Totally obsessed with HungryGirl [Archive] - Women's Cycling Discussion Forums

shootingstar

05-27-2009, 07:15 PM

Review isn't totally positive about nutritional value of some recipes. Coffee creamer powder?! What a joke.

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/hungrygirl200.htm

But be prepared to rely heavily on processed foods: artificial sweetener is everywhere, egg substitute, fat-free whipped topping, flavored coffee-creamer powder, and seasoning packets. Lillien also picks product favorites, which at least takes the guesswork out of what to buy.
Lillien is also keenly aware that we need more fiber in our diet, so she uses Fiber One brand cereal in many of her recipes from parfaits to coatings for chicken or zucchini. All the recipes mesh with the Weight Watchers points system, though you'll have to find them on the Hungry Girl web site. Once again, Lillien delivers a fun and easy to use cookbook with plenty of neat facts to "chew on" plus an assortment of tips and trivia. For those of us who like to see what a recipe may look like, there are some photos, too, with the rest available on Hungry Girl's web site.
If you're looking for slimmed-down convenience, Hungry Girl's 200 Under 200 is just for you, but for those who prefer a fresher, less-processed approach to eating, 200 Under 200 won't cut it.

SportySam

05-27-2009, 07:20 PM

I gotta say this.

i like the premise but why hungryGIRL?
I'm not even gonna go into 'girl' territory)
Doesn't this reinforce the stereotype of women being obsessed with losing weight and that we should be. As if to devalue a woman who doesn't look like a magazine model?
Other stereotypes come to mind too but I'll just make this a small rant for now

The 200 would be a fine title and would let a guy buy the book too.

[/rant]

TOTALLY DOESN'T BOTHER ME. I don't look like the girls in the magazine. In fact, I am a size 16-18. The title is based on the nickname of the author who is dubbed HungryGirl...Not that we are all HungryGirls. Check out the book...and then you'll understand.

SportySam

05-27-2009, 07:23 PM

Review isn't totally positive about nutritional value of some recipes. Coffee creamer powder?! What a joke.

http://lowfatcooking.about.com/od/bookreviews/fr/hungrygirl200.htm

This is taken from HungryGirls daily email....

Dear Hungry Girl,

I saw a piece on HG in The Washington Post -- so cool! The article called you the "queen of processed food." Do you really eat processed food all the time? What do you have to say about this nickname?

Pondering the Post
Dear Pondering,

Thanks for your Q -- I've been wanting to address this. I love that article! And while the nickname made me laugh, I understand why the journalist wrote it. Let me explain... in detail. Hungry Girl recipes and food finds definitely include a lot of processed foods. To quote that article from The Washington Post, "we are a nation of snackers." Because let's face it: America eats processed food. These foods tempt us all day, every day. It's unrealistic to think that the average person, who's faced with fast food and processed food on a regular basis, can flip a switch and start following a completely rigid diet of 100% "clean" foods. It just is. While it may work for some people, it's not reasonable for the masses. So Hungry G irl provides a happy medium -- a bridge between the average junk-food diet and the idealistic way of eating perfectly "healthy" at all times. It's not about following an all-processed-food diet. It's a REALISTIC approach to better-for-you eating that people can actually live with and feel good about. Many of the processed foods I write about and use in recipes give people a way to fulfill their cravings for fattening items like fried foods, pizza, sweets, etc., without taking in a crazy amount of calories and fat. In other words, it helps people maintain a healthy weight without feeling deprived. Personally, while I do rely on those foods to tackle serious cravings, I'm actually sort of boring when it comes to my everyday food staples. I definitely don't eat processed food all the time. I eat a lot of protein -- things like turkey, chicken, egg whites, fish (tons of sushi with as little rice as possible), and steak (once in a while). I love to eat salads with low-fat cheeses , a LOT of veggies, and a small amount of fat-free or low-fat dressing (or none at all -- I'm not a huge fan of dressing on my salads). I LOVE fruit and eat an apple a day and other fruits as well. I also eat HG staples like high-fiber tortillas, Tofu Shirataki noodles, Fiber One cereal, Laughing Cow Light cheese wedges, etc. Some of those foods are natural, and some are not. But back to the point -- most Americans won't be giving up processed food anytime soon, so I offer up reasonable alternatives to a lot of the total JUNK out there. That's the bottom line. I stand by the HG way 1000%. Hundreds of thousands of people are embracing and appreciating it, and they're benefiting by attaining and maintaining a healthy weight -- I know; I h ear from them every day. (Love those emails -- keep 'em coming!) It's nice to see that the people at The Washington Post get it. If anyone out there hasn't seen the article, click here -- it's worth reading. Thanks again for the question!

