WI until April 30. As I said before, it was a fake goal. My real goal is 4 pounds lower. My intention was to just relax and maintain until April 1 and then work at the last 4 pounds. I would be find if there were 2 - 3 added to that. Anyway, I find that I am going back to my old ways and cannot wait 'til April 1 to get into gear. I woke up to a completely flat tire Friday and drowned my sorrows into ice cream - somehow didn't gain???? Then still decided to hit the ice cream yesterday. Okay, so today I was up 1 - THAT makes sense. So even though it's out of the way during the week, I intend to go the gym today and really work out on the treadmill.

Speaking of exercise, part of my April 1 reason was that I know I need exercise to really lose weight. Exercise had been really hard for me lately for several reasons. Gym is out of the way. I'm tired of bundling up in this weather and I'm tired of mall-walking. It should be in the 60s Thursday and I will have time.

Anyway, inspired by the fast-food thread on the other stuff board, I decided to only eat fast-food once/month. I guess I should qualify, that's solo trips. If I am with other people, then I'll go along. But too many times, I just crave it or it's out of convenience.

Molli526

03-18-2007, 05:44 PM

I think Activity Points are the easiest to count when you use a Heart Rate Monitor (HRM). You wear a band across your chest, under your shirt, which sends a signal to a watch. The watch is programmed with your height, weight and age. At the end of your workout, you get a readout of how many calories you burned. 100 calories = 1 AP. There is no guessing this way. Worth every penny.

JackieO

03-18-2007, 07:43 PM

Speaking of exercise, part of my April 1 reason was that I know I need exercise to really lose weight. Exercise had been really hard for me lately for several reasons. Gym is out of the way. I'm tired of bundling up in this weather and I'm tired of mall-walking. It should be in the 60s Thursday and I will have time.

Speak to me, sister! I am SO tired of going to the gym. I'm sick of watching the same group of old, fit men sauntering around the weight room. I am SO sick of the flat-footed heavies pouding their weight on the treadmill. I am SO tired of the teeny-boppers doing their giggly, look-at-my-Ambercrombie-clad skinny butt dancing on the track. And have I mentioned the barrel-chested peacocks parading around the weight room, talking about their social lives while thudding the weights to the floor on their last reps? ENOUGH!!!

I ran outdoors last Tuesday (rough -- first warm day in a while but windy) and Friday (not quite as rough -- not as warm but I was tired) and today (better). My route, which I measured in the car today, is 3.2 miles -- just a tad longer than a 5K. I'm going to do the 5K that's part of the Cellcom GB Marathon on May 20 that ends in Lambeau Field. My time may not be great, but I know I'll be able to run the entire course...won't have to stop to walk. Barring injury, of course, but I think I know how to prepare/stretch/train.

Made a big pot of "pointless soup" tonight. Looking forward to eating this week. :(

JenniferJJ

03-18-2007, 10:43 PM

Anyway, inspired by the fast-food thread on the other stuff board, I decided to only eat fast-food once/month. I guess I should qualify, that's solo trips. If I am with other people, then I'll go along. But too many times, I just crave it or it's out of convenience.

I realized I left someone out. Tomorrow (acutally I guess it's today since it's already Monday morning) is my birthday and the resolution is a birthday resolution. And instead of craving fast food, I am trying to think about all the WW watchers recipes I haven't tried yet (or tried and really like) and get excited about THEM. To be honest, I've actually had a lot of fast food in the past months, so actually am a little turned off by it.

I did keep diving into the ice cream today - at some point I just decided to finish it off. So, tomorrow I've got a healthy day planned, with exercise. I'm also a little freaked out by this birthday, healthwise. Next year is 40 and my friend (who's 57) told me that when she was 40, someone told her that's the best she's ever going to look. So now I'm thinking I've got to get all my ducks in a row in the next year so I can decrease the aging for the next 40 or so- not be fat, make sure I have the right moisturizer for my face (don't use one now), maintain bone density and muscle mass (or build), exercise, eat right, keep a good weight, get enough sleep, etc. All good things, but I just hope that I keep everything in perspective and don't have a complex - but I guess a lot of people think that way.

Molli - thanks for the tip about the HRM.

Couperine

03-19-2007, 07:36 AM

Congrats on reaching your lifetime goal, Jennifer! Even though you have more personal goals you are working on, you've achieved a great goal.

