Weight Watchers

[ktgrok]

I haven't done weight watchers in many years. I'm considering joining now for a bit of a mental boost to help get back on track with my eating. I like that now the foods my bariatric program says I should be eating (chicken/turkey breast, eggs, etc) are now zero point foods. They have a $10 a month for 10 month plan right now, and I'm very tempted. 

I've quit before because it was such a pain tracking foods, especially mixed meals, like say chili or stew,  where I had 4 different veggies plus meat plus canned tomatoes, etc etc. With free veggies and beans and such that seems a bit easier now? Or I guess I could actually use their recipes - i don't think I bothered to do that before. 

Thoughts? I also like that they have a GLP-1 program as I'm considering getting on one of those - waiting to see what new insurance program that starts on January 1st will cover as well as how well I manage to follow/lose weight with just the regular program. 

[Boymama5]

So not in the same position as you but I did begin WW this summer and the main reason I’ve liked it is the 0 point foods. I don’t even track those and it’s been working for me. Down 25 points when I previously haven’t been able to loose. I also did the $10 for 10 months and it has been good. Not sure I’d pay full price for the app though and I don’t want to do meetings as I don’t find those helpful. 
 

In the beginning found that choosing 5-6 meals that I knew the points of and just sticking to those really helped me. I do the same thing daily for breakfast and 2 options for lunch. Then for dinner there’s a variety as I feed the whole family. Usually I stick with chicken and then add on from there. Now a few months in I know the basics of what I can eat without measuring though measuring in the beginning was needed.  
 

eta- I added a few recipes in the app that I enjoy and we eat regularly. Once it’s added, it’s easy to use with the points. I also didn’t use specialized diet foods. I want to eat consistently and that wasn’t a feasible option for me. 

Edited December 31, 2023 by Boymama5

[Carol in Cal.]

It’s been a long time since I tried WW, but I found that they changed their system every year or so, and it was buggy after the change over for a while.  I found that annoying.  I would enter my food and it wouldn’t take it, and then I’d have to circle back to do it again, sometimes several times.  They may be better at their releases now, but I went through two of them and that was more than enough for me.

The main issues for me were—it kind of pushed me toward frozen meals, because they were so easy to enter and evaluate, which I didn’t really think was all that healthy, and also, when they went to ‘free foods’, my weight loss completely stalled.  I am one of those people who can gain weight on fruit alone.  And when people said, well, take it easy on those apricots even if they are supposed to be free, I thought, not having to restrict myself except as the program tells me is the entire reason I’m on this program in the first place.  So I quit, and I’m glad I did because that’s when I tried My Fitness Pal. Which gave actual calories rather than points.  That’s when, for instance, I learned that there are essentially no calories in lettuce, and quite a few in oranges.  

I think that the original WW was excellent—the one with the exchanges and such.  I know people who lost weight with that, and kept it off for many years.  But I’m not sure that the version that is out right now is as effective.  Certainly it would not be for me.

Personally I’m trying No BS Weight Loss and liking it a lot. I have lost 12 lbs, and seem to have actually moved my set point.  We’ll see.  I have a way to go yet.

[Hilltopmom]

I stopped doing keto and put back on a lot of weight, so I’m following in on this.

I worked for WW years ago back when everything was tracked on paper.

[City Mouse]

I’ve done lots and lots of different weight loss programs over the last 20 yrs including Weight Watchers. I lost weight on all of them. I lost the most weight on one of those controlled programs where you only eat the food purchased from the program, but as soon as I stopped following the program, I began to gain weight again.  I don’t think any one weight loss program is the “right” one. 

I like WW because it fits with how I like to eat. When I am following the program, I do lose weight even with including all the free foods, but what I like the best about WW is the community. I have a very close friend who does WW as well and we are frequently sharing recipes, meal ideas, etc.

WW doesn’t work for my DD because she has lots of food issues and doesn’t like most of the free foods. She does better with straight calorie tracking.

