Weight Watchers Live Facebook Chat #50:
“Welcome to Freestyle!”
This is our…WOW…50th chat! It’s hard to imagine we’ve done this 50 times aready. It’s been a fun and wild ride but hold on, we’re not done yet!
For most of us this week is our first chance to try out the new program: Weight Watchers Freestyle Smart Points. Some of us are nervous, many of us are exited, but we all have questions!
Don’t forget, there is no need to take notes, I’ll do all the transcribing for you 👍🏼! Sit back and relax while you watch, everything is typed up here for you to print, share and most importantly USE!
(Disclaimer: I am not a professionally trained WW Leader nor am I employed or currently paid by Weight Watchers or Weight Watchers International. I’m just another lover and believer in this program and want to give and get support along this journey. Any mention of the terms Smart Points, Beyond the Scale, or Weight Watchers are copyright Weight Watchers International and subject to their copyright terms. This is a LIVE chat format so I will be interacting with the viewers who make it live on Sunday night. If you were not able to join us on Sunday maybe next time!)
- Thanks for watching and please remember to Like, Share, Comment and especially Subscribe so I can do more helpful Weight Watchers videos! These are the transcriptions from tonight’s chat about my Nutritional Yeast! with Smart Points listed. As always these are available on Facebook, YouTube and on my blog ifyouhaveanegg.com
- First things first, these are LIVE video chats when they are recorded so yes, I talk to people when they ask questions!
- Please remember to Like, Comment, Share and Subscribe on Facebook and YouTube so I can keep making more of these Chats and easy recipe videos!
- Remember, my other chats are available on ifyouhaveanegg.com or on YouTube search IFYOUHAVEANEGG
- Thank you for all your ideas for future chats!!!
Back to the chat!
(if you attend a physical meeting be sure and always pick up your Weekly! If you miss a week ask your leader for the copy from the previous week, they have valuable information, yummy recipes and usually coupons!!! If you are online only the Weekly is in digital form via your e-newsletter or when you log in under Weekly Topic (weightwatchers.com/weeklytopic)
“Weight Watchers Live Chat #50: Welcome to Freestyle!”
If you attend meetings you should receive a Weekly, please be sure and take one! If you miss a meeting, your leader should have extras from at least the week prior and maybe farther back. If you are online only you can find out the weekly meeting topic in your e-newsletter or when you log in look for the Weekly Topic.
*****This is Chat #50…congrats to our winners!****
*For chat #50 we were LIVE FROM DISNEY! In case you didn’t figure it out we were freezing…Florida was not warm this week. It was in the 30’s during the chat. Your homework was to attend a meeting and get your new plan materials. Did you attend one? Lots of thumbs ups for attending and lots more hearts from those who love it!
*Thank you Debbi for braving the cold to help co-host our 50th Chat! Thank you John for setting up the Christmas Tree Ladder, decorations and for giving me a half day during our vacation to set up for and have our 50th chat <3
*For our 50th I did two giveaways: the first winner is Lynn Clark for making the 50th comment! the second winner was chosen at random and is: ?? Congratulations to you both!
*What is Freestyle?:
-I went to a meeting two days early so I could get all the info for you! My first week on Freestyle I lost 2.8 pounds! I have been at or near goal for 3 years so this was a big one week loss for me. These are foods that my mom was feeding me when she was still at home and part of her vegan diet. My tummy is feeling great and it’s easy to follow!
-In my opinion Freestyle is the best of Simply Filling and Smart Points combined. I was not successful on Simply Filling because my Full Meter is broken. There are many Simply Filling foods included now and this will help with our focus on healthy eating lifestyle
-How you spend your daily points budget it still up to you!
-Over 200 foods are ZERO SMART POINTS!
-Nothing went up in Smart Points value…nothing
-Smart Points are still calculated the same way, and your calculator still works
-The Beta Group lost an average of 15% more than people following the regular Smart Points program. They were given a choice if they wanted to stay on Freestyle or go back…90% decided to stay on Freestyle!
