Hoping for some advice and/or info on WW

simseema17 · Jul 7th, 2008, 10:18 PM

I was thinking about starting weight watchers, but am not sure how much it would cost, does it really help people, what are the meetings like

anything else basically, thanks

amanda · Jul 7th, 2008, 10:33 PM

it really helped me.

i've lost over 20 pounds with it twice, and it helped me control my compulsive binge eating, at least for a few months at a time, which nothing else has been able to do, ever. you can do a monthly pass that's $40/month that also includes access to their online tools. meetings will vary by location, but generally they're pleasant and helpful, and it's nice to be held accountable by others that are sensitive to your situation.

Diesel&Coco · Jul 8th, 2008, 12:32 AM

I'm on WW now, but just online, not meetings. Its like $40 for the first month, $16 after that. You can access all the message boards, plan info, , points tracker, recipes, etc, you just don't go to meetings.

While this is currently working for me, I would say that the online version is more for someone that has the motivation to lose weight but needs the knowledge/plan to do it. Because you're not "accountable' to a group of people every week, it's easy to just "take a break from WW for a week," like I do

If you need the face-to-face accountability, try the meetings. If you just need a good way to keep track of what you eat, and maybe some recipe ideas, etc, then online may be for you.

If this helps at all, I havent heard any negative things about the WW plan itself, so apparently it works exactly as supposed to, and is easier to make into a "permanent, lifestyle change" than diets.

cclovesluxury · Jul 8th, 2008, 02:45 PM

I've been on WW for 4 weeks now. I do it through work and go to meetings, which I find to be very helpful. I agree w/ Diesel&CoCo, the meetings area huge source of accountability. There's no taking a break when you have to face the scale every week.

That being said, the meetings are also a great forum for support, encouragement and congratulations.

The program itself is common sense and flexible. In my opinion, it's the most sensible way to lose weight. If I want a donut for breakfast I can have it, but I better watch what I eat the rest of the day. Or, I could find a healthier alternative and have more to eat the rest of the day.

I've had success with the program thus far and really enjoy it. The plan itself is common sense and flexible, the meetings hold you accountable, and the cost is affordable. In my opinion it's worth it!

elizat · Jul 8th, 2008, 05:12 PM

I tried to do the online thing once, but it was too much for me (as for writing down everything everyday- it got tedious, esp. b/c I only lost about 2 pounds in over a month). I didn't actually lose weight either and I was good with tracking stuff. I was studying for the bar at the time and I normally would only eat like 16-17 points in a day w/o trying, which could be part of the issue- not enough calories going in.

My parents did the meetings and totally revamped how they ate. However, once they stopped counting, they gained all the weight back. They each lost over 30 pounds. My mom is back on it now.

elle-mo · Jul 8th, 2008, 11:36 PM

If you want to lose weight then it will work. Actually, any diet will work if you want to lose it bad enoough but I am totally a fan of WW. I am on my 14th week and lost 15lbs. This is my 3rd time doing WW and have lost weight everytime and have not gained back the weight. I did it in realistic increments because it can get tedious. I do not attend meetings and I'm on the Flex plan and I enter every piece of food that goes into my mouth. Sometimes I just pre-enter my food at the beginning of the day so that I don't go off course. I do not exercise because I'm a SAHM and going to the gym is out of the question during the summer but I will as soon as I get to my weight goal for my maintennance phase.

I am now only 3 lbs from my goal weight, 1lb a week doesn't sound like much but I am now back to a size 2, at 5"1'...I will be turning 40 in October and I want to weigh as much as I did when I was 30-before my two kids! If you have any questions, then send me a message. Real weight loss is about lifestyle change and commitment, you can do it!

simseema17 · Jul 10th, 2008, 10:56 AM

Thanks ladies

So I joined WW earlier this week....so far so good...my body feels like its adjusting to eating less...the first day it was a little bit of hunger pains (where's all the food at?) :)

I'm a little bit worried about when I'm done w/the program....(this might be awhile till I hit my goal weight) but I want to make sure when I'm done I know how to stay eating healthy/smaller portions but w/out keeping track of points....I guess I just continue eating how I have been eating when I was on plan? I don't know why I'm worried about the end already, but I guess I don't want to do the whole plan and gain all the weight back....I want to do whatever I can now so at the end the transition won't be as hard

thanks

mommylovesbags · Jul 10th, 2008, 02:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simseema17