My last week was purely hideous in terms of being on WW. I didn't use the points tracker the entire week, partly because the online weirdos only run credit cards once a week and Discover Card fraud prevention is overzealous, and partly because I ate like I'd never heard of WW. After I was sick for two days, my toddler has been sick since last Tuesday, and I hope that yesterday was the last of it. It's been one of the most fatiguing weeks I've ever had taking care of him. We ate whatever the adult with the most energy picked up or thawed out for dinner. The funny part is that this was my best exercise week in a long while; taking my toddler out in his stroller or in my bike trailer was a welcome change of scene as well as keeping his germs to himself.

So to sum it up, I gained two pounds, which isn't that bad since I know I was dehydrated at my last WI and I enjoyed far too many Cheetoes and Peanut M&M's last week. I'm going to actually shop for groceries and meal plan - I'm really looking forward to seeing the inside of a grocery store. I'm also going to pop my pedometer into my shorts on our walk today - we've been doing a huge loop, and I'm interested in seeing how long it is.

alinnell

03-19-2007, 10:17 AM

All this discussion about points and fiber....I guess that's why I am a calorie counter rather than a WW'er. I feel that the source of fiber is important and I concentrate on whole foods rather than anything processed. Although I don't get huge amounts of fiber (I average 15-20 grams per day) the fiber is from good sources and I still count the calories regardless of the amount of fiber. There was a comment that made it sound like if a food is high in fiber it lowers the WW points? I guess that doesn't make sense to me but calories do so I'll stick with that.

Anyway, last weekend was my birthday and I was heavily involved with meetings and celebrations. DH took me out for dinner Friday to a restaurant that we had heard great things about. The atmosphere was wonderful, the service great, the food--less than memorable. I had a coconut encrusted Chilean sea bass and DH had lobster with a petit fillet. Neither had much taste. I doubt we'll go back there anytime. Saturday saw me driving to San Diego for a meeting complete with continental breakfast (I ate a lot of fruit) and a lunch (turkey and avacado on croissants, more fruit, small salad and a brownie). I don't feel like I over did it at all. Dinner was nothing but munchie stuff at the actual birthday bash. We went to a bar with 50 of our closest friends and had a great St. Patrick's celebration. But it was just bar food, fries, chips and salsa, chicken wings and quesadillas. I didn't eat or drink too much because I was rather tired from the 6 hours of driving! Sunday, my in-laws took us out to dinner and this place was much, much better than the restaurant from Friday. I had sea bass again (pecan crusted--very moist and yummy) and FIL had the coconut encrusted sea bass (drier, but very tasty). MIL had the prawns, DH and seared ahi, DD had prime rib and DS had a burger (so big he couldn't get it in his mouth!!). All the food was wonderful and again great service. The staff heard that it was my birthday the day before and they gave me a complimentary "slice" of macadamia nut ice cream cake and they all signed a birthday card for me! We shared the ice cream (it had hot fudge on it). Huge slice but we each got about 5 bites before it was gone. I didn't feel that I had jeopardized my diet at all (especially since I had limited myself at breakfast and lunch that day).

So, all in all......my weight is down 2 pounds from a typical Monday (usually my weight goes up on the weekends). I feel good about that!

Kelly23

03-19-2007, 02:23 PM

Hi all-
I am the same this week at 138.5-stuck in my rut. Last week was a travel week and although I intended to bring lunch every day, I only managed to do it one day. But, this is a new week and I am optimistic. I did a 6mi hike this weekend and increased my treadmill time up to 40min today. I plan on continuing to increase my time throughout the week and hopefully see better results.
Have a good week!

LeaBill8

03-19-2007, 02:49 PM

Been a crazy, crazy week, so I haven't had time to check in, but glad that I'm back now!

Was down 2lbs with my WI on Friday, which made me feel good, because my cycle started and I was sooooo worried that I would be up, cuz I usually retain a ton of water. I stuck to my resolution and I walked twice and did a beginners dance dvd for exercise. I also was able to improve my water intake, I guess because of all the sweating with the workouts!:D Goal this week is to lose another two pounds, increase exercise to four times a week, and water intake to four cups a day.

Kelly23 - We're not sure where we're headed, but definitely either Phoenix or Tuscon as my DH is almost finished with his nursing degree and I want to start a catering business out there, so near the major cities is the goal. Can't wait to put this awful NJ weather behind us!

