WW News November 2021:
- Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock you already know we’ve switched to a new plan, WW Personal Points was introduced on Monday of this last week and I’m hearing rave reviews from most!
- WW has developed a series of Zero Point Cheat Sheets! Log onto your account on a computer and click on “A Deeper Dive”. Depending on which group(s) of foods are on your personal list you can find your list plus tips for preparation, recipes and more! The total list (remember yours will depend on which foods are on YOUR list) is:
- Non Starchy Veggies
- Fruit
- Brown Rice, Quinoa, & Other Whole Grains
- Avocados
- Poultry
- Beans, Peas and Lentils
- Eggs
- Potatoes & Starchy Vegetables
- Fish & Shellfish
- Good news! Many of the US bloggers have figured out a way to share their recipes so that you can get YOUR Personal Points value without having to add everything to the recipe builder. Bad news…it doesn’t work across borders so your favorites in another country will have to be manually entered. We will talk more about this later in the chat
The month’s theme is “The Personal Points Program” and we will spend the entire month exploring the new program, getting to know your personal points system, and learning something new…together!
Last week during Chat #248 The New Personal Points Program – FAQ I decided to devote 45 minutes to the week’s most frequently asked questions with answers. I will also be doing some very short (less than 4 minute) videos with what Casey calls “video in video” to show you how to do many of these things. These short how to videos will be YOUTUBE ONLY though so please go subscribe to If You Have an Egg now if you want to be able to view them.
At my last count I have been asked just a little over 1,000 questions about this new plan. Many of them are repeated or similar, but all of them are important to answer. Please COMMENT BELOW if you have a question you’d still like answered or need to see a short video on how to do something and we will get you an answer asap!
Personal Points Week 1 FAQ
Visit last week’s chat here or click your questions below to see the answer:
How many times can I take the assessment?
How do I take (or retake) the assessment?
How do you print the book you showed last week?
Can I turn “off” Activity Points in my Weeklies?
Can I really earn points back if I’m at zero or even negative?
How do I earn more points in a day?
Why did you take flavored water away from me?
Why did you say to scan everything?
Why is my restaurant item scanning so high?
Your homework for last week was #RecipeCheck. I wanted you to expand your PP horizon this week by either sharing a WW Recipe Builder of your own with a friend, or trying to add one from your favorite blogger. Once you’ve got the recipe add to YOUR recipes take a screenshot ….and then type it, snap it, however you want to share it and then tag me for your next cool badge!
Let’s see how you did!
- Teri found a super easy Slow Cooker Three Bean Chili recipe that not only fit her Personal Points budget, it made so many servings she has more in the freezer!
- Tracey found a great recipe on WW, pulled it into her PP Engine and discovered it was only 1 point on her personal plan because she added a sprinkle of cheese…and she shared the link to pull it into YOUR engine!
- Melissa shared a yummy Vegetable Stir Fry that is zero points and provided a link so you can add it to your Personal Points too!
Bravo, you did it!
This Week’s Topic: 9 Ways To Put a Point Back In Your Budget
Being able to add points back when you’ve hit zero (or below) has been a game changer for me on the new Personal Points Program. Gone are the days where I just stop tracking because I’m out of points and throw in the towel until the next day.
I am compiling a group of short how-to videos that will be featured on my YouTube Channel only. If you need some tips, don’t know where to start, or have no idea how something works you’re going to want to go Subscribe and Click that little bell to be notified as we post them!
I have used the +1 feature of Personal Points every day since we started and you know what it has done? Made me more optimistic about my day, influenced my decisions, created a desire to track (say what?) AND I lost 2.2 pounds the first week. And ended almost every single day at or above zero!
Ways to Put a Point Back in Your Budget
Water +1 (Adds to Daily, Limit of 1)
#1 – Every day you can earn 1 point back to your budget by drinking 60 ounces of water. The water can be still or carbonated but it must be just water. Don’t want to drink plain water? It’s just one point so don’t stress yourself out. Love water like I do? Change the setting on your app to track the amount of ounces you drink from your favorite container and track when you finish it!
Exercise +1 and up (Adds to Weekly, No Limit, varies by individual)
#2 – Go to Obe Fitness on your app and select from hundreds of low impact to high velocity workouts. The points will be added to your weeklies.
#3 – Sync your fitness device and let it rack up the points for you!
#4 – Go to the Activity Dashboard of your app and select a physical activity like Raking, Housework, or Shooting Hoops and earn points for just getting up and moving!