Zen

05-27-2009, 07:24 PM

Review isn't totally positive about nutritional value of some recipes.

I was thinking in that direction too. I'd rather eat broccoli until I'm full instead of many 200 calorie items.

I love broccoli.

SportySam

05-27-2009, 07:27 PM

I love veggies too...but sometimes (actually many) I love chocolate and sweet stuff...so hungrygirl gives it to me in a lower calorie version and very tasty I might add!

Zen

05-27-2009, 08:06 PM

ny biker

05-28-2009, 10:16 AM

I just got out of the bathtub. What do you do in the bathtub?
You think.
And I was thinking, this would be a reasonable alternative for snacks but not as an entire way of eating.

Then I got out of the tub and stopped thinking.

In college I had a housemate who liked to read the Sunday NY Times in the tub.

Are the recipes in this book supposed to be for meals, or for snacks? 200 calories is not enough for a meal, but it's more than I want in a snack.

SportySam

05-28-2009, 11:28 AM

Mostly snacks and some sides to a meal. For example, I like the faux-fried zucchini that uses fiber one cereal and dry ranch dressing seasoning and egg substitute. I would not eat it as a meal but had it as a side last night with my meatloaf.

There is also a great mashed potato recipe that uses cauliflower.

smilingcat

05-28-2009, 09:05 PM

What ever happened to banana, apples, and other fruit??

Bit early in the season for peach. Apricots from the store weren't good eats :( Cherries were good eats.

hate processed food. artificial sweetner? one of them taste really.... hmm... its gawd awful bitter to me. Other sweetner still has the "chemical" feel to me. Its not the same as real sugar.

My other pet peeves is miracle whip. WHAZ WITH THAT STUFF? Doesn't even taste remotely like real home made mayo!! You put that on my bread and its going straight to trash.

Instead of ice creme with berries, try creme fraisch with berries. Now that's good eats. You don't have to smother the berries with creme fraisch just a small dab will do.

I also hate Sandra Lee "semi-home made"??? When I use to watch TV, she really grated on my nerve. Her "kitchen" and appliance was always color coordinated. You wear makeup and nail polish in my kitchen, you will be booted out! And she CAN'T COOK! JUST CUTE YOU KNOW WHAT!! :mad:

[/rant]

shootingstar

05-28-2009, 09:43 PM

What ever happened to banana, apples, and other fruit??

Bit early in the season for peach. Apricots from the store weren't good eats :( Cherries were good eats.

hate processed food. artificial sweetner? one of them taste really.... hmm... its gawd awful bitter to me. Other sweetner still has the "chemical" feel to me. Its not the same as real sugar.

My other pet peeves is miracle whip. WHAZ WITH THAT STUFF? Doesn't even taste remotely like real home made mayo!! You put that on my bread and its going straight to trash.

Yea, fresh fruit..very little work. Last year, one of the employees in our dept. showed me with a thrill on her face that she found an Internet recipe that involved deep frying some sort of bread with miracle whip or whatever abomination.

I said nothing to her. ...because she had been telling me for the longest time she did want to lose weight. (probably needed to lose at least 40 lbs.) Some people genuinely do not understand whole original food produce and ingredients, as a basis for more healthier eating.

Let's see this employee, was around my age, a mother of 2 late teenage boys.

