DWLZ FAQ's

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Restaurant/Food Items/Recipes to the New Smart Points Values ~Back to Top~

1. We are updating all new Restaurants that will be added to DWLZ.  As for the Restaurants that are already listed, Al and I are working to get them updated to Smart Points, when sugar is available in the nutritionals.  We have started the process and have updated three of our restaurants with Smart Points.  I will be keeping the Points and Points+ also listed, so there will be three values listed:  Smart Points in Blue, Points+ in Black and Points in Red.  For the restaurants that will have Smart Points, please look for the asterick next to it.   Please be patient with us as this is going to be a big project. Thank you for understanding.

2. If I have the sugar and saturated fat listed in the nutritionals I will be updating the recipes and food lists on DWLZ. From here on in I will be adding Smart Points to the recipes and food items.  Again, there will be three values listed:  Smart Points in Blue, Points+ in Black and Points in Red.  For the restaurants that will have Smart Points, please look for the asterick next to it. 

Dotti's Food Score  ~Back to Top~

1. Dotti's Food Score is no longer available. Our partners, Bizmosis, have sold their business.  Hopefully, in the future, we can find a new partner to work with and come up with another app.  For now, please accept our apology.

Calculating Points and Points+ for Alcohol Products ~Back to Top~

1. You may have questions on the points values you find on the restaurants and other areas on DWLZ.com. One of the problems we are faced with is that the Weight Watchers' calculator has no spot to insert Alcohol grams. It really should, but it doesn't. So, what is a Weight Watcher to do about Alcohol?

You see, alcohol is not a protein, nor a fat, and though it is similar chemically to a carbohydrate, it is not a carb either. Therefore, if you look at a nutritional label and plug in the numbers you find there, you will end up with really small numbers for alcohol. Cool! Free food!

No, sorry, it is not as good as the calculator makes it appear. Alcohol has 7 calories per gram, which is nearly has high as fat, and nearly double that for carbs. This cannot be ignored if you want to lose weight.

Even the old system, which at least used the calories to count up the alcohol in a drink, doesn't do enough in my opinion to cover the damage done by alcohol to your weight loss plan, but it is better than the new system calculator is.

I did some digging and I have come up with a solution that I think works pretty well, and so we have included in all the restaurants and food lists. When you look at the alcohol numbers for the new Points Plus compared with the numbers of Points for the old system you will see that the new numbers are significantly higher. And they should be! (I feel that the old system numbers are really too low.)

A word to the wise, drink sparingly please. Alcohol can destroy your Journey and even your life, if you let it get out of hand. That is enough said, here, you can find lots of stuff online about the horrors of alcohol abuse. We are here discussing safe and sane use of alcohol in your Journey.

But strictly concerning weight loss, remember that many a Journey has been sidetracked by alcohol. It is very common for someone to take a drink and then consume food that was never planned for originally. Binge eating, or even grabbing beer nuts from the bar, add up in a hurry, in addition to the actual damage the alcohol calories themselves do!

What I found is that we really need to add a new term to the equation that we used for calculating our Points Plus. So, throughout the page, what I have done is to add this amount to every Points Plus value:

Here is a quick run through of the problem. If you want more details I have created an in-depth page for you get far more of the specific information and calculations involved.

Now drinks normally are not 100% pure alcohol (200 proof). In fact Moonshine is said to be 180 proof, and even the top of the line "rectified spirits" hit a practical limit of 190 proof, due to complications beyond this scope of this discussion. But for sake of argument, let us assume you have 1.5 fluid ounces of pure alcohol, commonly called "a shot."

Now, 1.5 fluid ounces, will contain about 34.4 grams of alcohol, and if you divide that by 3.5, you find you have put in 9.8 additional points. However, this same theoretical concoction would have zero fat, zero carbs, and zero protein, it would come up in the calculator as 0 Points Plus. Wrong answer!

The old adage, "Don't Drink and Drive" is absolutely on the mark. If you can do it, "Don't Drink and Diet" is also a great rule of thumb to follow. But if you do drink while watching your weight, to be successful you have to count it correctly! That is what Dotti and I are trying to help you do on Dotti's Weight Loss Zone. If you are going to drink, do it safely and sanely, and with knowledge about what you are doing.

If you have questions or suggestions, please feel free to email me at: Email Al.

Updating the Restaurants/Mobile Apps/Food Items to the New PointsPlus Values  ~Back to Top~

1. Yes, we are updating our restaurants and food items as fast as we can.  This is a big project so please bear with us.
As we update the webpage, the Mobile Apps will also be updated. 

2. Yes, the new PointsPlus values, along with the previous Point values, are present in the updates.

3. All 650 restaurants have been "updated with the PointsPlus and Points (older)".

Dotti's Journey ~Back to Top~

1. A friend of mine told me Weight Watchers had a new "Point System" and it was really easy. That was in November 1997
and on January 5, 1998 I started my Journey to Goal. I never looked back. You can read about my 1st Journey here
- the Journey that changed my whole life.

2.Well, it definately side-tracked me! I can tell you I'd do it all over again. I was smoking close to 3 packs/day so I'm so much
better for having quit. Goal will be mine again.

