If you do WW...

[hermione]

I joined the online yesterday. I've explored a bit but not enough probably.

How do I figure out points for stuff I cook at home? Do have to just enter every single ingredient?

[sjh722]

There is a recipe builder on the tracker - if you enter the ingredients and number of servings, it will give you the points value and save it for future reference.

[Velar Fricative]

That's what I do but we never cook anything too complicated. Another idea would be to search online or through the WW recipe database to find a similar recipe and estimate based on the nutrition facts or points listed for those recipes. Like, if I made something that had full-fat mayo in it but the WW recipe calls for low-fat mayo, I'll add another point to whatever they've stated is the total points. Hope that makes sense!

ETA: Oh yeah, duh, there's the recipe builder too lol. Can you tell how much I cook?

[linz]

Pretty much. They have a recipe builder and you can make items favorites so it's saved for future. Or you can type each thing individually.

I just joined last week too. I'm still pumping so get extra pts and trying to make better choices since I'm always hungry!

[sjh722]

Sept 2, 2015 8:09:55 GMT -5 linz said:

Pretty much. They have a recipe builder and you can make items favorites so it's saved for future. Or you can type each thing individually.

I just joined last week too. I'm still pumping so get extra pts and trying to make better choices since I'm always hungry!

I have found I really have to ditch the mindset that I'm "saving" points for fun things (fries, cookies, salted caramel truffle blizzards, lol) and use them for snacks like nuts, full-fat cheese, etc. Also, 4 or 5 points of nuts or hummus or 2% fat yogurt is way more filling than the same amount of pretzels or crackers or chips. It's hard for me to look at it that way (especially when I'm ravenous from nursing), but I don't lose weight otherwise.

[spk926]

Use the recipe builder and then just save the recipe. Next time you make it it's really easy to track.

Just keep in mind if you do simply filling that even though something may be 0 points, as soon as you enter it into a recipe builder it will add the points. So sometimes I would only add things into the recipe builder that I know I should count and not others. Play around with it but honestly after a week of getting the hang of it I find WW so easy. Way easier than counting calories or any other plan I've seen.

[djc315]

Ditto the recipe builder. Do you have a small kitchen scale? That is key!

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2015 8:16:18 GMT -5 sjh722 said:

Sept 2, 2015 8:09:55 GMT -5 linz said:

Pretty much. They have a recipe builder and you can make items favorites so it's saved for future. Or you can type each thing individually.

I just joined last week too. I'm still pumping so get extra pts and trying to make better choices since I'm always hungry!

I have found I really have to ditch the mindset that I'm "saving" points for fun things (fries, cookies, salted caramel truffle blizzards, lol) and use them for snacks like nuts, full-fat cheese, etc. Also, 4 or 5 points of nuts or hummus or 2% fat yogurt is way more filling than the same amount of pretzels or crackers or chips. It's hard for me to look at it that way (especially when I'm ravenous from nursing), but I don't lose weight otherwise.

I completely agree with this. I think one of the downfalls of ww is that it creates an emphasis on low fat items. Which, while that's great because they are lower calorie, they are also often higher in sugar/carbs and not satisfying. I have found the way to make ww work is to be very conscious of using my points for fat and protein. Then filling in with zero point fruit and veggies. It may seem like a smaller serving but that full fat cheese or handful of almonds will go much farther than a handful of pretzles and even though it's more points it will save you points in he end because you won't be going back to the bag of pretzles 20 mins laterm because you are still hungry.

When I wasn't nursing it was easier to eat the pretzles but nursing = ravenous for me. So I have to be much more conscious of my choices!

[Deleted]

Sept 2, 2015 8:23:15 GMT -5 spk926 said:

Use the recipe builder and then just save the recipe. Next time you make it it's really easy to track.

Just keep in mind if you do simply filling that even though something may be 0 points, as soon as you enter it into a recipe builder it will add the points. So sometimes I would only add things into the recipe builder that I know I should count and not others. Play around with it but honestly after a week of getting the hang of it I find WW so easy. Way easier than counting calories or any other plan I've seen.

I do this too. If I k ow something is zero points, I don't add it to the recipe.

[hermione]

How is it possible that so many fruits are zero points? This is weird to me...wonderful but weird.

[spk926]

Sept 2, 2015 13:12:16 GMT -5 hermione said:

How is it possible that so many fruits are zero points? This is weird to me...wonderful but weird.

It's great! They do it so you can easily grab an apple or banana when hungry and fill up on that instead of a bag of pretzel sticks or chips. If you eat 10 apples a day then they wouldn't all be free and you would have to start counting them at some point. But a few servings of fruits and veggies per day is totally free. It take the guess work out of snacking I think.