Help! WW is smothering me!

[beckms]

Ok, it's almost the end of week 2 on WW for me, and I know the new points system is supposed to free me from dieting constraints and open up my food possibilities, yada,yada, yada, but I feel totally penned in by the daily point limit. Almost every recipe I have in MC turns out to be beaucoup points, even the ones I thought were healthy. :(

I know there have been a zillion threads and posts about low-point recipes, but I'm cranky and hungry and tired of searching through old posts.

Would you wisened ones be willing to list your favorite low-point recipes so I (and others) can have them in one place for my perusal?

Sigh...I'm off to the store to buy ingredients for my dinner, of which I'm only allowed to eat 2 measly cups...

(Can you tell I'm a wee bit grumpy? :o )

[tbb113]

Maybe you should define low points? I know my idea of low carb and other peoples ideas are drastically different :rolleyes:

[helios7]

I hear you! Its hard. At first.

1.Run, run RUN to the store and purchase Weight Watchers Take Out Tonight cookbook. It will make the future yummy and bright! I also like the Italian WW cookbook a lot.

2. Hopefully this will paste well, but you might find some tips in this old thread.

http://community.cookinglight.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=52272&highlight=Points

If not, do a search with keyword points and my username, and you'll find a thread titled - Experienced WW - HELP! Or something like it.

Good luck, it can be done. :)

[swquilts]

That was my biggest problem with WW was the small portions. Lots of CL recipes are too high in points, depending on what your max per day is.

Eat your portion size and be sure to also have a nice big salad or veggie to go with it. Sometimes for lunch I have a Lean Cuisine AND a whole can of green beans. ( I like the little critters :eek: )

I used to subscribe to the theory that I had to have meat, starch and veg at every meal. Sometimes now I skip the starch.

Buy the WW book Take Out Tonight, some good stuff in there!

Hang in there, your body will get used to the smaller portions. Be sure to have low point snacks around too.

(Speaking from someone who MUST get back on the program!!!)

[lweiss]

I had great success on WW last year with a weight loss of 45 pounds. Please do not be discouraged. It gets easier when you get used to the program. There have been a ton of recipes from WW Take Out Tonight and Make it in Minutes posted and someone recently posted some from the WW magazine Fast and Easy. If you, like many others on this board, like to collect cookbooks may I suggest that you peruse some at a meeting and buy a couple that appeal to you. I have found that the older CL recipes seem to be lower in points than many of the more recent ones. I use my CL Complete a lot. What really helps me are the low (or no) point vegetables. For instance, tonight I am preparing CL's Pork Chops Braised in Country Gravy(6 points) with a salad and a couple of different steamed vegetables with butter spray. This a filling meal that is very low in points.

Good luck to you. WW is a great program. I have made permanent changes in my eating habits and have been below my goal weight for 10 months.

[SueK]

I agree w/the others about the TOT cookbook. I also have Best Bets and Fast and Easy which are WW magazine type supplements. Two other good cookbooks are The Best of WW and Good Cooking Every Day. I found that initially cooking from all of the above helped, because as you said, CL does have relatively high point dishes.

I thought I would starve the first week on it, but it forced me to eat lots more veggies, which was a good thing, since I obviously lacked veggies in my diet.

Good luck!

[badunnin]

Just a little note to say that I thought you looked fantastic Monday night! Keep your chin up - this too shall pass!

[beckms]

Thanks, Badunnin! Same goes for you! (Hmmm...d'ya think Pho Pasteur may have put me over my points limit??? :eek: It was so worth it, though...)

[Catew]

I've lost 85 pounds on WW since 1/03, so it does work. Come up with a low point breakfast. For me, it's a light english muffin, 1/2 cup egg beaters (I like the garden veggie variety), 1 slice 2% cheese, and splenda sweetened jam. The total is 4 points, and it lasts.

Lunch is generally dinner left overs, a lean cuisine with a salad, or a sandwich (light bread, light mayo, 2oz meat). Total is maybe 7 points, often as little as 4.

This leaves lots of points for dinner, but I like to save points for wine too :) So I make low point dinners as well. Try french vinegar chicken with peppered polenta (7points) along with a green veggie. Or spiced chicken and barley, with a veggie. Basically, look for any meal that's about 350 calories, less than 8 gms fat, and add a veggie. That will leave you room for snacks, and even the odd glass of wine (I do like my wine).

I really do think that having a set of meals for the early parts of the day, and then splashing out at night for variety, has been the way I've succeeded. I can't say you're like me, but it really has worked for me.

