First Week On Weight Watcher's... Discouraged a Bit

[Joyfullyblessed]

Hello,

 

I just began Weight Watcher's last Thursday. I am doing the new points plus plan and have really been tracking well this first week. Yesterday I was feeling very good and even "felt" that I have lost weight.

 

However, I decided to step on the scale last night before dinner to see my progress (I did it at this time because I have to weigh in at 6PM on Thursday evenings). Imagine my disappointment when it showed that I had actually gained 2 pounds. What?!?! I thought, well, I had not eaten lunch till 2PM and I had a lot of water too, so maybe that was affecting everything.

 

So, I tried not to get down about it and ate a sensible dinner, tracked everything, and waited to weigh again this morning. Well, the weight did go down, but not even one pound from what I initially weighed in at last Thursday.

 

I am supposed to weigh in at 6PM tonight and I am dreading it greatly. I have been on WW before (with the old points plan) and I have always lost very well my first week. I just do not understand this at all. I truly have been tracking everything, staying within the daily/weekly point allowances, drinking my water, etc...

 

I genuinely do not know what is going on here.

 

My question... has anyone had this happen to them on the new points plus WW plan? Also, since I am supposed to weigh in at 6PM this evening, should I not eat or drink past a certain time? I have always weighed in at morning times before, so this is different for me. If I go and weigh more than what I started at only one week into the program, I will be devastated.

 

Anyway, I would appreciate any help or tips that anyone can offer. Thanks so much!

[DianeW88]

Are you exercising?

[frugalmama]

I did have that happen to me on the new plan - for me the new plan did not work. I went back to the old plan from 2004 and it worked great.

[Joyfullyblessed]

I actually did exercise last night. However, every other time that I have been on WW, I never incorporated exercising until the 2nd or 3rd week and I have still always had very nice losses the first week.

[Joyfullyblessed]

frugalmama: I wonder why that is??? I always did well on the old points system too. I never expected this and it is really disappointing.

[DarlaS]

What time of day did you weigh yourself the first time (to get the starting weight)? Was it the same scale?

[justasque]

Your weight fluctuates during the day. You can't compare afternoon weight with morning weight. Clothes make a difference too - a pair of jeans can add a few pounds compared to something lightweight.

 

In addition, the WW scale may not give the same number as your home scale. Different scales weigh differently.

 

How accurate was your tracking? Were you paying attention to portion size? For example, many 16oz drink bottles list the nutrition info for an 8 ounce serving - you have to double it if you drink the whole bottle.

 

Where you are in your cycle makes a difference too. You may go up around that time, but if you stick with the program it should come off and then some the next week.

 

Sometimes the loss shows up in how you feel and how your clothes fit but not on the scale, and sometimes it's vice versa. Give it time.

 

Go to the meeting. Wear the same or similar clothes as you did last time. See how you do. Don't get discouraged.

[mamajag]

I'm canceling my Weight Watchers because the new system does not work for me. I lost easily on the old points plan, but this Points Plus plan's only plus is when it's time to weigh in.

 

I have no idea what to try next. I need something that isn't too complicated and that I can cook for the whole family.

[FriedClams]

I have lost 80 pounds with the new ww program - so I am a huge believer. I would recommend you weigh once a week at th same time. I weigh after I wake up and after the bathroom. I have seen as much as a 5 pound difference during the day - and it scared and upset me so much that I stick HARD to the once a week weigh in. As for exercise - the only times I've seen my weight fluctuate was when I walked 10+ miles the day before. Usually with an hour or less it doesnt affect my weight. Salt. Now that will mess with you! And not drinking enough water make my weight higher. HTH! Stick with it - it does work!!

[Night Elf]

It *CAN* be discouraging, but please don't give up after only one week. To answer your question, yes I've dealt with the crazy fluctuating weight that seems to make no sense. But I've been on both programs and I'm losing just as well this time around as I did on the old program. I have even compared my old records to now and I'm losing at the same rate. I have had a couple of crazy weeks where I lost over 2 lbs. and some weeks where I gained and I rarely do anything drastically different from week to week. My weigh-in is on Tuesday morning and this past Tuesday was the 3rd week in a row of unsatisfactory numbers. Three weeks ago I gained .4, then two weeks ago I lost .8, and this past Tuesday I gained .4 again. AND I had oral surgery on Monday so I barely ate anything on Sunday from feeling extremely nervous and Monday because my mouth hurt like the dickens. But my leader said going even a couple of days without eating is enough to make my body think it needs to hold onto what weight I had. Blah, blah, blah. All I know is that I was so disappointed. But I'm not giving up because the numbers over time is showing a good thing. I've been on program for 22 weeks now and I've lost 21.8 lbs. That's an average of a pound a week which is a healthy weight loss.

