Weight Watchers Convert, have some questions

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Lightngsvt
Lightngsvt Posts: 2 Member
in Getting Started
Hello all, just started here 5 days ago and so far really like the calorie counting method. I previously did Weight Watchers, lost 40lbs, maintained for almost a year and then gained 12lbs back. The recent changes / problems have just been to much so it was time for something new. For some reason sticking to my 1580 calories/day has been pretty easy but hitting all of my targets for fate, carbs and sugar has not been.

The problem I have is I don't feel that I know how to eat "right! The points system is a game and it doesn't give you the real info on the foods you eat so all I learned is a points value, I avoided things like nuts and dairy products due to high points value but ate a lot of fruit which 0 points but very high in sugars. I need to start over again and really learn how to eat properly. Can anyone point me to posts, websites or apps that can go into some detail (for an average guy) about what you should and shouldnt eat and quantities? Im a 42 yo male currently weighing about 171 with a goal of 159

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  • Twincle1970
    Twincle1970 Posts: 45 Member
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    I am also an ex ww client and did really well following their programme. I put a lot of weight on when I stopped doing it as I no longer watched what I ate. I'm now 45 and currently weigh 213 and going down again :) You can find loads of information here but I found I needed what works for me as there are so many approaches to diet. I.e. are you after a low fat, or low carb, or high protein, meal replacement, multi meal, 3 meal, low cal etc. I can only go what I read on here and have picked up a steady trend of "Eat Less, Move More" advice to lose the excess weight which to me translates to "keep a calorie deficit & exercise more". MFP can give a recommended calorie count based on your goals, but I am following the Insanity programme which means I allow 2500 cals per day and the deficit is reached by hard cardio workouts. SeanT is the person who fronts it and recommends 40% carbs, 40% Protein and 20%fat while on his programme. However, I have to agree that these macros are a guide and find it incredibly difficult to adhere to rigidly, so the most important thing is to eat what you like, but, keep those calories at deficit and the weight will go. If it doesnt, then drop your calorie intake further. This is only my view on things at the moment and hope it helps. When I get another 40lb off I'll start to look at macros in detail :)
  • jgaffney86
    jgaffney86 Posts: 35 Member
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    A great place to start are the stickies in certain sections of these forums. Thell give you a great jumb start about calories and such. Here are some links i found from the MFP Blog...also another good area to start reading in. Last, you can search these forums for whatever questions you may have. Remember to take some peoples posts and replies with a grain of salt.

    Meal Planning - https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/meal-planning-for-beginners/

    Lunch Ideas (Anyone can use this not just kids) https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/15-healthy-kid-friendly-lunch-ideas/

    Snack Ideas - https://blog.myfitnesspal.com/15-healthy-kid-friendly-snack-ideas/

    Healthy Food Guide - http://www.eatingwell.com/healthy_cooking/healthy_food_guide

    Also from our goverment lol - http://www.nutrition.gov/smart-nutrition-101

    Hope these stear you in the right direction. I know some of the links isnt exactly what you asked....but just to give you other ideas (:. Also I just left WW myself. There website transition was ridiculous. Ive been seeing alot of members move here recently.
  • Lightngsvt
    Lightngsvt Posts: 2 Member
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    Thank you both for your replies. Ill check out the links JGaffney86 as well as the stickies. WOuld either of you mind telling me what some of your typical meals look like? Also, how do you treat fruits? I was eating a lot of fruit on WW, but have been hesitant now due to the high sugar content in grapes, apples, etc.
  • jgaffney86
    jgaffney86 Posts: 35 Member
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    I think that was one of the issues with WW. Although they did say fruits and veggies were zero points.....your suppose to still have them in moderation. I ate probably a little more than I should because of this. I'll give you some examples of meals. I have been actually eating smaller meals 6 times a day. REALLY has helped me alot keeping full. Each Meal (6 meals) I would have 2 glasses of water

    Breakfast (Id cook it and eat half at 8am and then the other half 10 am.)
    3/4 cup dry oatmeal
    4TBSP PB Fit
    1/2 Rasberries

    Lunch (Id eat the sandhich at 12pm and the yogurt at 2pm)
    Cooked Marinated Chicken 3oz
    Wrap Up Multigrain Flax Wrap
    1 Cut Roma Tomato
    1oz Romane Lettuce
    Thin Sliced Swiss Cheese
    (I did no condiments i found this to be still very tasty)
    1 Cup of Yogurt Dannon light and fit

    Dinner (I would just simply eat half the meal about 5-6pm and then finish the other half about 8-9pm)
    Wrap Up Pizza Bread
    3oz Marinated Chicken
    1/2 Italian style diced canned tomatoes
    1oz Sharp Cheeder Cheese
    about 6 cooked mushrooms
    2 tbsp diced onion
    3oz of Alexia Cut Potatoes (from frozen bag)

    Hope this stears you in the right direction.
  • FitMomOK
    FitMomOK Posts: 66 Member
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    http://www.andiemitchell.com/2013/06/24/putting-my-mom-on-a-diet-week-1-meal-plan-and-weigh-in/


    read all the weeks. excellent balanced approach, pics, calorie counts. i refer to it often for meal ideas.
  • BarbaraRoseB
    BarbaraRoseB Posts: 9 Member
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    I also started a few days ago, after leaving WW. The new changes really disgusted me, because I didn't think I could follow that plan -- certainly not for life! I think the calorie-tracking method is more honest, and I already know what I need to eat and what portion control looks like, thanks to WW. Love the app and the database is fantastic. I even found local restaurants I go to occasionally, although I prepare most of my meals at home. The database even has products that are sold at BJs and aren't mainstream brands. So happy to be part of the MFP community! Being focused and having your mind in the game is everything. I wasn't doing that on WW, and began to feel I was just pouring my money down the drain. That, combined with the recent changes/problems, gave me the motivation to leave, and now I've found something so much better in MFP!

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