Zero points food

"Laura" wrote in message
...
Try not to look at WW as a diet. Look at it as a way of life and maybe
you'll last longer. Make one change at a time towards healthier eating.

I'd like to look at it this way but considering how incredibly fussy I am
with what I eat, there is so little that I can have, so I can't eat much of
what I DO like. I hope that makes sense! So, for me, it is definately a diet
at the moment but I would like to change that. I don't know how or when but
I would like to be able to.

I think you had a goal without realising it. The fact that you can now see
your weight is an accomplishment. We make little goals. They could be 5
pounds by x date or something like that. It helps break up the long
journey
that some of us have.

I only have massive goals at the moment but I do take your point and I will
think about establishing some sensible goals for myself once I am sure I'll
be able to stick to this. In fact one goal is to stick with it for more than
a week, and I have done so already as I am on my 4th week. Well I've
been dieting for over 3 weeks but doing the points system for 3 by the end
of today.

Geoff.

"Miss Violette" wrote in message
...
remember take what you like leave the rest, Lee

I am doing that but I don't like ignoring what people have taken the time
and trouble to write, whether I disagree or not.

Geoff.

Geoff wrote:

"Miss Violette" wrote in message
...

remember take what you like leave the rest, Lee


I am doing that but I don't like ignoring what people have taken the time
and trouble to write, whether I disagree or not.

Geoff.


Not a matter of ignoring it - more a case of using what you can now and
saving the rest for later!

--
Kate XXXXXX
Lady Catherine, Wardrobe Mistress of the Chocolate Buttons
http://www.diceyhome.free-online.co.uk
Click on Kate's Pages and explore!

First of all, Hi and welcome to the group!

I see that Laura has already touched on what I was going to suggest.
From my experience it is impossible to think of this program as a "diet"
and maintain the weight loss. It just won't work. Common mentality is
that a "diet" is something you go on for a while to lose weight, and
then quit once you've lost. That's not that WW is.

WW is a retraining program. It gradually forces you to make
better/different food choices so that you can eat to be fulfilled but
still stay within a healthy range.

The situation that all of us are in is the same as a person with
diabetes or high cholesterol. You can change eating habits to bring
either of those under control (moreso for the cholesterol I suppose).
The moment you go back to the hold habits, the problem will manifest
again. It is the same with weight loss. One simply cannot lose the
weight, and then abandon the program and expect to not gain weight
again.

I understand the problem of not liking veggies. I have to be in the
right mood for veggies. I am finding that the more I stick with WW, the
more my tastes are actually changing. I couldn't stand asparagus
before, now I've discovered that grilled asparagus is wonderful. I
still can't stand zucchini. If I were to put together a menu based on
what I'd really like to eat (still within points) it probably wouln't
include veggies at all. I have to force myself to remember to include
them, because I know I need all the vitamins and minerals etc that they
contain.

We have friends over once a month for a pot-luck dinner, and last night
was the night. I made a good low-point entree, and someone made a
salad. It was a great salad! The tomatoes were just at that perfect
stage to be really flavourful. Into the salad she put thin strips of
yellow bell pepper, grated carrot, cucumber, and very thinly sliced red
onion. For the salad greens she mixed a bag of a romaine-type and baby
spinach. Man it was good. Everyone had 2 bowls of salad. A little
mushroom and apple and it would have been perfect.

The important thing I'm finding is that there's quite a bit more variety
in the taste of vegetables that I had thought. And even with any
particular vegetable the taste of it can change depending on how it's
prepared. Some ways they're sweet, some ways bitter.

My suggestion to you is to buy a small amount of a veggie and try it
different ways. Grilled vegetables are particularly nice. I think it's
unrealistic to expect that you'll like everything you try, but if a
vegetable doesn't appeal when prepared one way do give it a chance
another way. You also might need to find the right way to season the
veggies so that they're more appealing to you.

Oh, and if you boil a vegetable until it's mushy then it generally
tastes horrible. I find steaming to be a much better method to achieve
an edible vegetable.

Amberle3

Geoff wrote:

"Laura" wrote in message
...
Try not to look at WW as a diet. Look at it as a way of life and maybe
you'll last longer. Make one change at a time towards healthier eating.

I'd like to look at it this way but considering how incredibly fussy I am
with what I eat, there is so little that I can have, so I can't eat much of
what I DO like. I hope that makes sense! So, for me, it is definately a diet
at the moment but I would like to change that. I don't know how or when but
I would like to be able to.

I think you had a goal without realising it. The fact that you can now see
your weight is an accomplishment. We make little goals. They could be 5
pounds by x date or something like that. It helps break up the long
journey
that some of us have.