Reesha

05-29-2009, 03:44 AM

Many of us unknowingly train our bodies our whole lives to accept and require processed foods... whether it's bread, pasta, artificial sweeteners, candy, etc.

With all that engineered food floating around that is designed to taste so good and to be near addictive, it doesn't surprise me that fruit holds little interest for a lot of people. I'm not saying this is true of Sam because I know she eats fruit and plenty of it. But from my observations in the school cafeteria, etc... fruit just doesn't hold the interest that it once did because compared to artificial flavors and processed sugars, they just don't seem as chemically addictive.

Zen

05-29-2009, 07:22 AM

I LOVE FRUIT!
It's so sweet and juicy http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-eatdrink026.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)
But I can also down a Pepperidge Farm cake in two days

tulip

05-29-2009, 09:46 AM

I LOVE FRUIT!
It's so sweet and juicy http://www.freesmileys.org/smileys/smiley-eatdrink026.gif (http://www.freesmileys.org)
But I can also down a Pepperidge Farm cake in two days

TWO days?? Such restraint is not found in these parts. I stick to Angel Food cake from a box if I need a cake hit. Yes, it's super processed, but it's only every once in a while and it's relatively benign in the fat department. And I have it with alot of fresh strawberries. Yum....Angel Food cake...

skinimini

05-29-2009, 12:07 PM

I'm trying so hard to remove processed foods from my diet. The last big hurdle was Diet Coke--it's been twelve days since my last one. :D I can't say that I've gotten totally beyond that addiction, but I'm determined to follow through.

Zen

05-29-2009, 02:07 PM

I have not read The End of Overeating (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/books/review/InsideList-t.html) but it sure does look interesting.

GLC1968

05-29-2009, 04:12 PM

Doesn't even taste remotely like real home made mayo!!

And that is exactly the point! I try to avoid processed foods, but I do admit to liking Miracle Whip. In fact, I just bought a new jar because my mayo eating husband saw the date on my jar and tossed it (it was over a year past the sell by date). He didn't get that those dates don't matter for Miracle Whip. :p

I HATE, HATE, HATE real mayo and all things related to it. As a kid, my mom discovered that I'd eat tuna salad if she made it with MW. Now I only eat it a couple of times a year and only in very small quanties.

(I like Cool Whip and hate real whip cream, too. :o)

tctrek

05-29-2009, 04:47 PM

uforgot

05-31-2009, 12:02 PM

I have not read The End of Overeating (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/17/books/review/InsideList-t.html) but it sure does look interesting.

Zen, I had not heard of this book, but after your link I thought it looked interesting too. I bought it yesterday and it IS good. I'm about a third of the way through it. So far it talks about how major restaurant chains fix certain popular entrees. I had no idea. I'll admit, I didn't know anything about chemicals, processing and foods but have been fighting the weight loss battle my entire life. This is an entirely new approach. Maybe I just need to get smart and eat correctly instead of conveniently.

That's the thing that has been bothering me about weight watchers lately. We sit around and talk about how to get the most food for the fewest points. I looked at all of their offerings. 1 and 2 point snacks, rice etc, all in boxes and bags. How can this be right? You can eat an entire bag of 94% fat free popcorn for 3 points. An entire bag? Should that be the norm for a snack? Shouldn't I be concerned with portion control? And the correct nutrition for a 50 mile ride? My leader is no help. They are not trained all that well for healthy eating, just point eating, and cute sayings. They encourage you to get 7 fitness points per week. Last week I had 45 and gained 2 pounds.

I also saw a copy of HungryGirl at Schnucks yesterday, right after my Overeating book purchase. The recipe I turned to? Carmelized onion and even I was horrified at the ingredients. Marketing all recipes as under 200 calories will make those on the diet yo-yo buy it. Along with those snacks (Hostess ding dongs, oreo chips, etc) that have the "100 calorie bags". How many people are going to think that these are good choices based on calorie counts? How is eating these snacks (along with those 2 point calorie bars) conducive to healthy eating?