 

[Alicia64]

3 hours ago, ktgrok said:

I haven't done weight watchers in many years. I'm considering joining now for a bit of a mental boost to help get back on track with my eating. I like that now the foods my bariatric program says I should be eating (chicken/turkey breast, eggs, etc) are now zero point foods. They have a $10 a month for 10 month plan right now, and I'm very tempted. 

I've quit before because it was such a pain tracking foods, especially mixed meals, like say chili or stew,  where I had 4 different veggies plus meat plus canned tomatoes, etc etc. With free veggies and beans and such that seems a bit easier now? Or I guess I could actually use their recipes - i don't think I bothered to do that before. 

Thoughts? I also like that they have a GLP-1 program as I'm considering getting on one of those - waiting to see what new insurance program that starts on January 1st will cover as well as how well I manage to follow/lose weight with just the regular program. 

I'm always embarrassed to say this, but please check out my blog. I lost 55 lbs in my early 40s (with toddlers) and I've kept the weight off for 17 years now. I'm currently 59. Way past meno. www.theinspiredeater.com.

I use very specific steps and I share everything.

And it costs nothing. I hope you'll take a look. At it's base, I love WW, but finding the right food plan is just the beginning of our trip on the yellow brick road.

Nobody's taught maintenance and I think I figured it out.

Wendy

[carriede]

Consider https://www.nobsweightloss.com/

There's a free intro course and a free podcast, Losing 100 with Corinne.

No restrictions. No points. No BS. 😆

[Toocrazy!!]

I used WW years ago and lost 25 pounds. It really worked while I was losing. But as soon as life switched, I gained it back. Quickly. I didn’t have the mental switch yet. I tried the new one with zero point foods and it didn’t work for me the same way. No idea why. I might have eaten too many beans even though they say you can’t 🙂 What I did like about WW was the community. I really liked all the shared stories, the advice, and people in the same boat.

2 years ago I started wearing a CGM and restructured my eating to be blood sugar stable and again lost 25 pounds. This time I’ve kept it off -so far - even without the monitor. While I was using the monitor I learned everything I could about health, not necessarily weight loss, and really concentrated on eating real, unprocessed foods, no calorie counting. Although I do try to eat plenty of protein and fiber. 

All that said, like “they” say, the best diet is the one you will stick with. WW is that plan for lots of people.
 

Losing weight is so hard. I really had to concentrate on how the foods I ate and the way I moved made me FEEL. I had to be in it for my health, change my mentality to doing what was best to live a long healthy life. The weight loss did follow, but more importantly to me, I feel better in my body and my head when I eat and move for health. 
 

You really didn’t ask for all that! So I hope I’m not overstepping. I’ve been contemplating it today on the first of the year 🙂 
 

 

[Scarlett]

On 12/31/2023 at 12:40 PM, Alicia64 said:

I'm always embarrassed to say this, but please check out my blog. I lost 55 lbs in my early 40s (with toddlers) and I've kept the weight off for 17 years now. I'm currently 59. Way past meno. www.theinspiredeater.com.

I use very specific steps and I share everything.

And it costs nothing. I hope you'll take a look. At it's base, I love WW, but finding the right food plan is just the beginning of our trip on the yellow brick road.

Nobody's taught maintenance and I think I figured it out.

Wendy

Don’t be embarrassed ! It is a great blog and very helpful. 

[Scarlett]

2 hours ago, carriede said:

Consider https://www.nobsweightloss.com/

There's a free intro course and a free podcast, Losing 100 with Corinne.

No restrictions. No points. No BS. 😆

This looks intriguing. 

[Terabith]

I have about given up trying to lose weight.  Even operating at a thousand to 1500 calorie deficit a day and being very strict about nutrition and exercise, the most I’ve lost is 20 pounds (and I need to lose WAY more than that), and it’s taken almost a year to do so.  

[EmilyGF]

I joined WW in 2017 and lost 30 lbs which I completely kept off for 3 years, after which I started gaining back at the rate of about half a pound per month. I rejoined a while back to try to stop the slow weight gain. I am currently a member and also follow the Weight Watchers reddit, which is a good place to search for specific questions. I'm still down 10 from my max.