 

One thing that usually works for me is to vary my daily points and not eat the same amount every day. I might have 33 on Tuesday, 26 on Wednesday, 29 on Thursday, etc. and it keeps the metabolism from settling. I learned about that on the WW forum. It works for my DH too who is losing better than I am, the ding dong. :tongue_smilie: He is a runner and he isn't tempted by sweets. The whole 22 weeks, he has been about 4 lbs ahead of me. We started out at the same weight, but our goal weights are different because his healthy range is different and he's not interested in losing too much behind the top end of his healthy range. (I'm taller than him which makes our ranges different.)

 

I do the same thing every weigh-in day and I hear that is fairly common. I've heard that people who weigh in later in the day even eat the same exact meals at the same exact times on weigh-in day. My time is morning so I have 1 cup of coffee and I wear the same outfit every week.

 

I hated the new program at first because I lost so well on the old program twice, but I got used to it. I still can't accept that fruits are free points because their calories haven't changed since the old program. But I don't eat all of my weekly points so I consider fruits to just be in that balloon of points that sit out there for me just in case I need them.

 

Also, I'm not ecstatic that their 2012 points changed my dailes from 29 to 26. I don't pay attention to it much though because they say if you were losing well on 29, you don't have to change, but that the opportunity is there should you want to take it. I'm trying to do 26 this week to see if it will help me get out of my rut.

 

:grouphug: Don't say the program isn't working by the results of just one week. WW isn't a diet that shows big losses in a short time. It's supposed to be a lifestyle change that shows a healthy gradual loss.

 

FWIW, this is my 3rd, and hopefully final, time on WW. The first time I lost 4 lbs. in week one. The second time I lost 2 lbs. And this time I lost 1.4 so yes, I was discouraged on week 1. But I've done very well over the course so far.

 

ETA: DH reminded me that my monthly cycle affects my weight too. I gain about 2 lbs. every month right when my cycle begins. But it doesn't stay there more than a day.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Night Elf

[Carrie Sue]

Your leader will meet with you if you haven't lost and have questions...bring your food diary. I didn't lose much on the new plan, either, but I also know that "unlimited" fruit (zero points) will not work for me. They talk about just using the fruit to satisfy true hunger, but that's not an obvious point of the program. Most people see zero points and go for it :)

 

I do better with a low-carb plan.

[DianeW88]

When was the last time you used their plan? The older you get, the harder it is to lose weight without vigorous exercise. In order for me to maintain my weight, I have to exercise for at least 50 minutes per day, 5-6 days per week.

 

I would incorporate exercise and limit your fruit intake before giving up on the plan. I know they *say* unlimited fruit...but I don't think that works. You can easily up your caloric intake by 300 calories per day with a few pieces of fruit in your totals.

[FriedClams]

Again, ww kool aid drinker here - but the fruit thing seems to be a bother for people. Yes, it's supposed to be to satisfaction - not a free for all. But really, how many people are overweight because they eat too many apples? I didn't get fat eating grapes. Or pears. Yes, there are calories in fruit, but the ww push is for whole, healthy foods in moderation. If you aren't losing - check portions with a scale - measure - check your good health guidelines - check and make sure your points aren't all being used on pointless carbs - get enough lean protein - track - drink your water.

[Night Elf]

But really, how many people are overweight because they eat too many apples? I didn't get fat eating grapes. Or pears. Yes, there are calories in fruit, but the ww push is for whole, healthy foods in moderation.

 

No, they probably didn't. But on the old program the calories in fruit were part of my daily points. With free fruits, I can still eat my 29 daily points AND add the calories of fruit on top of that. We are supposed to eat our daily points every day so it's not a matter of choosing an apple over a brownie. On the new program I can have both and count points only for the brownie. If I choose the apple only, I have to make up those points that I'm not getting from the brownie somewhere or I won't be meeting my daily points. It's just a weird illogical concept. So no, people probably don't get overweight eating apples, but adding 2 apples on top of a cheeseburger doesn't negate the calories in that burger.

[Ferdie]

I started the new points plus plan and am losing weight faster than last time I did WW 2 years ago. I am stunned because I went through menopause and was certain it was going to take more time and effort.

