FIT POINTS QUESTION
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Bchlvr64
Posts: 89 Member
Hi there. I hope this is the right place to ask. Do you use your fit points? How are you all handling them? THANKS!
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You will find some diversity of opinion on this topic.
I do track what I refer to as "deliberate" activity - in other words, I'll track a walk taken for exercise but not walking from the train to the office. Part of that is learned behavior, because WW considered your normal level of activity in setting a daily target when I started. I'm also willing to use those points in exchange for food, because I know from maintaining that if I'm more active I need more food, and vice versa.
I'll also conservative in establishing activity points, because what WW grants for some things is overly generous. I generally list effort as low. (I don't use any sort of synchronizing activity monitor; I egos enough things to nag me in my life without adding a piece of technology.)
The general caveat is that people underestimate what they eat, and overestimate their level of activity. That's a reason to be be cautious about Fit Points, but like anything else in life it's about how you manage it.1 -
I try not to eat all my activity, but do dip into that balance here and there. Without a basis beyond pure instinct, I believe calories "earned" are overstated on just about every system I've seen. This seems particularly true for endurance activities. With that in mind, I remind myself that working out is not a license to eat whatever I want.
I agree with Charlie re: tracking only deliberate workouts. The few times I've tracked things like yard work and painting I've felt silly afterwards. ;-) I'll still do it once in a while, but usually because I've skipped a deliberate workout to do whatever physical task around home instead. In that case it's more a matter of wanting to chart the "workout" than to eat the calories.0 -
I sorta did the opposite. When WW had the activity level quiz I merely choose the most sedentary level and then added in activity somewhat ignoring whether it was "deliberate" or not. Having said that I do not have a pedometer or step measurer device.
As long as we pick the right base level the body knows no difference whether activity above the base is "deliberate" or not. In one of the more recent iterations of WW (no longer had lifestyle activity level quiz) it was "assumed" that folks were "lightly active". With one of the devices folks discovered that they needed something like 8000 to 10,000 steps daily just to get to the their base level. At that point any and all activity would be in excess of the built in allowance.
Many folks simply chose to do what Charlie says for simplicity purposes. I agree that we should always err on the conservative side.
I like to combine shopping or going to work with biking or walking and it does add up. I don't do activity for the purpose of eating more but when I am very active I eat a bit more for sure.
I used up my weekly points first and then used some fit points as needed for hungry or maybe a special something but it was always the last of the points used for me.1 -
I log through MFP and FitBit, and heck yes, I eat them.
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Welcome to GOAD!
I am no expert on this and I do no regimented activity. However some days I walk a lot for my work. Some days I do a lot of lifting or moving rock, brush etc. Based on what I learned here early on (different program but I'm not sure that matters) I've never counted fit points--either for credit or to eat them.
I think it was here a couple years ago that a ~general consensus was that "Weight loss happens in the kitchen, while toning happens at the gym." (more or less)
Let us know how whatever you choose works out for you...0 -
Every body (2 words) is different and everybody is different. Unlikely that from a group of successful trackers any 2 would count everything the same over a week. So it's always just a big experiment. And the leading expert on you on WW is you.
As Charlie notes, first thing I had to do was admit to myself that my workouts never moved above moderate. Despite my attempts to talk myself into counting them as intense. Then I decided that the workout calculations were just too fuzzy. So I quit trading activity for food. It helped.
But I'll also make this observation from things I've read here. My moderate workout was 30 minutes on whatever cardio machine I felt like doing on a given day, plus some Pilates classes. If you are really training seriously, weights, running, biking- you gotta fuel your workouts properly. And just counting points is likely not enough detail to get you through.
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Hi All, I've been lurking here for awhile.... this discussion really hits home for me. I've been back OP for 2.5 months now and done really well, I've dropped 22 lbs. I don't use my activity points and only use about half of my weekly points.
And we come to this week, I have been ravenously hungry for three days. Burning through all of my daily points, eating fruit until it's coming out of my ears and still staring into the fridge looking for something more satisfying. I got on the WW site and did the " expert chat" last night to talk about it. The moderator basically said that my body was kind of going through a shock and trying to gain weight back. She said to go ahead and eat more point dense foods and that it was OK to dip into the activity points when I needed to and eventually things would level off. So I'm going to try that for a week or two and see how that goes. I'm not really excited about slowing down the weight loss, but at this point that would be better than going on a binge.1 -
Not sure why I wouldn't use my weekly points and/or fitpoints when I was hungry or wanted a special something. WW is not about deprivation. If active I would eat more than you and enjoy it too.0
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Hi I've dropped 22 lbs... The moderator basically said that my body was kind of going through a shock and trying to gain weight back. She said to go ahead and eat more point dense foods and that it was OK to dip into the activity points when I needed to and eventually things would level off. So I'm going to try that for a week or two and see how that goes. I'm not really excited about slowing down the weight loss, but at this point that would be better than going on a binge.