I think the GLP-1 plan focuses on encouraging protein because people taking the medication tend to not eat enough protein. So, you would probably want to track protein-rich foods like beans, eggs, and chicken breast in order to fill your daily protein tracker. 

You never need to track 0 point foods, but if you eat something like a hamburger, it is a pain to track because you have a bun, burger, cheese slice, ketchup, relish, and maybe mayo which all have points. Over time, for me, I tended to plan simpler meals so I didn't have to deal with all that. 

The newer Weight Watchers tries to push people in healthier directions. Some people love it because it seems like a gentle nudge towards less sugar; other people think that the company penalizes sugar and fat too much. YMMV. 

I joined the Half Size Me academy in December because I miss the Weight Watchers meetings and am hoping the encouragement there will help me keep on track!

Emily

[Harriet Vane]

19 hours ago, Terabith said:

I have about given up trying to lose weight.  Even operating at a thousand to 1500 calorie deficit a day and being very strict about nutrition and exercise, the most I’ve lost is 20 pounds (and I need to lose WAY more than that), and it’s taken almost a year to do so.  

Welcome to my world. I decided to focus on health through exercise and nutrition and let the chips fall where they may.

[Terabith]

1 hour ago, Harriet Vane said:

Welcome to my world. I decided to focus on health through exercise and nutrition and let the chips fall where they may.

Yup. I am trying to eat healthy to improve my gut and cardiovascular health and increase my immune system and exercise for fitness, less pain, better sleep, and all the other advantages.  I believe losing weight would be healthier for me, but at this point and on the antidepressant I am on, I don’t see it as realistic.  

[Alicia64]

22 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Don’t be embarrassed ! It is a great blog and very helpful. 

That is so nice of you. Thank you!! ♥

[Kassia]

22 hours ago, Scarlett said:

Don’t be embarrassed ! It is a great blog and very helpful. 

I agree!  @Alicia64's blog is fantastic.  Not a diet at all, but a sensible lifestyle change.  

[ktgrok]

So, I did join, but will look at other people's advice as well. I've lost weight before, some of you knew me when I was going through bariatric surgery many years ago. I mainly just need a way to focus on eating the foods I'm supposed to eat, so my smaller stomach will function as a limiting tool. Slider foods (that slide right through or don't take up much space in the tummy) are the downfall of bariatric patients. It seems that WW current plan really is in line with that - I don't have to weigh and measure the foods I'm supposed to be eating anyway, only the ones I'm not supposed ot eat much of. So far, so good. 

 

[Alicia64]

20 minutes ago, ktgrok said:

So, I did join, but will look at other people's advice as well. I've lost weight before, some of you knew me when I was going through bariatric surgery many years ago. I mainly just need a way to focus on eating the foods I'm supposed to eat, so my smaller stomach will function as a limiting tool. Slider foods (that slide right through or don't take up much space in the tummy) are the downfall of bariatric patients. It seems that WW current plan really is in line with that - I don't have to weigh and measure the foods I'm supposed to be eating anyway, only the ones I'm not supposed ot eat much of. So far, so good. 

 

 

I'm so glad you joined! Does slippery food include ice cream (that's my downfall.)

[ktgrok]

4 minutes ago, Alicia64 said:

I'm so glad you joined! Does slippery food include ice cream (that's my downfall.)

Oh yes. Ice cream, liquid calories, and things like crackers and chips that crush up into tiny bits. 

Food like chicken, eggs, etc are considered "dense protein" and help fill up the small stomach and take a longer time to digest. Bariatric surgery also changes hunger hormones, but that change doesn't last more than a year or two, usually. Beyond that it is the physical limitation of the small stomach size that has to do the job, and if you eat stuff that compresses down small or goes right through, that small sized stomach won't matter. 

I actually bought some gingerbread ice cream at Trader Joes (while stocking up on healthy stuff). I thought I'd have a small amount as a treat. Um..no. It was 18 WW points!!! I only get 23 points a DAY!

 

Edited January 2 by ktgrok