ww points equate to how many calories?

[pgun]

Can anyone tell me weight watchers points equate to how many calories? You know like 1200+/-?? To me it sounds like there wouldn't be enough. A girl I work w/is doing it (she weighed 110# when she started) and from what she tells me she eats it is not enough calories for the points she is eating? She gets offensive when I ask her how many calories she's taking in.

She may eat cereal in morning w/fruit. At 10am she eats 1/2 sandwich w/carrots. Then eats some salad and possibly a meat when she gets how. and I think her meat is less than 3 oz because her and her husband split their meat portions.

 

[cjbate]

WW points

It is 50 calories for every point, so if something is 100 calories it is 2 points, but then from there you add 1 point for every 12 grams of fat, and subtract a point for every 5 g of fiber. So if something is higher in fiber, you can eat more calories of it, with the same points. Same as, if you eat something very fatty, it wil be worth more points because of the fat.

Your daily points (last I remember) is based on your weight, but the minimum as I recall was 25 points. You can also bank up to 5 points per day to save for splurging.

You are also allowed to add points for phyiscal activity. They have charts etc so if you are working out, you eat more.

HTH
Jen

 

[amyg]

The minimum points is more like 18; I remember since I sorely missed my minimum being 20 when I lost enough to move into the next category!! I moved from 20-25/day to 18-23/day at I think 135lbs or so; maybe it was at 150lbs?

You can add points based on physical activity; I think it ranges from 1-5 points daily based on your exertion level. If you want me to look it up let me know as I still have all my stuff from 2001!

 

[Boingo1]

Plus there are "free" foods you can eat "freely". Most veggies and anything under 30 calories. A small plum is also "0" points. So even though the points/calories may seem low, there could be more going on with 0-point items too.

 

[AEHaight66]

I've had the same concern about calories - 20 pt would be ~ 1000 calories per day, which isn't enough according to generally accepted nutrtional guidelines.

The minimum points (excluding the "extra" points allowance of 35 per week) is 18/day. If you divided your "extra" points evenly during the week, you could eat 23 pt/day.

Personally, I have found that anything less than 25/day for me makes me feel AWFUL.

Bottom line is that IMO, the WW points system (Flex) works great if you are significantly overweight. BUT, as you get closer to a healthier weight I'm not sure that you really get what you need. Core is better as you get to a healthier weight IMO - clean eating!

 

[Stebby]

When I was doing WW a few years back, I lost weight quite nicely on 30 points per day (about 1500 calories). I didn't mention my little "rule change" to the leader, but like the last poster, I just wasn't getting enough food if I stuck to their guidelines! I think that WW is designed more for people who start completely inactive, and work up to being lightly active (you can "eat back" a maximum of 4 exercise points per day, which is not very much). Anyone who does Cathe or similar-calibre workouts probably isn't going to last very long if they follow the program exactly as prescribed.

BTW, although I was very successful on WW, and I think it is a good program that lends itself well to customization for one's own needs, I ended up quitting because of something my last WW leader said to me. In the group discussion, we were talking about exercise programs. I mentioned that I taught group fitness, did various cardio workouts and lifted weights. The leader counseled me to give up the weight lifting "because it's going to make you weigh more". She had a kind of disgusted, condescending look on her face as she said it. That totally turned me off!

 

[llp]

I ended up quitting because of something my last WW leader said to me. In the group discussion, we were talking about exercise programs. I mentioned that I taught group fitness, did various cardio workouts and lifted weights. The leader counseled me to give up the weight lifting "because it's going to make you weigh more". She had a kind of disgusted, condescending look on her face as she said it. That totally turned me off!

I go WW (met lifetime goal in January), and the leader there is a fitness instructor. She teaches weight training, zumba and other fitness classes! She kind of looks like Cathe(but is taller), too, and is fit looking. I told her that and she felt that was the biggest compliment, then gave me a hug. Exercise and moving your body is her favorite topic to talk about!

linda

 

[Jaffas]

It is not so simple as 1 point equals 50 cal. For example something that is 110 cal and has at least 4 gm of fiber and less than 2 gm of fat is still only 1 point. There are some breakfast cereals and breads that fall into this category. With experience you can read nutrition labels and make a pretty accurate guess but you really need a point calculator to be sure. I have mine with me at all times.
Also as others have mentioned many vegetables are zero points. If you eat a lot of veggies plus other more "pointy" foods you will be consuming more calories than you daily point allowance times 50.
I agree with those who say that WW is geared towards those who are less active than your average Cathe fan. I give myself extra points for my workouts. It's disappointing to hear that a WW leader would discourage weight training. I've had many different leaders and while some of them are first to admit that the exercise part is the most difficult for them none of them would have told a member to not do weight training. If one did I'd complain to higher ups. Believe me they would be talked to about it.

 

[pgun]

I know alot of the foods are "free" foods but this lady does not eat much anyways. and at 4' 11" and losing 6.8# of her 110# body wieght I think is too much. She is 41 she works out just about daily and I think she looks better than most young girls!!!!! She is too obsessed w/this weight thing.

Thanks for all your opinions!!! They have helped greatly.

 

[peytonsmommy]

I know when i'm closley following WW that I usually get 1050-1100 calories each day and then usually get 2-3 more points (about 100 calories or so) through exercise. If i'm not exercising hard (i.e. no running, just 30 minutes 3-4 times a week on the elliptical or maybe 30 minutes of LIC or something) than i'm okay, but if I add any running or do more intense step then i'm starving and feel like crap. If i'm doing well keeping up w/ my exercise I'll usually skip counting points and just make sure i'm getting 1200 calories in. I have a pathetically low metabolism so more than that and i'm not going to lose anything at all let alone the .5ish/week I normally lose on 1200 calories.

If you tend to eat a lot of processed food or foods that may be lower cal but higher in fat, you can end up w/ under 1000 calories on 18-20 points.

 

[AEHaight66]

It is not so simple as 1 point equals 50 cal.

True, but 50 calories/point is a reasonable guess in the absence of a points calculator. I actually looked up the patent @ one point to get a guess on calories per food point vs calories per exercise point and found that 50 cal/ food point is a reasonable guesstimate as is 100 cal/ exercise point.