Anyone allow free foods or weekly calories like WW?

mamato3inca
mamato3inca Posts: 168 Member
edited September 26 in Health and Weight Loss
I'm fairly new to MFP and really loving this site! I've done Weight Watchers in the past and miss having free ( 0 ww pts) foods and the weekly extra points.

Does anyone incorporate any of that to MFP? I haven't been logging my vegetable calories. I get 1200 calories a day and am sticking to that and eating my exercise calories. I just miss having the cushion of extra points (calories) if I had a bad day or wanted to eat out.

Any thoughts? Thank you.

Replies

  • Shaitan
    Shaitan Posts: 10
    =Why would you skip logging vegetable calories? That makes no sense whatsoever and depending upon how many you are eating you may be sabotaging yourself needlessly. Count it all and you will actually know what you need to change to enjoy going out to eat etc.
  • dgbon
    dgbon Posts: 2
    Nope....didn't want to give myself any chance or temptation of eating more than my daily allotment of calories. If I knew I really wanted to splurge on something (ice cream or big dinner out) i just made sure I did enough excercise that day to compensate.
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
    It's just a case of learning what system works for you. MFP doesn't work with "free" food, you count everything. If it has calories, count it.

    If you do eat out one night, try and pick a healthy choice, and maybe under eat (a little) on other days to balance it out across the week, or exercise more to burn it back off again.

    What I love about this site is it's a lifestyle change, not a diet plan. I learn proper portion sizes, I learn the balance of nutrients my body needs. If you dont log your veg etc, how do you know what nutrient balance you're getting within your calories? Sure, counting calories is ok, but what is even better is getting the right balance or protein, fat, carbs etc, and enough vitamins and minerals and not too much salt.
  • makeachange22
    makeachange22 Posts: 151
    i do weight watchers as well, if your on the program then do the points extra's and caculate it, but minimize it on a peice of paper or something so you know as well
  • vdaniela3
    vdaniela3 Posts: 22 Member
    I'm not sure how far back you started WW,but the "extra points" are actually points you were allowed anyways. Like when I did it about 10 years ago,say you got 29 pts a day period. Well with the newer programs they took 5 pts off each day and gave you a bank of 35 "extra" pts a wk. So your really eating what you need weekly to lose anyways. I'm not sure why they did that. I guess my point is if you do that with MFP be careful you may end up gaining.
  • ShellyMacchi
    ShellyMacchi Posts: 975 Member
    not me
    a calorie is a calorie is a calorie *S*.. and besides counting those, i also track nutrients so i record everything *S*

    edited to add:
    some veg are much higher in calories than others, and also higher in salt...
  • KnightsGal76
    KnightsGal76 Posts: 69 Member
    I am with you re: not counting calories for veggies.... I did WW too, and one thing someone said to me is... "no one ever got fat eating veggies!" I have taken that to heart and I eat them for "free". I use my exercise calories for my "flex points". I try not to eat them back but if I am going to go out to eat, or am hormonal and need a little extra food then I use the exercise calories for that.
  • Charice
    Charice Posts: 188 Member
    I did WW on and off for a number of years, very limited success. I just switched over to MFP a couple of weeks ago, and so far I am loving it! It did take a little getting used to logging everything and not having a "weekly allowance", but I have found by being true to the log has made me feel more like I am in control. Seeing the calorie intake and nutrition has made me more aware of what I am eating and what is best. With WW I never felt like I understood what I was getting because everything was points (particularly after they switched to the new points plus) and I had no idea where I was on calories or nutrition. So now, if I need some "extra" calories for a day, I will put in some extra exercise to earn it. And, it has made it easier for me not to add the extras if I know I am going to have to work it off later! I think it comes down to whatever works for you...and so far, MFP is working better than WW did because I am more aware of the type of foods I am eating, not just how many points something has.
  • Kirsty_UK
    Kirsty_UK Posts: 964 Member
    I am with you re: not counting calories for veggies.... I did WW too, and one thing someone said to me is... "no one ever got fat eating veggies!" I have taken that to heart and I eat them for "free".
    But I presume WW's points allowance is assuming that you eat a reasonable proportion of your diet as fruit and veg, meaning that the rest, is what it gives you to eat in points. MFP INCLUDES the amount of calories etc of the fruit and veg and salad etc in your daily calorie today. If you dont log your veggies etc, you're eating too much of the rest to leave the calories you need for the veg in your diet.
    I use my exercise calories for my "flex points". I try not to eat them back but if I am going to go out to eat, or am hormonal and need a little extra food then I use the exercise calories for that.
    I think that's fine if you do eat them back at some point in the week, but if you don't, then you're eating too little for your target
  • mamato3inca
    mamato3inca Posts: 168 Member
    Thank you to those who actually understood what I was saying!

    I'm not trying to ADD extra calories to my diet, I'm looking for a way to maybe leave some extra calories for a night out, bad day etc. I realize WW incorporates the extra points into your daily and weekly allowance.

    I also didn't say I'm not tracking my veggies or the nutrients, just not the calories. At 1200 calories a day, it gets a little tough sometimes!
  • believetoachieve
    believetoachieve Posts: 675 Member
    Thank you to those who actually understood what I was saying!

    I'm not trying to ADD extra calories to my diet, I'm looking for a way to maybe leave some extra calories for a night out, bad day etc. I realize WW incorporates the extra points into your daily and weekly allowance.

    I also didn't say I'm not tracking my veggies or the nutrients, just not the calories. At 1200 calories a day, it gets a little tough sometimes!

    People often mistake or twist words around; just ignore them!! :grumble:

    I think you should do whatever works for you the best. Fruits are a little iffy because of the high sugar (but I was on WW before the "new" plan). Veggies I think you can get away with more easily. In the end, whatever works for YOU and sticks, is the right way!! Don't let others bully you into doing it their way! :flowerforyou:
  • funkyspunky871
    funkyspunky871 Posts: 1,675 Member
    I get exactly what you're saying, and I'm so sorry most others didn't. No, I don't have free foods, but since I've become so obsessive over calories lately, I had a MFP friend suggest that I do make some veggies just plain free and eat however much I want of them. She said that celery and carrot sticks are her free foods, and she's been losing weight fine without tracking them. :) So, give it a try. It can't hurt.

    Also, you can do that extra calories thing by using the same "technique" WW does. If MFP says to 1500 calories a day, maybe eat only 1400 instead. Then you have 700 extra calories for weekend. As long as you don't go below 1200, I don't see the problem. :)
  • HelenTheKitchen
    HelenTheKitchen Posts: 383
    Do you know how many extra veggies you would have to eat to gain weight? I lost the majority of my weight with Weight Watchers and it worked great and taught me all the same lessons that MFP teaches. Portion control and moderation. The idea behind making veggies free is so that you turn to them when you need a snack as opposed to the unhealthy choices. I count my veggies, but I gotta tell ya, I don't weigh them or measure them and I haven't had an issue yet. If you feel like your starving at the end of the day, but don't have any calories left I would think that munching on some fresh cut veggies is absolutely fine.

    Side note: I would have stuck with Weight Watchers if they didn't change their plan. My family is on a fixed income and I thought paying all the extra money for their new stuff was a waste of money when this site is free.
  • mamato3inca
    mamato3inca Posts: 168 Member
    Thank you for the ideas. I may tweak my calories a little bit and see how it goes.

    I agree with the comment, you don't get fat eating veggies! I do count the calories for fruit though.
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