Anyway, sorry for the ramblings. It's what has been in my head since I rejoined Weight Watchers. This book is shedding lots of light so far, answering lots of questions I had, and thanks so much for the link Zen!
Maybe I can get off of the diet roller coaster.

Zen

05-31-2009, 02:00 PM

I guess I should read that book now :D

Running Mommy

05-31-2009, 10:09 PM

hmmm. Now I'm intrigued, and I must buy the book. Not the hungry girl book, the other one.
I have been eating clean for a solid week, and I have no need for the crap. I'm eating as much food in it's whole unprocessed state as possible, And it seems to be working. Lastnight I was up 5+ times "flushing" it out. The weight is flushing out- literally. And it's not just water.
I feel soo much better already! My poor body needed it so bad.

ny biker

06-01-2009, 08:14 AM

uforgot, you might want to have a look at Nancy Clark's Sports Nutrition Guide Book. She addresses eating to lose weight in addition to fueling for athletic activities.

http://www.nancyclarkrd.com/books/sportsnutrition.asp

(It's available in bookstores and at Amazon, too.)

tulip

06-01-2009, 08:40 AM

uforgot, that is a great post. I'm not struggling with weight, and I hardly eat convenience foods (just not the way I was raised, I guess), but I see people every day who are struggling. I've never done weight watchers, but it seems to work for alot of people. However, your observations about points and nutrition seem spot-on to me. I really like that you are *thinking* about your choices--that seems to be missing from the discussion too often. Thanks.

uforgot

06-01-2009, 09:59 AM

Thanks for the recommendation NY biker! I'm about finished with the Overeating book and I think your book would be a good companion to it. The OE book addresses why we overeat and why we should avoid convenience food, but just goes into the psychology of it and how to stop the urges. It's apparently not willpower, but more of an addiction that we have to learn to control. No recipes or food plans, but a terrific book. I was raised on convenience food, am known as the microwave queen, and if that's the jist of the problem, some serious education needs to be enacted. Just look at a school lunch menu. Chicken nuggets, corn dogs...

Tulip seems to be an example of what is wrong with diets. She doesn't eat convenience food, doesn't worry about weight and is probably not obsessing about food 24-7. Weight Watchers has you weigh your food, count points, count activity...holy cow! You HAVE to think about it all the time. I cancelled my membership.

Running Mommy - I'd like to know what you are doing differently. What have you cut out? What have you added? Any certain plan or just your own?

Thanks for the help everyone!

Crankin

06-01-2009, 10:35 AM

tulip

06-01-2009, 10:43 AM

uforgot, you are right, partly. I don't obsess about food or my weight--I often forget to weigh myself for weeks on end. When I do, I might be up a few, or down a few, but it's all in the right ballpark for me.

But for all of my adult life until a few years ago, I was about 15 lbs heavier than I am now. What changed? First off, when I was heavier, I still didn't obsess and I did not eat convenience foods (other than Starbucks--bad), but I did overeat and I ate the wrong things. I ate way too many carbs and not nearly enough protein. I also did not eat an apple a day, something that I think really has helped me be more healthy. Sounds naive and trite, but it's part of eating healthy for me. And I had the 1000-calorie breakfast from SB--triple grande latte and "low fat" cinnamon coffee cake---every day.

I'm bound to alienate the vegetarians on this list, but I was pretty much a vegetarian for many years because my then-DH was. We ate lots of carbs. For me, I needed protein in the form of chicken and a bit of beef. That's just me. It has worked for me. I eat less food when I eat meat.

There was also alot of emotional stuff going on in my life and when I addressed that (personal life, work life), the pounds melted off of me. Oh, and Pilates really helps too.

FWIW, neither my mother nor my brother even have microwave ovens. I do, and use it to warm up things I've made (I make alot of homeade foods, and always have leftovers). I don't buy or eat ready-made meals and such. Only microwave popcorn, which I have about once every couple of months.

