"The story of the new PointsPlus program really begins four years ago. Karen Miller-Kovach and her team were looking at the pool of research on how calories from protein, carbs, fiber, and fat provide satisfaction and are processed by the body. Based on that data, Weight Watchers developed what became the PointsPlus program. The program was thoroughly tested in scientifically supervised trials — at various locations including Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) — starting in 2007."
There are new calculations - based on fat, carbohydrates, protein and fiber. (They do not count calories on this). And new daily and weekly point totals....HIGHER totals. All fruit and most vegetables are zero points. There is now a section called "Power Foods" which is not the same as filling foods. Basically these help you to feel more satisfied/full (and thus not want to keep eating and eating) and lose weight. (most fruits and vegetables are on a list that they have on the site - if you would like a copy of the Power Foods list just let me know and I'll see about emailing it to you)
This just started this week and so I'm getting used to the new system. It looks like the main focus is to eat lots of foods on the Power Foods list and follow some Good Health Guidelines:
Fruits and Veggies: 5 servings a day
Milk Products: 2 servings a day
Liquids: 6 glasses per day of non-alcoholic beverages (key word is NON) including milk, juice, seltzer, diet sodas, coffee and tea. The best choice is water.
Lean Protein: 1-2 servings per day of cooked meat, fish or poultry, each within 2 to 3 oz. For us veggies the following count as 1oz each: 1 egg, 1/2 cup cooked dry beans
Whole grains: "choose whenever possible"
Limit sugar and alcohol: this has been a bad spot for me....and where I will explain the title of today's blog - women should have no more than 1 alcoholic drink per day and 2 per men. - yeah....here is the reason I am still at the 30 pound mark...I have NOT been good with this. On the week days I have been having a drink at night but the last several weekends have been benders for me....and I mean benders as in bending the elbow at bars. This coming weekend is no exception. So I am deciding right now that the nightly drinks must stop if I know I'm going out. Because I have 15 more pounds to lose by the end of the year. And dammit I won't let alcohol stop me.
Healthy Oils: olive, sunflower, flaxseed, safflower, canola. - 2 teaspoons per day. Nursing moms need 3.
Multivitamin: 1 per day
Activity: At least 30 minutes a day on most days of the week. Starting with 10 per day if you are sedentary now.
Today I went to a local restaurant that I haven't been to in a long time. And I got a veggie burger. And a salad. And tonight I came home and entered the points values after looking them up online at burgerville.com and OH.MY.GOD. Seriously. EIGHTEEN POINTS for that burger?! I wanted to vomit right then and there......but that's how easy it is, just one sandwich and you're at 18 points. That is how I got where I was. The salad was 7 points. And totally good. 7 points I can live with. 18 I cannot. And will not.
Then I came home and my awesome roommate made me this fantastic dinner of ravioli and garlic bread and my favorite drink - a bourbon furnace. So let's just say that had I not had my lunch today I might not have been where I am with the daily points....which is to say WAAAAAAAAAY over.
Tomorrow I get up out of my chair at work and I walk for 10 min. 5 minutes 1 way and 5 minutes back. And then we'll try for it again the next day. I am not giving up.
It's still one day. One pound. One step at a time.
~N
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