Anybody like smart points?

[CamdenTownie]

I just switched from Slimming World to weight watchers last week, I lost 3 stone on SW but I'd come to a standstill and was finding it quite depressing.

I decided to give WW a go but I'm struggling, my allowance is 30 smart points daily plus 28 weekly points, I generally have oats with water and a splash of milk for breakfast with a cuppa -5sp. With an apple thrown in to keep me going.

Lots of fruit, clementines, grapes, pineapple, mango, plus either soup, crumpets or warburtons thins with ham salad for lunch approx 8sp, a weight watchers yogurt -2sp, special k bar 4sp or 2 Jaffa cakes for 4sp.

It all seems to go well until my evening meal, 4sp for a small portion of meat or fish, 1/2 pouch of microwave rice is 5 sp and it's such a tiny amount! I try to eat lots of veg, today I had a beef casserole with peppers onions mushrooms mange tout and broccoli, but I feel like I'm eating very small amounts and just don't feel full!

Today I'm at 33 smart points and I've had my two Jaffa cakes and 2sp pack of hula hoops puft.

Can anyone point me in the right direction, I do have a big appetite I guess but I wouldn't say I eat tons.

I'm not keen on the no count system as it seems pretty similar to Slimming World.

Just don't know if this is sustainable long term.

Are you sure you're calculating points correctly? You say you have a small amount of meat or fish for 4sp . Two chicken breast are 4sp which I wouldn't say is a small amount. Your beef stew should be filling especially if you bulk it out with lots of veg such as butternut squash etc. I would also ditch the special K bar as for four points you could substitute with something which had less sugar and would fill you up more.

Hi!

Thanks for replying, I've been having 100g of beef or salmon for 6 smart points, using the calculator on the app. 100g cooked doesn't seem a great deal to me, but that's possibly because I'm used to the Slimming World 'eat as much as you can' system. An average sized chicken breast is 210g which is 3 smart points so this could be a good switch.

What would you suggest eating carb wise? Pasta is 7 smart points for 75g uncooked, and rice is the same.

Ideas of what others eat would be welcome, I have been eating lots of fruit and veg, but I find this very expensive and not particularly filling.

I went to a meeting and left feeling utterly lost. I don't have a clue how to calculate my points (30sp a day). They downloaded an application on my phone for me and handed me back my phone. Everyone else seemed to know each other. I came home and tried to figure it out but I don't know how to calculate the points or where to find the general number of points in food. I'm completely guessing. If I eat a slice of white toast, I am giving it 3sp. I literally am plucking a number out of the air.

I have now given up on it and am annoyed I paid a 'membership fee' as well as the weekly meeting fee and I am as wise as before I ever went in.

I joined online last night and I'm struggling a bit with how it works. I have put random foods in the calculator to see how many points they have but it isn't a patch on the my fitness pal one. I wish I'd saved money and used that now.
I get 40 points as I am 5.10 and have a lot to lose but my friend only gets 28 which seems impossible.
Today I had two poached eggs on two toast, an orange and an apple. 4 coffees with a splash of semi skimmed and half a sugar in each. And chicken thighs Mexican rice broccoli and sprouts and it came to 35 points.
I joined on a whim yesterday so had to eat what I had in today. I'm going shopping tomorrow so will by some leaner meat and porridge and stuff hopefully that will help. Is there anything else I should buy?

I started last Saturday and to be honest I hadn't realised that it had changed so drastically from pro points, I've got through the week so far and have 5 weekly points left, it's been a struggle and I've certainly eaten much less that I usually would.

I can't understand why rice and pasta are so high in smart points, even a not so tasty weight watchers yogurt is 2 smart points.

If I'm honest I do need a 'treat' to get me through the day, a creme egg is 9 smart points 😱 so the special k biscuit works for me at 4sp, I'm not sure what would be a better option than that, I think that the plan just pushes you towards eating mostly fruit and veg with tiny amounts of carbs and protein(tiny to me anyway).

I'm really hoping that I see a good loss on the scales on sat, i do feel a bit hard done by in that I've drastically changed my eating habits. I'll suffer it if it works

Hi pooflower!

