I know I said that I was going to give the WW program one more week, but I have made some discoveries today about the program and I am now making some IMMEDIATE changes.
Let me say before I go any further that these are my opinions, there is nothing scientific in my findings and I am certainly not saying that Weight Watchers does not work...I am simply saying that for me, a woman weighing in at 419.8 lbs., I may need to make some changes.
I decided to do an experiment. I went back to a day in my WW tracker I consumed ALL the points that I am allotted, which is 65. I took the food from that day and tracked it in Spark People (a free site that a lot of people use who preferred the old WW program). I also tracked a day where I ate significantly less than then number of calories allotted, 52. HERE IS WHAT I FOUND:
On the day that I ate 65 points, I consumed 2786 calories. WHAT?!?!?!?!
On the day I consumed 52 points I ate 2163 calories.
I was, and continue to be, flabbergasted. I know my body, and there is NO WAY I can lose weight consuming 2800 calories a day. NO WAY.
When I was on Jenny Craig several years ago (which was very effective for me, although very expensive) my target caloric intake was 2000 calories - I weighed 355 lbs. at the time. When I went back weighing in at 410 lbs. they told me that I could choose to move to 2300 calories or remain at 2000 - they stressed it was my choice. I stayed at 2000 because I had always felt very satisfied there, and it produced good results.
ANYWAY, I decided to do some calculations to make sure the 2800 added up. I took 2800 calories and divided it by 65 (the points allotted to me each day) and that came out to an average of 43.07 point. I then multiplied 43.07 by the lowest number of points recommended by Weight Watchers, which is, 29, and I got 1249. 1200 calories is the lowest recommended daily caloric intake and very few reputable programs will recommend any participant go below that amount of calories in a day...so I knew that the 2800 calories that I came up with at 65 points was right in the ballpark.
BOTTOM LINE...I cannot lose weight and consume 2800 calories each day. I just can't. On the old WW program I was consuming about 2300 calories when I ate all my points, and I lost. I started that program in 2010 weighing 439 lbs and I lost 73 lbs before I let emotional eating get the better of me. This time around I started lower, 430 lbs., and I'm eating approximately 2800 calories each day. It. Is. Not. Feasible. For Me! NOT FEASIBLE!
So I am making adjustments.
I am a believer in the calories in calories out theory!! I really am!! I do like the points system, it makes me pay attention to other nutrients in food and I like the ease of using points. BUT, I am lowering my daily points target to a range of 48 - 52. That should put me in the 2000 - 2300 calorie range each day.
ALSO, I am DEFINITELY tracking fruits.
On the new PointsPlus system WW has made all fruits 0 points. Here's the thing, if I eat 3 pieces of fruit in a day that can add up to 200 - 300 extra calories!! No matter how healthy, those are still calories that my body has to handle and I need to track them. On the old program ALL FRUIT was tracked. ALL OF IT! Theoretically, I could eat 65 point, be around 2800 calories, eat a few pieces of 0 point fruit and before you know it I am over 3000 calories!
NOT. GOING. TO. RESULT. IN. WEIGHT. LOSS!!!
I am not going to lie, I feel so relieved to have uncovered all of this. I thought I was going NUTS! Seriously, I kept thinking..."Am I eating something that I am not tracking...am I tracking incorrectly...Am I not assigning enough points values to certain foods, etc." End of the day, I was simply eating too much.
NOW TO PUT THIS TO THE TEST!
Let's hope I still feel this relieved on Saturday, come weigh in!
The program I have liked best is South Beach. It's only the cost of the book and it was created by a cardiologist for his patients. It was published as a diet book when associates noticed how much his patients were losing by following his heart healthy diet. When I follow South Beach I feel good. I won't lie...the first two weeks were horrific, but after that it was not really that hard and I felt so good that I wanted to continue to eat that way.