Cate

242/158/135

[masimmons]

Have you tried the zero point soup? It has been a life saver for me. When I make it, I add almost any vegetable and make a big batch. Somehow, eating something hot is filling. And salad - you can eat a huge salad for zero points and add some diet dressing for 2 or 3 - and get filled up. A filling breakfast is helpful too. Finally, exercise. If you want, the more you exercise, the more points you can eat. Good luck! I have stagnated for the past 6 months, but its a good program.

[Dyanne]

I started WW on Monday (today's Thursday... well, technically Friday) and I think I've gone into total body shock from the starvation.

I'm 5'6" and I weighed in at 154.6, so I'm allowed 22 points per day, WAY less than I have EVER eaten in my entire life. I'm from Texas and had a good metabolism. That's all in the past now -- both Texas and the metabolism. :( I'm going to try the no points soup for snack this weekend. I can't live like this anymore!

On a happier note, I just got the new WW Magazine and they have a really good article on how to up your intake without upping points. They have a few photos that are very convincing. It says in there

If you're fed up with constant hunger while dieting, try adding food rather than subtracting it. Emerging research suggests that eating larger amounts of certain foods may be the key to helping dieters slim down. Studies have found that eating foods with a low energy density (higher water and fiber content) -- such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and broth-based soups -- enables dieters to eat larger, more satisfying portions and trim calories without feeling hungry. "Eating less food may help you lose weight initially, but most people can't maintain food restrictions for long periods of time," says Michael Lowe, PhD, ...

Some of the ideas are really good. My favorite is when they took this breakfast:

1 frozen waffle (2)
2 T syrup (2)
1 t margarine (1)
Total Points=5

and turned it into THIS breakfast:

2 low-fat frozen waffles (3)
1/2 c light yogurt (1)
1.5 cups strawberries (1)
Total Points=5

You're getting twice the waffle plus a lot of fruit and some creaminess, too. I like the idea of having 5 cups of reduced-fat microwave popcorn for only 1 point, according to this article. That's a lot of bulk.

I also got some Baked Tostitos today that I'm going to pair with my favorite salsa. I might heat the oven and put my 20 chips in there for a couple minutes so it feels more decadent.

I got a lot of "bulk" ideas today from flipping back through the Getting Started booklet, the Time Saver recipe book from this week's meeting and the magazines.

Maybe I will survive...

Dyanne

[waltnj]

Hang in there, it gets better. I lost 30 lbs on WW & it taught me a lot about portion control. My group leader was also very insipiring (and funny). Her mantra is "Nothing tasts as good as thin feels" and it is true.

Now a couple of things that kept me going eating such small portions:
1. strive to eat 2 veggies at dinner (not starch & veggie) like veggie soup & roasted asparagus or salad & broccoli
2. Add veggies wherever you can to make food more substantial. On thing I used to love was going out for chinese & ordering one saucy, stir-fry & an order of steamed veggies. A half cup of the stir-fry is an average of 5 points (seemingly small) but add a huge portion of the steamed veggies & Wow! it is now a huge portion and no depravation.
3. Have an off day, but jump back on the bandwagon the next.

Good luck.
Nancy

[ebobbitt]

Everyone is right, it does get easier. I'm a lifetime WW member that has climbed back on the wagon. I make a breakfast type sandwich that's pretty good and not a lot of points. I use 2 reduced fat frozen waffles, a teaspoon of sugar free syrup, slice of 2% cheese and 2 veggie sausage links sliced long-ways. It's 5 points and pretty filling.

You might want to check out www.aimeesadventures.com. There's some pretty good recipes there and many are low point.

[blazedog]

I really can only chime in with what others have said.

While losing weight, I found (and find) that it's important to go for size - lots veggies and plainish chicken breasts and fish souped up with herbs and low point sauces.

Vegetable soups are great. Hot soups at the beginning of meals really aids weight loss. It takes 20 minutes from the first bite for your brain to register satiation. Anything you can do to slow down your eating helps - If soup is hot, you have to eat it slowly and you're more likely to make a meal last 20 minutes - therefore, your brain will register that you've eaten enough.

I've found that CL recipes mostly are too high in points for me to work during weight loss but they are great for maintenance.

Think of your points as a budget - you are trying to buy food on sale so to speak. What gives you the most eating pleasure and satiation for the fewest number of points - i.e. air popped popcorn vs. even baked chips. A huge bowl of strawberries vs. one cookie.

I think the choices are great but sometimes it's about the illusion of choice. If you know you can have something, it's easier not to have it.

