Am I getting enough calories with Weight Watchers?

[amorey]

I started Weight Watchers online on Saturday, and for the past two days I’ve been so hungry! I did some research online, and it seems like one point is about 50 calories. I’m allotted 24 points per day. So that would mean I’m getting 1,200 calories a day. According to fitday.com and my personal trainer, I burn about 2,300 calories a day. This would mean that I’d be running a calorie deficit of more than 1,000 calories a day, which seems excessive to me. I thought WW was about slow weight loss. Am I missing something?

[BTB]

A calorie deficit of 1,000 cal/day would cause a weight loss of 2 pounds per week (3,500 cal = 1 lb). That may well be how WW sets their calorie limits, since 2 pounds/week is considered the maximum safe, sustainable weight loss. If it feels insufficient, you could always give yourself a few extra points and see if that helps. Or, discuss it with your WW consultant/group leader (I'm really unfamiliar with their program). Did they give any extra for your physical activity?

[APCullip22]

I follow weight watchers too. make sure that you utilize your flex points and or activity points. You need to eat enough to lose!

[mrstim]

That's why you have flex points and activity points! They actually reccomend eating ALL Flex points and all activity points (up to 4 per day) b/c each person is different. Give it more time and play with it a little - you will lose healthily.

;)

[Hello Kitty]

I think knowing what you already know about your body and calorie expenditure makes following WW hard. I would definitely make sure you are not only eating the points you have allotted to you, but also scrutinize where your points are coming from.

Make sure you're choosing more nutrient rich/nutrient dense foods coming from all the right places - lean meats, complex carbs, etc... If that fails and you're still ravenously hungry, then I would lean towards adding some points (again, from 'good' sources)

I'd also watch your body composition carefully. Losing 2 lbs/week of fat is great. Losing 2 lbs of muscle, well... not so much. :)

[KarenS]

Ditto what everyone else said about using your flex points and your activity points. You may get 24 points per day, but if you add in your maximum activity points for exercise, you're up to 28 points per day.

Also, with WW it's not always a straight 1 pt = 50 cals calculation. That's a good average, but it's not a 100% equivalent. Some foods with a higher calorie count, more fiber, and less fat are still one point. For example:

1 medium Granny Smith apple has 101 calories, no fat, and is 1 pt.
1 cup of broccoli has 30 calories, and 0 pts.
1 navel orange has 70 calories, and 1 pt.

So if you were to eat the above items, you'd consume 201 calories for 2 pts.

The thing about WW is that it's all about making healthy choices. Yes, you could eat 2 T of chunky peanut butter for 2 points and ~190 calories and 16 grams of fat. Or you could eat 3x as much food with a higher calorie count and more fiber, but less fat for the same 2 points.

Karen

[amorey]

Thanks for the responses. I think I might have been feeling hungry because I’m pretty much cutting my caloric intake in half- I was eating 2,500+ calories a day. (Hence the need for WW!) I’m not sure I had the right foods this weekend either. I got groceries with more fruits and veggies and less “energy-dense” foods, so hopefully that might make me feel more satisfied.

Kat, I’m hoping I can use what I know to make WW work better for me, but it is a little frustrating switching gears. WW doesn’t keep track of macronutrients, so I’m going to try to keep that in check on my own. WW does recommended more whole foods in their meal plans, so maybe I can get a start there as well. Hopefully regular weight training with free weights will help me retain my muscle mass.

Karen, I didn’t realize points worked out that way with fruits and veggies! I guess that’s WW’s way of getting you to eat better foods.

[RobynScott]

Karen is correct. Points are determined by taking fiber into account so that you can wind up eating more calories while still staying within your points.

Also, if you're more into whole foods and what not - you could try following the core plan (instead of flex) - that doesn't have you count points and I think it is more akin to SBD. I've only done flex so I can't really speak to core.

[LoveYouKisses]

1 medium Granny Smith apple has 101 calories, no fat, and is 1 pt.
1 cup of broccoli has 30 calories, and 0 pts.
1 navel orange has 70 calories, and 1 pt.

So if you were to eat the above items, you'd consume 201 calories for 2 pts.

The thing about WW is that it's all about making healthy choices. Yes, you could eat 2 T of chunky peanut butter for 2 points and ~190 calories and 16 grams of fat. Or you could eat 3x as much food with a higher calorie count and more fiber, but less fat for the same 2 points.

As a follow up to that - there is a definite formula for how points are calculated. It is:
(Calories/50 + Fat/12) - Fiber/5

Technically you aren't supposed to be able to calculate fiber to be more than -1 point.

HTH
And good luck with WW!!

[wildcat]

As a follow up to that - there is a definite formula for how points are calculated. It is:
(Calories/50 + Fat/12) - Fiber/5

Technically you aren't supposed to be able to calculate fiber to be more than -1 point.

I thought fiber was capped at 4 points meaning you can't deduct more than 0.8 of a point?

2 T of chunky peanut butter for 2 points and ~190 calories and 16 grams of fat

How is that only 2 points? I'd love to know if it really is bc I LOVE my PB and would eat a lot more if it were only 2 points!!

[PeanutButter]

How is that only 2 points? I'd love to know if it really is bc I LOVE my PB and would eat a lot more if it were only 2 points!!

1 tablespoon = 2 points.
2 TBSP = 4.5, I think

[wildcat]

1 tablespoon = 2 points.
2 TBSP = 4.5, I think


Yep, that's how I've always counted it...just wanted to make sure I right! I do splurge on the occasional 1 tb. with my apple, but it's rare!

[PeanutButter]

Oh, I eat it every morning! I luff it so...
1.5 TBSP PB + a 1 point English muffin and I am pretty full until lunch!