Thanks ladies

So I joined WW earlier this week....so far so good...my body feels like its adjusting to eating less...the first day it was a little bit of hunger pains (where's all the food at?) :)

I'm a little bit worried about when I'm done w/the program....(this might be awhile till I hit my goal weight) but I want to make sure when I'm done I know how to stay eating healthy/smaller portions but w/out keeping track of points....I guess I just continue eating how I have been eating when I was on plan? I don't know why I'm worried about the end already, but I guess I don't want to do the whole plan and gain all the weight back....I want to do whatever I can now so at the end the transition won't be as hard

thanks

Yea for you!!! I did ww last year -- the first week is the hardest. I lost forty-five pounds with the help of ww. I'm now a Lifetime member! Don't worry about the "end" yet -- you will get help on how to eat for maintenance -- and it's easier than eating for wt. loss -- you just have to weigh yourself more on maintenance than when you're losing so you don't get off track.

For now, just try to follow the program. Here are some pointers that I found helpful -- sorry if some have already posted these. First it is true -- you MUST document EVERYTHING you eat. You will lose more weight that way! Second, add exercise in week three if you aren't exercising already. You'll get the stuff on exercise in week three and how to work it into your program. Third, (I'm assuming your on flex.) Eat all your points! Also, don't be afraid to dip into your 35 flex points some -- their research shows that those who do lose MORE weight than those who don't!!! I usually didn't eat all extra 35 points in a week, but I did eat some, probably more like 15 - 20 on average. Also, don't get discouraged should you happen to start slow. My first week I only lost a pound, the second week -- the same -- just one pound. Then, for some reason, my body picked up the pace. I would also only weigh in there -- save your own scale for when you're on maintenance.

WW is awesome. I'm not actively going to the meetings right now, but I've been able to maintain my weight loss for six months now very easily. I hope to keep it up. Good luck to you and feel free to pm me if you ever have a ww question. I've gotten three people on ww -- and they are all success stories! I LOVE WW -- it works!

EmilyAnne_SD · Jul 10th, 2008, 03:01 PM

I'm thinking of going back to WW myself. I tried it for a month last August 07 and lost 5 lbs. I didn't go to the meetings but I stayed pretty consistent with entering my points and tracking my exercise on-line. It did get a bit tedious though but well worth the 5lbs I initially lost that first month. I stopped after that, i.e., paying for the membership on-line, because I felt like I had a pretty good handle on eating better and such. I kept that 5lbs off for almost a year (doesn't sound like a lot, huh?), but it sure felt good that I didn't get any more weight.

BTW--I really like the flex plan and using my extra points was a big treat for me. It motivated me to stay on track.

cheburashka · Jul 10th, 2008, 08:24 PM

Weight Watchers rock, I lost about 45 lbs ( I'm 119-120 now at 5'7) about 3 years ago and I haven't gained a single lbs back. If I gain 1-2 during the holidays, I immediately lose it. As long as you really stick to it - it can do wonders, plus it's really not a diet it is a lifestyle change.

simseema17 · Jul 11th, 2008, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheburashka

Weight Watchers rock, I lost about 45 lbs ( I'm 119-120 now at 5'7) about 3 years ago and I haven't gained a single lbs back. If I gain 1-2 during the holidays, I immediately lose it. As long as you really stick to it - it can do wonders, plus it's really not a diet it is a lifestyle change.

That's what I love...its teaching me to eat the right portion size! I was eating way out of whack portions before! Also, its given me much better options for choices of what to eat, and stuff I ate before which I thought wasn't that bad, really was (ie some yogurts cups were a lot worse for me than I thought!)

Thanks for the advice...if anyone else is doing WW and wants to post here about your journey, please do! I am on the flex plan...its still early, but I'm working on spreading my points out during the day more evenly....and saving some of the extra 35 for when I need it (like the BBQ I'm going to this weekend!)

heat97 · Jul 11th, 2008, 02:04 PM

I went on WW in college (about 5 or 6 years ago) just to lose about the 10-15lbs i gained there. It took about a year to lose it, I'm 5'5 and 112 still to this day. Same as the above I give myself about a 3lb differential during winter holiday time. But I seem to keep pretty balanced. Good Luck!

simseema17 · Jul 15th, 2008, 09:58 AM

Just finished my first week at ww and lost 4.6 lbs-yay!

maybeimeow · Jul 15th, 2008, 03:41 PM

4.6 lbs-- that's awesome, Congrats!!!