-I’m hearing huge losses in the first week
*Questions!
-Q: Where can I get more information? A: if you attend a meeting get all the material. If you don’t, try to go to one! If you are online only you may attend ONE meeting free but please check in with the receptionist so they can get credit for you. They were a little stingy with the Pocket Guide but if you ask sweetly they may give you one. Everything that is Zero is in blue and bold. Introducing Freestyle and the other books are all available online if you have e-Tools or are WW Online Only. There is a section called “Welcome to Freestyle” and all the drop downs with hyperlinks are there including the 200+ zero point food list. In addition there is online coaching available plus they have started an Instagram feed just for answering questions and help
-Q: “are you using all your points? A: On the new program because so many of the foods I’m choosing are now zero points I’m having trouble getting them all! But never fear, you only need to consume 10 below to 5 above range to be in the healthy eating range for a blue dot
-Q: Jennifer asks “do you have to rinse canned beans?” A: nope! they are still zero but your tummy might appreciate a quick rinse and drain. The part of beans that give us gas is in the liquid so I rinse mine when I can
-Q: Sybyl says “I’m still confused about Bob’s Red Mill Bean Soup it’s 6 SP” A: because soup “mixes” or blends may contain seasoning packets or binders to make them into soup they cannot be listed as zero. Many members who are not familiar with WW math would not know to discard any seasoning packets or other ingredients that add to the points. If you are literally just using the beans, no seasoning is already on them/packet is separate and you throw it away, then they are zero. If you use the packet or the seasoning is already mixed in count the points
-Q: Andrea asks “are you tracking all your zero point foods?” A: yes ma’am. Even though we don’t need to or have to track them I am. I track so that I can keep myself accountable and also to know what a good week looks like so I can repeat it…or a bad week so I can avoid that in the future. BUT you certainly do not have to track them if that is what works for you!
-Q: Paula wants to know “is popcorn zero since corn is?” A: we all wish that was true! No, sadly popcorn is not included on the zero point list because it undergoes dietary changes during popping that eliminate it from that list. Also, snack foods are considered easily abused or high abuse foods and are not included. It would be easy to eat 3 cups of popcorn, but a little harder (or slower anyway) to eat 3 ears of corn
-Q: Jackie says “chick peas roasted come up to 3 points..out of can zero, so confused” A: refer to the snack comment…there probably isn’t anyone sitting around eating a can of chickpeas but after they are roasted we can pop handfuls and not even notice
-Q: Betty asks “why not ground turkey, why only turkey breast?” A: ground turkey is fine as long as it is skinless breast 98%+ fat free. Some ground turkey and chicken has skin and other fatty fillers included so always be sure and check the label!
-Q: Jessica asks “how do you feed your family and have them satisfied not diety foods?” A: great question! I’m not being a smart tushy here but honestly if you don’t tell your family it’s on program they probably won’t even notice. See my blog www.ifyouhaveanegg.com for lots of great and delicious family friendly recipes. Also www.drizzlemeskinny.com and www.emilybitesblog.com have great easy recipes! The girls over in the IYHAE Facebook group have been making flatbread pizzas, hearty soups, even desserts…your family need not know!