Non-Starchy Veggies +1 per cup (Adds to Daily, No Limit)
#5 – Instead of picking up chips, how about a cup of carrots, celery or cucumbers for +1?
#6 – Take a salad up a notch by adding extra leafy greens or micro greens and for each combined cup earn +1
#7 – Swap noodles or rice for spiralized non-starchy veggies or riced cauliflower for an extra +1 per cup
#8 – Take a soup recipe (like my white chicken chili) and #BulkItUp with butternut squash, baby kale, or other veggies to add some points back to your budget!
#9 – Even adding spinach to a smoothie or other blended recipe adds back +1 per two cups!
This Week’s Homework: #GetThePoint
Your homework for this week is #GetThePoint. Find a way to add back +1 point one day this week and take a screenshot ….and then type it, snap it, however you want to share it and then tag me for your next cool badge!
Don’t forget to do your homework #GetThePoint and tag me when you share on social media!
- Instagram tag @ifyouhaveanegg
- Facebook Page tag @ifyouhaveanegg
- Facebook Group tag @Kelly Green Milligan
- WW Connect tag @ifyouhaveanegg
Extra Credit: Turkey Day Personal Points Plan!
We are t-minus 4 days away from US Turkey Day (sorry Canada, I missed it this year!) and it’s the first time many of us have been with family and friends in two years. Emotionally it’s going to be a roller coaster for many of us. Extreme joy over seeing some loved ones for the first time in months or years. Hollow sadness over empty chairs with those we lost during the pandemic. Anxiety over making good decisions about food, feelings and safety. I’m having them all just getting ready for this chat!
Just like nothing you can say will make us not sad over missing the parents we’ve lost this year, I can’t tell you not to feel nervous if your small gathering turns into what feels like a pandemic party. And the excitement of a new grandbaby, new spouses for two nieces, and having someone else bear the burden of both cooking AND cleaning up has me giddy! Emotions will vary, but we can all do something about the way we react to it with a fork.
Turkey Day Tip #1: Be last in line. No one wants grandma’s sweet potato casserole as much after it’s got green beans and gravy dripped through it.
Turkey Day Tip #2: Only eat what you can’t get throughout the year. My sister makes a fantastic layered pea salad that I only get once a year. I’m having it. Mashed potatoes I can make myself…skip!
Turkey Day Tip #3: Retake the assessment if you need to. At the beginning of the week (as in the beginning of your week and lasting through that week) retake your assessment to include things you know will be served on that special day or days. If you know you are going to have turkey three times this week maybe change your protein from fish to poultry (remember, only turkey BREAST is zero, not a big leg like you’re walking around Disney looking for Gaston). Potatoes on the menu? Swap out grains or beans and enjoy!
Turkey Day Tip #4: Bring a recipe everyone will enjoy. Please do not be the “aunt that always brings a fruit tray”. If you want a fruit tray how about adding something yummy and fun like my Cheesecake Fruit Dip or how about a veggie tray and some of Pound Dropper’s Skinny Mexican Dip? For those of us who chose avocados her dip is less one point than it used to be!
Turkey Day Tip #5: Use your hands. We’ve talked about this no less than 5 times over the years. Find your program book or see my quick tutorial on how to print it and then use your hands to “measure” without breaking out the cups.
- Your fist = approximately 1 cup
- Your fingertip = approximately 1 tsp
- Your palm = approximately 3 ounces of meat
- The tip of your thumb or a poker chip size circle in the palm of your hand = approximately 1 Tbsp
- Your cupped hand = approximately 1 to 2 oz of meat or nuts
Turkey Day Tip #6: Practice makes perfect. Take a paper plate the size of what you will be eating on and practice visualizing what ½ cup and 1 cup looks like on it. Remember, for every combined 1 cup of non-starchy veggies you put on that plate you earn back +1 to use on your favorite dessert or put towad a roll!
Turkey Day Tip #7: Don’t wear your buffet pants. If you don’t do anything on this list, do yourself a favor and wear something snug that doesn’t “grow” with your meal. There is nothing like a jean button to say “whoa there cowboy…let’s take a stroll around the ranch before you hit the chuckwagon again”
Most of all enjoy the day. Don’t sweat it too much. None of us are here because we overate or overindulged in one day, right? I think the separation we all felt during the pandemic will put a new light on what it means to be thankful, to be together, and to be in this to win this. Who’s with me?
And for fun and my own curiosity…comment below and let me know if you plan on tracking everything, assigning a Quick Add number to the meal/day, or if you are just enjoying the day and not worrying about it. Have a happy Turkey Day!!
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