Phoenixcooking - I would recommend a pedometer. Even tho I JUST started working out, I pulled out my pedometer without even hesitating when I went walking. If for nothing else, its a good sense of accomplishment to at least see how many steps you've taken.

Couperine - having struggled with my weight ALL my life, I understand the bad self image. Even at my skinniest, which was only 10 pounds from goal, I still thought of myself as fat. If we can tap into how to change that, maybe we'll be able to stay thin and healthy!

JackieO - the difference in your recipe when you added the canned tomatoes may have something to do with them being canned. I'm new to WW, but I did notice that when I grabbed some canned pineapple, it had more points than the same serving size of fresh pineapple. Maybe there are points in whatever they use to can the food?

JenniferJJ - congrats on reaching your goal! And as for whoever told you that you will look your best at 40, I'll ask you to look at Christie Brinkley, who I think is in her 50's! I think it's all a matter of how we take care of ourselves, especially diet and exercise.

The DH and I went out for date night on Thursday and I thought I would share that we went to Red Lobster, which has what they call a Lighthouse menu. Now lots of restaurants claim to have "healthy" items on their menus, but I searched online for DAYS before choosing Red Lobster. For 15.5 points, I was able to have 1/2 the jumbo shrimp cocktail, 1 1/4 lb live Maine lobster, 1/2 an order of King Crab legs, 1/2 a baked potato and 1/2 of the steamed broccoli, including the butter dipping sauce (cuz how can you have lobster and crab legs WITHOUT the butter???). Now I had saved my points, eating low point foods during the day, but it was worth it. I stayed OP and didn't have to swap activity points or use bonus points, and I was absolutely STUFFED when we were done. It was well worth the points and even at those points, it was better than any of the other "light" menu items at other restaurants.

Hope everyone is having a good OP day!

Elbows

03-19-2007, 03:04 PM

Time for a check-in here, huh? Well, after being down last week another 1.5 pounds, things just kind of fell apart by about midweek. I was not suprised to see that I was back up a pound for this morning's weigh-in. I logged the new weight and am committing myself back to it! Luckily the eating plan only fell apart for 4 days or so, and I am anticipating that pound to come back off.

I hope everyone has a great week on plan!

Julzer

03-20-2007, 08:26 PM

Checking in to say I fell off the wagon on vacation (gained 3lbs) but am down .7lbs this week (for a total of 7.1 lbs). Not a huge loss but at least the scale is back to moving in the right direction.

On a side note...I am severly lacking in point-counting motivation. I ate 40 points today and I'm still HUNGRY!!!! I need a good kick in the pants! :o I've been working out but not as hard as I had been. Anyone have any words of wisdom? I do WW online only. DH is a great supporter. I struggle when he's working b/c I just tend to eat whatever (some days are hard keeping up with my 2 1/2 yo son so I eat on the run). Thanks!

~Julie

krhm

03-21-2007, 06:08 AM

Julie, I still get that way, especially during certain times of the month. When it happens, I focus more on lean protein and veggies and really try to avoid carbs. And I always try to get in the 8 healthy guidelines, but I find I'm especially hungry when I have skipped the oils.

Now, I am NOT one of those low-carb proponents, and I know everyone's body is different, but when it comes to feeling full, for me, 4 oz of grilled chicken breast with a plate loaded with veggies and a teaspoon of olive oil will keep me feeling much more full. But that's me. I could never feel full on a bowl of oatmeal alone, but if I have it with some egg whites, then it's more lasting.

Years ago, WW had some type of quiz where you could figure out what filled you up more, carbs or protein, and then you ate more of that. Does anyone else remember that?

Kari

scout1222

03-21-2007, 04:00 PM

Yep, I remember that quiz!

Having been involved with WW for so long, I've seen so many little things like that come and go. Sometimes they prove to be really helpful, so it's kind of sad to find those things are now gone.

Julzer

03-22-2007, 06:24 AM

Kari,
Thanks for your response. I was really on top of it but have so much going on right now that of course, I put eating last. I need to get back to daily food planning-that really seemed to help. Now that the weather is warmer I have been craving salads with grilled chicken. Of course yesterday was a really busy day and I had pasta for lunch and dinner! :eek: That didn't help me point-wise (even if it was whole grain pasta). I'm 3-4lbs behind where I wanted to be at this point (2 rounds of flu/viruses really put me out) so I feel like I have to play catch-up.