-Q: What foods got added to the zero points food list? A: the list is available on weightwatchers.com, your app and here:
- Apples
- Applesauce, unsweetened
- Apricots
- Arrowroot
- Artichoke hearts
- Artichokes
- Arugula
- Asparagus
- Bamboo shoots
- Banana
- Beans: including adzuki, black, broad (fava), butter, cannellini, cranberry (Roman), green, garbanzo (chickpeas), great northern, kidney, lima, lupini, mung, navy, pink, pinto, small white, snap, soy, string, wax, white
- Beans, refried, fat-free, canned
- Beets
- Berries, mixed
- Blackberries
- Blueberries
- Broccoli
- Broccoli rabe
- Broccoli slaw
- Broccolini
- Brussels sprouts
- Cabbage: all varieties including Chinese (bok choy), Japanese, green, red, napa, savory, pickled
- Calamari, grilled
- Cantaloupe
- Carrots
- Cauliflower
- Caviar
- Celery
- Swiss chard
- Cherries
- Chicken breast, ground, 99% fat-free
- Chicken breast or tenderloin, skinless, boneless or with bone
- Clementines
- Coleslaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrots), packaged
- Collards
- Corn, baby (ears), white, yellow, kernels, on the cob
- Cranberries
- Cucumber
- Daikon
- Dates, fresh
- Dragon fruit
- Edamame, in pods or shelled
- Egg substitutes
- Egg whites
- Eggplant
- Eggs, whole, including yolks
- Endive
- Escarole
- Fennel (anise, sweet anise, or finocchio)
- Figs
- Fish: anchovies, arctic char, bluefish, branzino (sea bass), butterfish, carp, catfish, cod, drum, eel, flounder, grouper, haddock, halibut, herring, mackerel, mahimahi (dolphinfish), monkfish, orange roughy, perch, pike, pollack, pompano, rainbow trout (steelhead), rockfish, roe, sablefish (including smoked), salmon (all varieties), salmon, smoked (lox), sardines, sea bass, smelt, snapper, sole, striped bass, striped mullet, sturgeon (including smoked); white sucker, sunfish (pumpkinseed), swordfish, tilapia, tilefish, tuna (all varieties), turbot, whitefish (including smoked), whitefish and pike (store-bought), whiting
- Fish fillet, grilled with lemon pepper
- Fruit cocktail
- Fruit cup, unsweetened
- Fruit salad
- Fruit, unsweetened
- Garlic
- Ginger root
- Grapefruit
- Grapes
- Greens: beet, collard, dandelion, kale, mustard, turnip
- Greens, mixed baby
- Guavas
- Guavas, strawberry
- Hearts of palm (palmetto)
- Honeydew melon
- Jackfruit
- Jerk chicken breast
- Jerusalem artichokes (sunchokes)
- Jicama (yam bean)
- Kiwifruit
- Kohlrabi
- Kumquats
- Leeks
- Lemon
- Lemon zest
- Lentils
- Lettuce, all varieties
- Lime
- Lime zest
- Litchis (lychees)
- Mangoes
- Melon balls
- Mung bean sprouts
- Mung dal
- Mushroom caps
- Mushrooms: all varieties including brown, button, crimini, Italian, portabella, shiitake
- Nectarine
- Nori seaweed
- Okra
- Onions
- Oranges: all varieties including blood
- Papayas
- Parsley
- Passion fruit
- Pea shoots
- Peaches
- Peapods, black-eye
- Pears
- Peas and carrots
- Peas: black-eyed, chickpeas (garbanzo), cowpeas (blackeyes, crowder, southern), young pods with seeds, green, pigeon, snow (Chinese pea pods); split, sugar snap
- Peppers, all varieties
- Pepperoncini
- Persimmons
- Pickles, unsweetened
- Pico de gallo
- Pimientos, canned
- Pineapple
- Plumcots (pluots)
- Plums
- Pomegranate seeds
- Pomegranates
- Pomelo (pummelo)
- Pumpkin
- Pumpkin puree
- Radicchio
- Radishes
- Raspberries
- Rutabagas
- Salad, mixed greens
- Salad, side, without dressing, fast food
- Salad, three-bean
- Salad, tossed, without dressing
- Salsa verde
- Salsa, fat free
- Salsa, fat free; gluten-free
- Sashimi
- Satay, chicken, without peanut sauce
- Satsuma mandarin
- Sauerkraut
- Scallions
- Seaweed
- Shallots
- Shellfish: abalone, clams, crab (including Alaska king, blue, dungeness, lump crabmeat, queen) crayfish, cuttlefish, lobster (including spiny lobster), mussels, octopus, oysters, scallops, shrimp, squid
- Spinach
- Sprouts, including alfalfa, bean, lentil
