MeghansMom Posted March 16, 2015 Share Posted March 16, 2015 Everyone in my immediate family is underweight, does not exercise and eats tons of food. They do not know what it is like to struggle with food and be overweight. I am mostly introverted but I could really use some support from people that understand where I am coming from with this struggle. I think the accountability would help me too. What has been your experience, if any, of Weight Watchers? Is it worth the money? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Just started week 5 of Weight Watchers online program. As of yesterday's weigh in I've lost 8.8 lb. The first week was HARD. I was hungry all.the.time., cranky, and used all my daily points and dipped into the weeklies. It's gotten progressively easier from there. Now, I'm on auto-pilot, pretty much. I never use all my daily points (26 pt), because by the end of the day (after dinner) I'm just not hungry. I don't touch my weeklies (49 pt) anymore either. So, my appetite has definitely shrunk. FWIW, WW recommends that you use most or all of your dailies. I am being a WW rebel, and refuse to eat if I'm not hungry. I average 18-20 points a day. This is rather low and, again, not what WW recommends, but it works for me. Also, keep in mind I usually eat my fill of zero-point foods, too, like blueberry-banana smoothies, so I'm not starving myself by any stretch. Today I ate: Dannon Light & Fit strawberry Greek yogurt for breakfast, morning snack was 1 cup of garlic-parm parsnip fries (roasted not fried), lunch was 2 bean burritos made with corn tortillas, fat free refried beans, fat free sour cream, and salsa, with a blueberry-banana smoothie on the side, afternoon snacks were two clementine oranges and, just now, 1/4 cup of Kirkland trail mix (mixed nuts, raisins, m&m's). I haven't eaten dinner yet and I have 14 points left, which is a good thing because 12 yo DD is making us chicken parm for dinner :) I'm hungry right now, and dinner's going to be later than normal, so I'm going to go eat a clementine or two. Impressions so far: It is very, very effective, I don't have to buy special foods, and I'm eating healthier overall (I was not a fruit/veg-eater prior to WW, now I really like them). Worth the money.... eh... maybe? Honestly, there are free points plus tracker apps for your phone that do more or less what WW does. If you plan on using the community features, using the expert chat feature, etc. then it's probably worth it. I recommend trying it for one month and then deciding if it's worth it to you to continue using the official site or just doing it on your own. Hope this helps a little :) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghansMom Posted March 17, 2015 Author Share Posted March 17, 2015 Keep up the good work! I was thinking of going to actual meetings in addition to online. I am in the house too much except to run errands or take my daughter to extracurricular activities, so it would be something for me. It sounds doable and while I know there are free points calculators and such online, it would be nice to be around people like me even if it is just weekly. I usually eat steel cut oatmeal with almonds and blueberries for breakfast Lunch has been an issue with me because I will run someplace for tacos or whatever. I tried to do healthier versions of my fave foods, like I make veggie burgers now. I get bored with lunch, I need to do better. I do love my fruits and veggies, I am good with that. I eat two cuties a day myself. :D I do okay with dinner too. I have a "special" plate that is smaller than regular ones and it also show what portion sizes should be. I need to move more, since the stroke I don't move a lot but I can walk almost a mile before my right leg buckles. My dominant side was damaged by the stroke and I have little feeling in my hand and forearm and leg from the knee down including my foot. How does exercise fit in with the Weight Watchers program? Thank you for responding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I have friends who did WW and it was a godsend for them. Neither of them still goes but both of them have maintained a significant amount of weight loss and significantly improved health. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I couldn't afford the meetings, so I bought the WW cookbook and followed that. I was able to lose 20 lbs doing WW recipes very faithfully. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I will come back and reply more tomorrow. But WW worked for me and I think it is totally worth it. I lost 43 lbs, kept it off and have been a lifetime member for over 3 years. If I start to inch back up on my weight (5-8 lbs), then I make myself go back weekly until I am back to goal weight. My favorite thing about the program is that I don't ever have to deprive myself of certain foods. If I really want something, I will allow myself a couple bites. :) I know different programs work for different people, and everyone has to find what works best for them. For me, WW was a lifestyle change I could live with long term. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I've always enjoyed WW. I used to go when there was one in my town and I thought it was totally worth the $. I wish there was one in my town now. I have 20 lbs. to lose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 WW has been wonderful, but I'll admit I joined 3 times. The first 2 times I lost half of my goal weight and figured I"d do the rest on my own. That didn't work. I lost momentum when I stopped the meetings and weekly weigh-ins. So I joined a third time, determined to see it through and it worked. I reached my goal weight with an average of a loss of 1 pound per week. That was Sept. 2012. I've been on maintenance and still go weigh in monthly so I can get free etools. I also lost more weight last year so I'm about 8 lbs. under my goal weight, and I'm still working on losing a few more. The meetings were very good while I was losing weight. I loved the weekly topics. I also loved celebrating little things with the other members. For example, someone might have taken stairs instead of the elevator all week long. Or someone chose a healthy food rather than junk food for the past week. It felt nice to share a joy or a struggle and have everyone understand. No one judging me. Tracking food was and is easy, at least once I got over the first week. However, I'm a creature of habit and eat pretty much the same foods so I have many of them memorized. I keep an alphabetical list of the foods I eat so I can find what I'm looking for quickly. It just really takes very little time. I use a recipe builder, like at spark people, to find the nutrition values of a combined meal, like a casserole. Then I use my WW calculator to find the points. Once I do it one time, I don't have to do it again. I prefer to track food before I eat it to help me see where I am in the day and if what I'm about to eat is really worth it. My DH used to just keep foods in mind and track them all in the evening. I could never do that. I'd forget half of what I ate! Anyway, there are so many different opinions on this board about ways to lose weight. WW worked wonders for me, so of course I'm going to recommend it if someone is asking. It certainly doesn't hurt to give it a try. Everyone I ever met at the WW meetings were super helpful and super nice. I always felt like I belonged there. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 How does exercise fit in with the Weight Watchers program? Thank you for responding. Obviously they encourage it. They want you moving some every day if possible. The online trackers have a food tracker and an activity tracker. The activity tracker has a list of activities to choose from so all you do is put in how long you did it. You earn activity points for exercise. I never did anything with the points, just enjoyed seeing them increase with each day of exercise. However, some people eat their activity points. IOW, if they earned 3 points for walking, they add those 3 points to their daily food points so they could eat more. I didn't see the point of doing that. I exercise to be fit, to lose something. I didn't want to eat it back, you know? But I'm sure it works for some people. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 Everyone in my immediate family is underweight, does not exercise and eats tons of food. They do not know what it is like to struggle with food and be overweight. I am mostly introverted but I could really use some support from people that understand where I am coming from with this struggle. I think the accountability would help me too. What has been your experience, if any, of Weight Watchers? Is it worth the money? Weight Watchers was one of the many things I tried over the years. For ME, I am a carb/sugar addict. They only thing that has worked for me and been easy to live with was to give up carbs/grains/sugars completely. I found that eating a Ketogenic/Low Carb High Fat was the change I needed. I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and I no longer am Diabetic. I had sleep apnea - no more. I was fatigued and had high cholesterol - no more. I was bloated, had ashy skin and my menstrual cycle was unpredictable and often really bad - all gone. I know we all need to find what works, but what I find is that anyone who is overweight or obese, it is highly likely they are a carb addict like me. In the beginning, the withdrawl was painful, but once the physical cravings went away, I just had to work on my head. Here is my story. I hope it helps you in some way. http://www.ketovangelist.com/one-year-83-pounds-and-now-i-am-a-total-bad-ass/ 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AMJ Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I tried it once years ago when the place I worked at at the time hosted a group. I left, but not because of the WW system. I left because I found the leader to be objectionable. Basically I suspect he might be narcissistic, and he was a bully who played favorites and used the group meetings to focus attention on himself. I did lodge a complaint with WW (can't remember what was done), but I left WW in general because I didn't have the time to search out and attend group meetings anywhere else. My one piece of advice from this: don't be shy about looking for another group if things don't mesh with the first group you try. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sunflowerlady Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 My sister has lost a lot of weight with WW. She does the in person meetings and she seems to really like it. So, it has obviously been worth it for her. The weight has come off slowly and steadily for her , so it's probably been a couple of years now that she has been doing the program. They do seem to have a lot of helpful tools for members including a smartphone app. I think she told me that she can scan bar codes of products and the app tells her the number of points per serving. That would really be helpful while grocery shopping, I think. Yes, there are a lot of free tools online, but it sounds like personal support would be a big help for you. I think you are allowed to visit a local meeting for free to check it out. I think you should definitely give it a try. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I am introverted as well but I love my WW meetings (I just do the monthly pass, which gives you access to eTools as well). You will not have to speak up at meetings unless you want to. It took me awhile but I feel very comfortable speaking up at WW now. Even if you meet some milestone (losing 5 lbs, 10%, etc.) the leader should ask if you want to celebrate in front of the group or not. I have not actually lost weight recently but I have maintained, which is something. I owe that to the accountability of going to every meeting and getting on the scale. You CAN choose to not weigh-in at any time, and I've done that on occasion. But if I weren't in WW and getting on the scale each week, I believe my weight would be much higher right now. I'd be in denial. (BTDT) As others have said, you may need to shop around for the meeting that suits your personality. We have several leaders who do meetings in my area, but one leader does about half of them. She's hilarious but will also go deep. I've tried out several of her meetings at different times but found my favorite, and that's all because of the people who go to that one, who have a similar snarky sense of humor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I ran into a problem last night - trying to figure out the points for dinner that I didn't make. It's almost impossible. DD doesn't make her chicken parmesan from a recipe so I was left guessing.... and eating very little of it because I didn't know the points. This is SO frustrating. I skipped a last-minute birthday get together last night because I didn't have enough points left for cake and who wants to sit around watching other people eat trigger foods? Pastries are my Achilles heel. I can't have them at all. And, again, how many points in a slice of chocolate cake? Do I bring my digital scale and weigh it to figure it out later? (THAT'S not awkward :001_rolleyes: ) I don't have a ton of weight to lose (25 lb. total) so I am just hitting it hard NOW so I could be done with WW and find a more realistic way to maintain my weight loss. So, this brings up a "con" of WW: it's hard to eat foods you don't make, because figuring out the points is a PITA or just impossible. I'm becoming a control freak about food, and I don't like that at all. Sixteen pounds to go.... oh, who am I kidding? Nine more pounds will get me in the ballpark of where I want to be and them I'm OUT of here. <---- yes, I'm grumpy. I hate dieting and, despite what WW claims, it IS a diet. Can you imagine counting points forever? That's not sustainable, at least not for me. I'd go nuts. Maybe I should just start transitioning out now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carol in Cal. Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 WW is the only thing I have personally witnessed work in the long run for people I know. So I'm on the online version now, and it's good. I like the way that it encourages eating fruit and veggies, and also encourages activity. After using the tracker for a couple of weeks, I find myself thinking, OK, have I had 3 servings of dairy today? Have I had 5 veggies and/or fruit servings? Am I really hungry or not?Having said that, I hate the entering of all the foods, especially the ones that are hard to get info on. But it's the only thing that seems to work for me, so I'm doing it for this year, and then deciding whether to stick with it further or not. Also EXTREMELY helpful for me is a book called "The Shift", which is more about psychology and determination. There is one thing in particular that is in the first chapter--the author decides, "Food is fuel for me right now." I've been using that a lot. Whenever I feel hungry, I drink a tall glass of water (because I love good water), and see if I'm still hungry afterwards. And I try to eat fruit or veggies before anything else (no points, healthy, and starts to fill me up). I don't eat when I'm not hungry. I stop eating when I'm full. I try to think of food as fuel only, not let it fulfil any other objective as the primary reason for eating. IOW, sure I want to and do enjoy my food, but I try not to eat it when I'm not hungry just for pleasure. Something else from "The Shift" that was interesting. The author describes going to a party with lots of thin people and observing how they ate. She said that they pushed their food around on their plates a lot, that they would put their forks down in between bites and converse, and that they did not seem to feel like they had to 'finish'. I've been implementing that in public, and it has worked really well. On Sunday my DH wanted to go out for Mexican food for lunch. I ordered a seafood dish instead of my usual deep fried chimichanga, and (and this is KEY) I did not try to finish it. Then later on I went for a two hour walk as well. I didn't make a big deal out of this, but judging from my hunger experience, I probably had less than half of the calories that I normally would have at that Mexican place, and still probably too much, but I mostly compensated by having almost no dinner and by the walk. Not all that hard at all. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I ran into a problem last night - trying to figure out the points for dinner that I didn't make. It's almost impossible. DD doesn't make her chicken parmesan from a recipe so I was left guessing.... and eating very little of it because I didn't know the points. This is SO frustrating. I skipped a last-minute birthday get together last night because I didn't have enough points left for cake and who wants to sit around watching other people eat trigger foods? Pastries are my Achilles heel. I can't have them at all. And, again, how many points in a slice of chocolate cake? Do I bring my digital scale and weigh it to figure it out later? (THAT'S not awkward :001_rolleyes: ) I don't have a ton of weight to lose (25 lb. total) so I am just hitting it hard NOW so I could be done with WW and find a more realistic way to maintain my weight loss. So, this brings up a "con" of WW: it's hard to eat foods you don't make, because figuring out the points is a PITA or just impossible. I'm becoming a control freak about food, and I don't like that at all. Sixteen pounds to go.... oh, who am I kidding? Nine more pounds will get me in the ballpark of where I want to be and them I'm OUT of here. <---- yes, I'm grumpy. I hate dieting and, despite what WW claims, it IS a diet. Can you imagine counting points forever? That's not sustainable, at least not for me. I'd go nuts. Maybe I should just start transitioning out now. IMO, the best thing to do in this situation is to assign an estimate and move on. It's best if it's a realistic estimate but honestly, it's no big deal in the end as long as you're not underestimating every thing all the time. If you have 12 points left in the day and going over that would make you feel out of control, then go ahead and call chicken parm and chocolate cake 12 Points and move on. Even doing this once a week won't make a big difference in the end. (In fact, I've lost weight on weeks when I went way over my target for the week, because I was being so much more mindful). I think if you're looking at sustainability and not counting PPs forever, which face it, you may need to track on some level to keep weight off, it's important to look at the big picture. Of course you're not going to be able to accurately count the points in everything forever, but you can learn what good choices are and what good portions are and so on, and you can integrate these ideas into a general healthy lifestyle. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 IMO, the best thing to do in this situation is to assign an estimate and move on. It's best if it's a realistic estimate but honestly, it's no big deal in the end as long as you're not underestimating every thing all the time. If you have 12 points left in the day and going over that would make you feel out of control, then go ahead and call chicken parm and chocolate cake 12 Points and move on. Even doing this once a week won't make a big difference in the end. (In fact, I've lost weight on weeks when I went way over my target for the week, because I was being so much more mindful). Yep. I don't eat out all the time, but there were quite a lot of times that I just said "oh hell, 800 calories is my best guess" and moved on. I still lost just fine. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 IMO, the best thing to do in this situation is to assign an estimate and move on. It's best if it's a realistic estimate but honestly, it's no big deal in the end as long as you're not underestimating every thing all the time. If you have 12 points left in the day and going over that would make you feel out of control, then go ahead and call chicken parm and chocolate cake 12 Points and move on. Even doing this once a week won't make a big difference in the end. (In fact, I've lost weight on weeks when I went way over my target for the week, because I was being so much more mindful). I think if you're looking at sustainability and not counting PPs forever, which face it, you may need to track on some level to keep weight off, it's important to look at the big picture. Of course you're not going to be able to accurately count the points in everything forever, but you can learn what good choices are and what good portions are and so on, and you can integrate these ideas into a general healthy lifestyle. I agree. I have estimated and have been fine because I don't do it every day. And when I need a ballpark because I"m just truly clueless, I look something up online. For example, if I want to know the calories of a piece of cheese, I google for 'calories pepperjack cheese', and lots of choices pop up. I look at several and choose the one that looks best to me. As for tracking forever, it really doesn't bother me at all. If I wasn't tracking points, I'd have to be tracking in some manner because it's too easy for me to overeat. Some people don't want to track so they eat a certain way, like low carb or whatever. I could never follow that kind of lifestyle. I don't want to deny myself any foods. So far it's not been an issue. I've lost 51 lbs. eating whatever I wanted to eat. I just keep to portions, and estimates when I don't know something specifically. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OH_Homeschooler Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I agree. I have estimated and have been fine because I don't do it every day. And when I need a ballpark because I"m just truly clueless, I look something up online. For example, if I want to know the calories of a piece of cheese, I google for 'calories pepperjack cheese', and lots of choices pop up. I look at several and choose the one that looks best to me. As for tracking forever, it really doesn't bother me at all. If I wasn't tracking points, I'd have to be tracking in some manner because it's too easy for me to overeat. Some people don't want to track so they eat a certain way, like low carb or whatever. I could never follow that kind of lifestyle. I don't want to deny myself any foods. So far it's not been an issue. I've lost 51 lbs. eating whatever I wanted to eat. I just keep to portions, and estimates when I don't know something specifically. My Weight Watchers leader loves talking about how she still tracks to maintain her weight loss (20 years after losing her weight), and she switches it up frequently. Her favorite for awhile was to just write the number of Points, not bothering with the food. Whatever is easiest. I love WW's Simply Filling plan, because then you only have to track indulgences. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Forget-Me-Not Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I've been doing the Simply Filling plan too, and I've lost 8 lbs since January. It would likely be more, but I've been off track the last couple of weeks and I'm trying to get back on the wagon this week. It really is an easy plan to follow and I feel so much better when I'm eating right. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MelAR05 Posted March 17, 2015 Share Posted March 17, 2015 I agree. I have estimated and have been fine because I don't do it every day. And when I need a ballpark because I"m just truly clueless, I look something up online. For example, if I want to know the calories of a piece of cheese, I google for 'calories pepperjack cheese', and lots of choices pop up. I look at several and choose the one that looks best to me. As for tracking forever, it really doesn't bother me at all. If I wasn't tracking points, I'd have to be tracking in some manner because it's too easy for me to overeat. Some people don't want to track so they eat a certain way, like low carb or whatever. I could never follow that kind of lifestyle. I don't want to deny myself any foods. So far it's not been an issue. I've lost 51 lbs. eating whatever I wanted to eat. I just keep to portions, and estimates when I don't know something specifically. Yes, this is exactly what i do. Tracking just lets me control my portions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghansMom Posted March 26, 2015 Author Share Posted March 26, 2015 I am excited to hear of the positive experiences and the good results so many of you have had. The plan is to start the beginning of April. I am looking forward to it. :coolgleamA: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shinyhappypeople Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I've decided I'm just too Type A to be able to relax with WW. It's *easy* when I'm home and can totally control my food, but *any* situation that puts me *out of control* with regards to food totally stresses me out. I have developed REALLY unhealthy thinking with regard to food. But, that's just me, and not necessarily the typical WW experience. We just clash. Having said that, I'm 5-1/2 weeks in and down 11 lb. Fourteen pounds to go. I really, really hate dieting, so I'm super-disciplined about it just to get it over with. For my sanity's sake, the millisecond I drop into my 130s, I'm transitioning to whole foods/clean eating and going to stop tracking points. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readinmom Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 I just joined the online program last week. I got a free online coaching session, but don't know if I'll continue with that since it costs $. I decided to join because I was on low-carb for 8 weeks and lost 0 pounds. It was frustrating that it wouldn't let me set a goal weight that I wanted; it was deemed unhealthy for my height, so I set a loss goal of 30 lbs. If I could just drop one dress size, I'd be happy for now. Ds is graduating at the end of May. As far as tracking points, dh and I went out of town and I was able to guesstimate food choices using the free tracker app on my phone. I didn't totally blow my progress and that made me happy. Both dh and I joined the gym and are starting to work out together 3-4 times a week, in addition to my swimming 3-4 days a week. Hopefully this will kickstart my metabolism, or lack thereof. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Elf Posted March 26, 2015 Share Posted March 26, 2015 One note about eating out. Some restaurants have nutrition information listed on their websites. DH and I go to Applebee's a lot, and they have a nutrition list. It's very helpful. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MeghansMom Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 I have a behavioral specialist I have started working with through our insurance and she calls me twice a month. I can only eat out once a week and I save that usually for Taco Casa nachos. :p I really just need support from people that understand the struggle. My entire family eats what ever they wish, do not exercise and are normal sized and healthy. Heck, my husband and two of my grown sons are underweight and eat like gluttons and do not exercise. My husband when in the military was given extra rations to get him to gain weight...it did not happen. He can eat a whole large pan super supreme pizza and then go make some sandwiches. He can eat an entire cake by himself. He is six feet and 155 pounds. We tease and call him "Buddha" because he went from a 29 inch waist to a thirty-two inch waist in 20 plus years. :p I don't exercise like i used to years ago and I need to work on that, plus work on emotional eating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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