ReplyDeleteHe has some pretty decent recipes in his book. Also, if you're looking for absolutely wonderful low-cal recipes, I'd recommend Cuisine at Home's Cuisine Lite cookbooks. They have 3 of them, filled with recipes for under 400 calories and many, many taste like restaurant-quality dishes. I've been cooking from their magazine for several years and my son and my husband think I'm an amazing cook and brag about me all the time. :) I've recently ordered all the Lite books, but I've been using many of them from the magazine for a long time.
I'll admit I'm on a weight loss stint right now as well. I lost tons of weight about 5 years ago and looked like I did in high school again! But over the last year I've put back on some of that lost weight and I'm struggling to lose it. I'm partially blaming my return to birth-control pills (they are the devil!), but honestly I've lost a good deal of my will power as well and I'm not eating like I should. Weight is a problem in my family and to stay where I want to be I have to literally be conscious of every thing I eat. It's a wearing prospect, but one I'm signed up for again.
Here's to a healthier us!
Personally, I have been on both the "old" & "new" WW. Both have worked for me. WW do say that while the ProPoints for veges & fruit are zero, you should still ensure your servings of these are not out of control. But at the end of the day, snacking on "zero" point foods like fruit & veges is better than snacking on some other things, like cake, savouries, chippies etc. Also, fruit can be a variety - try grapes, I found that when I'm consciously eating each single grape a small portion can feel like a lot. Rock melon is good too. Bananas are high energy, but not all fruits are equal.
ReplyDeleteI have 20kg to lose, and I lost 2kg my first week. I'm on 26 points (now the lowest, not 29), & some days I needed to dip into the 49 extra weekly points, other days I was ok with 26. My best friend is also doing WW, her limit is in the 50s, she's lost weight each week for the past 3 weeks.
I agree, you need to do what works for you, lowering your points limit may help - but it's a mind thing too. Get a good support system going, always stay for meetings, try & plan out foods for the week. Movement is important too, every little bit counts. I think WW is a really positive programme that focuses more on learning habits for a life-long healthy lifestyle, than a short-term diet.
All the best for the rest of the week, & your weigh in on Sat :)
For me personally, WW never made any sense...but I'm glad that you've found a way for it to work for you. Good luck! I have a feeling your going to be very happy come weigh in day. : )
ReplyDeletewww.willbeskinnyernie.blogspot.com
Good for you for taking control of the situation and for being willing to change something that wasn't working for you. Just keep it up!
ReplyDeleteHeather, I am so hoping that this works. Honestly, I am feeling great. Even with my reduced points, I am feeling fully satisfied, and still am struggling to eat all of the points I am allowing myself. I am keeping my fingers crossed that this works!
ReplyDeleteErin,
ReplyDeleteI do really like the WW points method, but the changes they made to the new program just don't seem to be in my best interest. We shall see what happens this week!
Sus,
ReplyDeleteIt is good to hear a success story on the new WW program. I am constantly amazed at those who are managing to stay within points at 26 / 29. I am a long way off from having to deal with that, but there are days when I am tracking that I think - MAN, I AM NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO STAY WITHIN 26 / 29 POINTS!
It sounds like your friend is doing well in the 50 point range. That is what I have adjusted my daily points to. I feel far more comfortable with that AND feel totally satisfied with my food intake. Being mid 60's and realizing how many calories that equated to was just too much.
As far as fruit, I have started counting points when I partake - I am more comfortable doing that.
And I wholeheartedly agree that it is a mind thing. You have to find your comfort zone. I may still have some fine tuning, but I feel that regardless of what the scale says, the changes I have made so far are healthy and good for me...and in the end, that is what is important. The rest will come with time.
Congrats on you own weight loss! I can't wait to hear updates on your progress. Tell your friend that I would LOVE to hear from her as well and the journey she is on!
Adina,
ReplyDeleteI am going to check out the South Beach diet. I am always looking for awesome, diet friendly recipes!! It makes such a difference to me when the food I am eating tastes great and is satisfying!
I hear you about having to be conscious of everything you eat. I would LOVE to have a metabolism that just never quit, but alas, I do not. Watching what I eat will be a lifetime commitment - that is why I am hoping to learn to do it well!!
Definitely to a healthier us! We are on the path!