I think that learning to cook, and even growing your own food or at least herbs, is a great way to learn to think about what goes into your mouth. Even shopping at the farmers market--it's mindful, not mindless like at the grocery store. When I go to the grocery store (and I do shop there), I always feel like I have to rush to get out. When I go to the farmers market, I like to linger and look and compare and even talk to the vendors and farmers. I get my beef directly from small farm where the cattle is raised, and that always involves at least an hour of chatting with the wonderful farm wife who sells the beef. (she homeschools her kids and likes adult conversation, which she doesn't get everyday!) It's really a cool way to do things, and I'm so grateful that I can do it this way.

Best of luck in your new way of thinking!

shootingstar

06-01-2009, 02:32 PM

FWIW, neither my mother nor my brother even have microwave ovens. I do, and use it to warm up things I've made (I make alot of homeade foods, and always have leftovers). I don't buy or eat ready-made meals and such. Only microwave popcorn, which I have about once every couple of months.

I think that learning to cook, and even growing your own food or at least herbs, is a great way to learn to think about what goes into your mouth.

I actually didn't live in any home with a microwave until I was 42 ..when started I living with my partner. It never occurred to me to buy a microwave. Seriously.

My parents still don't have a microwave. We would never dream of buying a microwave as a gift for them. It would be wasted...unless they became so disabled to cook safely at the stove. Maybe that will be the time in future we'll do buy such a gift.

Even now, I seldom cook foods with leftover amounts for microwave nuking. My style of cooking just does not lend itself often to equally tasty leftovers the next day anyway. Whereas it's my partner using the microwave for frozen veggie soups that he makes or to warm up his bagel.

All through university, as a break from intensive study and as a form of therapy, I enjoyed cooking dinner for myself. Same core style of cooking as I do now. Maybe at that time, I did instant noodles with hot water thing, Kraft macaroni and cheese, Campbell soup, ..um..2-3 times per month. My parents didn't have enough money to pay my tuition nor accommodation, but one thing they did help out..was my mother gave me packets of pre-cut, frozen meat for my freezer when I was student. Looking back, it was probably godsend..not only financially but also ...extended a healthy diet for a stressful time in my life.

Well into my full-time paid career years, she was still giving me some care packages of fresh veggies that she had washed and cut for me when I visited occasionally. To last 1-2 wks.

It took a certain amount of repetition by me to get her to stop doing this.

So really, I have been indoctrinated....by a parent to prepare meals/dishes based on whole food. I just could not throw out these care pkgs. and good practices from momma. :D

I owe alot of how I eat now, my relative health..to this foundational start in life.

Same for my partner for similar cooking philosophy of his mother.

But our weight gain comes from desserts purchased outside of home. Sigh.

skinimini

06-02-2009, 07:14 AM

Uforgot, you are on the right track. I have always been suspicious of WW; I have had several friends who have done it, but they never *keep* the weight off. It's like the system helps you find the easiest way to eat the most bad stuff you can, and lose at the same time. I know this doesn't apply to everyone, but you have to change your way of eating and thinking about food for for life, as Tulip said.

I can totally see your point of view, but for me WW has worked better than any other "diet" I've ever tried. In the past 14 months I've lost 75 lbs--75 lbs that will never be back on my body, because I have truly changed the way I eat. I have 5 more to go for my official WW goal and then I'll probably lose another few after that. The WW method is all about accountability and making the right choices--isn't that what we try to do in every aspect of our lives? After months of counting those points, I've gotten to a place in my life where I know what is right for my body and I understand how much I can and should eat and know that if I'm exercising really hard, then I need to fuel my body with good food. Yes, there are those people on WW (or other diets) who eat anything as long as it fits into the daily point values, whether it's healthy or not. I've had friends who do exactly that. But, they haven't really made the commitment to make a change and they won't be successful as long as they continually lie to themselves (OK, I'm a little preachy here). So, I guess what I'm saying is that WW is a tool and it's a good tool if you use it correctly.

My new mantra is "eat what you want, eat less of it". I also love Yoda's quote (as someone else on TE does as well) "Do or do not...there is no try"

Grits

06-02-2009, 07:20 AM

I just ordered Nancy Clark's nutrition guide for cyclists. I'll let ya'll know how it is after I read it.

