mskelly Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I'm thinking about joining, but I was trying to figure it out on my own first. The cost is scaring me away even though I know it would be totally worth it in the end. I would do the online version because I can't get to meetings on a regular basis. I have 15 pounds to lose and can't seem to do it. I've increased my exercise and cut back on sweets, reduced portion size, don't snack at night, and switched from Diet Coke to water. Sounds simple enough, but I'm just not losing. I thought WW might get me on track. I did find an app to track points, but I don't know how many points I need. Is it worth joining? Can it be done without joining? Thanks for your advice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blessedx5 Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 do they still have the month free trial? They did but it might have already expired. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskelly Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 The deal now is no sign up fee, if you sign up for three months. So it is $60 for the 3 months or about $40 for one month. I'm trying to think of it as $5 a week which could easily be saved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I was very, very happy with their online membership. I don't have the time or inclination to go to meetings so that worked really well for me. I really should sign back up again... :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 My friend was telling me that they are doing a free weigh-in/meeting promotion this week in conjunction with some Dr. Oz program. I'm sure there are details on one of their sites. You could stay for the "new member" time after the meeting and hear all the details and see if it would work for you. I have been able to do well without attending meetings just by using their online tracking and weighing in weekly at home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alice Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I've been very happy with the online program. When I stick to it, I'm successful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
luvnlattes Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 My story is similar to yours. I also want to lose about 15 pounds. I joined in August when they waived the joining fee. I signed up for 3 months of the online program and am down about 7 pounds so far. If I remember correctly, they calculate how many points you can eat daily based on several different factors like your current weight, height, activity level, etc. It was definitely worth joining for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FriedClams Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I've been on it since the beginning of April and I've lost 64.6 pounds. I am "results not typical". I started as a couch potato, and now I walk about 40 miles a week. I am doing a half marathon (walking) in 2 weeks. I eat pretty spot on what the program recommends. I do have my splurges, but I haven't eaten over my allotted points once since starting. I find it extremely livable. I am tall (6'), so I am still not at the minimum 29 daily points, and likely won't even though I am less than 15 pounds to my goal. I think if you are really short it will be harder to lose since the daily points don't go lower than 29, even if you're very petite. I have heard rumors that they might change that, but it's rumors. I will say that the keys for my success have been tracking, measuring and planning. If you don't track everything you eat, and are really honest about the size of your portions, then you will not do as well. I think it's an awesome program and I highly recommend it. It's worth every penny I've spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I've been thinking about WW lately, too. I still don't understand *how* it works. Does it plan out all your meals in the correct proportions for you to eat, or does it just give you lists of things you can choose from for each meal? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 I've been thinking about WW lately, too. I still don't understand *how* it works. Does it plan out all your meals in the correct proportions for you to eat, or does it just give you lists of things you can choose from for each meal? Based on your weight, age, height, and gender, you get a set amount of Points for the week. Then each food ha a Points value. You can eat until your Points are gone for the day. It is an incentive to eat better foods, because "bad" foods are higher in points. BUT it offers flexibility, because there are days you really are willing to trade a Snickers bar for your entire lunch, just for a random example. :D And you can. ;) There are several ways to find out the Points: you can use the online tracking system, there are books, or you can use a special calculator from WW and put in the food's nutritional info. Because you are dealing with smaller number than trying to track calories or fat grams or carbs, you memorize the numbers pretty quickly, and you start to really internalize what a correct portion/type of food is for you on a normal day. Under the new program, carbs are a bit higher and fruits/veggies are 0 Points (free.) You also get an amount of extra Points to use when you need them: for a special event, a bad day, etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 Based on your weight, age, height, and gender, you get a set amount of Points for the week. Then each food ha a Points value. You can eat until your Points are gone for the day. It is an incentive to eat better foods, because "bad" foods are higher in points. BUT it offers flexibility, because there are days you really are willing to trade a Snickers bar for your entire lunch, just