Ever Wonder What People Meant By “Points”???????
Last week I focused on a broad range of diet plans and programs that are available. With everything from books to diet centers, it’s enough to make a dieters head spin. This week I thought I’d get into the nitty gritty of all those diets we’ve heard about and tried…or wanted to try. I think I’ve gone on about a million diets, so if there is one out there that you’re especially intrigued with, give me a shout and I’ll give you the lowdown (if I’ve done it!).
I thought I’d start off with what I think is an extremely successful diet plan—yes, Weight Watchers. I’ve mentioned it a bunch of times before, but I’ll start by giving you an overview of the plan, the differences between the Flex Points and Core plans and what you can expect from each. Don’t forget to take a peek at my previous entry,
Why Weight Watchers Works , for some further insight and inspiration.
**On a side note, my hubby announced that he was going to “cut out the carbs” as a part of his “get fit” New Year’s Resolution. I hate to break it to him, but Lite Beer, Baked Potato chips and Girl Scout cookies do not count as low carb. Sheesh.
First and foremost, the main reason Weight Watchers is so popular is because they don’t have a controlled food list that most diets have. Weight Watchers doesn’t forbid you to have ANY certain food but instead promotes portion control which usually means a lifestyle change for most of us.
Foods are assigned point values based on their calorie, fat, and fiber content. You are allowed to eat within a certain point range per day. For example, if you weight between 175-199 pounds, you can eat 24 points per day. If your weight range is 150-174, 22 and so on and so forth. With that, you pick your foods and eat what you want, as long as you don’t exceed your allotment of points. If I can do it, so can you!
Flex Points
The Flex plan is what I described above. All foods are assigned point values, and you are given a point range to follow so you don’t overeat. You get your Daily Points target and are allowed 35 “extra points” for the week. You pick and choose your foods accordingly. You can eat whatever you want, but rest assured, if you’re craving a REAL chocolate milkshake, you might use up a days worth of points. Surprisingly enough, you get a lot more than you think for your points. With the flex plan, you also have to include 5 servings of fruits and veggies, 2 servings of milk and 2 servings of oil within your point allowance on a daily basis. You can also “earn back” additional points by exercising. So, if you power walk for 30 min. you might earn 2 points back and enjoy a WW bar as a treat for your efforts!
The Core Plan
The other plan you can choose is the Core plan. With this plan, you are not given a daily point range to follow, but are instructed to choose between foods in a list very similar to the foods available on the Zone and South Beach Diets. On the Core Plan you may have unlimited amounts of fresh, canned, or frozen vegetables, but not vegetable juice. The same rule applies to fruits – fresh, canned, or frozen, but not fruit juice. You are advised to eat until you are satisfied. You must also make sure there is no added sugar in your fruit or vegetables (such as tomato or spaghetti sauce). Fat is limited and all dairy must be fat-free, and you can only use fat-free margarine. On the Core Plan you must eat one serving of whole grains such (think whole wheat pasta or brown rice). And you may also eat potatoes, but again they are limited to one serving per day.
On the Core Plan, you are also given a weekly allowance of points that you may spend on non-Core foods, as long as you stay within the limit. The only drawback to the Core Plan is the “unlimited” amount you can eat. I never followed the Core because I knew this would lead to diet malfunction. I had to measure out my food and have someone tell me where to stop—because we don’t always stop when we’re “satisfied”..I mean, what is that really?
Check out the Weight Watchers official site at www.weightwatchers.com to find a Weight Watchers center near you, meeting times and other useful info.
Tomorrow: Heading to Your First Meeting