XP: Just joined WW (Weight Watchers)

RebeccaB88

WW is a really healthy way to learn a healthy eating lifestyle, if you can stay away from all the fake sugars and heavily processed crap. I wasn't able to do it as it triggers my ED badly (the points counting, weighing and measuring mainly), but I have several friends who are lifetime and look great.

I struggle with vegetables too (fruit not so much), because so many of them taste overwhelmingly like sulfur to me.  Cruciferous veggies mainly - broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts. Asparagus is a no-go for me too. There is nothing in this world that will ever change that, and cooking them makes it a million times worse. I would start with some more mild/sweet flavored veggies - green beans, peas, cucumbers, carrots, snow peas, sugar snaps, lettuces. I think they're less 'scary' and have the most pleasant flavors all around. Start slow. Get used to a few first, then try one more. Some people who hate peas love broccoli, so everyone is different. I LOVE salads - most lettuces (except the bitter greens), raw veggies, some corn or beans, some chicken, turkey, beef, or ham, and a tart vinaigrette (I love vinegar!) and I have a great meal.

I would also try some simple fruits first - an apple (I hate the skin because it's too bitter, but remove that and they're yummy), strawberries, a banana. If you like sweet things, fruit fits along that path.

I have a cousin (an adult) who basically eats only bread, cheese, pasta, strawberries, and coffee (and beer, lol). She rejected almost all foods from the time she started eating table food. Her parents took her to lots of specialists, therapists, etc. Turns out she's an ultra extreme level of a supertaster - she has a vast number of taste buds more than most of is, and they are ultra sensitive to certain compounds in foods, and textures. I'm a supertaster too, just not as severe as she is. Sounds like maybe you might be too.

phira

@RebeccaB88 Definitely agree with you that some people can't really get a taste for the broccoli "family" of veggies. Weirdly enough, my mom and I LOVE all those veggies (I'm not entirely sold on brussel sprouts yet, but we'll see). They're all originally bred from mustard, of all things, which we both also adore. I definitely think there might be a genetic component.

silver0319

Jessica Seinfeld wrote a cookbook years ago called "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food." It's all about adding veggies to things you'd normally eat without being able to detect it, like puréed butternut squash in mac & cheese.

If you love pasta, try spaghetti squash. I love spaghetti squash with turkey meatballs! Squash is one of those awesome things that takes on the flavor of whatever you cook it with. 

Be careful of add-ins on salads. While the greens and other veggies are no points, the croutons, cheese, craisins or whatever else you like can add up quickly!

MaryGraceRich

I did ww about two years ago. I lost 50lbs initially. When I stopped being strict I gained about 10lbs back. I am ok with that. I went from being a size 16 to a 6.
I find that the first two weeks are the hardest. If you can get through them and develope a comfortable pattern you will be ok.
Oh and dont deny yourself the things you crave, just have it in moderation and count every bite of it.

phira

Weird advice: If you're on medications, make sure you know the side effects.

The first time I did WW, I lost 20 lbs very easily in just a few months ... and then I started gaining again, even when I was religious about tracking points. I also was always hungry, even after a pretty big meal. Since your stomach shrinks when you reduce how much food you eat, and I'd been doing really well on WW, there didn't seem to be an explanation. It was so demoralizing (I was always hungry AND I was gaining weight--all while sticking to the plan!) that I quit.

Guess what? The extreme hunger and unexplained weight gain all started when my doctor put me on prednisone and failed to warn me about any of the side effects. The course of pred was temporary, but I didn't know that it was causing my weight gain and hunger, so by the time I knew what had happened, I'd been off WW for months.

Kauris

I love WW, lost 30 lbs., went from a size 16 to a 10. Since I've stopped using it, I only gained back 3 lbs. It really changed my perspective as to portion control. Good luck!

MadHops21

I'm been doing 2 days so far of it. Going to a meeting tomorrow morning. I'm looking at foods, thinking "How many points does that have?" and look it up on the app first. When I saw a Boston Market brownie slice was about 10 points, I was shocked. So I stayed away from that, even if it is the most delicious brownie I can buy. 

