I am honestly torn between staying the course with WW/KD, and going back to a low-carb diet. Yes, I did break my stall this last week, and that is great. But, I am concerned about eating too many carbs, (starchy kinds, not fruits and veggies) and not enough fats. I am starting to get that sluggish feeling back in the afternoon that I did not have when I was low-carbing. I also notice some cravings returning. This does worry me.

Part of me knows that limiting saturated fat, cutting back on other fats, eating healthier carbs and proteins, and watching my calories is the best way to go. Yet, the other part of me knows I was successful for quite a while on low carb, and I was not constantly hungry or worrying about going over my points/eating too many calories.

I have thought perhaps something in the middle of the road would work. I am reading Walter Willet's book, Eat, Drink, and Be Healthy. He does advocate eating more healthy fats, cutting out the saturated ones, and eating healthy carbs. I am thinking maybe I could cut back the carbs, and yet eat healthier fats? But, I know that some proteins, and definitely fats, add up quickly points wise on WW.

What to do!!

Robin

Pam,
I do experience that from time to time, too. Usually (in hindsight) it's hormone-related. Fortunately it comes and goes, in phases.
I try to fill up on free veggies, too. Sometimes I more successful than other times. :-)

I was usually fine on 20-22 points a day. I eat HUGE salads or big bowls of soup with lots of 0 pt. vegs and some beans (about 1-2 points). On 20 point days, I don't eat any empty calories.

20 points doesn't give you a lot of play... You've got to make every point count! I usually try and eat REALLY healthy during the week and don't spend a lot of points during the week on treats or empty calories/empty points.

We eat out once each weekend and have dessert a couple of times on the weekend, so I save WAP's for that.

I always get my dairy and vegs in. I make a batch of 1 point veggie curry or eggplant parmagiano and freeze individual servings for a quick 3 point lunch. I also freeze brown rice in individual servings. I put each serving in a baggie and then put all the baggies in a gallon ziplock in the freezer. I’ll write “brown rice - 2 pts each” or “curry - 1 pt each” on the ziplock.

I usually get 20 AP's a week.

I don't stress out if I go over 2-4 points a day during the week if it is because of a serving of fruit or air popped popcorn.

I try and spread my points out during the day and I'm seldom hungry. I'll post a normal 20-22 pt day and see if helps...

7am (4 pts) 1 cup GoLean Cereal or oatmeal, 1/2 c. skim milk, 1/2 banana

11:30am (4-5 pts.) 2 sl. 100% Whole Wheat bread (2 points), garden burger or low fat cheese or p-nut/jelly or leftovers from dinner and 0 point veggies, (medium sized kiwis and figs are also 0 pts. for one. I don't stress about the size of one kiwi or fig : )

1:30pm (1-2 pts) 1 cup (strong!) cold decaf coffee, 1/2 to 1 c. cup skim milk, put in the blender. Or hot tea or hot coffee with 1 cup hot milk.

3:30pm (3-4 pts) nonfat, plain yogurt with 1/2 banana, and some other fruit (strawberries, peaches, kiwi, etc) or soup with vegs & beans or huge salad with beans.

5:30pm (if dinner is going to be late) salad with 1 pt. salad dressing or soup

7ish dinner about 6 points

later... 2 pts pop corn if I'm still hungry

Best wishes... hope this helps!

ALSO, you can also just eat 4-5 more points a day and see if you lose on that... some people do...

I just signed up for WW as I feel I need the support and accountability. I have been losing on my own but slowly and with a lot of back sliding. I am doing the points now but find it is not enough food to keep me from getting hungry, which I remember from my old WW days. So I am just eating a little more. Anyone else have this problem?

I wish they would tell those ww weighers to keep a lid on it. Comments like that never help.

The WW bars are disgusting. Other people like them but to me they taste like the coating on vitamins.

Good luck with the core plan!

Yes, it is Onward and upward!!

