Just started Weight Watchers

[Faithr]

I went to a meeting and joined yesterday morning and I've been hungry ever since! :tongue_smilie: I am now munching on baby carrots. 10 are zero points! The hardest part though is cooking for the family while trying to limit my own portions/foods. I am such a wuss about eating. I get all shakey and headachey when I'm hungry and today was so hard trying to school, keep my patience and not eat. I realize I eat to relieve stress.

 

I remember my sister once joking that she could be a fat, patient mom or a skinny b*tchy one. You could tell she was dieting at the time cuz she hardly ever uses colorful language!

 

Any tips on keeping those points down and not getting too cranky at the same time?

[Rich with Kids]

I love string cheese. I usually have one stick between meals and drink a ton of water/crystal light/decaf tea. I also chew minty gum during my hungry times. (4-6) Good luck! Be patient. WW is a great program!

[Kim in Appalachia]

When she can stick with it, it works great. The key is planning. She prefers to spread her points out through the day. She will eat a very low point breakfast (like 2), and a low lunch, so she can have a snack in the afternoon. A good snack is that Laughing Cow cheese (the light, a single wedge is 0 points I think), with whole wheat crackers (I can't remember the brand of crackers, they are very good, whole wheat and only 1 or 2 pts for 10).

 

She also likes to fill up with veggies. She loves asparagus, and will roast it in her oven and eat a big plate full.

 

For a family the key is to have special food that is only for you. Special crackers, or other snacks that no one else may touch.

 

Don't let yourself get over hungry because then you will eat too much.

 

My mom also likes to have a hot cup of tea. She uses no sugar, and having a tea lets her feel like she has had something.

 

I hope you do well with it.

 

Kim

[Ohio12]

I eat a lot of cottage cheese and peanut butter toast, protein shakes, turkey on whole wheat and other protein rich foods that make me feel full longer. Carrots would not do it for me...unless in addition to something else! Also, eat before you get starving. I hate being hungry too!

[Joanne]

Getting healthier is a great journey! I always feel better when I eat whole foods, well prepared.

 

WW, *for me*, was not a match. I felt shaky, irritable and not right even after the initial days and staying on program. Now that they have Core, I'd do better.

 

If your feelings continue, if you are not on Core, maybe consider switching?

[Faith]

You can easily eat core foods while doing flex. That's what I do and it works very well. The core food list is more filling and healthier options too.

 

Good luck!

[RoughCollie]

I've been on Weight Watchers for 2 weeks now,and I have not been hungry yet.

 

Every day, I eat at least 5 servings of vegetables, 6 servings of whole grains. 5 oz. of chicken or fish daily (except 1/2 c. beans substituted for 3 oz, 3x a week), 2 servings of fruit. I feed my family what I eat, although I will serve additional foods the kids like (Stovetop Stuffing, rolls, gravy, beef, dessert). Of course, the kids get dairy products in abundance. I also serve dessert for them (nothing I absolutely love to eat).

 

I eat a lot of whole grains, and I think they help me feel full. Examples: Arnold 100% Whole Wheat Bread with Double Fiber, brown rice, oatmeal.

 

I eat fruit for snacks between meals. I will also drink skim milk or eat an ounce of 75% reduced fat cheddar cheese and some whole grain wheat thins, if fruit is not enough.

 

If you go to http://www.weightwatchers.com , they have message boards there, including for newbies, flex plan users, and core plan users. Anyone can post there. They have a 0-point soup recipe that is very good that a lot of people use to help fill themselves up. They also have a lot of helpful tips. Lots of folks are emotional eaters, and they post their problems handling this on those boards, too, and receive lots of support and helpful advice.

 

If you have the online tools as part of your plan, you can use the recipe builder to figure out how many points the recipes you usually cook are. Just make sure you measure your serving accurately.

 

I also use http://www.fatsecret.com to record my food intake, so I can make sure I get the amount of protein, carbohydrates, fiber, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and calories I am aiming for. That's a good resource if you need to do that. I have heart problems, so I have to make sure my diet is the best for my health, not just for losing weight in a healthy manner.