I'm eating meals and trying out fruit tomorrow. I'm usually pretty okay with apples, but I love peanut butter with them. Any tips on peanut butter? 

phira

YES! Better'n Peanut Butter! I used to get it from Whole Foods. It's ridiculously less fatty than real peanut butter, and it's not easy to tell the difference between it and natural peanut butter (definitely different from Skippy/JIF/etc). I love it.

MadHops21

This thread is helping me make a list of foods I need to buy. What else...

Any opinions on:

apples

peaches

chips

snacks

water

butter (this is biggie, I use it on a lot of things)

phira

I love peaches. Mmmm. If you don't like the fuzzy exterior, nectarines are basically peaches selectively bred to have smooth exteriors.

Water: I didn't drink a lot of water before I moved in with my partner. However, he can only drink filtered water, so we have a giant Brita tank-thing in the fridge. Most of the time, to save money, we don't have any drinks in the house (like juice), so I'll just drink water. I like it better cold than I do straight from the tap. We also each have a giant plastic tumbler that we each only use for water.

Butter: Promise low-fat butter spread is my favorite.

JCbride2015

MadHops21 said:

This thread is helping me make a list of foods I need to buy. What else...

Any opinions on:

apples

peaches

chips

snacks

water

butter (this is biggie, I use it on a lot of things)

I don't have any experience with WW but I consider myself a pretty healthy eater.  Anyway, take WW advice from me with a grain of salt (tee hee).

Can you try using extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter, at least when cooking or in pasta?  You can make a great, easy pasta sauce by heating some EVOO in a skillet (about a tablespoon per pasta serving) on medium heat with some minced garlic.  Once the garlic starts to simmer, take the skillet off the heat and add some chopped parsley.  Sprinkle in some salt and pepper.  Mix it up with your pasta, and if you have points/calories for it, top with grated parmesan or romano cheese.

I almost never use butter anymore except baking.  I cook veggies in EVOO, I even put it on air-popped popcorn with some garlic salt for a midnight snack.  It's a slightly different taste, but you still get that fatty satisfaction and it has healthy unsaturated fats.

MadHops21

JCBride2014 That sounds so yummy right now! I will look into EVOO. I don't think I've heard of it before. Then again, I don't cook for myself very much, or go grocery shopping. 

Swazzle

Be careful with EVOO, 1 tbsp is 4 points. I would try light butter (2pts per tbsp).

I also really like the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (a few spritzes and a sprinkle of parmesan on veggies is delish) which is 0 points. 

ETA: When cooking, I tend to just use an olive oil cooking spray. 

@madhops21 - Check out www.skinnytaste.com -- there are really great WW friendly recipes on there (she even calculates the points for you). 

phira

I actually like making popcorn and spraying Pam butter-flavored spray on it ... Weirdly enough, it's what I grew up with because my mom is always dieting.

LabLove86

Swazzle said:

If you freeze a banana and then toss it in the food processor, it turns into "ice cream". You can add a little peanut butter or nutella to it if you'd like but that could be a good way to get in a fruit. 

and if you add just a little milk (like - 1/2-1 Tbsp) it will make it really creamy too . . . . I usually just use skim milk and it works perfectly!

MadHops21

Sorry, I need to vent.

I have been on for a week, and noticed everything I eat is well above 10+ points in one bowl. Yikes. 2 donuts I usually have is 15 points altogether. I have 29 points to use a day. 2 donuts is half my points. Jeebus.

So now I'm wondering what to do for lunch since I forgot it. I looked up the normal resturant I go to on Fridays, and a bowl of mac is 12 points Stupid Hostess cupcake cost me 4 points and I was still hungry after. The hunger is settling in. Sucks  

phira

I have no plans to go back on Weight Watchers, but I'll tell ya, it's always really shocking to figure out how many points everything is. I tried to split up my points pretty evenly across meals (with more for lunch and dinner), and then I spent a lot of time finding low-point stuff that was really feeling. If I wanted something high in points, and it wasn't filling, I'd either forgo it or dig into extra points.

The extra points are a really great buffer, so if you're struggling a lot today, I would just go to the restaurant anyway. Starving yourself is not a good thing, metabolically or emotionally!