SportySam

06-02-2009, 11:14 AM

In response to Uforgot. I have been doing WW since January and have lost almost 30 pounds. I get what you are saying about the exercise for sure. I exercise A LOT and when I asked about how to calculate WW points in relation to heart rate she looked at me like I was crazy. Also one of the things that the meeting head says is that you should only eat 4 of the many exercise points you earn...but while that might work for some people...if I work out for an hour and a half and am burning 15 or so points...I might be really hungry and want to eat more than four points. She(my meeting director) actually told me I was working out too hard! Can you believe it! I thought she was crazy!! So usually I try to only eat my four exercise points but other times I just need to eat more so I do.

As for the unhealthy processed snacks...my WW leader always stresses the good health guidelines...so if I were you I might change meetings/places and the leaders are all different from each other. I have not gone back to the crazy lady who told me I work out too much! I do endulge in some of what all of you might determine "bad" or processed but things like the WW cookies and creme bars help me over my chocolate craving. You might ask why I don't just have a little piece of a bar of chocolate...because I have NO control! So I like the pre-wrapped stuff...but instead of sugary things...fruit has also helped me a lot.

PamNY

06-02-2009, 11:49 AM

I just ordered Nancy Clark's nutrition guide for cyclists. I'll let ya'll know how it is after I read it.

I would love to hear what you think of it.

Pam

Susan Otcenas

06-02-2009, 02:58 PM

1) I own the Nancy Clark book. It's excellent.
2) I lost 36 pounds on WW and am now at goal. I subscribed to Hungry Girl to see what all the fuss was about. I would not eat 99% of the junk (which seems like paid placement to me) that she promotes via the email.
3) WW, like any "diet" or "program", is all about what YOU make of it. I've never bought a WW product, and eat virtually no processed foods. My diet is whole grains, lean proteins and piles of fresh fruits and veggies. What WW provides for *me* and for most people who have been successful at it, is a structure inside which we can learn how to eat healthfully and exercise portion control. For life.
4) Sporty Sam, as you said - your old leader is a crackpot. Our bodies require FUEL to exercise. Food does not make us fat. Carbohydrates do not make us fat. Heck, FAT does not make us fat. What makes us fat is an excess of calories in over calories out. Period. Consistently consume fewer calories than you burn and you WILL lose weight.

Susan

jobob

06-04-2009, 12:06 PM

Well said Susan. :cool:

GLC1968

06-04-2009, 12:23 PM

I totally agree with Susan.

The problem I had with WW when I did it the first time was that I joined in part for the comraderie - yeah, big mistake. While I do agree that WW is what you make of it, it can be difficult to find like-minded individuals when so many people are so points driven. When I would mention difficulty getting appropriate protein with only XX points because of my weight training, I got a lot of sharp intakes of breath... "why would you life weights? That's only going to make you heavier!" Recipes were so points-focused/fake-food-full that I couldn't really share with them...and I too was encouraged to only EARN 4 AP's per day (never mind eating those points). It was so difficult to go in there as an athlete that needed to lose weight and find support among sedentary people who just wanted a 'diet'.

I would think that doing it online and using your own best judgement and education makes a lot more sense than going to meetings to find support. The forums over there seem to have a much larger variety of people, so I'm sure it would be possible to connect with other athletes, you know?

Susan Otcenas

06-04-2009, 12:55 PM

...and I too was encouraged to only EARN 4 AP's per day (never mind eating those points). It was so difficult to go in there as an athlete that needed to lose weight and find support among sedentary people who just wanted a 'diet'.

I would think that doing it online and using your own best judgement and education makes a lot more sense than going to meetings to find support.

I consistently earn around 60 APs per week. Last week I earned 97. And ya know what? I ate every single one of them. :D And successfully maintained the same weight.

I use WW online. No meetings for me. I've only recently started exploring the WW recipe database online, but what I've found is that the recipes are mostly all-natural foods. Maybe it's just the kind of recipes I look at (for example, I don't try to find dessert recipes) but they have used predominantly healthful ingredients, with little reliance on processed foods.