[jmw]

As you progress, you will find many tricks to QUANTITY eating without high points. For me, I double or triple the veggies in any recipe I do. To keep a meal in "reasonable" limits, i will sometimes choose either protein or starch, rather than both ... take any stirfry recipe and just do the veggies and it's still great ... and you can eat almost indefinite amounts.

SOUPS ... here's my basic curry-broccoli soup ... very low points and can be re-arranged in soooo many different ways ...

Saute 1 large onion, chopped, in 1 Tbsp oil (or as little as you can get away with ... if I have my nonstick pan, I can sometimes do this with 1 tsp). Add 1 T curry powder, 2 tsp cumin, dash of red pepper & cook another minute. (Adjust seasoning as you like ... I tend to the spicy side). Add 6 cups chix broth, 1 large tomato diced, head of broccoli. Cook until veggies are tender. Puree. The WHOLE POT ... which is about 8 cups of soup ... has about 8 points (and that's counting the onions, which I really never count as I think it's ridiculous, but if you are following to the letter-of-the-law, it's about 8 pts or a point per cup). The original recipe had a cup of milk added at the end, but I don't think it adds much so I usually omit this.

Now ... take this recipe ... substitue cauli for broccoli ... or sweet potato for white ... toss in a 1/2 bag of shredded carrots too ... or a bag of spinach. It's a hearty fulfilling soup.

Another great point saver for me is to eat SEAFOOD ... scallops are a point bargain and I always feel SO indulgent when i am cooking them for myself. Look for seafood recipes ... some seafoods are lower points than others ... substitute the lower point ones (talapia, cod, scallops, shrimp).

GOOD LUCK ... the program works. I am 5 lbs from goal and cook ALL the time. I do adjust the CL recipes at times though. The most important thing to remember is thta if you feel the portion is too small, add a BIG side veggie ... I've eaten 1/2 a head of cauliflower or a whole bunch of broccoli so that i have a full plate.

[HeatherTx]

Hi Becky...Keep your chin up. It DOES get better.

I am a lifetimer but back on the loss wagon from an 18 pounds gain in the last few months (big move I didn't want to make caused major stress eating and lots of junk food). Anyway, I find I do tons better if I eat the most I can for my points. Breakfast is oatmeal (2) or egg beaters with toast (2). Lunch is usually a Boca Burger Original on a light bun (2) with some soup (3) and maybe a salad with balsamic (0). Then I may have some fruit and cheese later (3). That leaves me 12 points for dinner and an after dinner snack. I do better with larger points for dinner but everyone is different. I eat tons of raw veggies in between and zero point soup if I need it.

One thing to remember to is that this ISN'T the way it is the rest of your life. After you lose what you want to you go into maintenance which is more points. I was doing maintenance at about 30 points a day.

I sent you an e-mail this morning but don't forget that starting next week (week 3) that you get to start counting your activity points. EAT THEM if you need them. If you don't eat them the day you earn them you lose them.

Also if you are hungry use your flexpoints! I used 25/35 last week and lost 5.8 pounds this week.

My favorite cookbooks are Take out Tonight, Slim Ways Italian, CL Complete and WW Complete.

[blondeee]

This site has a great message board with lots of wonderful recipes, tips, and hints:

http://www.dwlz.com/

[beckms]

Thanks for all the encouragement...I knew I could count on you guys!

I guess what's frustrating me right now is that I've been starving myself (OK, "eating points") for two weeks now and I weighed myself at the gym yesterday I had GAINED a pound (this also corresponded to two weeks of no gym time because of school demands, which may be the culprit). I'm also upset because in a period of two weeks I've gone from someone who never cares about the scale or calories to someone who is thinking about them all the time, and I NEVER wanted to be that person. And as for the mantra, "Nothing tastes as good as feeling thin", I don't believe in it, since food is such a passion for me (note:different from obsession) and conforming to the ideals of society is SOOOO far down my list of priorities. So it's frustrating. But I am trying to look at is as a kind of experiment; if it works and I lose weight, then great, I got something out of the experience. If not, then I go back to happily eating!

Hopefully I'll change my tune soon if/when the pounds start coming off.

[beckms]

Oh, and I have a question: When you add all those veggies to bulk up a meal, say for a stir-fry or a pasta dish, how do you know what your new serving size is?

For example, last night I made Pasta and Greens with Olives and Feta (http://food.cookinglight.com/cooking/display/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=336800) (which was really good, by the way), and I think I added more radicchio and spinach than called for, but kept the pasta and feta the same. I still measured out the listed amount for my serving size, but I had a little left over because of the added veggies. I'm nervous to eat that because I can eaily justify it by saying "it's not that many extra points", but I can see how excuses like that would totally defeat the purpose of WW.