Thanks again! I KNOW I can do this!!!

Kelly23

03-23-2007, 10:24 AM

Hi everyone!
I am down 1 lb this week putting me back on track and at the lowest I have been since I started! I don't think I have been that good with points this week (we ate dinner out twice) but I have increased my treadmill time and I really think this has helped. I made it to the gym 3x this week and ran/walked for at least 45 minutes. I was doing 30 minutes previously. I am hoping the weather will be nice tomorrow so I can go hiking. Next week is back to traveling, so I hope I can keep this up on the road. Have a good weekend!

Couperine

03-23-2007, 01:12 PM

Just popped by to see how everyone was doing, and I had to send congratulations to Kelly! I know you've been frustrated at hanging out in the same place for a while - I'm glad you hit a new low. :)

Back to packing and cleaning for our vacation - I hate coming home to a messy house.

JackieO

03-23-2007, 03:40 PM

:D Down three lbs today! Wow. My biggest weekly loss yet, but I think it's more likely that my 1 lb. gain LAST week was related to water retention issues. Whatever. I'm down 11 lbs in 12 weeks. Only about four more to go, but I think I might set my goal weight only about two pounds lower. I'll think about that this week.

So, what did I do right? Hmmm....first off, I was the one in charge of my schedule this week -- not my boss, not my family, etc. So I planned meals, stayed within my points and made exercise a priority -- even went to the gym last night when I was dog-tired and had a headache.

Next week will be more of a challenge -- an overnight trip, day-long work meeting at an elegant hotel with a to-die-for restaurant. But I'm savoring the moment today!

Congrats to all the other losers!

FWIW, there was a young lady in my meeting today who lost five pounds this week, and she's been in the program for about six weeks or so. She hadn't seem much movement on the scale prior to this, so our leader asked her what she did differently this week and she said, "I ate all my points." Previously, she hadn't been doing that.

Our meeting topic today was "talk to your stomach" -- our leader did an excellent job of bringing to life and tying together portion control, comfort and good health.

greysangel

03-24-2007, 06:52 PM

thought you guys would be interested in a little update...I'm .6 shy of onederland and I updated some pics. I'm officially back to my all time low :D

http://www.greysangel.com/wwjeanne/shrinking.jpg

applecrisp

03-24-2007, 07:03 PM

Greysangel --

All I can say is you look great! What an incredible accomplishment --- your hard work .... what a payoff.

I always enjoy reading your posts, I think you are a great writer. But in this case, a picture is worth a thousand words. Great work!

Hope everyone is doing well. After buttoning my jeans this morning (hmm, they really should be looser).... got motivated to get back on the making good food choice wagon. I am writing up my meal plan for this week -- works better when I have a plan. And, grilled a bunch of chicken for the next few days. I shoud just really buckle down and do it... I know I will feel (and my clothes would appreciate it :rolleyes: ) if I just lose some weight. I know seeing some movement down on the scale, will be a good motivator.

Hope everyone is doing well.

sarahnef

03-26-2007, 07:21 PM

I am at a goal weight of 126. I have been this weight now for over a year. the answer to perminent weight loss isssssssssssssss............commit yourself to you reach your goal... no questions asked//////////just dedicate yorself to it and do it....

1. your can not use any flex points at allllll.
2. you have to resort back to old weightwatchers point range
example 150 pounds and less your point range is 18-22. you eat everyday at 18 points you then bank two points from each day during the week....... you do not exceed 1o banked points.... those then become your weekend flex points if you need them. this is a guarenteed weight loss strategie..... it works...
3. make sure you work out at least four days a week... the weight will melt of...

the answer to staying thin after you reach your goal is ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

do weight watcher points all week long and eat what ever you want on the weekends.................... i have lost 35 pounds and have kept it off. and weigh youself often to ensure your maintnaince

good luck girls it might sound strick but its not. i ate pizza all through the weight loss process..i have a sweet toooth and i suck on tootsie roll pops all night. i allow 2 of them per day............

Kelly23

03-26-2007, 08:48 PM

Thanks greysangel for sharing your picture with us! You look great- congrats on your loss!

applecrisp- I hope this week works out better for you. The nice thing for me about warmer weather is enjoying the grilled chicken and salads.