Perhaps the key here is that I'm not trying to maintain an old way of eating. What I mean is, I'm not trying to create a menu plan that includes lots of desserts and appetizers and fried foods. For example, the HG email I received today was full of recipes for Fudge, Onion Rings, Burgers, Chicken Fingers, milkshakes, etc. I think this is why people fail on WW or any other "diet". Rather than re-orienting their menus to include healthful items like fruits, veggies and lean proteins, they try to find ways to still have all the types of foods that made them fat in the first place.

GLC1968

06-04-2009, 01:08 PM

You earned 97 AP last week? That's amazing! (how many did you earn last night - just out of curiosity :))

I should mention that my biggest beefs with WW were from the first time I did it - before the days of the idea of filling foods or even before the core concept was introduced. Back then, it was calories, calories, calories - keep them low however you can even if it means splurging on a dessert and then only eating iceberg lettuce wedges for lunch. :eek:

I will say that the whole core plan and now the filling-foods idea is so much more in line with what I think of when I think "healthy" eating. And the online recipe database is a HUGE improvement over old newsletters and things. There are tons of very healthy 'real food' recipes available now. In fact, I almost kept my membership JUST to keep my access to the recipe database. WW as a whole has absolutely made some major improvements in the past few years.

uforgot

06-04-2009, 01:15 PM

GLC- Your post was so true! Points driven, I like that terminology. That's what I'm seeing in my meetings too. The people who have reached goal don't even really look healthy to me. They aren't interested in lifting weights, yet they complain about saggy arms. And they are walking 2-3 miles per week, and think that's great! it's all about the food, not the exercise. Last week I lost 2 lbs, didn't have as many AP as I usually have so the leader says "There you go! Now you know not to exercise so much!". Holy Cow, something's wrong with this. I think the reason I finally lost was taking out processed food.

There is a filling foods plan that is like the old Core plan, and you eat healthy non-processed food, yet it's hard to find this plan. My leader wasn't even aware of it, but it's online. (She's too busy sharing her Angel Food Cake, FF Cool Whip and FF pudding recipe)

I remembered Susan saying she did it online, and I think that's the way I'm going to go. I'm finding more encouragement and healthy guidelines here, than I can at the meeting. Should I just send you guys my $40 per month?

Edit: I do recall at one of my first meetings, the leader put something in her water and started shaking it. She demonstrated that we could get some exercise that way. Let's see, I rode my bike to the meeting, but I can get exercise jiggling my arm???

Susan Otcenas

06-04-2009, 01:38 PM

You earned 97 AP last week? That's amazing! (how many did you earn last night - just out of curiosity :))

Between my morning run and my evening bike ride, I earned 13 points yesterday. I ate 12 of them. (mostly in post-ride sushi. :) )

Last week's 97 points included just over 20 hours of exercise at an average of 4.85 points earned per hour of exercise. That exercise included lots of cycling and some swim & run workouts.

Of course, you really have to trust yourself to estimate accurately. I rode my bike 225 miles with more than 15000 feet of elevation gain over memorial day weekend. At the end of each riding day I knew how much time I'd ridden (actual ride time, not time elapsed) and then I needed to estimate how much was at "hard" effort, how much "moderate" etc. I try to be very honest in my estimates, so that I don't fall into the trap of overeating points.

Susan Otcenas

06-04-2009, 01:39 PM

Should I just send you guys my $40 per month?

It only costs me $16.95 per month. But sure, send some of the "extra" to GLC and me. We'll spend it on sushi.

Running Mommy

06-04-2009, 03:17 PM

From a girl who gained 50- yes 50 lbs in the last year from new biz life stress-

SUSAN YOU ARE MY HERO!!!!

I'm back on track now, and feeling so much better. Doing my own healthy eating thing, and back to training, but finally LOSING!!!

I love hearing about your experiences Susan, so thanks for sharing.

Susan Otcenas

06-04-2009, 03:33 PM

RM - You're making me blush. :o

I feel your pain.