for a random example. :D And you can. ;) There are several ways to find out the Points: you can use the online tracking system, there are books, or you can use a special calculator from WW and put in the food's nutritional info. Because you are dealing with smaller number than trying to track calories or fat grams or carbs, you memorize the numbers pretty quickly, and you start to really internalize what a correct portion/type of food is for you on a normal day. Under the new program, carbs are a bit higher and fruits/veggies are 0 Points (free.) You also get an amount of extra Points to use when you need them: for a special event, a bad day, etc. Nice! :D Thank you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbkaren Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 There's also an alternate method that includes eating all you want of certain foods... And if I recall correctly that list is pretty substantial. Even on the regular plan you can eat all you want of most vegetables... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted September 27, 2011 Share Posted September 27, 2011 There's also an alternate method that includes eating all you want of certain foods... And if I recall correctly that list is pretty substantial. Even on the regular plan you can eat all you want of most vegetables... That used to be called the Core plan, but I don't know what it's called under the new PointsPlus. Basically, you can eat all you want of "SouthBeach" type foods: lean meats and low-fat dairy, quality low-cal carbs, fruits, vegetables. You also get a daily amount of a few Points to use for extra things that aren't included in the list of foods you can eat. We eat like this anyway (we have a list of foods we eat that is a bit like WW list, and I keep just those things in our house at all times,) but I still use the regular plan, because my weight loss problem is maintaining a level amount of calories each day (I have a busy day where I eat nothing, and then a stressful day where I treat myself to something "off list" on top of regular meals, etc.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskelly Posted September 27, 2011 Author Share Posted September 27, 2011 OK. I'm about one click away from biting the bullet and just doing it! What's worse, hating the way I look and feel or parting with $60?? Seems like a no brainer to me! Thanks for the input. Let me tell you, if I had a Snickers bar in sight I'd definitely trade it for my entire lunch! :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskelly Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 I did it! I signed up. I'm so excited about losing some weight. Anyone else want to get started with me??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 My friend was telling me that they are doing a free weigh-in/meeting promotion this week in conjunction with some Dr. Oz program. I'm sure there are details on one of their sites. You could stay for the "new member" time after the meeting and hear all the details and see if it would work for you. Yep. DH and I joined and attended our first meeting yesterday. (This is my 3rd time in the program.) We signed up for the monthly pass program and was not charged a registration fee. The $40/month includes meetings and online etools, but you can get just the online portion without the meetings. FWIW, I failed horribly at doing it myself. I'm one of the people that need those meetings. It was really hard to get back to it. We were only 2 people of about 10 new people that joined yesterday. I didn't know about the Dr. Oz thing at all, but after reading about it on one of the WW boards, I'm wondering if those other people joined because of the challenge. I'm used to the last program called Momentum, so making the switch to PointsPlus is really hard for me. We'll see what happens on my first weigh-in next Tuesday. The lowest number of points anyone can have is 29. I can't tell what the formula is, it's not listed in the Getting Started book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 That used to be called the Core plan, but I don't know what it's called under the new PointsPlus. It's called Simply Filling. You eat what they now call Power Foods, so you are limiting yourself and don't have as much flexibility. You eat until you feel satisfied, not too hungry and not too full. So while this is a program that lets you forego tracking points, you need to be in tune with your hunger levels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trilliums Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I'll try the seven day trial. I am not sure I'll be that great of keeping track of my foods, but I'd like to try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Happy Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I'll try the seven day trial. I am not sure I'll be that great of keeping track of my foods, but I'd like to try! Tracking your food each day is one of the keys to successful weight loss. 'If you bite it, you write it' as my former WW leader used to say. I need to lose 15lbs...and I love WW. I lost 20lbs several years ago and have kept off 15. I feel so much healthier, too. That's the thing for the OP...it's not just losing weight, it's feeling better and getting healthy, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soonermomma Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 My new books should be here today or tomorrow! I'm excited to get back on it! I has lost 50lbs with the old system right before I got pregnant with the twins, and needless to say I'm right back where I started. I'm ready to get the weight off once and for all! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mskelly Posted September 28, 2011 Author Share Posted September 28, 2011 I can definitely see how tracking helps. I was surprised at the things I thought were healthy, but have lots of points. I'm hoping spending the money will also help me be more accountable. I won't feel like I'm wasting the money if I'm actually losing weight. For people who have done it before, how long until you started seeing results? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest IdahoMtnMom Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I lost 20 pounds after I had DD on WW Online. I put it all back on in a year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama_Rana Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I lost almost 50 pounds in about 9 months about 2 years ago. Last summer, I fell off the plan, and have in the last year gained back almost 20 pounds. I'm very mad at myself, but can't seem to get myself back on plan. I find that I resent needing to track, and I don't want to be bothered to weigh and measure stuff. It's just not how I cook. For example, I'm making curry for dinner. I'm browning ground turkey breast and some chickpeas for the base, and will add some flour and milk to make the sauce along with some curry powder. I know how much meat I've used, but I have no clue how much chickpeas there are, and I'll eyeball the milk. Furthermore, I don't know how many "servings" it will make. That said, when I did all those things and spent the time and energy to figure it all out, I easily lost 50 pounds. It really wasn't hard [i was also breastfeeding a young child]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirch Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I lost almost 50 pounds in about 9 months about 2 years ago. Last summer, I fell off the plan, and have in the last year gained back almost 20 pounds. I'm very mad at myself, but can't seem to get myself back on plan. I find that I resent needing to track, and I don't want to be bothered to weigh and measure stuff. It's just not how I cook. For example, I'm making curry for dinner. I'm browning ground turkey breast and some chickpeas for the base, and will add some flour and milk to make the sauce along with some curry powder. I know how much meat I've used, but I have no clue how much chickpeas there are, and I'll eyeball the milk. Furthermore, I don't know how many "servings" it will make. That said, when I did all those things and spent the time and energy to figure it all out, I easily lost 50 pounds. It really wasn't hard [i was also breastfeeding a young child]. This kind of speaks to what I'm wondering. If you mostly cook homemade meals from scratch (or even casseroles using cream soup bases, etc.), how hard is it to figure out the points? It seems like it would be a real hassle. Is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
angela in ohio Posted September 28, 2011 Share Posted September 28, 2011 I can definitely see how tracking helps. I was surprised at the things I thought were healthy, but have lots of points. I'm hoping spending the money will also help me be more accountable. I won't feel like I'm wasting the money if I'm actually losing weight. For people who have done it before, how long until you started seeing results? Typically, you lose a lot your first week (unless you were eating pretty healthy before.) You go to the meeting, and someone always stands up and says she lost 6 lbs. (or worse, a man who lost 8 lbs!,) and then just as you are about to punch her, she mentions that it was her first week, and you feel better. :lol: It starts to slow down after that. After a few weeks, you have a bad "tired of doing this, just hungry all the time" week or two. If you can just maintain through those, you are doing great! Then it becomes routine and you just keep going until you have life complications, and it's learning how to get back after those and not let them throw you off track permanently that is the big hurdle and key. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama_Rana Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 This kind of speaks to what I'm wondering. If you mostly cook homemade meals from scratch (or even casseroles using cream soup bases, etc.), how hard is it to figure out the points? It seems like it would be a real hassle. Is it? If you are the type of person who follows recipes, and makes the same things in basically the same way on a regular basis, then probably not. I just don't cook that way. I use recipes as suggestions and I get creative. I dare say I'm a good cook, and I cook largely by intuition. They have a nice recipe builder that you can enter in all your ingredients and how much of each you use, and then enter in how many servings it makes, and voila! But a serving for me looks different than a serving for my 2 year old or for my 6'4" husband who rarely eats lunch. So I find that challenging. But mostly I think it's just an emotional problem of my own. Like I said, I DID it for 9+ months and lost the weight, even through Thanksgiving/Christmas/New Year/birthdays. I got derailed by a BK poutine in Niagara, Canada, and haven't got back on track yet! :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
QueenCat Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 This kind of speaks to what I'm wondering. If you mostly cook homemade meals from scratch (or even casseroles using cream soup bases, etc.), how hard is it to figure out the points? It seems like it would be a real hassle. Is it? I don't do WW but I do track my food intake/calories. For homemade recipes, I write it all out once, and then keep records to refer back too. So now, it's just new recipes I need to compute. It doesn't take me more than 3-4 minutes to compute the calories in a recipe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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