 

I go to morning meetings so I am not sure when to stop eating. I track the difference between WW scale and mine, and sometimes there is a pound difference just depending on the type of breakfast I eat before the meeting. I imagine by the end of the day there could be a several pound difference. I also notice then when I eat processed food my weight can go up 2-3 pounds overnight from water retention.

 

Don't dispare. Go to the meeting, weigh in and keep trying. Weight loss is a journey of self discovery. You will find what works for you and you have the weekly weigh in to keep you accountable.

 

P.S. I did have to cut back on fruit to speed up my weight loss. I was eating 6 pieces of "free" fruit a day and am now down to 3. I started the week after Christmas and have lost 13 pounds sticking with my daily points + unlimted veggies and 3 pieces of fruit.

Edited February 16, 2012 by Ferdie

[Joyfullyblessed]

Thanks for all the responses. I am not giving up at all, just discouraged a little.

 

I am tracking, weighing food on a scale, drinking water, taking a multi-vitamin, making sure the portions are correct, etc... I have eaten a few more fruits than I normally would, but by no means have I gone crazy eating them.

 

I exercised last night, but not really any of the other days. I turned 40 in August and I am not sure if that has anything to do with it or not. I am guessing time will tell. I do have some exercise DVD's I plan to begin soon as well as walking on the treadmill. I was just trying to get my eating down pat first and then incorporate the exercise. Maybe that is not the smartest thing.

 

I can't remember exactly how old I was when I last joined WW, but it was probably when I was in my mid to late 30's.

 

After reading everything, I guess I will be alright even if I only lose a touch tonight. I am just used to what has happened in the past when I have lost anywhere from 3-5 pounds the first week.

 

Thanks again for the great replies. :)

[Patches]

One other thing you might consider... Are you getting all your Good Health Guidelines in each day? This is (according to folks on the WW forum) really an important part of losing weight. It is not just how many points you eat but also what you eat with your points.

I have lost really well with the new program but people in the forum say you have to tweak it for yourself. Some people can't eat all their activity points or all their weeklies. You could experiment with those if you are not losing.

 

ETA: Hang in there, the weight will come off.

[NanceXToo]

I haven't really used their new program though I've tried several of their older programs with decent success (and now I'm using more of a South Beach Diet than WW and losing much better/faster doing the low carb thing), but here's an interesting article for you regarding the scale, and I think every dieter should read it!

 

Why The Scale Lies

by Renee Cloe, ACE Certified Personal Trainer

 

We’ve been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can’t resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can’t bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence it’s readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.

 

Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body’s water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don’t understand what’s happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto it’s water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.

 

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it’s easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn’t have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That’s why, when it comes to eating, it’s wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.

 

Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.

 

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it’s packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it’s stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it’s associated water. It’s normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you’re prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

 

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it’s wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you’ve had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It’s the actual weight of everything you’ve had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you’ve finished digesting it.

 

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it’s not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it’s likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it’s only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it’s physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you’re really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.

 

This brings us to the scale’s sneakiest attribute. It doesn’t just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you’ve lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you’re just sitting around. That’s one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

 

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn’t differentiate between the two. It can’t tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.

 

If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don’t be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It’s a matter of mind over scale.

[kwickimom]

What are you eating?? What you eat also matters.

 

Some people have to go lower carb to lose weight on any plan. So even though they stay within their points, they cant eat breads and pastas and lose. No system is perfect. You have to make it work for you. Just keep a perfect food diary, weigh and measure EVERYTHING and give yourself a FEW weeks (not just one) and see what happens.

 

There could be ten million reasons you may not see a loss the first week. Its not a big deal. Stick with it and talk to your leader and try something different for next week...eat more veggies, eat less grains, etc.

 

Stick with it!!!

[Beth in OH]

I wouldn't lose if I ate all of my extra points. I try to keep a fair number left over at the end of the week. I do eat all of my daily points and my exercise points. It's working for me.

[LuvingLife]

I personally do not like to use the WW new points plus system, it just doesn't make any sense!! The South Beach Diet works better for me because it goes low carb, and if I were to use all my extra points during the week, I would not lose a thing!! Moderate exercise is key in losing weight no matter how big or small your goal may be, so definitely do this along with WW if you continue to stick with it. WW is good, but I prefer South Beach Diet.

[jujsky]

Don't weigh in at 6PM. Weigh in when you first get up, before you eat anything. I weigh in on Thursday mornings because that's when I should weigh the least. I'm most likely to have a cheat day on the weekend.

