Archive for the ‘WW Info’ Category

Weight Watchers Good Health Guideline – Healthy Oils

March 23rd, 2012 savingmo

In my Weight Watchers meeting last week the good health guideline of healthy oils started being discussed, and there was a lot of questions about them. Some members didn't know what they were, others thought you could just take fish oil supplements and meet the requirement, a few of us knew what they were and ways to get them in, and a few others swore that you could eat an avocado and satisfy the requirement.

I was one of the people that knew the what, why, and how to get the oils in. Some people didin't want to get the oils each week because it takes 2 points of your day to satisfy the requirement. My opinion on that is it's only 2 points - and if it is one of the good health guidelines of the Weight Watchers plan you should probably be working to satisfy it.....because if you're not - then you are following your own plan and not really doing Weight Watchers Good Lord - I could write a whole long long post on that one too!

So What Are Good Healthy Oils and Why Do We Need Them?

There are five good healthy oils that you can choose from to satisfy your healthy oil requirement. They are Canola, Olive, Safflower, Sunflower, and Flax Seed Oil. Please note that this has to be a pourable oil. Caplets, Fish Oil Seeds, Flax Seeds, and even avocados will not count!

The reason that Weight Watchers built this as a part of their plan is that healthy oils help our bodies do a few things:

1. Our body can't process certain nutrients and vitamins without having healthy fats running though our systems as well. One of those frequent foods (another good health guideline) is fruits and vegetables. We can't process all the nutrients in those items without healthy oils - and if I'm eating them, I want the full benefit!

2. Healthy oils help your skin, hair, and nails to stay shiny smooth and looking brilliant.

3. Healthy oils help you poo. Just saying.

How In The World Do I Use These In My Diet?

All you need to satisfy the good health guideline each day is 2 teaspoons of the healthy oils per day. It's pretty easy to get in - here are a few suggestions of ways to painlessly add them to your day:

- Add it to your oatmeal

- Add it to your smoothie

- Place Asparagus In A Baking Pan and Drizzle on top with Sea Salt (freaking amazing, btw!)

- Place Broccoli In A Baking Pan and Drizzle On Top

- Place *Any Vegetable You Want* In A Baking Pan and Drizzle On Top

- Make Your Own Salad Dressing - Use 2 tsp of healthy oil and Mix Mrs. Dash Into It

- Put it in your skillet before making eggs

Do you get your healthy oils in each day? Any unique ways to use them? (I'm always looking for new ways!)
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Do I Really Need To Eat All My Points On Weight Watchers?

March 15th, 2012 savingmo

This is such a frequent question that I hear both in the Weight Watchers meeting room as well as online on the message boards...

Do I really need to eat all my points?

In a word - YES!!

The good people at Weight Watchers did not just randomly decide to develop a points range from 26 to 71. They did it based on science. They use a scientific formula to develop a plan that is right for you - which includes eating all the points allotted to you.

I know it may seem counter-intuitive to eat more to lose weight, but it really does work. Think about your car for a minute. You wouldn't go and put 5 gallons of gas in and expect to get the same mileage that you get when you put 10 gallons in - right? Our bodies are the same. They need fuel to be able to burn what we are putting in. If you are constantly shorting your body of what it needs it isn't going to ever know when it will get those nutrients again. It will start holding on to things that you do put in your body and then you'll stall out at the scale.

There is no point in being hungry on Weight Watchers, or in any "diet" really. If you're constantly starving, how long do you realistically think you're going to stick with it......probably not long. The points (both daily and weekly) are there to help you stay satisfied and to help in increasing your success - use that!

Do you consistently meet your daily points target? If not - why the heck not and please if you don't eat them can I have them?? ;-)

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Weight Loss Tip: Prep For Your Week Ahead Of Time

March 12th, 2012 savingmo

I've gotten real good at buying fresh produce in the last year. What drives me crazy is when I find a shriveled up piece of fruit in the back of the fridge that did not get used and is now past its prime!

I've started using a system that really helps me out - both on my budget by using the produce I buy, and with my waist line by eating the produce I buy.

Each week when I get home from the store (or shortly after) I will wash my produce and prep it for the week. By prepping, I take and pull all the grapes off the stems, I cut up my pineapple and canteloupe, and I wash anything else that just needs to be washed before using. I'll even peel and cut up my carrots into sticks if I bought a bag for snacking.

After washing and cutting, I'll put the prepped fruits and veggies in tupperware containers and put them on the top shelf of my fridge. That way, when I open it up, I can see what's ready to be eaten, PLUS, I know that there is always a ready zero point snack waiting for me!

What tips and tricks do you use to make sure your produce gets used up?

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Weight Watchers Simply Filling Technique

March 1st, 2012 savingmo

Did you know that Weight Watchers has a plan that you don't have to count points? They do! It's called Simply Filling and I tried it out today.

Simply Filling allows you to chose from the Weight Watchers Power Foods - fruit, vegetables, lean meats, low fat milk and yogurt, and a few other items. You're allowed to eat these until you are in a food coma satisfied. That's the key there - satisfied, not stuffed beyond belief.

