Weight Watchers PointsPlus Review: To Pre-Track or Not to Pre-Track?

In one of my favorite episodes of the show "The Office" a character is typing at his computer and another character asks him if he's busy. He asks, "Are you working or are you entering Weight Watchers Points?". The character replies ruefully, "You have to track them right away or you forget."

So true! For almost three months I've been typing away the moment anything passes my lips. It's crucial to do it right away or else something might not get tracked.

Of course, I've often been told that the ideal way to keep your PointsPlus values in check and have a well-rounded diet is to pre-track. (To actually plan your day ahead of time and that way you know exactly how many PointsPlus values you're using and for what. Nothing is left to chance.)

I've tried. But, I like the freedom of getting to choose what I am eating the day of. Almost every time I try to pre-track, I end up deleting almost everything I planned, and I change it to something else.

I think pre-tracking puts me in a "diet" mindframe. I don't suppose I like having anybody tell me what to eat even if it's ... me.

I can see its merits, though. Not being caught off guard by running out of PointsPlus values... making sure I get in those two dairy servings ... those elusive multiple veggie servings.

So, should I "force" myself to pre-track and stick to the plan or should I keep "winging it" daily?

If you've tried Weight Watchers, what worked for you? What are the pros and cons or pre-tracking? Share your tips in comments!

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me with free access to the online version of their program, and other tools, for me to complete my review of the new PointsPlus program. I am in no way being compensated by Weight Watchers.

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Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge

Weight Watchers is challenging Americans to get moving! Its 3rd Annual Walk-It Challenge encourages its members to walk a 5K on National Walk-It Day on May 22, 2011.

Weight Watchers members and online suscribers get a "leg up" with free access to a six-week training plan. You can learn more here.

Check out these great tips for getting started, from Weight Watchers:

The first step is getting up and moving - start slow and increase your speed and distance over time. Be sure to set reasonable goals.

To help motivate you, sign up for a future 5K. Having that date on the calendar is sure to keep you focused.

Be sure to add strength training to your routine. Before you know it, you will have a new you!

Finally, listen to your body. If you need to rest, take a day off. And have fun!

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Weight Watchers PointsPlus Review: Piling on the Power Foods

I'm hoping chowing
down on carrots will crunch my appetite.

If you read my last post about my Weight Watchers PointsPlus review, then you know I was considering switching to a different approach to the plan, the Simply Filling Technique.

Well, I got some great advice from readers about the pros and cons of making the switch and I have settled on a compromise:

For the next three weeks I'm going to eat as many of the Power Foods as I possibly can and see how many "other" foods I tend to work in to my day on average. That way, I'll know how many PointsPlus values I would theorically spend without officially switching to the plan. That will tell me how comfortable I would be with not tracking Power Foods (Can I make them the main-stay of my diet?) and using PointsPlus values for everything else (Just how many non-Power Foods do I actually eat in a week?).

So far, the main Power Food that I have been relying on is fruit. Most all of them have zero PointsPlus values and when I feel like a snack, I reach for them.

What I haven't been eating enough of is veggies! One or two servings at most and if I'm honest, often it's one. My goal this week is to eat two servings each day and work my way up. My first method will be to eat either baby carrots or a big veggie-filled salad at lunch every day.

Other Power Foods I plan to pile on my plate include reduced-calorie bread, soup, fat-free yogurt (I have gone from "forcing" myself to eat it daily to actually looking forward to it! Hello, two servings a day!), egg whites and beans. I haven't been eating these types of foods regularly and I know it's time to.

I am interested to see how much these foods help me curb my hunger. I still struggle with feeling overly-hungry at night and here's hoping adding these foods I've been missing out on will do the trick! Next week, my next weigh-in results will be posted. Stay tuned!

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me with free access to the online version of their program, and other tools, for me to complete my review of the new PointsPlus program. I am in no way being compensated by Weight Watchers.

Image: Clipart.com

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Weight Watchers PointsPlus Review: Weigh-in 11 Results

Last week was my eleventh weigh-in during my review of the Weight Watchers PointsPlus program and I am happy to report that I have passed a milestone ... I've lost 20 pounds. Technically, 20.1 to be exact; I must admit that little .1 on the end makes my smile a little bigger.