 

I was on WW about 15 years ago, and the plan works as well as it ever did, except I'm not hungry this time around because I spend my points on the aforementioned whole grains and veggies -- no empty calories, or high point (and high fat) meats. I also make sure to follow the 8 Healthy Guidelines every day. The Flex Plan was frustrating to me at first, until I researched the healthiest amount of nutrients I need in my diet and based my daily food plans directly on that. Now it takes next to no time to plan meals and snacks. (Note: I have gone from being a person who loves to cook elaborate meals with butter & sauces, to a plain cook in the last 2 weeks. )

 

I also found a lot of helpful information at http://www.realage.com .

 

One more thing: It really, truly helps to be your own best cheerleader. I tell myself continually what a good job I'm doing staying on the plan, how great I am for eating oatmeal and how it tastes better the more I eat it, how healthy I am becoming by treating my body right, I congratulate myself for eating all my fruits and veggies, and so forth. I also have nonfood rewards in mind for myself as I reach milestones along the way, and a big one for when I reach my goal weight. I visualize myself being healthy, active and slender, too. I also pray about this entire matter. I force myself to be upbeat and positive in my thoughts and don't let them linger on negative aspects or feelings of deprivation. I eat when I'm hungry; I refuse to feel starved.

 

HTH,

RC

[WTMindy]

Have a bag of 94% fat free microwave popcorn. A whole bag is only 2 points and it is so filling. This was my ace in the hole when I was doing WW!! (By the way, I'm starting again on Monday, so I'll be with ya!!)

[Night Elf]

Be sure to eat all your points, even the 35 weekly points. You'll feel better and lose weight more easily. I've seen this mentioned in my meetings and on the WW boards quite frequently.

 

I spread my meals out during the day. I eat when I'm hungry and only eat until I'm full. That has been the biggest change for me.

 

My favorite snack is an english muffin. The WW brand is only 1 pt. each. I prefer the Thomas brand, Honey Wheat Light or something like that which is also only 1 pt. each. A little squirt of Smart Squeeze nonfat margarine spread is 0 points. A small can of tuna with a little miracle whip is also really good with multigrain crackers. I've done really well with WW because I've moved to higher fiber foods.

 

I should be hitting my 10% next weigh-in, which is next Thursday. I'm only a pound a way but last weekend was my dd10's birthday AND easter AND my high schooler was cooking desserts for school. Yikes! :)

[C_l_e_0..Q_c]

If you're feeling hungry, you're eating the wrong foods, but that's part of the education you get with WW. Even though two foods can have the same number of points, one will fill you more than the other. And, even though there are guidelines, it really is dependent on the person.

 

When I was on the program 2 years ago, I spread my points out during the day. I needed a morning snack and an afternoon snack, but once I had that under control, I never felt hungry for the rest of the program. I also found that keeping my points for supper time didn't make me lose weight. The best meal for me was lunch time. I needed a very light supper. And before WW, supper time was my biggest meal. It was a lot of re-educating!

 

I lost weight, reached my goal and more, kept it off for 2 years, but it's all back in the third year. I lost all the good habits I had developed. I need to go back.

[Faithr]

I think my problem is that I am used to grazing all day long and overeating and so to suddenly stop grazing (even though foods are all around me because I'm at home with the kids) and the fact that I just reduced the amount of food I usually eat, made me really, really hungry! I think it will take me a while to adjust. I did borrow a couple of points from the 35 weekly points. I just have to be patient and figure this out.

 

But I got on the scale and I'm already down 5.5 lbs! I know I don't want to lose so fast but wow that was quick!

[WTMindy]

I think my problem is that I am used to grazing all day long and overeating and so to suddenly stop grazing (even though foods are all around me because I'm at home with the kids) and the fact that I just reduced the amount of food I usually eat, made me really, really hungry! I think it will take me a while to adjust. I did borrow a couple of points from the 35 weekly points. I just have to be patient and figure this out.

 

But I got on the scale and I'm already down 5.5 lbs! I know I don't want to lose so fast but wow that was quick!

 

Good job. Usually when you first start there is a pretty big jump because you are losing some water weight. Now comes the long haul. Good job to you for starting!!