I only have massive goals at the moment but I do take your point and I will
think about establishing some sensible goals for myself once I am sure I'll
be able to stick to this. In fact one goal is to stick with it for more than
a week, and I have done so already as I am on my 4th week. Well I've
been dieting for over 3 weeks but doing the points system for 3 by the end
of today.

Geoff.

--
Amberle3
249/219/210-minigoal/150?
Renewed my commitment to me 3/30/03

- Spring Into Action Exercise Challenge:
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/travelgirl/sia.htm
- Shake it Up Baby Exercise Challange:
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/travelgirl/sub.htm
- Weight No More Weight Loss Challenge:
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/travelgirl/wnm.htm
- Weight Loss Challenge Summary:
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/travelgirl/summary.htm

"Amberle3" wrote in message
...
First of all, Hi and welcome to the group!

I see that Laura has already touched on what I was going to suggest.
From my experience it is impossible to think of this program as a "diet"
and maintain the weight loss. It just won't work. Common mentality is
that a "diet" is something you go on for a while to lose weight, and
then quit once you've lost. That's not that WW is.
snip

Thanks for writing Amberle3. I don't really know how to reply. All I can
think of to say is that the more I read, the more I'm put off. Is it really
not possible for me to carry on without eating veggies? That seems to be
what you're saying. I don't like veggies or salad or most other 'good'
things. If I can't bring myself to eat them, even though I'm losing weight
and have stuck to this for 3 weeks so far, am I doomed? Should I just give
up now rather than suffering for however long it is? I don't know what to do
but I honestly feel very much like giving up.

Geoff.

I'm currently doing weigh****chers and eating very few vegetables. It can be
done!

I've been at it for 7 months now, and feel good. I am a very fussy eater
very much like you by the sounds of things. I don't like greens and I don't
like salads (although I do like the odd raw carrot (from time to time)).
What really helps me is having sliced apple (with no peel and it has to be
cox because I don't like other types). I put it in the fridge in a little
tupperwear box and when I get the munchies that's where I head. I also put
slices of pears and orange in there too sometimes. I don't like a lot of
other fruits like plumbs, apricots and kiwis.

I suppose I really did feel hunger to start with, so I drunk a load of
water - but you shouldn't over drink. The hunger has subsided a little now
I'm happy to say. I also chewed slower in order to trick my mind into
believing I was eating more. That kind of worked.

As for zero point foods. Well, I found it tricky like you, and am still on a
mission to find me some of those! Chewing gum helps. A frozen banana makes
for a really nice and filling snack (it seems more filling than a normal
banana to me, maybe because it lasts longer). And I sometimes make frozen
ice lollies from low sugar Ribena or apple juice, or sometimes just water.

Don't feel downhearted Geoff, you're doing great, keep it going!

Jens




"Geoff" wrote in message
...
"Amberle3" wrote in message
...
First of all, Hi and welcome to the group!

I see that Laura has already touched on what I was going to suggest.
From my experience it is impossible to think of this program as a "diet"
and maintain the weight loss. It just won't work. Common mentality is
that a "diet" is something you go on for a while to lose weight, and
then quit once you've lost. That's not that WW is.
snip

Thanks for writing Amberle3. I don't really know how to reply. All I can
think of to say is that the more I read, the more I'm put off. Is it
really
not possible for me to carry on without eating veggies? That seems to be
what you're saying. I don't like veggies or salad or most other 'good'
things. If I can't bring myself to eat them, even though I'm losing weight
and have stuck to this for 3 weeks so far, am I doomed? Should I just give
up now rather than suffering for however long it is? I don't know what to
do
but I honestly feel very much like giving up.

Geoff.

Geoff,

It's up to you wether or not you succeed or fail. You've been doing well
for 3 weeks. You will succeed if you want to succeed. It might mean that
you would have to eat a few ounces of your most favorite foods instead of
the quantities you ate in the past. You don't *need* to eat any way that
you do not want to eat.

That said...you might find that your tastes will change. Unfathomable at
the moment, but who knows. The other reason veggies and greens are
suggested is because there are nutrients found in them. Vitamins are only
good to a point. Nature provides the best form, but again it's not
absolutely neccessary.

Julie




"Geoff" wrote in message
...
"Amberle3" wrote in message
...
First of all, Hi and welcome to the group!

I see that Laura has already touched on what I was going to suggest.
From my experience it is impossible to think of this program as a "diet"
and maintain the weight loss. It just won't work. Common mentality is
that a "diet" is something you go on for a while to lose weight, and
then quit once you've lost. That's not that WW is.
snip

Thanks for writing Amberle3. I don't really know how to reply. All I can
think of to say is that the more I read, the more I'm put off. Is it
really
not possible for me to carry on without eating veggies? That seems to be
what you're saying. I don't like veggies or salad or most other 'good'
things. If I can't bring myself to eat them, even though I'm losing weight
and have stuck to this for 3 weeks so far, am I doomed? Should I just give
up now rather than suffering for however long it is? I don't know what to
do
but I honestly feel very much like giving up.