Swazzle

MadHops21 said:

Sorry, I need to vent.

I have been on for a week, and noticed everything I eat is well above 10+ points in one bowl. Yikes. 2 donuts I usually have is 15 points altogether. I have 29 points to use a day. 2 donuts is half my points. Jeebus.

So now I'm wondering what to do for lunch since I forgot it. I looked up the normal resturant I go to on Fridays, and a bowl of mac is 12 points Stupid Hostess cupcake cost me 4 points and I was still hungry after. The hunger is settling in. Sucks  

That's because these items are not healthy. Points are calculated based on fat, carbs, protein, and fiber. Foods that are higher in fat and carbs are going to more points. Foods with a lot of fiber tend to bring the points down. 

It forces you to make better choices (unless you want to starve). Nobody is going to be able to survive the day on 2 donuts and macaroni and cheese but once you eat all of that you're just about done with your points for the day. 

GoldenPenguin

MadHops21 said:

Sorry, I need to vent.

I have been on for a week, and noticed everything I eat is well above 10+ points in one bowl. Yikes. 2 donuts I usually have is 15 points altogether. I have 29 points to use a day. 2 donuts is half my points. Jeebus.

So now I'm wondering what to do for lunch since I forgot it. I looked up the normal resturant I go to on Fridays, and a bowl of mac is 12 points Stupid Hostess cupcake cost me 4 points and I was still hungry after. The hunger is settling in. Sucks  

You have no reason to vent. You are eating absolute SHIT. And YOU are making those choices. You eat two donuts a day along with Hostess Cupcakes, and eat mac & cheese every Friday and wonder why you need to lose weight? I'm sorry if that's harsh, but you really shouldn't be surprised that you've gained 50lbs in a year when you're eating NOTHING of any nutritional value.

You said in your first post that you "need accountability." WW is giving you accountability by alerting you to your absolutely TERRIBLE eating habits and choices.

ETA: I am also on WW, and I struggle for no real reason sometimes. I just don't lose weight, and it's frustrating, because I'm doing everything right. So to see someone come on here and bitch because she's eating two fucking donuts every day and can't have her weekly bowl of restaurant mac & cheese makes me ragey. Sorry if I was overly harsh, but it really pisses me off.

KatWAG

BriSox81 said:

MadHops21 said:

Sorry, I need to vent.

I have been on for a week, and noticed everything I eat is well above 10+ points in one bowl. Yikes. 2 donuts I usually have is 15 points altogether. I have 29 points to use a day. 2 donuts is half my points. Jeebus.

So now I'm wondering what to do for lunch since I forgot it. I looked up the normal resturant I go to on Fridays, and a bowl of mac is 12 points Stupid Hostess cupcake cost me 4 points and I was still hungry after. The hunger is settling in. Sucks  

You have no reason to vent. You are eating absolute SHIT. And YOU are making those choices. You eat two donuts a day along with Hostess Cupcakes, and eat mac & cheese every Friday and wonder why you need to lose weight? I'm sorry if that's harsh, but you really shouldn't be surprised that you've gained 50lbs in a year when you're eating NOTHING of any nutritional value.

You said in your first post that you "need accountability." WW is giving you accountability by alerting you to your absolutely TERRIBLE eating habits and choices.

Its harsh but I agree. why are you surprised that 2 donuts equate to 15 points? It is straight sugar. And Mac and cheese is just empty carbs and fat. If you are going to Fridays for lunch, get a salad. Have the dressing on the side.

And you are still hungry after all this because none of the food you are eating has a any actual nutrients. Eat some almonds, have a greek yogurt with fruit, grab a Luna bar. Those will keep you full.

If you want to loose weight you need to completely revamp the way you eat. Skipping a Brownie at Boston Market isnt going to cut it. FWIW, there is almost nothing healthy at Boston Market. It is almost all processed on one way or another. And McDonalds owes Boston Market.

phira

I just want to point out that we need to NOT shame people for their weights or shapes or whatever. I firmly believe that whether or not someone "needs" to lose weight is something that only a doctor can determine, and even then, most doctors get all WAHHHHH LOSE WEIGHT in situations where weight is entirely irrelevant.