Weight Watchers is an excellent program, one of my close friends lost 80lbs over 2 years on WW, and his sister lost about 40. I did WW too, and lost about 15 lbs on it.

saribeee · Jul 17th, 2008, 02:00 AM

Im doing the WW online. I found that when I follow it I do lose weight. Its nice because you can eat what you want you just have to count your points. So in that way it teaches you to make better choices about food. I also found for myself that in the past when I went to meetings I was more motivated to follow the points system.

Jul 7th, 2008, 10:18 PM	#1
simseema17 Homo sapien Joined: Jul 2007 Location: NY Posts: 816	Hoping for some advice and/or info on WW I was thinking about starting weight watchers, but am not sure how much it would cost, does it really help people, what are the meetings like anything else basically, thanks

Jul 7th, 2008, 10:33 PM	#2
amanda I Bleed Georgia Red Joined: Oct 2005 Location: Athens, GA Posts: 9,444	it really helped me. i've lost over 20 pounds with it twice, and it helped me control my compulsive binge eating, at least for a few months at a time, which nothing else has been able to do, ever. you can do a monthly pass that's $40/month that also includes access to their online tools. meetings will vary by location, but generally they're pleasant and helpful, and it's nice to be held accountable by others that are sensitive to your situation. __________________ PROUD TO BE A UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA BULLDOG! Read my blog: http://graduationday.wordpress.com

Jul 8th, 2008, 02:45 PM	#4
cclovesluxury Member Joined: Jul 2008 Location: With my nose in the books so I may someday afford my dream collection! Posts: 36	I've been on WW for 4 weeks now. I do it through work and go to meetings, which I find to be very helpful. I agree w/ Diesel&CoCo, the meetings area huge source of accountability. There's no taking a break when you have to face the scale every week. That being said, the meetings are also a great forum for support, encouragement and congratulations. The program itself is common sense and flexible. In my opinion, it's the most sensible way to lose weight. If I want a donut for breakfast I can have it, but I better watch what I eat the rest of the day. Or, I could find a healthier alternative and have more to eat the rest of the day. I've had success with the program thus far and really enjoy it. The plan itself is common sense and flexible, the meetings hold you accountable, and the cost is affordable. In my opinion it's worth it! __________________ "A girl should be two things: classy and fabulous" - Coco Chanel My collection: http://forum.purseblog.com/your-bag-...on-320902.html Wishes 1. LV BH 2. LV Monogram Wallet 3. Monogram Speedy 30

Jul 10th, 2008, 03:01 PM	#9
EmilyAnne_SD Blessings all around Joined: Jan 2007 Posts: 919	I'm thinking of going back to WW myself. I tried it for a month last August 07 and lost 5 lbs. I didn't go to the meetings but I stayed pretty consistent with entering my points and tracking my exercise on-line. It did get a bit tedious though but well worth the 5lbs I initially lost that first month. I stopped after that, i.e., paying for the membership on-line, because I felt like I had a pretty good handle on eating better and such. I kept that 5lbs off for almost a year (doesn't sound like a lot, huh?), but it sure felt good that I didn't get any more weight. BTW--I really like the flex plan and using my extra points was a big treat for me. It motivated me to stay on track. __________________

Jul 10th, 2008, 08:24 PM	#10
cheburashka Member Joined: Mar 2008 Posts: 564	Weight Watchers rock, I lost about 45 lbs ( I'm 119-120 now at 5'7) about 3 years ago and I haven't gained a single lbs back. If I gain 1-2 during the holidays, I immediately lose it. As long as you really stick to it - it can do wonders, plus it's really not a diet it is a lifestyle change. __________________

Jul 8th, 2008, 12:32 AM	#3
Diesel&Coco Member Joined: May 2008 Location: Mid-Michigan Posts: 300	I'm on WW now, but just online, not meetings. Its like $40 for the first month, $16 after that. You can access all the message boards, plan info, , points tracker, recipes, etc, you just don't go to meetings. While this is currently working for me, I would say that the online version is more for someone that has the motivation to lose weight but needs the knowledge/plan to do it. Because you're not "accountable' to a group of people every week, it's easy to just "take a break from WW for a week," like I do If you need the face-to-face accountability, try the meetings. If you just need a good way to keep track of what you eat, and maybe some recipe ideas, etc, then online may be for you. If this helps at all, I havent heard any negative things about the WW plan itself, so apparently it works exactly as supposed to, and is easier to make into a "permanent, lifestyle change" than diets.