- Squash, summer (all varieties including zucchini)
- Squash, winter (all varieties including spaghetti)
- Starfruit (carambola)
- Strawberries
- Succotash
- Tangelo
- Tangerine
- Taro
- Tofu, all varieties
- Tofu, smoked
- Tomatillos
- Tomato puree
- Tomato sauce
- Tomatoes: all varieties including plum, grape, cherry
- Turkey breast, ground, 99% fat-free
- Turkey breast or tenderloin, skinless, boneless or with bone
- Turkey breast, skinless, smoked
- Turnips
- Vegetable sticks
- Vegetables, mixed
- Vegetables, stir fry, without sauce
- Water chestnuts
- Watercress
- Watermelon
- Yogurt, Greek, plain, nonfat, unsweetened
- Yogurt, plain, nonfat, unsweetened
- Yogurt, soy, plain
-Q: why is tofu zero but tempeh is still points? A: the way it is processed and fillers add points (sorry I called it tempura, I was frozen hahaha)
-Q: Does it make a difference on what type of fish to be zero? Like wild caught versus farm raised? A: nope! as long as it spent some part of it’s days swimming and breathing through gills it doesn’t matter where it came from!
-Q: Are there any fruits and vegetables that did not make the zero point list? A: yeah…sorry ladies but avocado, potatoes and sweet potatoes did not make the cut
-Q: What makes a food FREE? A: reminder, no food is FREE…they are zero smart points. Free would be water.
-Q: Are the zero point foods really unlimited? A: YES! but you are supposed to eat a normal serving and stop when satisfied but not until stuffed. Get one serving, eat it, if you are really still hungry go get another one. But don’t plop 6 eggs and 2 cups of beans on your plate…if you’re like me you’ll eat it! 6 chicken breasts are the caloric equivalent of 6 Twinkies. I could eat all those Twinkies but I’m pretty sure I can stop myself before I eat that many chicken breasts!
-Q: Georgiana asks “should you eat all your zero point foods first in the day or add like 5 per meal?” A: the beauty of this is the budget is yours to spend how you’d like! If you need more points at one meal than another mix it up!
-Q: Is everything updated to the new Freestyle Zero Smart Points on the WW app? A: you can never have enough support staff for something of this magnitude. Of course all the generic foods like “beans” are updated. There are thousands of items individually packaged under different brand names that have to be updated. Most are done, some are not. The eating out foods like fast foods and restaurants are still in progress. But:
~my app will be updated over the next few weeks (available in the Apple and Android store under IFYOUHAVEANEGG)
~my blog will be updated starting with newest recipes first www.ifyouhaveanegg.com
-Q: Why didn’t my item scan less smart points? A: if the packaged item is not purely the zero point food (like just beans, or just corn) the points will scan with everything included and likely be points (sugar, seasonings, fillers, etc)
-Q: Why are dried fruits, chickpeas, etc not zero? A: once they are dried they are processed differently by your body also they become a snack or high abuse food (see chickpeas above)
-Q: Why is an egg zero but the app says a Fried Egg is 1 Smart Point? I use non stick spray A: the app has no way of knowing that you use non stick spray, it assumes a fried egg has oil or butter added. Just track an egg.
-Q: Why is plain non fat yogurt zero but not my pre-flavored name brand yogurt? A: the answer I received was that already flavored yogurt is in the high abuse category. BUT because I’m eating so few points I am going to keep eating them and just counting the 2 SP. There were so many yogurt add in ideas on the chat though!
-Q: Why didn’t veggie burgers/black bean burgers go down? A: again, fillers and seasonings are keeping them from being just chickpeas and blackbeans. Make your own, I’ll post one of Nana’s recipes soon!