3. I NEVER give up wanting this Journey. NEVER, NEVER give up wanting this Journey! You will always find your way back
to where you have to be on this Journey. Never doubt that for a minute. This time around on my Continuing Journey I am also
using the "Enjoying Weight Loss" hypnosis CDs to help me stay focused and strong on Program.

4. I am using Weight Watchers and always have. I love the Weight Watchers Point system.
My continuing Journey can be found below.

Website in General  ~Back to Top~

1. I did, Dotti Coon

2. When I reached Lifetime in 1998 my wonderful husband, Al, told me to create a little website to help keep me motivated
and to help others on their own Journey. I wanted to make the Journey an easy one for everyone. The rest is history.

3. I have no staff for Dotti's Weight Loss Zone. I AM the staff. Al updates his part of DWLZ and helps me when I need it but
I am the ONLY one who updates and works on Dotti's Weight Loss Zone, the website. I do have wonderful volunteers to help
keep the Message Board the wonderful board it is and to update some of the restaurants.

4. Since September 20, 1998

5. As often as possible. I am sent lots of information to add onto the website but I am only one person working on the
whole website so I update when I can.

6. Dotti's Weight Loss Zone owns and operates the following URL's: [dwlz.com] [dottisweightlosszone.com] [dwlz2.com]

7. In order to view our photo albums on our Photos page you need Java on your computer. Click Here to install the Java
needed for this - it is free. Follow instructions to install on your computer - This is SAFE and needed to view any Java
based programs, including our Chat Room.

Black and (Red) numbers at end of food listing   ~Back to Top~

1. The Black and (Red) numbers [2 (2.5)] are Weight Watcher Points for the food listings. As I continue to update the
restaurants, apps and other food items, to *PointsPlus, the following will apply to the updated values:

*Whenever possible, I calculate ALL my Points on my Offline Points Calculator in the Half Points Mode, which rounds
UP to the nearest Half Point. This keeps my site consistent.  All point values in black bold are the new PointsPlus values,
while all Point values in red bold are the old Point values. 

2. You can read about why I sometimes have two numbers [2 (2.5)] listed at the end of the food listing by Clicking Here.
It helps more people on our Journey.

3. Whenever possible, I calculate ALL my Points on my Offline Points Calculator in the Half Points Mode, which rounds
UP to the nearest Half Point. This keeps my site consistent.

Restaurants ~Back to Top~

1. Complete Restaurant List The list has over 480 restaurants.

2. Anyone can send me a request. Please include the nutritional values, or where the information can be found. Please
send it to Contact Dotti and I will add it as soon as possible.

3. I use many sources. A lot of you send me the information from your local restaurant or send me a link to the restaurant
source online. If the information is not online and cannot be found I will write to the restaurant asking for the nutritional information.

Recipes ~Back to Top~

1. Click Here to go to the Recipe TOC page.

2. Anyone can submit a recipe to be included on our recipe pages. Please include the nutritional values, if available. Please
send it to Contact Dotti and I will add it as soon as possible.

3. All the recipes have been updated to Points and Points+

Advertising on DWLZ ~Back to Top~

1. Dotti's Weight Loss Zone is costly to run. It not only costs us to run two dedicated servers and a third shared server, but we
must pay for the software and bandwidth requirements for the message board and chat, as well as for sending out Dotti's
Newsletter. The whole DWLZ world has grown so large that it now takes up nearly all of our waking hours as well, and it is not
unfair to expect a return on our hard work given.

This leaves us only a few choices. We can of course just shut down the site, or put it behind "closed doors," where only paid
subscribers could use the content and services of DWLZ. Either of these choices would certainly leave a lot of people out, who
will not be able to use the valuable resources that you find here. So, we have taken the only option left that allows us to continue
to offer everything on the page for free: we accept paid advertising that you will find on many of the pages. You are reaping the
benefits of that every time you come to DWLZ and use anything that you find here without having to spend a penny to do so.

We have two kinds of ads on Dotti's Weight Loss Zone:

Banner Ads. These ads are placed by companies that produce products or services that we feel will be beneficial to you. They
might be for foods that you will enjoy having in your daily routine that are low in calories and that taste good. They could be for
equipment for exercise or some service that will help you in either attaining your exercise goals, or in controlling your eating. In
each case, we have been in direct communication with the sponsor, and we only place their ads on the page after we have tried
and tested the item being offered and know that is as advertised. When endorsing these ads, and we are doing so from personal
experience. We feel these products or services are good, and the companies are legitimate and care about good customer service.
We are confident that you will be treated well by any of these sponsors.

Google Ads. If it were not for these ads we would not be able to continue running the site for free. Generally, they are based upon
the content of the actual page where they are placed. The Google "spider robot" scans the page and picks out the main key words
and chooses ads from its reservoir of related ads. These products are not ones that we have specifically chosen and we may never
have tested the products or services that are listed. We have some very general ability to block certain types of ads. (For example
we can and do block dating ads, pornography ads, and even graphic ads because they might have offensive content in them.)