When Jeff & I started TE in 1998, I was around 140 pounds, *maybe* 145. Not thin, but not overly plump either. Fast forward 11 years and I topped out over 165 (not sure how high, though I recall seeing 167 more than once.)

It's so so SO easy to put on weight under stress. I did it for years. Jeff & I didn't ride as much as we should have, ate too many meals out, too much convenience food... It really took it's toll.

Last year I finally snapped and realized I couldn't let it continue. YOU are soooooo much ahead of me, because it only took you a year to realize you needed to change something. I let myself slide for a heckuva lot longer than that. :eek: Glad to hear you are back on track. I think you'll discover, as I did, that I'm actually MORE effective in my job than I was before, because I'm taking better care of myself. That plays out in my business life every day.

Susan

gnat23

06-04-2009, 05:34 PM

I consistently earn around 60 APs per week. Last week I earned 97. And ya know what? I ate every single one of them. :D And successfully maintained the same weight.

This is super encouraging. For some reason, when I first did WW, they put a cap on how many exercise points you could earn. So while it did a lot of ladies good to go from couch-potato to walking a half-hour three-times-a-week, it did nuffin for any long endurance motivation like us crazies.

Susan, do you eat your AP the same day you earn them, or do you spread them out? I think part of my hiccup was eating 30 points one day and 20 the next... Hard to plan!

-- gnat!

uforgot

06-04-2009, 05:44 PM

And Susan, do you use your weekly 35 points? I've noticed with the new system you have to use those before you use your activity points. Thanks!

jobob

06-04-2009, 08:28 PM

I joined WW online earlier this week.

While scanning the message boards I came across this link, which explains how helpful it is for active women to try to eat all of their accumulated WW points (daily, weekly and activity):

Eat More/Lose More (http://www.freewebs.com/emlmww/emlmfaqs.htm)

An excerpt:
"On WW eating APs is optional, but for folks who exercise a lot, it seems that failing to eat those APs can bring weight loss to a screeching halt. "

jobob

06-04-2009, 09:02 PM

Also, the WW message board thread I was reading was started by someone who posted today about how she was earning around 50-60 activity points a week, but was frustrated because she was not losing much.

Come to find out she was trying to keep at or under her daily point target, so she was not consuming either her additional weekly 35 point allotment or the activity points. Many helpful posts followed on that thread, including one with the link I posted above, but here's a post that I think sums it up pretty well:

"Daily target is the minimum amount of points you eat daily, you should not eat lower than this target on any given day. Because its a daily minimum, WW gives it to you as a daily tracking.

Weekly points are the rest of your point allotment. These are given in a weekly amount which just means you can track them on a weekly basis as some days you may eat more, some less. These points are not "extra", not "bonus". These points are given as a weekly amount so that you have flexibility to vary your points throughout the week.

So, if you didn't exercise at all, you still get daily & weekly points. Now if you exercise, you get additional points (activity points, AP) to help fuel your body, since you burned additional energy thru exercise, your body needs additional calories so your body can operate efficiently & be healthy."

I think this might help with your question, uforgot.

crazycanuck

06-04-2009, 10:49 PM

Ok,joined online..

Any suggestions or tips for ww online?

Susan Otcenas

06-05-2009, 11:50 AM

Susan, do you eat your AP the same day you earn them, or do you spread them out?

I eat them the same day. Your body needs fuel DURING any kind of sustained exercise. You simply can not convert stored fat to usable calories at a fast enough pace to meet your needs for sustained or intense exercise.

Nancy Clark addresses this in her book. It really is an excellent resource which I would highly recommend folks read if they are truly serious about propoerly fueling their bodies. I can't recall all the exact figures off the top of my head, but our bodies store a certain amount of glycogen in our liver and muscles. Once this is depleted, it MUST be replaced, or you will bonk. Most of that replacement has to come from foods we eat during exercise, not from our stored fat.

I'll try to remember to look up all the specifics this weekend, and transcribe some of them here.

Susan