Geoff.

"Jenny" wrote in message
news:1ipuc.346$t91.235@newsfe2-win...
I'm currently doing weigh****chers and eating very few vegetables. It can
be
done!

I've been at it for 7 months now, and feel good. I am a very fussy eater
very much like you by the sounds of things. I don't like greens and I
don't
like salads (although I do like the odd raw carrot (from time to time)).
What really helps me is having sliced apple (with no peel and it has to be
cox because I don't like other types). I put it in the fridge in a little
tupperwear box and when I get the munchies that's where I head. I also put
slices of pears and orange in there too sometimes. I don't like a lot of
other fruits like plumbs, apricots and kiwis.

I suppose I really did feel hunger to start with, so I drunk a load of
water - but you shouldn't over drink. The hunger has subsided a little now
I'm happy to say. I also chewed slower in order to trick my mind into
believing I was eating more. That kind of worked.

As for zero point foods. Well, I found it tricky like you, and am still on
a
mission to find me some of those! Chewing gum helps. A frozen banana makes
for a really nice and filling snack (it seems more filling than a normal
banana to me, maybe because it lasts longer). And I sometimes make frozen
ice lollies from low sugar Ribena or apple juice, or sometimes just water.

Don't feel downhearted Geoff, you're doing great, keep it going!


Hi Jenny. Thanks LOADS for your nice post, it's helped me feel a little
better.

I haven't thought of a frozen banana before, but I will try that. I haven't
gotton around to buying any grapes either since someone in this thread
reminded me that frozen grapes taste good (I used to have them). I think
I'll be going on a fruit buying mission in the next few days.

Thanks for cheering me up and for your suggestions.
Geoff.

"skiur" wrote in message
...
Geoff,

It's up to you wether or not you succeed or fail. You've been doing well
for 3 weeks. You will succeed if you want to succeed. It might mean that
you would have to eat a few ounces of your most favorite foods instead of
the quantities you ate in the past. You don't *need* to eat any way that
you do not want to eat.

That said...you might find that your tastes will change. Unfathomable at
the moment, but who knows. The other reason veggies and greens are
suggested is because there are nutrients found in them. Vitamins are only
good to a point. Nature provides the best form, but again it's not
absolutely neccessary.


Thanks for writing Julie. I agree with what you say and I am determined to
succeed. I don't think that I'll never like veggies, I just don't think that
at the moment I can face trying that's all. I believe my tastes could change
and I hope they do.

Geoff.

"Geoff" wrote in message
...
"Anny Middon" wrote in message
y.com...
I've given some thought to this, Geoff, and I now believe that perhaps
Weight Watchers isn't the right diet for you. It's the right plan for
those
of us here, but I firmly beleive there is no plan that's right for
everyone.
And there are three strikes against it for you:

1. You don't want to go to meetings.

What have meetings got to do with the points method though? I'm not with
WW,
I'm using their points method because having a target to work towards is a
good idea.

Go to www.weigh****chers.com, and you'll see prominently displayed "Meetings
are our best way to lose weight." WW is not a diet, it's a program -- and
part of the program is the meetings. As I've said before I don't go to
meetings, but I'm very aware that I'm not truly following the WW program
even if I am scrupulous about the rest of it.

But you're also not really following the point system. You've admitted that
you don't know how many points omeone at your weight is supposed to eat, and
it's pretty certain that the number you've targetted for yourself is
probably not the number the WW system dictates. You also don't seem to be
following the two dairy servings, five vegetable/fruit servings per day part
of the program either.

What you're left with is basically a calorie counting program, using WW
points as a proxy for calories. There's nothing wrong with that, but you
can't really call it Weight Watchers.

2. You're not satisfied with the amount of food you can eat for your
point
target.

Of course I'm not satisfied-Who is? If I was satisfied with the amount of
food, I wouldn't be fat in the first place.

I am satisfied with the amount of food I'm eating, and have been since my
first day on the program about six weeks ago. Like you, I have a
significant amount of weight to lose. From time to time I get a bout of the
"hungries" but then I either eat some zero-point veggies (a handful of raw
baby carrots usually) or use some of my FlexPoints for some microwave
popcorn (the 94% fat-free variety).

3. You're unwilling or unable to eat nearly all vegetables and fruits.

I can and do eat some fruits but I do not like vegetables and I can't help
that.