So this isn't, "And you wonder why you need to lose weight?" so much as it is, "Yes, that would probably explain it."

GoldenPenguin

phira said:

I just want to point out that we need to NOT shame people for their weights or shapes or whatever. I firmly believe that whether or not someone "needs" to lose weight is something that only a doctor can determine, and even then, most doctors get all WAHHHHH LOSE WEIGHT in situations where weight is entirely irrelevant.

So this isn't, "And you wonder why you need to lose weight?" so much as it is, "Yes, that would probably explain it."

You're right, and the way I wrote it was way harsher than I intended it. I didn't mean it to shame her, it was more of a "well, no SHIT." 

Just BEING on WW isn't going to make you lose weight. You have to actively TRY and be accountable and eat properly. Having the app on your phone will do you no good unless you utilize it correctly. 

@phira - you know I can get a little feisty.  

phira

BriSox81 said:

phira said:

I just want to point out that we need to NOT shame people for their weights or shapes or whatever. I firmly believe that whether or not someone "needs" to lose weight is something that only a doctor can determine, and even then, most doctors get all WAHHHHH LOSE WEIGHT in situations where weight is entirely irrelevant.

So this isn't, "And you wonder why you need to lose weight?" so much as it is, "Yes, that would probably explain it."

You're right, and the way I wrote it was way harsher than I intended it. I didn't mean it to shame her, it was more of a "well, no SHIT." 

Just BEING on WW isn't going to make you lose weight. You have to actively TRY and be accountable and eat properly. Having the app on your phone will do you no good unless you utilize it correctly. 

@phira - you know I can get a little feisty.  

I also completely missed your ETA and I TOTALLY get how frustrating it is. When I was immersed in dieting/weight loss, I think if I heard, "Just cut soda!" one more time, I might have destroyed the planet.

Also sometimes I am ENTIRELY shocked by how unhealthy some food is. Like, never would have guessed that a particular meal was making my jeans tight.

MadHops21

phira said:

BriSox81 said:

phira said:

I just want to point out that we need to NOT shame people for their weights or shapes or whatever. I firmly believe that whether or not someone "needs" to lose weight is something that only a doctor can determine, and even then, most doctors get all WAHHHHH LOSE WEIGHT in situations where weight is entirely irrelevant.

So this isn't, "And you wonder why you need to lose weight?" so much as it is, "Yes, that would probably explain it."

You're right, and the way I wrote it was way harsher than I intended it. I didn't mean it to shame her, it was more of a "well, no SHIT." 

Just BEING on WW isn't going to make you lose weight. You have to actively TRY and be accountable and eat properly. Having the app on your phone will do you no good unless you utilize it correctly. 

@phira - you know I can get a little feisty.  

I also completely missed your ETA and I TOTALLY get how frustrating it is. When I was immersed in dieting/weight loss, I think if I heard, "Just cut soda!" one more time, I might have destroyed the planet.

Also sometimes I am ENTIRELY shocked by how unhealthy some food is. Like, never would have guessed that a particular meal was making my jeans tight.

BriSox81 , I completely know how unhealthy and basically on a death ride I'm on with my eating habits. Please don't jump down my throat. This is my wake up call to that. Me and the rest of my family and my FI all agree with you. I know why I don't lose weight. I eat shit. I know this. I got it. That's why I'm trying to change. 

I'm just really getting a wake up call with my usual foods I eat. I didn't think it was all that bad, I normally don't eat donuts and Hostess cupcakes every week, and I substituted food before with healthier oils and versions of food. I just went out and bought some apples to eat for lunch today because I looked through the point values of the food I typically eat for lunch while at work. It's a slow process, but I'm changing, I promise. 

MadHops21

And yeah, I keep getting "Cut the sprite out and you'll be better" line. All I drink is water and some lemonade now (frozen lemon, my WW leader told me about this cool thing). 

MadHops21

Swazzle said:

MadHops21 said:

Sorry, I need to vent.

I have been on for a week, and noticed everything I eat is well above 10+ points in one bowl. Yikes. 2 donuts I usually have is 15 points altogether. I have 29 points to use a day. 2 donuts is half my points. Jeebus.