I'd buy some weight watchers bread and whole meal thins - 3 sp, extra light mayo, and lots of fruit veg and salad!

I think it's fab - and the app is amazing- pretty much everything is in there!

I have 30 pd plus 35 pw (I generally only use about half of these).

Today I've had a Starbucks Latte (my weakness) for 5 points and scrambled eggs, spinach and tomato for 2 points.

Lunch I generally have something like salad leaves, half an avocado and some prawns - 6 or 7 points.

So that leaves about 17 points for supper which will easily do a bit of stew and mashed potatoes or other family meal (we all eat the same).

Am genuinely confused how people could struggle with it.

OP 100g of raw salmon is 4 points according to the app?! Slightly confused by your numbers

If you go on the 'connect' section of the app you can get inspired by other peoples weight loss stories and what they eat ,points etc. This has really helped me and I've got some great ideas for meals.
I've only been going for a month but feel better than I have in years, eating healthier,interesting meals and I'm really focused on trying to fit in more exercise into my week.

I can't remember the formula for calculating. I have the app though I can't even remember the password but I'm sure I wrote it down. It was something really obvious though I have tried them and can't access it. My Class leader' downliafed the app, went on about a 100g formula, passed around some home made jelly for people to try, pointed to a whiteboard where there was some sort of competition going on between the morning class and the evening class (their combined loss) and that was it. I was the only newbie and ahe gave me a book and told me all the info I needed was in there. Perhaps Ollycat I'm just absolutely stupid or perhaps I had a very crappy leader but please don't say you are confused by people's difficulty when your experience was obviously not ours!

Ollycat - one egg is 2 points, that's not a big breakfast is it? Do you eat any carbs? Snacks during the day?

I've been using the app - this is where I got the points for the salmon, I also used the barcode scanner on a pack of two fillets from Lidl which were 110g each.

ETA I didn't mean my post to be rude but I am totally lost and very frustrated about it.

Hohumming- my class is weigh and go, so there's no meeting and everyone is eager to get weighed and get out.

I guess a lot of it depends on what you eat, a few salad leaves wouldn't do it for me, and I'd expect most people struggling enough with their weight to join weight watchers would understand that.

HoHumming I wasn't referring to you and don't think I was rude but I'm sorry if you feel that way.

If you don't know your password log on to the WW website and you can reset it (you can't do it via app) - honestly once you're logged in it is v easy.

CamdenTownie honestly yes I think an egg, big handful of spinach and a few tomatoes plus a latte is a big breakfast. I've been up since 6, took my ds to rowing, had breakfast and then went walking / running with the dog for an hour and a half and genuinely don't feel hungry.

Of course I eat carbs - I would probably choose potatoes over pasta as you get more for your points and generally don't eat bread because as yummy as it is it's a lot of points for little return.

I sometimes add butter beans / chick peas to salads as they're a good way to bulk things out.

I think portion size is the key - I gain weight through eating over sized portions- WW portion sizes are healthy amounts and it's good to re-educate your brain into what's an ok amount iyswim.

You can also convert your activity points to food points - I generally have 50+ activity points a week - I don't convert them but I know there's a setting on the app where you can.

Basically WW rewards healthy, low sugar, low processed eating. I eat fruit for snacks - a banana is v filling - I find also eating sugary things causes blood sugar highs and lows and cravings- honestly after a few days without the cravings go.

Just for context I'm 5ft8 and 11st 10 so not a twiggy little thing

CamdenTownie I was looking at raw salmon that's where the difference came from.

This is my lunch - it's huge - I am stuffed (TBH tge cottage cheese wasn't great and a waste of a point)

It is 8 points :

Prawns - 1
Avocado- 5
Cottage Cheese - 1
Dressing- 1

So with what I've eaten today and allowing half a pint of semi skimmed milk for coffee / tea that leaves me 10 points for supper (or 15 if I take my latte from my weekly points).

I'm slightly meh that the response from others has been so negative- you asked how people did it and made it work and I tried to share my system which works for me

See ollycat that meal wouldn't appeal to me at all, and I, personally, am never stuffed after eating salad.

