Flex Points

[KristiKelly]

I am a lifetime member of WW, but am over my goal weight and am thinking of returning. Can someone explain the flex points to me. How can you lose weight w/ 35 more points or are they taking more of your daily allowance of points away? I know when I joined in 97 and then went back in 2000 they had dropped the high end of points down 2 points. Where before I could have a max of 25 (in 97) down to 23 points (in 2000). Does that make sense what I'm trying to say.

 

[KathyTX]

Kristi- it is a challenge to adjust to a new program, isn't it?

I'm another lifetimer who's gone back. I've been through 3? maybe 4? different WW plan changes. I do like Flex Points... it's pretty simple.

First, you won't actually have 35 more points. Instead of having a points RANGE, you now have a single points TARGET. Your target will be less that your max used to be.

Then you have the 35 flex points to use or not to use during the week, according to your own needs and plans.

Some weeks I use all of my flex points, some weeks none of them.

Did this make sense?

Also, I just got an email from my WW leader that says that you'll get a "fast track kit" if you attend during January. Don't know what that is, but I want it anyway.

 

[MelanieC]

Hi Kristi,

Welcome to WISH!

Flexpoints is great! I absolutely love FLEX POINTS! It has helped me tremendously, and it is what I think gives me the flexability to know I can do this for a lifetime.

Let me explain it how It pertains to my weight. Since I don't know what your target would be.

Before flex points I had 20-25 points. Once they started flex points I had a target of 22 points ( I believe its the 150-174 weight range). I also get 35 points to spend anyway I want throughout the week. One of the differences is that I must eat all of my target points each day, no banking of these. You can use your flex anyway you like (all in one day, spread out over 7 days or not at all). You do end up getting an average of 2 extra points a day, but the great thing is that you get to decide how you will use them.

I use mostly all of mine each week, along with any AP (activity points) I earn. I believe in the theory that to keep your metabolism high you must fuel your body. I didn't drop down to the 20 points target when I went under 150 pounds either. As long as I continue to loose weight on the higher points- I will leave it that way. I have heard of people who eat the minimum and their bodies learn to exist on that. Then when they are on maintenance, they gain weight if they add in points. I think they trained their bodies to live on a small number of points and it slowed their metabolism. I figure, if I can loose eating all my target points, flex points and AP's.........just imagine how many points I will be able to eat once I go on maintenance.

The Fast Track is a DVD (with exerpts from each of the workout video's from WW's light, moderate and heavy activity. They sell it on one DVD at the meetings.) It also has a fast track plan that is either a high carb, or high protien version where you pick items from a list for a total of 20 points per day. This is meant to only be used for 2 weeks if you are not at the 20 points per day target range.

Hope this helps.

 

[KathyTX]

Thanks, Melanie. Great explanation!

 

[QueenTrident]

Kristi - I did the 123 Points and Winning Points plans, but think FlexPoints is so much better. I have much more flexibility than before and I eat more, since before I was all about banking points that I never ate. Also, before if I happened to overeat at the beginning of the week and get a negative balance, I was done for week - I couldn't get over seeing the negative.

Melanie - Your well on your way to becoming a WW leader. That was a much better explanation than I got at my meeting on Sunday. Thanks for posting it!