So now I'm wondering what to do for lunch since I forgot it. I looked up the normal resturant I go to on Fridays, and a bowl of mac is 12 points Stupid Hostess cupcake cost me 4 points and I was still hungry after. The hunger is settling in. Sucks  

That's because these items are not healthy. Points are calculated based on fat, carbs, protein, and fiber. Foods that are higher in fat and carbs are going to more points. Foods with a lot of fiber tend to bring the points down. 

It forces you to make better choices (unless you want to starve). Nobody is going to be able to survive the day on 2 donuts and macaroni and cheese but once you eat all of that you're just about done with your points for the day. 

Yeah, I saw that. Definitely making me look at their pamphlets I got from the meeting. It has a guide on what to include for each lunch and meal, like one protein, maybe a wheat bread, little this and that. I'm going to start making lunches based off of that. Nothing I eat has been filling, not good for me! 

JCbride2015

Swazzle said:

Be careful with EVOO, 1 tbsp is 4 points. I would try light butter (2pts per tbsp).

I also really like the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (a few spritzes and a sprinkle of parmesan on veggies is delish) which is 0 points. 

ETA: When cooking, I tend to just use an olive oil cooking spray. 

@madhops21 - Check out www.skinnytaste.com -- there are really great WW friendly recipes on there (she even calculates the points for you). 

Wow, this is shocking to me.  A tablespoon of EVOO is ~100 calories of monounsaturated fat.  Yeah it's high in cals so you have to measure it, but 4 points seems like a lot right?

I've never been on WW so thanks @swazzle for pointing that out for MadHops.  I guess it makes some sense because EVOO is really easy to overuse on everything.  I'm probably guilty of that.

MadHops, sounds like you really needed this tough wake-up call.  It's really hard to change, and Fi is going through something similar right now.  He realized his portions were completely out of control, and he had a daily candy habit at lunch.  It is very hard to change but I commend you for working on it.  Put the work in and stick with it.

MadHops21

JCBride2014 said:

Swazzle said:

Be careful with EVOO, 1 tbsp is 4 points. I would try light butter (2pts per tbsp).

I also really like the I Can't Believe It's Not Butter spray (a few spritzes and a sprinkle of parmesan on veggies is delish) which is 0 points. 

ETA: When cooking, I tend to just use an olive oil cooking spray. 

@madhops21 - Check out www.skinnytaste.com -- there are really great WW friendly recipes on there (she even calculates the points for you). 

Wow, this is shocking to me.  A tablespoon of EVOO is ~100 calories of monounsaturated fat.  Yeah it's high in cals so you have to measure it, but 4 points seems like a lot right?

I've never been on WW so thanks @swazzle for pointing that out for MadHops.  I guess it makes some sense because EVOO is really easy to overuse on everything.  I'm probably guilty of that.

MadHops, sounds like you really needed this tough wake-up call.  It's really hard to change, and Fi is going through something similar right now.  He realized his portions were completely out of control, and he had a daily candy habit at lunch.  It is very hard to change but I commend you for working on it.  Put the work in and stick with it.

Oh yeah, this is really needed. I've been on this track for years, so it's going to be tough to break, but I need to if I want to be happy and healthy. I tend to snack a lot and not think about it. Now I'm watching it with this handy app and trying out fruits with my niece and nephew this week since I'm babysitting. Maybe they can get me addicted to carrots and oranges! 

Swazzle

@JCBride2014 - Yep! It has a lot of fat in it so that's where the points come from. There's obviously good fat and bad fat. Like, 1 whole avocado is actually 9 points (when I first found this out it blew my freaking mind) because it has a lot of fat in it but that's obviously a good fat. EVOO isn't BAD for you per se, it's all about moderation. For me, I wouldn't waste the 4 points on it. Points become so valuable when you're on WW! 

ETA: About the points for an avocado, I just wanted to clarify that it also depends on the size. I tend to buy LARGE avocados which is why I count them as that much but I'm sure the smaller ones are less points. 

MadHops21

BriSox81 Sorry for reacting back to your comment. I get scared with harsher comments, I'm weak like that. But you're completely right!