This stuff about shock is a bit nonsensical. Perhaps she is trying to get you to slow down your loss so you'll feel less deprived. And therefore more likely to find long term success. Because your body can meet our exceed all of its caloric needs just with excess fruit.0 -
Hi All, I've been lurking here for awhile.... this discussion really hits home for me. I've been back OP for 2.5 months now and done really well, I've dropped 22 lbs. I don't use my activity points and only use about half of my weekly points.
And we come to this week, I have been ravenously hungry for three days. Burning through all of my daily points, eating fruit until it's coming out of my ears and still staring into the fridge looking for something more satisfying. I got on the WW site and did the " expert chat" last night to talk about it. The moderator basically said that my body was kind of going through a shock and trying to gain weight back. She said to go ahead and eat more point dense foods and that it was OK to dip into the activity points when I needed to and eventually things would level off. So I'm going to try that for a week or two and see how that goes. I'm not really excited about slowing down the weight loss, but at this point that would be better than going on a binge.
Interesting advice. I'd go the opposite way and eat more low point foods like lean protien. That way you can eat more and hopefully not be so hungry. That's what works best for keeping me satisfied anyway.
As for the original question, nope! My ML said WW encourages us not to eat them. They are more for tracking activity now. I might eat some if I ran 1/2 marathons or biked 25 miles, but I don't. A trip to the gym for an hour and a half doesn't justify more food for me.0 -
You will find some diversity of opinion on this topic.
I do track what I refer to as "deliberate" activity - in other words, I'll track a walk taken for exercise but not walking from the train to the office. Part of that is learned behavior, because WW considered your normal level of activity in setting a daily target when I started. I'm also willing to use those points in exchange for food, because I know from maintaining that if I'm more active I need more food, and vice versa.
I'll also conservative in establishing activity points, because what WW grants for some things is overly generous. I generally list effort as low. (I don't use any sort of synchronizing activity monitor; I egos enough things to nag me in my life without adding a piece of technology.)
The general caveat is that people underestimate what they eat, and overestimate their level of activity. That's a reason to be be cautious about Fit Points, but like anything else in life it's about how you manage it.
Hi there. I was reading your post and since you did WW I need help with the fitness points. I have stalled and people tell me I need to eat those calories I earned. Is this true? I am afraid to add more calories. As a mature woman I am afraid my metabolism will slow even more. I do 30 minutes of intense aerobics each day and light weights for upper body. Thank you in advance for any insight you may be able to give.0 -
You will find some diversity of opinion on this topic.
I do track what I refer to as "deliberate" activity - in other words, I'll track a walk taken for exercise but not walking from the train to the office. Part of that is learned behavior, because WW considered your normal level of activity in setting a daily target when I started. I'm also willing to use those points in exchange for food, because I know from maintaining that if I'm more active I need more food, and vice versa.
I'll also conservative in establishing activity points, because what WW grants for some things is overly generous. I generally list effort as low. (I don't use any sort of synchronizing activity monitor; I egos enough things to nag me in my life without adding a piece of technology.)
The general caveat is that people underestimate what they eat, and overestimate their level of activity. That's a reason to be be cautious about Fit Points, but like anything else in life it's about how you manage it.
Also I have never used any of my weekly points either.0 -
Weeklies are there for you to use. Most don't eat their "Fit Points", as they seem way overstated, and most of us over estimate out time and effort.0
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I tend to base my daily intake goal off of my high activity level so that my intake doesn't vary drastically from day to day. I think it makes hunger more stable and planning meals much easier.0
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My WW Mtg Ldr strongly encourages using Weeklies. I usually eat most weeklies but not my Fitness SPs.
There is a guy on WW Connect that has a plan where you use all Weekly SPs early in the week. He claims great results.
Search ssprengel23 on WW Connect for his plan.
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Short answer is no. The additional/optional weekly and fit points have always been there ìf/ when you need them. Your boďy doesn't "know" if your activity is intentional or not. In my case if I did up to an hour of "intentional" activity but had a desk job I would not be needing more than normal food. For about 90' and up of hilly cycling why yes I always consume more. You don't want to be deprived but that's about it. You need to know yourself.
On maintenance I do eat more of them but that just fits me and my lifestyle.0 -
On the current program and carb penalties I too eat the weeklies.0