Anny, I'm doing the best I can and this is the only way I've found that
gives me any hope at all. Then I read someone tell me that it isn't the
right diet for me and it makes me feel like crying, it really does. I've
just come back from my daily walk which leaves me in one hell of a state
that most people here will never comprehend, and I read a post telling me
that I'm not doing the right thing. I am in a real state with my weight
and
finally had the guts to try something that's really hard for me, and I AM
managing, so why are people trying to put me off? You'll probably say that
you aren't trying to put me off, but it really does come across that way.

This is what I don't understand, Geoff -- there are a lot of diet programs
out there, many of which work. Why is the Weight Watchers point system any
different to you than counting calories? Go to alt.support.diet and you'll
find a lot of people who are losing weight by counting calories.


This one is a double-whammy since it means that you can't make your food
intake more satisfying by eating zero-point veggies, and you can't
regularly
meet the goal of 5 servings of fruit and vegetables per day.

I didn't know there was such a goal to be honest. I can't do anything
about
that anyway.

As an aside I'll ask: Have you considered doing Atkins or another
low-carb
approach?

I've heard too many bad things about that. It's also too restrictive.

My main advice to you though is this: You've said that you're willing
to
spend some money if necessary. In that case, I think you should consult
with a professional dietician to get a diet plan that's right for you.

What would a dietition tell me to do? He/she would list a load of things
to
eat, which would include 90% of things that I do not like. I don't want or
need to be patronised by a dietition telling me I need to lose weight, to
eat vegetables, to get exercise. I am very well aware of all that and I'm
just doing my best with these points.

A professional dietician will go over lists of foods with you and determine
which ones you like, which you're not crazy about but will eat, and which
ones you despise. Based on your current weight and activity level, the
dietician will devise a program customized to your needs and preferences and
designed to provide you with a diet that meets your nutritional needs.
Often times these are composed of lists of foods that fit certain criteria
and your program will allow you to pick two from group A, one from group B
and two from Group C for instance for a meal.

You will probably be required to write down everything you eat, a step that
Weight Watchers highly recommends and most successful dieters do anyway, at
least in the first several months. The dietician will go over your food
journal and identify any nutritional inadequacies and make adjustments to
your program as needed. From time to time, the dietician will review your
program and reduce the number of servings in certain food groups to assure
that you continue to lose weight slowly and steadily, the healthy way to
lose.

A professional dietician will not be condescending or patronising -- he or
she makes a living counselling people like us.

Periodic revisits with the dietician will help you keep on track and
allow
for adjustment to your diet as needed.

You make it sound so simple.

What do you find so complicated about the Weight Watchers point system? The
truth is that losing weight is both simple (eat fewer calories than you
expend) and very difficult to do.

If you don't want to go to a dietician, then I highly recommend you use
Fitday to track your eating and activity levels. I use the downloadable
version, for which I paid $20 US, but most use the online (www.fitday.com)
version. I assume they're pretty much the same.

Input your current weight. And if your scale doesn't go that high, buy
another scale -- no, you don't need an expensive one that weighs larger
amounts, just an additional scale. Put a board across the two scales and
get the weight of the board by adding the amount shown on both scales. Now
step on the board and get the weight shown on each scale. Add the two
weights, subtract the weight of the board and bingo! you have your current
weight within a pound or two. (I got this trick from alt.support.diet,
where it recently came up.)

Input your current activity level. If it's like mine, it's pretty
sedentary. Fitday will tell you how many calories you're eating per day to
maintain your current weight. Now subtract 500 or 1000 from that number to
get a target calorie level -- this will allow you to lose a safe 1 to 2
pounds per week. (Weight Watchers does this with points, but it's really the
same thing.)

Use Fitday's nutritional analysis to see how you're doing in terms of eating
enough vitamins and minerals. Tweak your diet as appropriate to assure
you're eating healthily. (This is what that dietician would do for you.
It's also what Weight Watchers does with the five veggies/fruits per day and
two or three dairy servings -- I find if I've had my three or four veggies
and a fruit or two and a couple of dairy servings, Fitday tells me I've met
the US RDA for nutrients.)

Weigh yourself weekly and use Fitday to track your progress. Adjust your
calorie target as appropriate based on your declining weight. (Weight
Watchers does this with adjustments to your target points. That dietician
would do it with periodic progress meetings and adjustments to your diet.)

Set yourself some goals. Start with a small one -- maybe to lose 5 kilos.
Add a very popular longer-term goal -- to lose 10% of your current weight.
Set rewards for yourself when you make your goals -- nonfood, of course,
like buying a CD you've wanted for losing 5 kilos, and some new clothes
(which you'll need) when you've lost 10%.

As I said before, losing weight is not at all easy -- in fact, it's
difficult enough that most overweight people never manage to do it. But it
is simple.

Anny