[greysangel]

I almost always bulk up the veggies and lower pasta amounts. For bulking up veggies, I just divide up into number of servings...if you add veg, it's going to be bulkier than the original serving size. for lowering pasta, then you have to readjust points.

j

[swquilts]

Rebecca....don't weigh yourself after working out, there's always a small gain because your muscles are expanded from your workout. Weigh once a day, in the AM, in the buff. :eek: ;)

If you added a lot of veggies and had the same serving size you could probably deduct one point off of the calculation.

Just my humble thoughts and opinion.....:)

[CindySoCal]

All I can say is to stick with it, the program works :) I lost 20 pounds on WW a year ago and have been playing a game with the last 8 :( You have to journal and plan or it doesn't work. I have been on and off the program this whole year and started back this wek to get rid of the final pounds. What I found that helped is to earn AP points and use those :)
I walk at a brisk pace for 50-60 min and it earns me 3 activity points, which I would use at dinner time.

WW got me to eat 5 fruits and veggies a day, more fiber <bg>, drinking water, and watching my portion control! A lot of the CL recipes are light and some of them can be lowered in points by changing a few ingredients or not using so much of another.

It looks like a lot of us are in the same boat!
So here's a life jacket, and keep going.
I remember when I first joined I thought, how am I going to keep track of all these points for everything and remember them! Well you do and it just gets easier....If it's good enough for the Duchess it's good enough for me! :cool:

[jmw]

As for the "readjusted points", I either calculate the total for the whole dish & divide by the number of servings ... or keep the same number of servings and adjust the serving size (you might have 1 1/2 cups now instead of just 1 cup as a serving).

And, don't forget about the activity points (you'll get them this week) ... if you stopped working out and starting "dieting" and weren't eating alot of 0 point veggies, your body may have started into starvation mode. Get back to working out ... even 20 minutes helps!

Lastly, the flex points are also there to be used. Most people find they lose more if they use the flex points rather than not using them. And if you vary the points per day (your base + varying flex points) you also are likely to get a better overall lose. There has been research into this and there is a specific program called the Wendy plan that alters the points day by day. Personally, I use most of my flex points for nights out or a few glasses of wine. The activity points can really help though ... especially if you are already an exercise.

Let us know how you do in the next few weeks. Some folks just take a little longer to get that initial drop in lbs. In the meantime, know that you are being healthier and your body will be stronger for it ... regardless of the scale.

[Chiffonade]

I know this is not a popular sentiment but GOD do I miss the old WW system! I hate gimmicky points...I just don't want that much math in my life. If I do crave math, I'll balance my checkbook.

I liked it better when they gave you a list of foods you were supposed to eat in moderation or freely; and a list of foods to avoid. I don't want to be told I can have seven french fries at a cost of "whatever" amount of points. I wish they'd abandon this gimmick already and get back to basics. Jean Neidich is rolling in her grave.

[blazedog]

Chiffonade - I am SO with you although I'm happy not to have to go back to my first WW stint where you could only have two slices of WHITE bread at breakfast and lunch ONLY. A huge step forward when you could have breakfast cereal and save a bread for later. And you could have whole wheat etc.

But seriously, I still structure my weight loss program around the middle WW program where you ate portions of food - low calorie protein you could have as many times a week as you wanted. Beef and pork and other high fat items were limited to three times a week. Unlimited non-starchy veggies. Three fruits. Two milks. One tablespoon of fat. To to three starches. There were a few bonuses thrown in (forget what they were called).

I know the psychology of the point system is to try to empower people by letting them think that they can have anything they want (in moderation). People with eating issues often view things as black and white --- either abstain or gorge with wild abandon so theoretically it's find to know that you can have a small piece of cake and still be on the program -- that you haven't screwed up which justifies finishing the cake

:D

[swquilts]

OK you two....did you eat your liver?? :D ;)

I miss the regular Winning Points, no flex and banking.

[tbb113]

Silly question. If you have a WW program that worked for you in the past...why do you care what the current program is pushing? I joined before the flex points, lowered point range, etc. If I were to go back on WW (which I wouldn't because I do better on low-carb), I would go back to the original point version and use that diet. I still consider carrots to be zero points, apples are 1 point, etc.

And to be honest, for me to stay on WW and maintain my weight I would be eating around 22 points a day forever. You can get VERY hungry if you don't use those 22 points wisely :)

[blazedog]

Yes - I actually ate my liver - chicken liver. But then I'm Jewish so I was raised on chopped chicken liver:D

I think my biggest cheat was substituting a slice of pumpernickel bread for white bread for the half sandwich I would eat for lunch.