Since folks can expect to lose one to two pounds a week on Weight Watchers, I am right on track!

Next week I will be posting a three-month-review/wrap-up post and tell you about my some of experiences a little more in detail, as well as some pros and cons of the Weight Watchers plan and how it compares to other plans I have tried. Come back and check it out!

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me with free access to the online version of their program, and other tools, for me to complete my review of the new PointsPlus program. I am in no way being compensated by Weight Watchers.

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Weight Watchers PointsPlus Review: Week 6

I stepped on my scale anxiously awaiting this week's weigh-in results and I had to do a double-take. Okay, actually I did a triple take. In fact, I got off the scale and back on three times.

Why? Because I had not lost an ounce!

Now, I know a lot about losing weight and that there are ebbs and flows during the process, but somehow I suddenly became that first-time-dieter who couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the scale hadn't budged (Somewhere, deep down, that impatient girl is stamping her foot with her hands on hips going, "But I was so good this week!).

I had to turn up my own voice of reason: The fact is, no matter how effective your diet is, you're going to have a week every now and again that you simply don't lose. Sometimes you may even gain.

There are a lot of reasons this can happen ... water weight gain, water retention due to sodium intake, building muscle due to exercise. The moral of the story is, no matter what method you are using to lose weight, not losing one week (or the next, even), doesn't mean you should give in.

I think about the time I was on Weight Watchers when I was 18. (It was my first attempt.) The first time I didn't lose, I did what I just warned you about: I threw that towel in and threw out my bathroom scale for good measure. I look back now and I regret that.

Losing weight is a process and no matter how much that impatient girl's voice is echoing in my head, "This isn't fair!" I know that I am older and wiser now and that sometimes this just happens. Neither the towel --nor the scale! -- is being thrown anywhere.

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me with free access to the online version of their program, and other tools, for me to complete my review of the new PointsPlus program. I am in no way being compensated by Weight Watchers.

Image: Clipart.com

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Weight Watchers Review: Final January Weigh-In

It's 30 days down on my trial of the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program. The results of my final weigh-in for January? A total of 7.9 pounds lost! I am quite pleased and I am right on target for the 1 to 2 pounds per week that is recommended as a safe weight-loss rate (and that just happens to be exactly what someone on the Weight Watchers program can expect to lose!).

They say it takes 30 days for anything to become a habit, and here are a few habits that are really helping me to stick with the program:

Are you following the new Weight Watchers program? What habits have you found to be helpful? Post your advice in comments or share your own review here.

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me free access to the online version of their program, as well as other tools so that I can review the new PointsPlus program. I am in no way being compensated by Weight Watchers.

Image: Clipart.com

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Weight Watchers Review: Weigh-in Results

As I am entering week six of my Weight Watchers PointsPlus program review, my weigh-in results for today are a grand total of 12.2 pounds lost! (People on Weight Watchers can expect to lose 1-2 pounds a week.)

I have been asked a few questions about my review so far that I thought I would address tonight:

Are you going to meetings?
No, I am following the program completely online.

You tried previous versions of Weight Watchers. Which do you prefer?
This version!

You said last week you always measure servings of things like dressing at home. What do you do when you eat out?
Honestly, I don't eat out as much as I used to, but when I do I ask for condiments to be served "on the side" and I sometimes measure them using a shot glass or a "take out" condiment cup that is either one or two tablespoons.

How much weight did you lose previously on Weight Watchers?
I lost 18 in pounds in just over four months when I tried a previous version of the program.

What do you like most about this version?
The ability to eat almost all fruits and vegetables without "spending" PointsPlus values on them has helped me to greatly increase my intake.

Were you trying to lose weight before starting the new program?
I wasn't following a certain diet. I was focusing on maintaining the weight I had previously lost (by controlling portions, mainly). I would lose a few pounds here and there, but not consistently.

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me with free access to the online version of their program, and other tools, for me to complete my review of the new PointsPlus program. I am in no way being compensated by Weight Watchers.

