When Zero doesn't = Zero

This question has come up recently in some of my meetings. This article has appeared on my old blog, so I thought it may be time to post it here. Remember, no one came to WW from eating too many baby carrots. That being said, we must watch our zero point consumptions, especially when a non-naturally occuring zero point food.

Meg


My first weeks on plan were practically a religious experience for me. I kept track of POINTS® values like my life depended on it and sniffed out low-POINTS-value foods like a hound on a hunt. I hoped to discover the lowest POINTS-value options ever created. Finding new foods with POINTS values of zero thrilled me nearly as much as finding crumpled twenty-dollar bills in the dryer.

The idea of zero POINTS values fascinated me. How could a food have a POINTS value of zero? I decided to ask around. Suddenly I discovered a massive grey area of myths and intricacies around these no-POINTS-value gems. Everyone had a different answer to my query into how to best leverage the zeros, so I decided to go straight to the source, read everything and compile some truths.

The truth, according to Maria Walls, Manager of Program Development for Weight Watchers International, is that "the idea of the zero-POINTS-value food was not created as such; they are the result of the calculation of the proprietary Weight Watchers formula at a particular calorie level." The only true "zero" is a vegetable that occurs naturally from the earth. They are the only zero that when eaten by the bagful can still be called a zero. According to Maria, the idea of the "free" vegetable was created to give members a break from counting these very low-calorie foods that "generally did not contribute to weight gain."

The other type of food with a POINTS value of zero is one that is a processed food, such as "lite" whipped topping. A two-tablespoon serving of this food—and two tablespoons of whipped topping is, generally speaking, far less than any human wants to consume!—has a POINTS value of zero. Should you ingest the second serving at that same sitting, you would need to double the calories, fat and fiber and recalculate. It quickly multiplies to 1, 2, 3 and 5 POINTS values. The tub itself contains 25 servings (which I have handily polished off in less than 24 hours). Calculated correctly, that adds up to a POINTS value of 12 for the whole container. Regardless of which plan you follow, that is one third of your POINTS allowance.

So let's get down to the nitty-gritty. If I carefully measure my two tablespoons of whipped topping in the afternoon, calling it zero, can I eat a second serving later in the day for zero? In fact you can. Sigh of relief! Officially, the POINTS Weight-Loss System provides an allowance for "man-made" (non-veggie) zeros. The plan suggests that any member limit their servings of zeros to five a day. In the long run, your weight loss will be the guide. If weight loss is slow, you might want to pull back on the zeros. Remember all foods have calories.

Also know that the leading cause of plateaus is "relaxed adherence to the plan." Maria advises that members "be sensible" about their intake of the zeros. What a grand idea. Too bad my taste buds seem to get in the way of my being sensible!

The foods with a POINTS value of zero allow for some flexibility and just a bit more choice. Monitor the zeros well and they can add an enormous amount of enjoyment to your plan, but stop watching them carefully and you tempt the plateau gods to visit you!

Take a look at the chart below to get an idea of just how quickly zero does not equal zero.


Food

Kellogg's All-Bran Extra Fiber cereal
0 One Serving
1.5 Two Servings

Cool Whip Lite whipped topping
0 One Serving
1 Two Servings

Fat-free Italian salad dressing
0 One Serving
1 Two Servings

No-POINTS®-Value Vegetable Soup
0 One Serving
1 Two Servings

Sugar-free Jello
0 One Serving
0.5 Two Servings

Asian pear
0 One Serving
1.5 Two Servings

Salsa
0 One Serving
0.5 Two Servings

From weightwatchers.com