Confused by Weight Watchers

[falcon123]

Can anybody explain Weight Watchers to me in simple terms? A friend joined recently and she talks in terms of points. As I understand it there are Food Points and Exercise Points. What puzzles me is that neither seems directly related to the calories eaten or expended. I have always understood if calories consumed are greater than those expended you gain weight and vice versa. The one that stood out was the same number of calories expended running was worth more points than the same number of calories expended walking. What have I missed here? I am but a simple mathematician.

 

[Northerner]

I think it might be that running uses more muscles more intensively, and the subsequent after-effect in raising the metabolism is greater than with walking (unless it's speed-walking!).

 

[cazscot]

Can anybody explain Weight Watchers to me in simple terms? A friend joined recently and she talks in terms of points. As I understand it there are Food Points and Exercise Points. What puzzles me is that neither seems directly related to the calories eaten or expended. I have always understood if calories consumed are greater than those expended you gain weight and vice versa. The one that stood out was the same number of calories expended running was worth more points than the same number of calories expended walking. What have I missed here? I am but a simple mathematician.

Hiya, WW points are based on calories and saturated fat and dont take into consideration carbohydrates or fibre. 1 ww point is approximately 70 calories (depending on how much saturated fat there is). The amont of points allocated per day depends on gender, height, weight and exercise activity. The formula is (total cals/70) added to (total sat fat/4) eg 700 cals 0g sat fat would be 10 points and 700 cals 16g sat fat would be 14 points.

I find the exercise points a bit of a hit and miss. If you burn 400 cals on the rowing machine they should be worth the same amount of points and burning 400 cals on the treadmill. What your pal may be talking about is ww assumes that you are doing a certain amount of moderate exercise per day. I have the ww pedometer and I have to do a certain amount of "healthy" steps per day before I start earning bonus points. The amount of healthy steps depends on weight and stride lenght etc. Hope I have explained things okay.

I have been at ww since last may and would like to think I am now a bit of an expert at it 🙄 so feel free to pm me if you have any other queries.

 

[Peter C]

Hiya, WW points are based on calories and saturated fat and dont take into consideration carbohydrates or fibre. 1 ww point is approximately 70 calories (depending on how much saturated fat there is). The amont of points allocated per day depends on gender, height, weight and exercise activity. The formula is (total cals/70) added to (total sat fat/4) eg 700 cals 0g sat fat would be 10 points and 700 cals 16g sat fat would be 14 points.

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Is 14 points considered worse than 10 ?
seems unusual that a diet regime is awarding points for sat fats unless they are considered negative.
Do have a target of so many points per day ?

 

[karinagal]

Depending on weight, gender and activity levels, you have a set number of 'points' per day. This particular version of WW diets didn't work for me, too much weighing and measuring.. probably why I'm in the position that I am today! Never mind... weight's coming off nice and steady now..

 

[sofaraway]

Is 14 points considered worse than 10 ?
seems unusual that a diet regime is awarding points for sat fats unless they are considered negative.
Do have a target of so many points per day ?

Yeah it's worse. You have a number of points you can use each day. I think my nan had 24 points per day when she did it a few years ago. (I might be wrong on 24 but it was around that).

 

[MartinX123]

I do it.

I am on 21 points per day, although I try to stay at about 18. Activity points are annoying, 20 mins of swimming earns 1 point regardless of how many lengths you do or how quickly you go but I try not to eat them anyway.

I also combine doing that with trying to stay low GI and obviously low sugar for the diabetes. I have lost 7lbs since I started in August so its going slowly, but it is going!! lol. And I feel better & have more control of bs levels since upping the excercise & that really is my main goal.

 

[cazscot]

Is 14 points considered worse than 10 ?
seems unusual that a diet regime is awarding points for sat fats unless they are considered negative.
Do have a target of so many points per day ?

Its not considered worse, you have a set amount of points to use per day. I am currently on 23 points per day if I wanted to eat say 14 points of food I could just means I would only have 9 points to use up for the rest of the day if that makes sense... And yes Peter ww seems to think saturated fat is worse than the amount of carbohydrates in food.

Depending on weight, gender and activity levels, you have a set number of 'points' per day. This particular version of WW diets didn't work for me, too much weighing and measuring.. probably why I'm in the position that I am today! Never mind... weight's coming off nice and steady now..

Hiya, Karina well done on your weight loss, ww dosent work for everyone and if you have found another way of loosing weight go for it! x

I do it.

I am on 21 points per day, although I try to stay at about 18. Activity points are annoying, 20 mins of swimming earns 1 point regardless of how many lengths you do or how quickly you go but I try not to eat them anyway.

I also combine doing that with trying to stay low GI and obviously low sugar for the diabetes. I have lost 7lbs since I started in August so its going slowly, but it is going!! lol. And I feel better & have more control of bs levels since upping the excercise & that really is my main goal.

Yep Starbanana, the excercise bonus points drive me nuts as well! With me it is just trial and error. Sometimes I find I need to eat a few of my bonus points for a better weight loss x

 

[Adrienne]

When I joined last year I was given 27 points but couldn't eat it all so ended up eating four crumpets every night with marmite on (no butter) to use the points up which I was told I was doing the right thing. Crumpets are 1 point each.

I lost a stone but stopped doing it. Its too much like hard work on the old brain. I have gone to the docs instead and got referred to a dietician and asked for a meal plan. The dietician said highly unusual and they usually guide you on what is good or not. I told him I knew all that as I had to watch and count everything my daughter has. He had no idea pasta spiked blood sugars !!!! I ended up telling him a thing or two. However he did end up finding a 4 weekly plan and printed it out. It is basic stuff. I just needed to be told what to eat as my brain has so much else to think about with Jessica that I just don't bother with myself so now I have shopping to get and hey presto hopefully on the way to losing weight.

Have lost 1/2 stone since going dairy free at beginning of January.

🙂

 

[falcon123]

I am concerned now. Last night I finished early to go and pick up my prescription (that's another story). I then went to meet my friend at thw WW session and listened in. They insisted that milk and cheese do not contain protein only fat and calcium! I took my friend to Sainsburys after to prove that they do. Funny how my previous consultant though that baked potato with either baked beans or cottage cheese was a nutrious meal. I would add a side salad myself!