Robin

quote:

---

Originally posted by RobinBeBe:
Yea, I know. But, a comment the weigher made almost had me leaving the meeting. She asked if I was expecting this gain.

---

Shoot. She should have congratulated you for going in and getting on the scale. A lot of people would have not gone in. I think that you deserve recognition.

I usually try to avoid restaurants the day before a weigh in but it isn't always possible. I'm gonna be up tomorrow - restaurant last weekend and my fall falling off track Mon-Wed. Oh Well. I'm back on plan now. That is what is important.

Yea, I know. But, a comment the weigher made almost had me leaving the meeting. She asked if I was expecting this gain. I got rather defensive and she said "oh no I don't need an explanation". Whatever. Kinda bugged me though. I only stayed because I was not going to let the comments of one person derail me.

Robin

quote:

---

Originally posted by RobinBeBe:
I gained 3 lbs tonite I kinda thought I would, though I know it is water weight, not fat weight. Still frustrating!!

---

It is just re-bound because you lost sooo much earlier. 6 lbs was kind of an unrealistic loss and probably "water loss". (Sometimes, I think that it is kind of funny that we really worry about retaining water and an artificially high weight but don't give an artificially low weight any thought.) You're still in a good place now. You still have a net loss of 3 lbs in 3 weeks. That is EXCELLENT!!!! That is a normal, healthy loss. Keep it up. Look at the big picture. Think healthy and the scale will follow.

I gained 3 lbs tonite I kinda thought I would, though I know it is water weight, not fat weight. Still frustrating!!

The folks over at one of the WW boards thinks that perhaps the Core program would work better for me. So, I am going to try that this week and see how it goes. From reading it, it looks very similar to South Beach. Maybe since I would not have to count everything, I would not worry so much, and it would force me to keep my eating healthy.

Robin

Robin
I agree with Denise about trying to eat "real" food for snacks. You'll feel more filled up and get in some good calories.

Good for you for sticking with it!

quote:

---

Originally posted by RobinBeBe:
Maybe I need to try those WW shakes and bars?

---

Hi Robin, I think that the 5 smaller meals a day is really a good idea.

I do WW. I would sort of encourage you to just eat real food rather than the shakes and bars. I'm totally biased because I've never eaten the bars. Somehow, I just feel that "real" food (ie a piece of fruit, 1/2 a peanut butter sandwich, a bowl of cereal, 1/2 of a turkey sandwich, a glass of milk, a bowl of soup) is healthier for a snack. I'm really sure that real food is less expensive.

I have bought the smoothie mix. I part about 1/5 of a package in with some cold decaf and skim milk for iced coffee frap.

ON THE OTHER HAND... The bars are really convienient and may fit with your lifestyle better. If having some bars around for a snack is going to help you stay on plan... than go for it!!

Best of luck tonight. You had a GREAT weigh in last week or the week before. Just go to the weigh in tonight on move on and get back on plan.

Thanks for all the support!!

Yes, you are right, I need to stick with this for a few months. I am terrible about that sometimes. But, one thing I have noticed is that when I was low carbing, my weight would fluctuate for weeks by a few lbs, then I would lose it once and for all. With WW, I get very stressed if the scale shows an increase, like this morning. I know it was due to what I ate yesterday (company breakfast of eggs, sausage, grits, etc) and that the gain is probably just water or whatever. Yet, I weigh in tonite so that does worry me. I should not let it upset me and I need to get out of that mindset that I have to be perfect all the time.

I agree I need to eat more inbetween meals. When I was doing Body For Life, I ate 5 meals a day and was rarely hungry. Maybe I need to try those WW shakes and bars?

Anyways, onward and upward!!

