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Post by cathygeha on Jan 9, 2022 19:57:02 GMT
Question: When counting points do you think about calories?
I am curious because when emailing with my sister who lost on WW My Way Blue, she said that she NEVER thought about calories, used the zero points foods list, tracked on the app, and stayed within points. She never even thought about calories. I remember doing the original points counting program and also doing exchanges and don't remember counting calories ever...or much...but now seem to be thinking about them more while counting points.
So...did you count calories and points or only points and do you still or only do the program and not worry about calories?
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vicki
Transcendent Member
Posts: 1,274
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Post by vicki on Jan 9, 2022 21:07:07 GMT
I count calories in addition to counting points. I have been for years. Probably since Smart Points.
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Post by finreporter on Jan 9, 2022 21:15:36 GMT
On occasion I might do a back of the envelope mental tally but 99% of the time no I don’t count calories only count points. I have more things on my zero point foods list than I actually eat regularly so I figure my points target is lower than it technically should be, therefore even if I go over on points by a bit I still don’t feel compelled to check the calories.
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Post by catfishbabs on Jan 9, 2022 21:51:31 GMT
No. I count only points. When Freestyle started I double tracked for a week or so but I hate calorie counting and stopped. I've been back a bit under goal for 4 years. I don't generally look at blue dots either.
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Post by susiq25679 on Jan 9, 2022 21:58:12 GMT
I've been tracking on MFP and WW both since 2016. I started on MFP to track with my sisters and niece and I need to track my sodium which WW doesn't do.
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Post by bbbearsmom on Jan 9, 2022 22:21:22 GMT
cathygeha, I started to track calories when Freestyle came out and stopped tracking points. Then when the Green plan came out, I went bac to counting points and kept up with the calorie counting. I like doing the calorie counting I'm more confident in it than counting points although lately I've been doing good on Personal Points. I'll check calorie counts on a menu when I'm eating out.
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Kitty
Transcendent Member
Posts: 1,441
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Post by Kitty on Jan 9, 2022 23:55:14 GMT
I dual track calories (MyNetDiary) and points (WW). When the new plan came out I was going to experiment with only tracking calories. However within 2 days I went back to it. Not so much for the calories, though, as the other information. When my weight suddenly jumped I wondered if I had just eaten higher sodium the day before. Or had I been higher carb and was retaining water as a result. It drove me nuts not to know that. So I went back to recording my food so I could just go look that kind of thing up.
FWIW, I don't think I "have" to count calories to lose on WW. I found that with the current program (my zero point foods are currently, chicken, fish and corn/popcorn) if I stay within my weekly points my calorie count will be OK. I just like having all that other data.
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Post by bbbearsmom on Jan 10, 2022 0:15:34 GMT
Kitty, What gets to me is that on some days my points can be fine but I'm over a couple of hundred calories. Because of this I'm a little nervous of just counting points.
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Post by finreporter on Jan 10, 2022 0:48:49 GMT
Kitty , What gets to me is that on some days my points can be fine but I'm over a couple of hundred calories. Because of this I'm a little nervous of just counting points. I wonder if there are then also days where you were at your points and yet still remained under by a couple of hundred calories, where it becomes a wash either way. Since the points no longer easily correlate to calories, it's hard to tell but for me is just too cumbersome to do both. My consistency with tracking is now simply more feasible because it's been so easy to just search for a food and then add it. I rarely even enter the NI anymore. When I do just add from the database, I do a quick scan of the calories to ensure it's the same as what's on my package and it has surprisingly been 100% consistent for me each time I check.
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Post by bbbearsmom on Jan 10, 2022 1:21:54 GMT
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Kitty
Transcendent Member
Posts: 1,441
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Post by Kitty on Jan 10, 2022 2:51:09 GMT
Kitty , What gets to me is that on some days my points can be fine but I'm over a couple of hundred calories. Because of this I'm a little nervous of just counting points. I do understand and that is part of why I dual tracked for a long time. I might suggest you try this. For a week record everything very carefully in WW. Don't record calories elsewhere. However make sure you have the information to later record calories. I did this for awhile and I recorded notes on foods that were quick adds to WW (very few of these). Stay within your points for the week (including weekly points). You CAN use common sense. If you know that a food is very low point (or zero) but has lots of calories you can take that into account in your food choices that day. At the end of the week go and record your calories for the week and see how you came out in terms of being where you want to be. If so then you are fine. Oh - here is another alternative since I believe you have Lifetime tools. Look back at some weeks (with the new program) where you ate within your calories. For me, that equates to my eating 31 points a day. How does that match what WW gives me? Well, I get 28 daily points and 21 weekly points which works out to 31 points a day. Now, I earn 1 point a day for water and 1 point a day for steps on almost all days. I usually get some amount of veggie points although that is inconsistent. So not counting veggie points or additional activity points (I don't get a lot more) I have available 33 points a day plus anything I get from veggies (and additional activity). If I wanted to make sure I didn't end up eating too many points I could go and change myself ti Healthy Habits and then I could change my daily points to 26 which with my weekly points of 21 and my water and steps would equate to 31 points. I would now if I stayed with this I would be OK and it would match my calories. (The point is that while you can add points with Healthy Habits you can also make them lesser if you feel that matches better with your calorie pattern).
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Post by cathygeha on Jan 10, 2022 8:10:01 GMT
Thank you for sharing - I have enjoyed reading your thoughts on this.
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Post by DotRen on Jan 10, 2022 11:51:49 GMT
I think WW is really missing out on a huge customer potential by not having a daily tally of macros as part of the app. (It might be there, I may have missed it, I use the desktop mostly). I really do think a lot of people would benefit from that info, especially if they added a bunch of "zero point" foods.
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Post by reneinitaly on Jan 10, 2022 11:52:26 GMT
Hats off to all of you that can double track.... I went into panic attack just reading this thread..
I have a hard time ( ok, that IS just an excuse) of tracking points let alone tracking both. Ahhhhh, my heart still goes to Core <3
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Post by diva49 on Jan 10, 2022 13:23:53 GMT
Question: When counting points do you think about calories? To quote a departed and dearly-loved Business Law professor: "It depends." Most of the time, no. However, there are times when I choose a food for which I am aware that the calorie count is outrageous. I try to be mindful of what I put in my mouth. But if I tried to micromanage calories in the points framework, I would lean toward obsessiveness. Therefore, I choose not to.
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