[Blessed with seven]

I have been doing the new WW Plus and have lost 9lbs. I started about a month ago, the first two weeks I lost 3 lbs each week and I used ALL my extra points, the next two weeks, using all the extra points, I lost 1 lb. I have not started exercising yet...

 

I decided that the exercising will wait a bit, it is always stressful trying to figure out when to do that and I NEEDED to start losing sooo..

 

I like the new system because I seem to use my points on more of the good stuff. Sweets are more points, fruits are 0...so..I eat more fruits and veggies this time.

 

I ALWAYS weigh myself first thing on Monday morning. I do ww at home. I have had to weigh during the day to weigh packages or whatever and I can't believe how much It shows I weigh..wow. With all my clothes on, shoes etc...It adds a lot. I weigh myself in "sort of" the same clothes every monday morning and I don't weigh again, unless I have to to weigh a package.

 

Different scales will weigh differently also...

 

HANG IN THERE!!

 

I am getting started again after having done well with the old program, then had hemmoroid surgery, gained everything back and am ready to go again.

 

Just don't give up...keep on keepin on!

 

Blessings,

 

Kim

[gingersmom]

I'm down 18 pounds in 46 days on Weight Watchers.

 

Are you measuring your food? Using your measuring spoons to measure out oils, etc? Do you have a food scale to weigh your food?

 

Have you eaten a lot of salty foods?

[Joyfullyblessed]

Hello Everyone,

 

Thanks again for all the responses. Please understand that in no way am I giving up or quitting the program. I was simply discouraged with what the scale was showing after one week compared to other times I have done the program.

 

I did lose 1.2 pounds, so that is better than nothing and I am content with that right now.

 

I have to weigh in at 6PM because that is the time that the meeting I go to is held. It works out with my schedule well to go on Thursday's at 6PM. I am not just doing everything online. I opted to do the meetings too because they help keep me more accountable.

 

I am weighing my food (with a food scale). I have been using measuring spoons, cups, etc... I have lowered my salt intake as well. I am doing everything that I am supposed to be doing. Oh, and I did not use all of my points that I was allowed at all. I used my daily points, but did not use all of the the allowance points.

 

Anyway, I am going to keep going because I really want to lose weight, be healthy and be happy with who I see in the mirror every day. Not to mention, I would eventually like to go buy some cute, smaller clothes for myself! :)

 

Everyone have a wonderful evening!

[Joanne]

Also, since I am supposed to weigh in at 6PM this evening, should I not eat or drink past a certain time? I have always weighed in at morning times before, so this is different for me. If I go and weigh more than what I started at only one week into the program, I will be devastated.

 

Anyway, I would appreciate any help or tips that anyone can offer. Thanks so much!

 

I am not going to comment on your eating plan or WW. (Except to mention it is a plan that works for many thousands of people).

 

I am going to comment on a concern I have from above. Please, please don't make food/lifestyle choices based an a *weigh in*. Please don't make the scale or any weigh in so important that you must make short term changes to perhaps effect a change.

 

Changes in health, and weight, should be understood over the long term.

[Joyfullyblessed]

I know WW works and works well. I have done it a few times before with great success. However, I have not ever done the new points plus program.

 

Also, I asked about the eating and 6PM weigh in because I had someone else tell me that I needed to stop eating/drinking by 1pm. I wanted to know if anyone else had some thoughts on this situation.

 

I am going to check my scale here because it is not weighing the same as the ones at the meeting I go to. There is about a four pound difference. Now that I know that, well, maybe I need to get a new scale. :)

[Krista in LA]

No, they probably didn't. But on the old program the calories in fruit were part of my daily points. With free fruits, I can still eat my 29 daily points AND add the calories of fruit on top of that. We are supposed to eat our daily points every day so it's not a matter of choosing an apple over a brownie. On the new program I can have both and count points only for the brownie. If I choose the apple only, I have to make up those points that I'm not getting from the brownie somewhere or I won't be meeting my daily points. It's just a weird illogical concept. So no, people probably don't get overweight eating apples, but adding 2 apples on top of a cheeseburger doesn't negate the calories in that burger.

 

But WW accounted for the fruit in the points you are allowed. My leader said that it's helpful to think of it as 5 servings of fruits or vegetables are built into the program. If you eat more than 5 servings a day, you might want to count points for the extra servings. Having them be 0 points really helps with making healthier choices - I'd rather have an apple for 0 than a chemical filled bar for 2 points. I think it's helped me eat healthier and feel satisfied. I find that if I don't get enough fruits and veggies, my body tries to hold on to the fat more.