Jul 8th, 2008, 05:12 PM	#5
elizat Member Joined: Sep 2007 Posts: 3,906	I tried to do the online thing once, but it was too much for me (as for writing down everything everyday- it got tedious, esp. b/c I only lost about 2 pounds in over a month). I didn't actually lose weight either and I was good with tracking stuff. I was studying for the bar at the time and I normally would only eat like 16-17 points in a day w/o trying, which could be part of the issue- not enough calories going in. My parents did the meetings and totally revamped how they ate. However, once they stopped counting, they gained all the weight back. They each lost over 30 pounds. My mom is back on it now.

Jul 8th, 2008, 11:36 PM	#6
elle-mo Member Joined: Jun 2006 Posts: 293	If you want to lose weight then it will work. Actually, any diet will work if you want to lose it bad enoough but I am totally a fan of WW. I am on my 14th week and lost 15lbs. This is my 3rd time doing WW and have lost weight everytime and have not gained back the weight. I did it in realistic increments because it can get tedious. I do not attend meetings and I'm on the Flex plan and I enter every piece of food that goes into my mouth. Sometimes I just pre-enter my food at the beginning of the day so that I don't go off course. I do not exercise because I'm a SAHM and going to the gym is out of the question during the summer but I will as soon as I get to my weight goal for my maintennance phase. I am now only 3 lbs from my goal weight, 1lb a week doesn't sound like much but I am now back to a size 2, at 5"1'...I will be turning 40 in October and I want to weigh as much as I did when I was 30-before my two kids! If you have any questions, then send me a message. Real weight loss is about lifestyle change and commitment, you can do it!

Jul 10th, 2008, 10:56 AM	#7
simseema17 Homo sapien Joined: Jul 2007 Location: NY Posts: 816	Thanks ladies So I joined WW earlier this week....so far so good...my body feels like its adjusting to eating less...the first day it was a little bit of hunger pains (where's all the food at?) :) I'm a little bit worried about when I'm done w/the program....(this might be awhile till I hit my goal weight) but I want to make sure when I'm done I know how to stay eating healthy/smaller portions but w/out keeping track of points....I guess I just continue eating how I have been eating when I was on plan? I don't know why I'm worried about the end already, but I guess I don't want to do the whole plan and gain all the weight back....I want to do whatever I can now so at the end the transition won't be as hard thanks

Jul 11th, 2008, 02:04 PM	#12
heat97 Member Joined: Nov 2006 Location: NYC Posts: 1,039	I went on WW in college (about 5 or 6 years ago) just to lose about the 10-15lbs i gained there. It took about a year to lose it, I'm 5'5 and 112 still to this day. Same as the above I give myself about a 3lb differential during winter holiday time. But I seem to keep pretty balanced. Good Luck! __________________ "I like my money where I can see it, hanging in my closet"

Jul 15th, 2008, 09:58 AM	#13
simseema17 Homo sapien Joined: Jul 2007 Location: NY Posts: 816	Just finished my first week at ww and lost 4.6 lbs-yay!

Jul 15th, 2008, 03:41 PM	#14
maybeimeow Member Joined: Sep 2006 Posts: 300	4.6 lbs-- that's awesome, Congrats!!! Weight Watchers is an excellent program, one of my close friends lost 80lbs over 2 years on WW, and his sister lost about 40. I did WW too, and lost about 15 lbs on it. __________________ Goal: Raise $5,000 for Team in Training for the race for a cure for leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma. Join me in the ONE DOLLAR EXPERIMENT! Donate just $1 at my Team in Training page, and pass it on! http://pages.teamintraining.org/los/nikesf08/raheela

Jul 17th, 2008, 02:00 AM	#15
saribeee Shopping is my sport Joined: Sep 2006 Location: Back on the West Coast - Wohoo! Posts: 286	Im doing the WW online. I found that when I follow it I do lose weight. Its nice because you can eat what you want you just have to count your points. So in that way it teaches you to make better choices about food. I also found for myself that in the past when I went to meetings I was more motivated to follow the points system. __________________