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Weight Watchers Review: Power Foods to the Rescue!

If you read my earlier entry on my Weight Watchers review, you know that I struggled with feeling hungry during the beginning. It seemed no matter how what I did, I still had hunger pangs.

Well, I am pleased to report that Weight Watchers provides some guidance that has helped me to quell my hunger and get more control of my appetite: Power Foods to the rescue!

Power Foods are nutritious foods and beverages that help you feel fuller longer than other choices, for lower PointsPlus values. I printed out the list of Power Foods and keep a copy nearby at all times. Examples of Power Foods include lattes made with fat-free milk, my favorite fruits and lean protein sources (like fat-free canned refried beans).

I have found easy ways to incorporate more of these Power Foods into my daily meals. Many of the foods have 0 PointsPlus values, so I don't have to exclude anything else to be able to add them. Some of them do have PointsPlus values that count against my daily allowance, so I have found a few switches that make it doable:

For instance, replacing my usual glass of orange juice with fat-free milk is much more satisfying. Enjoying an extra serving of a Power Foods-listed veggie at dinner is much more hunger-dulling than the white dinner roll I used to indulge in.

All these seemingly little changes appear to be paying off much more than I could have realized!

I'll be posting the results of my last weigh-in for the month of January in my next post. Stay tuned!

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me with free access to the online version of their program, and other tools, for me to review the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program.

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Weight Watchers PointsPlus Unveiled

For 13 years, the essential principle of the Weight Watchers plan has been "calories in, calories out" -- using a slide rule or online tools to calculate how many "points" any given food or beverage contains based on calories, fat and fiber allowed dieters to stay within a daily points goal to control their calorie intake and lose weight.

Now, Weight Watchers has announced that their new PointsPlus System will take into account foods' overall nutrition, helping members to create a diet with a healthy balance of protein, carbohydrates, healthy fat and fiber. The message will help dieters understand that using their points on a nutrient-rich food is a better choice than using the same number of points on something not-so-nutritious. The new plan also takes into account how hard the body has to work in order to use the energy from a given food and there remains a focus on choosing filling foods over those that leave you hungry sooner rather than later.

I have often spoken highly of Weight Watchers and am excited to learn more about the changes. I must admit that I'm one of those "change is scary" people, and I really liked the Points version, but I think it will prove to be a good change.

For me, the best part I've heard -- so far -- is that most fruits and vegetables are going to count as zero points! I think this will be excellent news for those find any diet tough to stick to due to hunger pangs -- they'll be able to reach for fruit and most veggies any time to curb their appetite and stay on track on the new plan.

If you currently attend Weight Watchers meetings or follow the program online, what do you think of the changes?

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Weight Watchers Review: Party On!

It's the start of week three of my trial of the new Weight Watchers PointsPlus program. So far I have lost just under six pounds (People on Weight Watchers can expect to lose one to two pounds per week.). I am adjusting to living on the program a little more each day. One of the things I like about Weight Watchers is that it helps you to be mindful even when you don't want to be. And that's a good thing.

A party usually throws me off my eating plan. Show me bowls full of those little things you can grab a handful of and munch away to your heart's content and I am in trouble. That all-or-nothing thing kicks in and "I-might-as-well" becomes my mantra (e.g., If I've already eaten the pretzels, I might as well go for the dip, too.)

But instead of turning into a human vacuum, I counted the Goldfish crackers I ate. I must admit: If I hadn't been on my Weight Watchers trial, nary a 'fish would have been counted. Or the peanuts. Or the nacho chips. You get the picture.

But because I knew I needed to account for my PointsPlus values for everything I ate and drank, I didn't have that "all-or-nothing/free-for-all" reaction that I might have otherwise had. Knowing that you are accountable to count those PointsPlus values, makes you stop, take a breather and yes, count each Goldfish.

Are you on the Weight Watchers PointsPlus program, too? Share your review and tell us what you like (Or don't!) about this version of the program.

Note: Weight Watchers has provided me with free access to the online version of their program, and other tools, in order for me to review the new PointsPlus program.

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