On former Weight Watchers plans you could not switch day to day from counting points and then do Simply Filling. You had to pick one or the other and do it for a consistent week. They changed this up recently and I thought I would try it out.

I am in desperate need of going grocery shopping so my healthy food choices are limited to me until tomorrow. I went though my getting started A-Z food guide last night and wrote down what power foods I had in the house. Turns out, I had quite a bit!

So far today I've had my oatmeal with peanut butter and evoo (the oils you do not have to count because it is considered a good health guideline, but the peanut butter I do have to count. How great would a plan be if you could eat peanut butter to satisfaction??!!). My peanut butter will have to come out of my weekly 49 points allowance, or I am also going to the gym tonight, so that will likely cover it. I had a big old glass of water with my pb oatmeal.

Lunch was a tuna salad (lettuce with tuna on top) with salsa as the dressing. If you've not tried that before, it sounds somewhat disgusting, but I find it to be a nice refreshing option to salad dressing. I also made a egg sandwich (which is usually part of breakfast) with a Whole Grain Light English Muffin and an Egg. A handful of grapes thrown in and another big old glass of water and lunch is done!

Dinner may be a bit more challenging. Like I said, we are WAY low on options right now (marathon grocery session coming up tomorrow!) so I don't know if I'm going to be able to make a full Simply Filling Dinner. I might actually make something for everyone else and just have another tuna salad for me....because yes, it was that good!

Have you tried the Simply Filling Technique? How successful have you been following it?
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It’s National Peanut Butter Lovers Day!

March 1st, 2012 savingmo

It's National Peanut Butter Lovers Day!

I actually had no idea that this even existed, but it was in the Weight Watchers Weekly that I got last night at my meeting. There was a really yummy looking picture of a peanut butter and chocolate cookie too......mmmmmm, if only I could just make one of them!

I think peanut butter gets a bad wrap a lot of times. While it is higher in fat and calories, it's a good source of protein and pairs very well with other healthy foods. One of my recent favorites is putting 1 Tbsp of peanut butter mixed in my oats each morning. It is so fantastically good and only costs me 5 points. I usually pair that with some fruit and coffee and it keeps me full until late morning!

If you want the taste of peanut butter but really don't want all the fat - check out PB2 . It is a dehydrated peanut butter powder that you reconstitute with oil or water. It won't work on peanut butter and jelly, but does work very well in smoothies or other recipes.

How do you prefer your peanut butter - Mixed in, chunky, creamy, or are you a fan of Peanut Butter Fingers?

Disclaimer: This post contains a link to an affiliate. See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.

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Weight Watchers Cookbook Giveaway

October 26th, 2011 savingmo

One of my passions that I have discovered since starting my weight loss journey is that I love to cook!  I'm a pretty basic girl and don't like to use a lot of fussy ingredients that no one has ever heard of (although I do like to try new things!).

When I signed up with Weight Watchers, one of the items in the new member kit was a cookbook.  Now, I have quite a few Weight Watchers books, but this one has all of the recipes converted into Points Plus values.

The meals are also easy peasy and is broken down by meal - so if you're only wanting ideas for breakfast or lunch, it's easy to find something!

I've decided what could be a better way to introduce someone to eating more healthy than to give them an awesome cookbook! I'm giving one of these away, and here's how you can get a chance to win:

  1. Head over and "like" Skinny Points on Facebook.  It's a little more intimate setting to get to know one another!  Leave me a comment and let me know!
  2. Go ahead and follow me on Twitter too. Leave me a comment and let me know!
  3. Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite meal to eat is - and if you have any tips to "Skinny" it up!
  4. Get bonus entries for sharing Skinny Points with your friends on Facebook.  Just hit the "Share" button and leave me a comment that you've done so!

Entries will be accepted until 11/15/2011 at 11 pm EST.  Please leave a valid email so that if you win I can reach you.  The winner will be chosen at random based on entries received.

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Weight Loss Philosophy

September 28th, 2011 savingmo

There are a lot of opinions out there on the best way to lose weight. You can go no carb, high carb, low carb, vegetarian, all meat, tofu, shake...and the list goes on. With so many options and opinions, how do you know what is best?

I think the answer to this is you need to do what works for you! If you are truly wanting to lose weight - not just for the sake of losing, but to also gain a healthy lifestyle - you really need to take a look at the diet you're thinking of choosing. I feel like if a diet completely eliminates a whole food group it is probably something that I would not want to continue for my entire life, thus leading to a nice weight loss - which will likely be followed with a nice weight gain!

I am a true believer in all things in moderation. This is one of the things that I LOVE about Weight Watchers. I don't have to worry about buying "special" foods that my family won't want to eat or blow my entire budget on one week of food (cheese and meat get very expensive if that's all you're buying!). Plus, I know that this "diet" is becoming a lifestyle, and it is something that I can see myself doing forever.

Weight loss doesn't have to be as complicated as it sometimes is made to be. Break it down into day by day.  Simply eat better, move more, and repeat the next day.   You're well on your way to a healthier lifestyle!