Have a good week everyone!

krhm

03-27-2007, 09:26 AM

JackieO

03-27-2007, 07:48 PM

Jeanne, what an awesome picture! You look fit and ready to kick some major butt if you wanted to. I took my measurements but never did photos, and what a great non-scale victory to have the image staring right there at you!

Kari
I so agree! JeAnne has been an inspiration to MANY people on this BB. While we are all fixated to varying degrees on that silly number on the scale, JeAnne has IMHO the best perspective on that -- it's just INFORMATION!! How you look, how you feel (physically and emotionally) is a LOT more important than what the scale reads. And getting back to the information component, knowing your HDL/LDL ratio, triglycerides (sp?), etc., is probably way more important than the reading on the scale.

Perspective.

Robyncz

03-28-2007, 01:45 PM

Hi there,
I used to participate in the WW threads years ago. For a variety of reasons, I took some time off from the support threads (and my weight loss efforts). About 2 years ago, I decided once and for all (for about the bazillionth time) that I was going to lose weight. And I did. About 60 pounds. I spent about 1 day at my goal weight, and over the past 18 months or so, I've slowly gained about 15 pounds back. Ugggh.

So I'm back at WW, but for some reason, I'm not really "doing" it. I'm sort of maintaining right now, but that's not enough. I need to start losing again. I'm not going to let myself quit this time, though. I've got my prepaid monthly pass, and I'm committed to this process.

I was thinking about concrete actions I can take to get back on track, and in addition to putting my weight loss back up at the top of my priority list, I thought I might try coming back to this thread for support.

So, here I am.

And I need your help. As per usual, right in the middle of recomitting myself to success, I face a challenge. I have to go out to a Mexican restaurant tonight, which is one of my biggest challenges. I've previewed the menu and I'm trying to make a choice between three meals. It would be great if some of you would take a peek at the menu and tell me which of the three you would choose and how you would estimate the points based on the menu descriptions:

http://www.maudies.com/Maudies_Menu.pdf

I'm looking at either
*the chicken tortilla soup (page 2)
*the vegetarian tacos (page 3)
*Skinny Sheryl's Enchiladas (page 4)

Thanks,
Robyn

greysangel

03-28-2007, 03:09 PM

That menu looks great Robyn!

I think you have a ton of choices to be honest. The skinny enchiladas are probably the friendliest in terms of points. But I also think that the vegetarian or the shrimp or fish tacos are a good choice too. I also like getting fajitas because you can choose how much of something you eat. Everything comes as a component so you can have one tortilla and then just eat the filling. You can limit the sour cream and cheese etc. The hardest part of mexican for me are the dang chips before the meal comes...oh and the margaritas :D

Have a great dinner!

And thanks for the kudos ladies..it really meant a lot to me to be able to update my site and have the mental milestone of conquering the scale.

Julzer

03-28-2007, 10:22 PM

Greysangel, awesome pic!!! Way to go! You must feel like you can do anything.

Congrats to all who lost! Little by little.... I am happy to report a 2lb loss this week! I was shocked. I got in 4 workouts last week and kept track of meals a whole lot better. This week I have gotten in 2 workouts and plan on going to yoga tomorrow night and doing cardio/balance ball on Friday. I'll be outside Saturday for a birthday party so I'll be getting my exercise chasing my son around. :)

I started labeling my 16.9oz water bottles 1-4. This helps me to get all my water in daily. It was hard the other day...I was on #3 and I felt like I was drowning. LOL I'm still working on getting all 4 in everyday but it's a start. My downfall is iced tea with lemon. YUM!

JackieO

03-30-2007, 04:38 PM

And that makes me very happy. It wasn't a very good week -- virtually no exercise Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. I ran for 30 minutes on Wednesday and earned a sore back as a result, and did my 45-minute yoga class last night. I also had a business trip that required three meals away from home (I had an Irish oatmeal brulee with berries for breakfast Tuesday morning -- awesome, and I'm sure it was WAY more than the 2-pt piece of baked oatmeal I allow myself at home!)

Not gaining anything feels like a gift. I need to be more positive than that, though. I have been eating well and exercising for 13 weeks and I have honestly earned the 11-lb loss!