-Q: Can I attend one meeting for free? A: in my opinion yes! Please check in so they can get credit for you…it’s one meeting FREE after a plan change. You never know, you may like it and join and stay!
-Q: Will you share more of Vegan Nana’s recipes? A: yes I will!
-Q: Are FitPoints affected? A: ummm no…there was a rumor going around that you were supposed to use some of them. Nope. Not sure where that got started. Earn them though!
-Q: How can I get my family to eat these things? A: I’m a big proponent of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. If they don’t ask why would you tell them? You can hide a heck of a lot of veggies in casseroles!
-Q: What if you don’t like the zero point foods? A: Really? None of them? Can you try something new every week and add a thing or two? There can’t be no things…maybe you just haven’t tried the right ones. I would hightly recommend you look over the list again and try something. Or maybe it’s the way it’s prepared
-Q: Is my points value going to go down? A: yep, most likely…but you didn’t LOSE any points. Many things you were eating anyway are now zero, I’m actually having trouble getting in my 23 FSP!
-Q: can I eat zero all day and then go wild? A: well….technically you could but…if you are really eating zero point foods all day you may not be hungry enough to want to go too crazy. Like everything in life, be sensible
-Q: can you eat too many eggs? A: how many eggs are too many? Are you going to eat a dozen? Six? For me two would be way more than enough and that’s only 4 old SP or less than 150 calories
-Q: do we lose our weeklies? A: nope. Your weeklies should have stayed exactly the same
-Q: What are rollover points? A: many people are confused about keeping weeklies and adding rollovers. I think people were hoarding points and then using them say on the weekend…now that is called Rollover points. You can roll over up to 4 SP a day for 6 days (until weigh in day) for a maxium of 24 SP to use later
-Q: Will blogs be updated? A: mine will be updated newest recipes back starting this week www.ifyouhaveanegg.com Drizzle Me Skinny, Emily Bites, Skinny Taste are already in progress. The professional websites (ones that make money hahaha) will obviously get done faster. I think we have all adopted the term FSP (Freestyle Smart Points) and you will know they are updated when you see that terminology listed
-Keep asking questions and I will keep answering them!
***Can cooker recipe coming soon, it was actually good and hot and yummy!***
Remember to Like, Share, Comment and Subscribe to see more!
Where else can you find The Egg?
- YouTube – you can go to the chats always on YouTube! The cover photo for YouTube looks just like the Page because it is also public. You can search IFYOUHAVEANEGG and it should pull up all the WW If You Have an Egg Chats and the first one should be the Playlist of all the videos to date. If you click on Playlist you can watch them all in order and binge watch The Egg hahaha. If you have a YouTube account you can subscribe, make your own playlists, etc. If you are watching as a guest you can still watch all you want, you just can’t like, share, comment and save on a playlist. I really really appreciate when you Like, Share, Comment and Subscribe!!
- The Blog – ifyouhaveanegg.com this is where I journal all my recipes, the chats, the transcripts for the chats, details of new things, etc. It always has the three most current at the top. There is a Click Here for More New Recipes and you can search by category. If there are links to other recipes from within the post it will take you straight there. My Story is found here! http://www.ifyouhaveanegg.com/?page_id=9 I have been a WW for 24+ years and got to goal in 2014, Lifetime for going on three years and counting! If you scroll over the pictures you can save these recipes and meal ideas to your Yummly Box, Pinterest, Twitter, you can Print, share on Facebook, etc
- Pinterest! Oh my gosh if you’re not using this as a resource tool you have to start! You can sort your ideas by points values, meals, shopping guide items, recipes and more! My boards are dividing by Smart Point values so go to pinterest.com/ifyouhaveanegg to find out more and to grab my pins!