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How To Track Weight Watchers Activity Points

September 20th, 2011 savingmo
exerheart

I am big on getting your activity in each day. I think it is a huge motivator to continue to eat healthy as well as to accelerate your metabolism!

When you're doing Weight Watchers - it's very important to track your activity into points. You need to make sure that you are fueling your body for as much energy as you are putting out. Think of your body like a car - you have to put fuel in for it to run!

One of the big discrepancies I've come across is the counting of activity points using your tracker online versus the online calculator in eTools (if you're a Weight Watchers member and use the online trackers). The eTools calculator has the activities already sorted out - ie - running 5.0 mph for 20 minutes - while the tracker online (next to the calculator) allows you to track via your weight, rate of intensity, and time.

My personal opinion is that using your tracker is much more accurate than using the pre-calculated activities. I also use a heart rate monitor to track my calories and then convert the calories burned into activity points. I use the calculation of 1 AP/100 Calories burned, but there are some who feel with the new plan 1AP should be counted for each 80 calories burned.

In the end, it is all just a matter of preference, but I prefer to use the method that tends to yield more accurate results so that I am tracking my output of energy accurately.

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Why Choose Weight Watchers?

August 17th, 2011 savingmo

With so many diet programs and plans available in the world, why would anyone choose Weight Watchers over any other?  In my personal opinion, I choose to do Weight Watchers over other plans due to the fact that I don't feel limited while I am following the plan.

I'm a girl that loves me some Taco Bell. To be honest, I would probably eat fast food for every meal if I had the money and the metabolism of a hummingbird! Yes....I know it's disgusting, but it's true!

To me - if a diet becomes something that is constantly limiting me to what I can't have - it's not worth staying on. I like that Weight Watchers will allow me to be able to have that burrito (on occasion!) from Taco Bell. I like that I can have ice cream and regular soda if I want it. I can eat it and not have to beat myself up for days. Oh yeah - I can also still eat those things in moderation AND loose weight!!

Many people have criticized Weight Watchers saying that it isn't a valid plan because you don't know how many calories that you consume.  My take on this is why worry about having to calculate all of that when the science has already been completed for you! The system is developed based on the amount of calories that go into fat, fiber, proteins, and carbohydrates. For me it is so much easier to remember 30 points a day rather than 1500 calories and try to keep track of those numbers each day!

Weight watchers also gives a balance by focusing on good healthy guidelines:

  1. 5-7 fruits and vegetables per day
  2. Activity - 30 Minutes Per Day
  3. Limit Sodium and Alcohol Inatke
  4. Focus on Lean Proteins
  5. Focus on Whole Grains
  6. Liquids - 6-8 Cups - Doesn't have to be water!
  7. Healthy Oils - 2 Teaspoons of pourable, healthy oils
  8. Multi-Vitamin
  9. Dairy - 2 to 3 servings per day

What do you think of the Weight Watchers Points Plus System? Do you have any questions about the plan?

This post contains a link to an affiliate. See my Disclaimer Policy more information.

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Welcome To Skinny Points!

August 16th, 2011 savingmo

Hi! I'm Amber and I'm so happy to welcome you to Skinny Points!  This is my personal page that I wanted to create to share with you my weight loss journey.  I started Weight Watchers on January 1, 2011, and I'm doing well so far - down 50.1 pounds since January 1, 2011!

I have experience in blogging and when I'm not here you can find me at Savings Lifestyle sharing the best coupon deals!  Something I really want to focus on here is showing that you can truly lose weight by changing your lifestyle - not changing your entire life.  Plus I want to break the myth that you can't eat healthy while using coupons!

 

I've literally tried nearly every diet plan out there - Jenny Craig, Grapefruit Diet, Atkins, South Beach, Tofu Shake Diet (ugh!), Green Bean Diet, and probably even more that I can't even remember.  I've even tried Weight Watchers in the past as well, but I never stuck with it.

This time is different.  I've been doing this plan for almost 9 months now and it is completely liveable.  I don't feel shame if I eat a piece (or two....or three...) of chocolate cake.  I track it and move on!  I've come to the realization that this is a journey, not a sprint and that if I make mistakes along the way - it. is. okay.

I hope seeing my mistakes along the way give you encouragement!  And I hope it gives me a swift kick to get back into gear :-)  Being accountable to someone is imperative to staying on track, and I think being accountable to you will help me.

Some of the things I will be sharing here each week is daily food and activity logs, a weekly weigh in, measurement updates every two weeks, recipes, and restaurant points plus lists...plus whatever else may strike my fancy along the way.

I also want to encourage healthy community here, so you can always check out the live chat that is on the main page.  Also, if you've lost weight in the past or if you're currently losing weight please consider completing this form to let me know how you're doing.  I hope to feature a person each week on the blog that is rocking it!

You can always contact me via email at amber at skinnypoints.com or on Facebook or on Twitter.  It's not very active there right now but I'm sure it will be soon.  Thanks so much for stopping by and I am so looking forward to sharing my journey with you!

Disclaimer: This post contains a link to an affiliate. See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.

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