Question for those of you who know the ins and outs of Lifetime status: My original goal weight from nearly 10 years ago is ridiculous at this stage of my life, and I'm feeling like I'm close to my ideal weight right now. That weight falls very close to the middle of the range for my height. So, if I were to establish a new goal weight, say, a pound or two less than what I weigh now, can I move immediately into maintenance and not have to pay the meeting fee as long as I weigh in once a month and don't gain more than 2 lbs? The reason I'm asking is that it appears that I can then just subscribe to e-tools for $13/month and still do exactly what I'm doing now -- going to weekly weigh-ins and staying for the occasional meeting. I'm currently paying $40/month for the monthly pass. That extra $27/month could go toward a nice Christmas outfit!! ;) Motivation to stay OP for the rest of the year.

scout1222

03-30-2007, 05:37 PM

JackieO

03-30-2007, 07:35 PM

JackieO, if you decide you want to change your weight, and you're within 2 pounds of that weight, you instantly become "Lifetime at goal who doesn't have to PAY FOR MEETINGS". You don't have to go through the 6 weeks of maintenance again, you're just a free lifetimer.

In other words, if you're happy at the weight you're at right now, go for it and save the dough! :D

Thanks!! I've already paid for April, so will continue with my monthly pass, but my decision's been made. I remember from an earlier thread that if I go more than 2 lbs below my "goal" weight but stay within range, I'm still kosher w/WW. Which is my strategy. My "goal" weight is respectable, but my personal goal will be a little lower. The e-tools will help me stay OP. And as my yoga instructor and I were talking last night, little goals, milestones, achievements (like races, wedding pictures, etc.) give you the incentive to keep up the healthful lifestyle practices.

Stay tuned. I may be motivated to start the April WW thread! :D

ChinaLady

04-07-2007, 09:00 AM

Oops, I don't know what happened but I just posted this reply to the wrong thread, the Healthy Living, workout thread :o and although they were polite, they couldn't really empathize with my plight....so...

Do you mind if I join in this discussion?

After reading everyone's posts, I know I can use the support!!! At my current weight, I have 20 points and can usually increase it to 23 points with a bit of a workout. I don't see how anyone could have 16 points for dinner!?! What is everyone eating during the day? AFter reading through this thread, I see how many of you eat a 2 point breakfast..... But what about lunch?? I obviously need some tips on low point lunches. Does anyone have any T&T lunch and snack items that help them make it through to dinner.

I live in Beijing and can't get the skim Laughing Cow, so that's out but are there any other tips???? I'm currently eating oatmeal for breakfast each morning with some apple and milk. I love it but it costs me 4 points! I suppose I could cut out the apple and then it would only be 3.5 points.

JackieO

04-07-2007, 04:00 PM

Oops, I don't know what happened but I just posted this reply to the wrong thread, the Healthy Living, workout thread :o and although they were polite, they couldn't really empathize with my plight....so...
.

Welcome, ChinaLady! And at the risk of re-directing you yet again, we start a new thread each month, so the current discussion is going on here:
http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?t=103534

That being said, I don't have much to offer in terms of low points. I usually do the oatmeal/fruit thing for breakfast, too, although I eat a smaller portion of baked oatmeal that I figure is two points and a whole piece of fruit or half a grapefruit for one point. My general strategy is to use most of my points for my evening meal (I love to cook and have a DH and DS). But if I have higher-point days and need to cut back at night, I often just make a huge green salad loaded with chopped veggies (carrots, peppers, cucumbers), a little bit of cheese (feta, bleu or goat), some tuna or smoked salmon (from a pouch) and dressed with 1 tsp. good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

The WW zero-point soup has also been useful. I find the original recipe rather bland, though, so I add a can of diced tomatoes and jazz it up with some seasonings (Penzey's "mural of flavor" -- a salt-free blend -- is pretty good.) And I saute the onions and celery in a little olive oil to start the soup, so I usually count a cup of it as a point.

Another snack item that helps is a suggestion I read on the WW board -- wrap a deli slice of turkey inside a big leaf of lettuce. 0 points. But only if you have one....;) Can you get string cheese? That's just 2 points; I find that the lettuce wrap with a piece of cheese makes an awesome snack in the middle of the afternoon when I need something to keep me going and to keep me from nibbling while making dinner.

I'm sure others will have suggestions, but the last one I'll give you is to go to the April thread and introduce yourself there!

Glad to have you on board!