Activity Points on WW

[britt]

For those of you on Weight Watchers (don't panic, nothing diet related in this post ), how are you calculating your activity points? I have been using my heart rate monitor with the 100 calories = 1 point rule. When I compare the points I get using my HRM to those on the activity slide, they are always lower. For example, when I do Cathe's PLB, my HRM says I burn around 250 calories. The WW site activity list says 45 minutes or so of weight lifting is 3 points. The activity slide also gives me 3 points. I guess the exact number of points don't really matter in the grand scheme of things (I usually just bank most of the points and forget about them), I am just curious to hear how some of my fellow VF'ers / WW members calculate their favorite workouts - FIRM, Cathe, Christi, etc... On other boards, I read about people earning 5 and 6 points for various 1 hour exercise classes, 3-4 points for 30 minutes of weight lifting. How is this possible? I know those workouts can't be much tougher than Cathe?! Gasp! Thanks for any thoughts on the matter.

[Kelly B]

Hi Britt,

I think the points slider overinflates APs too. I don't eat my APs but I like to keep track of what I'm earning (as I get closer to goal and drop points ranges again, I'm sure I'll start eating my APs, every single one of them!).

When I use the slider, even if it's imax or bootcamp, I put my minutes in the middle of moderate and high intensity, even that usually gives me 5 for the hour, which I think is too much.

I thought about getting a HR monitor for just the reason you said, to count every 100 calories burned during a workout, I think that's a safer figure to go with. I'd love to know how many calories I really burn during the new Cathe workouts.

Best of luck to you on WW!!! 59.6 lbs and counting for me so far!

[Lisa :o)]

I don't keep track of my activity points but probably should. I find the way it is explained is rather confusing. I tried using WW's etools and even that came up with unclear results. As long as I keep losing weight, I'm not worried. I just try to workout everyday and then I write whatever I do down in the journal. I figure I at least can go back and look if a problem arises. I think I did read somewhere that you didn't necessarily need to use the activity points up (for food). Like you mention, there seems to be so much room for error because of the difference in levels of difficulty of the activity. Our leader just says to do "something" everyday............

Good luck all WW VFers-we can do it!
Lisa :rolleyes:

[dbsmod53]

I use e-tools and just calculate the minutes for each activity. For example, where it says step aerobics, for 60 minutes, the AP is 6 points, or 1 point for 10 minutes. I think that's reasonable. Remember that the AP's are based on I think, a 150-lb person. If you weigh more, you would burn more calories, less you would burn fewer calories. However, for weight training, I use the "strength training - free weights" classification and for 50 minutes (my usual Joyce Vedral time) it's 3 points. I know I'm sweating like crazy with that and my heart rate always goes up with weights, even the new Cathe PUB, so I think it all washes out evenly. The other one I use a lot (in nicer weather) is "brisk walking" where 60 minutes is 4 points. Now I walk up and down hills so I don't think this is unreasonable. I tend to use my APs and still am able to lose weight slowly or at the very least maintain. I don't object to very gradual weight loss. My exercise is causing my body size to decrease even though the scale is barely moving.

My two cents!

Sue

[britt]

Thanks for your thoughts on this. Who would have thought it would be so difficult!

Sue - do you count the entire workout time or just the time spent in your "aerobic zone" when calculating your points?

Just trying to find out what will work best for me! Thanks again everyone

[dbsmod53]

I count the entire time...

[DHKWriter]

I never used the e-tools or anything, but I always figure 5 AP points per day as long as I am exercising an hour. I figure one IMax equals out one Power Yoga in the long run, and that way I know I have 30 pts per day total, should I choose to use them. Obviously, if I take a week of or so, I adjust accordingly.

Also, I think FWIW, a point -- one that is not high in fat or anything -- equals about 50-65 calories, not 100, so you probably are shortchanging yourself.

JMHO
Donna K

[Barbara F]

I always use e-tools, and just put in what it says; i.e., 50 min. of step is 5 pts, 1 hr of strength training is 4 pts, etc. I don't think a whole lot about it, unless I'm doing something like Cathe's Bootcamp; then I just guess. I think I called BC 30 min. strength, 10 cardio, 20 pilates, or something; I just sort make it up on something like that (don't have an HRM).

I don't think it needs to be extremely precise; I always eat my food points (well, up to 4 points because that's all e-tools allows you to eat per day -- so earning 5 or 6 points would not benefit me, in terms of eating more), and I still maintain or lose depending on my food choices and my goals at the moment (I'm actually at my old WW goal).

[Eulonda S.]

Hi all:
I just got my activity points today. (You can't use them until you've been on the plan 4 weeks, according to my leader). I am so psyched!! It was *hard* to do Cathe on 18-23 points. SIGH. Now I wonder if i'll keep losing if I eat them. I've lost 5.6 pounds so far... On balance, though, I think I'll take a slower weightloss that takes into account APs, rather than feel hungry and rundown like I have been feeling sometimes.
-eulonda

[Renee D]

Just in case some people don't already know, there's a yahoo group called VFers in WW where folks talk about the program, videos, and a whole host of other OT stuff. I don't post there anymore, but I found it very helpful when I was starting out. You can find them here:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VFers-in-WW/