Robin

I totally agree with Cathy, I feel confused alot of times between both, the low carb, and eatng healthy, but when I come to think of it deeply, Kd's approach also is low carb in a way, not as low as the low carb approach itself, but eating healthy means dropping our startchy and carb portions drastically. I've been struggling with this myself since I started eating healthy. My diet is very much based on bread, couscous, pasta, potaoes.. and instead of eliminating them completely. I am trying to drop my portions of those little by little, sometimes it helps and other times it back fires, at that point I go back to trying to cut back a little slowlier. I think everyone of us should never take an approach and apply it as is, we should match it with our own body and dietary needs, so if u can combine both approaches and come up with a middle plan that suits u, I think that would be perfect.
Good Luck

There's no reason you can't cut back on starchy carbs while on WW and/or following KD's advice. Actually, I noticed when watching KD's show that she always carefully measured out things like pasta or rice since they are easy to overeat. And WW doesn't require that you eat starchy carbs. The only rules are 5 fruits/veggies, 2-3 milk servings, 2 tsp. of healthy oils, water, and staying under points (or using Core). You can fit healthy fats into your diet -- 1 tsp. of olive oil is only 1 point.

The Core program really shifts the emphasis away from breads and crackers in favor of whole grains.

I have been switching back and forth between points and core and since I have been journaling, have been losing slowly but surely again. Last night at weigh-in I was down another pound. That might not sound like much, but I know from past experience that if I keep this up, it will keep coming off.

There's no magic to any of this, it is just sticking with whatever plan you choose and making it work for you.

Just had a thought or two or three:

I think you should give both programs at least three months before you call it quits on the combo. Even with the low carbs it takes awhile for our bodies to get used to a plan. It seems like a long time, but you'll have the "test" of the holidays to know if it can be done.

Second, the three full meals and three snacks has a lot of validity to it. I think the reason you are experiencing a hunger at the middle of the day is that your body is definitely in need of more food. I eat a BIG breakfast, my main meal, then smaller lunch and even smaller dinner. In between times, I will eat a carb and protein for a snack...it keeps me going, and allows my body the fuel it needs to keep me from experiencing those terrible "hungry got to eat everything in site"
lows.

Third, you can do this...no matter what plan you choose. I chose WW/KD because I know they both work. And they work very well together.
I needed the support and accountability that WW gave me, and I needed the info and the support of KD and the site for my own best efforts.

Come here often, the people here are GREAT! If we haven't been there and done that, we can offer support and help. But give yourself time to tweak a program that works for your body and your schedule. And that takes more than 30 days.

((HUGS))
Cathy

Have you tried any of the Kashi cereals? They are higher in protein and really high in fiber. I mix some of the Kashi Crunch with the regular Kashi cereal (the Crunch adds a bit more sweetness). I also like to add either a few blueberries or sliced banana.

The Kashi waffels are really good also. I also like to make French Toast out of WW bread & egg beaters. It is easy to make omlets out of egg beaters and what ever veggies & low fat cheeses you have on hand. WW toast & peanut butter is another stick-to-your ribs quick breakfast (I like to have grapefruit with this).

How about a grilled ham and cheese or grilled cheese (both easy on the butter) for breakfast? Oatmeal? I have the same problem with cereals, but found that a grilled ham & cheese will help with the hungries to an extent. I still eat a morning snack, but can usually get away with something small after a g h&c for breakfast.

Laura

Robin,

I'm a veteran of WW and last spring read Dr. Phil's books. Since then I have had cereal, fruit, milk and protein for breakfast. I usually have either Bocca sausage or turkey bacon - only 2 ounces.

I think from having protein at each meal, I'm never hungry. I still have 2 snacks a day, too. And, I've lost 32 pounds since June 1.

I didn't continue on Dr. Phil because I thought he wanted too few carbs - I'm doing more than Dr. Phil, but not as many as WW. It's working for me.

lmj

What cereal are you eating?

Can you plan a snack for 10 am to help get you through until lunch?

I'm always hungry by 10am, regardless of what I eat. I have breakfast at 7:30, snack at 10, lunch at noon, snack at 3:30, dinner anywhere between 6 and 9.