Judy's Jottings May 2 - May 8

An Insider's Guide to Dining Out - Things to Know

SetPOINTS Values

SetPOINTS values make navigating restaurant meals more manageable. Instead of estimating POINTS® values, we simply eat a reasonable portion and track the SetPOINTS values. SetPOINTS values have been assigned to three categories of Filling Foods—lean proteins (5), grains and starchy vegetables (6), and fruits (2). SetPOINTS values are higher than the POINTS value for a standard portion but they don’t change based on portion size. So we may trade a higher “cost” for greater flexibility. SetPOINTS values encourage us to choose Filling Foods, which keep us satisfied.

Activity POINTS Values
Activity POINTS values measure the impact of physical exercise on weight loss. We can earn extra activity POINTS values to offset extra food POINTS values. Activity POINTS values can roll over from day to day but not week to week. (There’s no limit on how many can be swapped for food.)

Weekly POINTS Allowance
The Weekly POINTS allowance gives us the flexibility to go over our daily POINTS target without going off plan. Allocating our weekly POINTS Allowance for days when we know we’re going to dine out can help us stay in control.

Mental Rehearsing

When we imagine ourselves meeting the challenges of restaurant dining, we’re more likely to be successful when the time comes.

Something to Think About
Eating out in a healthy way is a habit that will serve us well throughout our lives. If we learn the skills now they will get us to goal and keep us there.

All of this information came from the Leaders' Guide that Weight Watchers sends to me. When we prepare our meals at home, we feel in control because we are in charge of what we are eating. Eating Out is a totally difference thing. We are at the mercy of the restaurant that prepares our food. Healthy choices are not necessarily POINTS friends. Portion sizes are outrageous and asking for special preparation may be embarrassing. It is scary but it is a life style thing that we have to learn.

Dining out does not have to be a navigational nightmare. You can do it. Plan, and monitor your portion sizes. Have fun and enjoy eating out. You will be doing it for a lifetime!