Clydesdales/Athenas (200+ lb / 91+ kg) - Weight Watchers questions...

I've never done weight watchers, but I started this week. It seems like it will work pretty well for me.

However, a couple of questions that have me perplexed.

Why 2 "healthy oils" per day? Also, i asked our leader whether avocado would count and she said "No, liquid oils only." That seems weird to me. It seems goofy to me to waste a couple of points per day on a couple of teaspoons of olive oil that I wouldn't have otherwise.

Also, why the emphasis on dairy? I can get it in, but dairy isn't really my thing other than milk in cereal (or cream in sauces ;))

I also found it amusing that in the activity tracker cycling above 12MPH is considered "Racing" :roflmao2:

The trick with Weight Watchers is to find a leader that is knowledgeable and inspiring.

When I started Weight Watchers, the first meeting I went to was led by a woman who sounded like she just stepped out of an infomercial. Think about the guy from Requiem for a Dream. I almost didn't go back to Weight Watchers because of it. Thankfully, my wife found a different meeting and the leader of that was much more in tune to my wavelength and I ended up losing about 55 lbs.

If you don't feel like your leader is right for you, shop around. Avocadoes are recommended by the American Heart Association as an excellent source of Unsaturated fats. The reason that they are emphasized is that most people consume way too much saturated fat, then when they go on a diet they assume that they should cut ALL fats, when that is a bad idea. This is more just to get people to realize that some fats, in moderation, are good for you.

As for dairy, my guess is the fact that it is an excellent source of protein and vitamins when the right things are consumed. It has been a couple of years since I went to WW, so I don't know if they've recently started emphasizing dairy, but I don't remember it mentioned past talking about eating a well-rounded diet and not focusing too much on certain foods.

Nice find about the racing thing, I probably would have thought that too before I actually jumped on a bike aiming to ride long distances.

The trick with Weight Watchers is to find a leader that is knowledgeable and inspiring.

When I started Weight Watchers, the first meeting I went to was led by a woman who sounded like she just stepped out of an infomercial. Think about the guy from Requiem for a Dream. I almost didn't go back to Weight Watchers because of it. Thankfully, my wife found a different meeting and the leader of that was much more in tune to my wavelength and I ended up losing about 55 lbs.

If you don't feel like your leader is right for you, shop around. Avocadoes are recommended by the American Heart Association as an excellent source of Unsaturated fats. The reason that they are emphasized is that most people consume way too much saturated fat, then when they go on a diet they assume that they should cut ALL fats, when that is a bad idea. This is more just to get people to realize that some fats, in moderation, are good for you.

As for dairy, my guess is the fact that it is an excellent source of protein and vitamins when the right things are consumed. It has been a couple of years since I went to WW, so I don't know if they've recently started emphasizing dairy, but I don't remember it mentioned past talking about eating a well-rounded diet and not focusing too much on certain foods.

Nice find about the racing thing, I probably would have thought that too before I actually jumped on a bike aiming to ride long distances.

Don't get me wrong, the leader seems fine. I won't be shopping around - we are doing it at work and it is WAY too convenient.

I did the at work a couple of times, and I do agree with the above poster that its incredibly conveinent. Dairy has calcium and vitamin D, fairly easy sources of both with the way we make milk in the US.

To me, the great thing about weight watchers isnt the support system; it's the simple math for keeping track of calories. Much easier to remember a 2 digit number than a 4 digit number. I get 44 points a day right now, and it's easy for me to use the points calculation formula to figure out the points of anything I eat.

If you make pudding at home with milk its an easy way to get 1 serving of the milk in your second serving could be like a cheese stick! Hope this helps.

Weight Watchers is a great food plan! They focus on a balanced diet and creating healthy eating behaviors. (I agree with you about the oils; aside from a little cooking oil here and there, I would never use it. And since your Daily Points will shrink as you do, it can be difficult to give up 2 precious Points for something you don't even care about.) Your dairy allowances can be yogurt, cottages cheese, reduced fat cheese, one of their smoothie drinks, pudding, etc. Their web site has reader forums and a ton of information that will guide you over the rough spots, too.

Two healty oils may be because they both help keep you full longer and many are "heart healthy". Omega 3's and all that good stuff. Also, your body needs a certain amount of fat. Better healthy fat than non healthy fat. I'm guessing the avocado, for the reason mentioned above and also because some people may consider it a "solid" fat such as butter and therefor not as healthy. Not that that is the case, but it may be a rationale for it?

Weight Watchers is an incredibly good way to lose weight. More likely to keep it off because you're eating all the things you like but in moderation which is most peoples' problem anyway. Good luck.

Dairy is important when dieting, especially if combined with exercise. Lots of people when dieting will remove dairy (cheeses, ice cream, etc.) because many dairy product are high fat.

Your body needs the calcium to maintain bone density, and if your diet is lacking in calcium, it will start stripping it out of your bones. Calcium is also crucial in maintaining good cardiac rhythm.