Gretchen, I am all about eating within my points! Actually, the whole grain stuff is much lower in calories, so it pays to eat whole wheat pasta (3 points per cup) than the white stuff (4 points per cup). I tried to do it within the context of SS, but I get to eat more and be more flexible here. Most veggies are 0 points per cup (including raw carrots!), so I bring at least 2 cups of veggies with me to work each day....grape tomatoes and celery sticks, or cucumber slices and baby carrots...you get the picture. Most fruit is 1 point per serving. I think that you personally would probably be able to eat at least 20 points per day (goes by present weight and gradually goes down as you lose in order to lose more), so you see how great it is to fill up on veggies! They give you 35 flex points per week to use all at once, or spread out---however you need them. There is a website that gives you the points of most foods. Here is my day of eating (note that I like to eat all day, so I spread out my food intake...no set rules at Weight Watchers...they say "you can eat anything, just not EVERYTHING" LOL): 8 am: 1 cup Kashi cereal (dry) with my decaf coffee 10 am: 6 oz Dannon Fit and Light Yogurt Noon: 1 sandwich w/ low fat ham, ff cheese, mustard and "diet bread" (2 slices = 1 point); pickle, 1 cup of cherry tomatoes 2:00pm 10 baby carrots 4:00pm 1 pear 5:00pm exercise class (you can get back 2-3 points for this!!) 7:00pm 1 salad w/ oil vinegar, 1 large portion of fish (7 oz), asparagus, 1 cup of rice 9:00pm 1 point sugar-free Edy's all fruit ice pop I may still have points left, because I haven't done the math for my dinner here. I've listed approximations here...I would only use 1 tablespoon of olive oil for a 3-point salad, etc. You will get used to the measurements. Anyway, I hope this helps you. I've eaten pizza, ice cream, lasaagna, and still lost weight...you just need to count the points and plan the rest of your day/week accordingly! Here is a link that might be useful: WW Points

Hi Jasmi, I do Jari Love's Ripped 1000 three days a week for one hour. I do little half hours here and there on my exercise ball (sit ups,etc) or weight lifting while I watch TV (10 lbs). Then I go hiking 2-3 days a week for 2-3 hours. I found a friend who wants to lose weight too, so it works out well. We were up to six miles a day last week, but I took a week off because my husband was going out of town and I wanted to spend those afternoons with him. We want to go hiking this afternoon but it's 90 degrees out. I'm not doing anything this afternoon!!! Maybe lift some weights tonight when it cools off. But I'm also concentrating in other ways. Walking to pick up my dd at school (1/2 mile round trip), parking furthest away from the shopping center, gardening, walking the dog, etc. I stand up at work and do jumping jacks when no one is in the office. Sounds silly, but it revs up my metabolism. I also eat a big breakfast. I've heard that's really good to do. I have a hard time eating in the morning, but i force myself to do it, and I think it helps get me going on burning calories because my body knows it has enough and doesn't feel depleted.

139 on the gym scale today, with shoes, in the afternoon :) I FINALLY got to move that big weight thing on the scale over from the 140 to the 120 to weigh myself. Sure, it was 120 + 19... but still... being on that side of the weight felt great!! 136 on my home scale just now, after dinner, no shoes, in pjamas. YAY YAYAYA YAYAYAYAYAYAYA!!! I am so excited. It feels so good to have validation of my hard work. I hope everyone is having a lovely evening. (of course as I'm writing this I'm thinking... I want a snack!! I could make some popcorn... surely THAT wouldn't hurt! LOL.)

Good Morning, I didn't even get on the scale yesterday. Was busy from the time I hit the floor 'till I hit the bed. Dstep-son is moving back from Fla. He arrived night before last and I had about 8 for dinner. Lots of talking and music. Everyone in DH's family plays some kind of musical instrument. When I weighed day before yesterday I showed a large gain, so I was scared to weigh yesterday, even if I had remembered to do it before I ate breakfast!! This am I'm at 163. Man, that was close!! Must have been some water retention as well as that chocolate ice cream Sunday night. Gotta get my low carb cookbooks back out. I'm bored with the same old - same old. Silver, we want details Girl! How was the wedding? Did you knock them down with the new you? What did they say? We've been waiting a week for this. Spill it all!! Helen, I'm with everyone else. A loss is a loss and I would be happy to get it. I bought the old type scale and can't see it too well in the mornings, so I just go by pounds. But, I would gladly count .s if I could. After all of that pampering from Hubby I would have lots of + .s!!! Is that foot all well yet? Ek, those scales are going to make you beg for the 130s! Don't ya just hate having to kick and scratch for each new goal. I about passed out when I saw that big jump on the scale day before yesterday. I had only eaten a few fried apples (sweetened with a little splenda) and a large helping of lima beans for dinner the night before and couldn't believe the jump. The limas must have really bloated me up. Thank God it went away! Talking about thighs. UGH!! With the weight loss my thighs keep moving even after I've stopped moving! Gotta start those dreaded thigh tightening squats soon. Jas, It is so great to hear positive comments from others to spur us on when trying to lose weight. Especially when we hit a little bump in the road that tends to depress us. That bump can't stop you now. Gotta run. Have a great day, Betty