Since Dotti's Weight Loss Zone is a pro-Weight Watchers site and in support of, though in no way affiliated with, or endorsed by,
Weight Watchers International, and since Google bases its ad selection upon page content, we will get ads that have Weight Watchers
specifically in mind. Normally that is not a problem, but on occasion we will get an ad that is antagonistic towards Weight Watchers. 
 Both Al & I count points and we both fully endorse that method of tracking your eating.

If any ad ever appears that you find offensive in any way, we need you to let us know ASAP, so we can fix the problem. In this way, you
can help us keep DWLZ free to all, and at the same time a safe and supportive environment for all who visit.

Thank you for your understanding.

2. If you are interested in advertising on DWLZ please send me an email at craftidot@aol.com.

Message Board  ~Back to Top~

1. After much consideration I have purchased vBulletin and created our new Message Board on September 30, 2006.

2. Everyone, including me, must register at our new Message Board.  If you were registered at our old Ezboard you must still
re-register at our new board since it has nothing to do with EzBoard - it is a completely new board.

3. Passwords on our Message Board are case-sensitive, which means that if you are using CatWoman as your password then you
need to ALWAYS type it in the same way with a capital "C" and capital "W". There are also no spaces in the password.

4. First, DWLZ.com and our Message Board is free to everyone. DWLZ Supporter    is $25.00 a year to help
support our Message Board and DWLZ.com, the website. You will receive our Thermometer Program with payment and I will put the
under your username on the Message Boards to show everyone your support of our Message Board and
DWLZ.com, the website. If you value these services that is a very small price to pay.  This is strictly voluntary.

5. I have had to purchase separate dedicated servers for our Message Board ($194.00 per month) and DWLZ.com ($349.00 per month)
due to the very high traffic I receive. I have also had to purchase our vBulletin license with a renewal fee every year.

6.Anyone can post on our Message Boards. Most of our members are doing the Weight Watcher Program but the support is there
for anyone on a Journey of their own.

Chat  ~Back to Top~

1.In order to use our Chat Room you must be a member of our Message Board.  Our Chat Room is now located on our
Message Board, top right.  You must also have Java installed on your computer to participate in our Chat Room.  Click Here
to install the Java needed for chat - it is free. Follow instructions to install on your computer - This is SAFE and needed
if you want to participate in our Chat Room.

2. Click Here for our Chat FAQ's

Linking to DWLZ.com ~Back to Top~

1. I am very particular who is listed on my Links page. I always check out the page before adding any submissions.
I do NOT link to pages dealing with drugs of any kind.

2. Can anyone submit a site to be offered on your links page? Anyone may submit a webpage to be considered for my
Links page. Please send it to Contact Dotti and I will visit it as soon as possible.

Quitting Smoking  ~Back to Top~

1. Al has a wonderful section on DWLZ called "Unhooked", his Quit Smoking page.

Cookbooks ~Back to Top~

1. I do not have the cookbooks in book form at this time. You can copy and paste from the PDF to save your favorite recipes
to Word or any word processing program you are using.

2. You must have Acrobat Reader 5.0 or above to view the cookbooks.If you do not have Acrobat Reader 5.0 or above,
please go to the Adobe Reader website and download the latest version (free).

3.When the cookbooks file opens in Acrobat Reader, click on the floppy icon (save) at the top left of Acrobat Reader window.
It will save the cookbooks with the file name of DWLZCookbookAllnew2.pdf onto your hard drive. (Please note where it saved the
file, or better yet, tell it where to save the file so that you will easily be able to find it afterwards.) Once it is saved on your hard drive,
you can then save it to a floppy (it will fit) or to a CD for permanent safekeeping.

4. I try to always send the cookbooks file within 10 days.

5. You can mail me a check or money order for $15 to:

            Dotti Coon
            PO Box 873898
            Vancouver, WA  98687

Please include for cookbooks and your email address with the payment.

Dotti's Newsletter  ~Back to Top~

1. Al will be sending Dotti's Newsletter out to your email address you signed up with.

2. Click Here to sign up for Dotti's Newsletter.

3. Yes, Dotti's Newsletter is absolutely Free.

Weight Commander ~Back to Top~
1. Michael Marder

2. Send an email to mmarder@weightcommander.com or follow the directions in the Weight Commander program.

3. Here is Michael Marder's contact info: mmarder@weightcommander.com ~Back to Top~

"Enjoying Weight Loss" Hypnosis CD's  ~Back to Top~

1. Click Here to read our review of the "Enjoying Weight Loss" Hypnosis CD's ~Back to Top~

DWLZ Conferences ~Back to Top~

1. We have had five DWLZ Conferences since we started in 2001.

2. Anyone is welcome to attend our Conferences. I have to tell you - it's an experience that you will never forget! We have a
wonderful time full of laughter, support, hugs and love. They are a very uplifting experience as those that have attended can tell you.

3.Click on the links below to go to the previous Conference pages:

            DWLZ I ~ Conference 2001
            DWLZ II ~ Conference 2002
            DWLZ III ~ Conference 2003 
            DWLZ IV ~ Conference 2004
            DWLZ V ~ Conference 2005

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