- Instagram find me at @ifyouhaveanegg
- WW Connect find me at @scrapnstamp or #ifyouhaveanegg
- Last but not least, my App! Yes I do charge for the app. I have invested over $1,500 in development and there are monthly fees not to mention the time to keep it all updated. But the $2.99 is ONE TIME. You get all the Egg benefits for on low price and never pay again. Available for Android and Apple. If you are on an iPad though you have to switch it to “iPhone only” for some bizarre reason. You only buy once on Apple for both devices. Use the three lines in the upper left corner to bring down the menu to find the chats on YouTube, New Recipes, 7 Day Meal Plans, Shopping Guides (Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Whole Foods, National Brands, Girl Scout Cookies, Halloween Candy, Costco)
- Additional Resources: whether you are doing WW Online, attending meetings, or just gleaning what you can from us you have resources! Use the recipes and meal ideas in your weekly from the meeting. Search hashtags like #weightwatchers on social media to get some great ideas. If you are using ETools you can scan, track, keep up with favorite foods and ideas. Or if you like pen and paper grab a paper track every week. My daughter Kc likes to journal and they are so much fun with pretty markers and *squeal* stickers! Resources from moi:
- I use index cards to keep a written record that I can touch, see, carry with me and then sort by Smart Points Value. If it’s a real I post it in a printable version on the blog: ifyouhaveanegg.com I can also sort these and know what my points are going to be for the day. Bu-bam…7 sets of cards = 7 days = you guessed it…home base for me
- If You Have an Egg Social Media for FREE and sharable food, meal and recipe ideas!
- Blog: ifyouhaveanegg.com and go to “click here for more great recipes” to see categories grouped by Smart Points
- Pinterest (my SP ideas grouped by points per board!): pinterest.com/ifyouhaveanegg
- Instagram: @ifyouhaveanegg
- Facebook Page(open to the public): https://www.facebook.com/ifyouhaveanegg/
- Facebook Closed Support Group (closed group, only viewable by members): https://www.facebook.com/groups/113471572340708/
- Facebook Closed Meatless Meals Group (closed group, only viewable by members): https://www.facebook.com/groups/487742901407108/
- My App: available for Apple and Android in your app store search IFYOUHAVEANEGG (if you are on an iPad you have to search by iPhone only even though you are on an iPad…no reason why). The app has Shopping Guides divided by store (Trader Joe’s, Aldi, Costco, etc) and then by Smart Points. Only have 3 Smart Points and you’re in the middle of the Cookie Butter aisle at Trader Joe’s? No problem, open up the App, touch Trader Joe’s and the scroll to 3 Smart Points…tada! App categories include:
- Shopping Guides with Smart Points (and most have complete nutritional information listed)
- Trader Joes
- Aldi
- Costco
- Sams (coming soon!)
- Whole Foods
- National Brands (Kroger, Meier, Ingles, Dollar Tree, Target, etc)
- Halloween Candy
- Girl Scout Cookies
- Convenience Stores (coming soon!)
- Eating Out (work in progress)
- My Top Pantry Picks (Top 5, Top 25, Top 100!)
- Easy Meal Ideas with Smart Points
- New Recipes with Smart Points
- YouTube chats, recipes and ideas on the Go!
- Direct Link to the blog so you can check more recipes On The Go!
- Shopping Guides with Smart Points (and most have complete nutritional information listed)
****Don’t forget…if you want to see more helpful Live Chats and easy WW Recipe videos be sure to Like, Share, Subscribe and Comment!****
Thank you again, this is my happy relaxing time with you guys each week. To find more information, see the other chats or get my FREE recipes and meal ideas remember to visit me:
*On Facebook on the If You Have an Egg Page or in my group
*My blog: www.ifyouhaveanegg.com
*On my app: available in the Apple iTunes or Google Play Store search IFYOUHAVEANEGG
*Pinterest: search IFYOUHAVEANEGG
*YouTube: search IFYOUHAVEANEGG
See you next week!
<3 Kelly