I did ask how others manage using smart points and it seems that I'm not alone in my confusion, for instance a pint of milk is higher in points than a pint of larger I can't work that one out at all.

Why don't you make the 0 point soup like the butternut squash one? I eat a bowl of this with my lunch and it really helps to stave off the hunger pangs!

CamdenTownie of course we all have different tastes I was trying to show you how it could easily be possible.

Weight loss is quite simple in essence you need to eat less and move more. As I said upthread you can convert your activity points to food points which would certainly help you.

Essentially though to maintain weight loss one needs to change habits and reducing portion size is a big part of that. Maybe replacing some of your wheat based products with healthier choices?

Anyway I think I'll bough out of this thread I sense my presence is not welcome

I wish you all well with your weight loss journey

I love smart points!! I am online only, I love the app find it much better than the classes which I went to years ago. My sample meals would be breakfast: 2 brown bread (4sp) 1 egg fried in fry lite (2) 2 heck chicken sausages (1) 2 bacon medallions (1) Lunch: 50g dry wt pasta (5) 1/2 home bargains stir in sauce (2) 3 slices cooked ham chopped (1) salad dinner: 250g boiled potatoes (5) lidl hake fillet (2) carrots and broccoli bisto powder for gravy 2tsp (2) milk for tea 120ml (2) snacks 2 weight watchers yogurts (3) and if I want a wee treat eg crisps chocolate I will use my weeklies.

I am getting the hang of it now. I am eating well but have dramatically cut portion sizes which is the reason I need weight watchers in the first place.
I have stopped having sugar in coffee today too. I'm not enjoying it quite as much but it is ok and hopefully my taste buds will adjust. Strangely I prefer it with just a splash of milk without sugar so that should save a few points too.
I have used the barcode scanner today a lot too. I have found it really useful. I think you can scan any food and it brings up other members calculations for food which might not be in the online calculator. Some have different calculations for the same food though so it might be a good idea to double check yourself.

I am doing smart points and have been for about 5 weeks and I've lost 12lb. I get 36 points a day plus 35 weeklies. I tend to split the weeklies and eat a bit of them each day as I am hungry otherwise. I eat all the weeklies every week.

A typical day is porridge oats made with skimmed milk and frozen fruit with a teaspoon of choc shot for breakfast for 5 points.

Lunch is a sandwich with egg mayo made from 2 hard boiled eggs and Hellmanns lighter than light mayo. That works out at 9 points. Plus I'd have fruit and veg.

Dinner is home made pizza with hardly any cheese or home made veg curry with a small amount of rice or quorn sausages with veg and potatoes. These work out at 12-15 points per meal.

That leaves me with extra points for snacks. I've been having various cereal bars for 4 points, yogurt, wine, walkers baked crisps or something like that.

Some days I am so hungry but most of the time I am fine and I feel like I am eating a reasonable amount of food.

I like it - I'm on 30 a day. It took a while to get used to after pro points but I think the app is great. I've lost a stone since beginning of January with a few blow out saturdays thrown in.

Shock horror though - I don't eat breakfast - I save the points and have a bigger lunch which works for me. 14:8 really.

Today I had a baguette from eat - 15 points, snack a jacks 3, and am having pasta and tuna in tomato and chilli sauce for dinner - 8 points.

4 leftover.

Hi all I just read few comments and felt I had to agree. I recently joined WW and after the first 2 meetings felt very confused and alone. I plucked up the courage to wait behind after the next meeting and spoke to the leader and a helper. I work in IT but the app had beaten me. It was a revelation. The app was explained and demonstrated and after 15 mins I felt in control. Now 3 months in and we'll on my way to a 2.5 stone loss 😀 Took me 2 years to work out the slimming worlds eat as much as you like DOESN'T mean eat as much as you can 😟 Good luck everyone if you stick to the plan and count count count it works. And becomes less tedious as the weeks go by.

I've started using sp this week and find them and the app really good.
You have to be careful not to eat higher carb foods as they appear to be high in sp.
Ive found m&s golden bread in a small loaf is only 3 sp but makes a good bacon buttie.
I like it keeps me in control of portions. Sweet things aren't my choice which are high.