Weight Watchers - Worth the money?

[ncdude]

Guys-

I've been stuck in a rut and am considering joining Weight Watchers. Anyone here that might have tried it? I'm also interested in how the point system works that they use.

Any opinions appreciated.

joe

[LIZARD]

Hey, Joe. :)

Without a doubt, YES!!!!!!! I joined in August of last year, and to date, after 13 1/2 months, I am down 84 lbs!!!!!!! :D :D I have tried so many other WL diets and honestly, WW is the only program that truly works because it's not a "diet." They teach you how to correctly portion your food, and know what you're eating, so you can lose and keep it off--for good. I am never, ever gonna be that F-word again. :) I am no longer capable of eating what I used to. I honestly know I can do this for the rest of my life. :) Please feel free to PM me, and I'll tell you all about it. :)


LIZARD :)

[ncdude]

Thanks, Lizzie....

How does the point system work?

joe

[LIZARD]

You absolutely must eat the "target" they give you. Each 25-lb increment weight range corresonds to a certain number of points that have to be eaten every day (to keep metabolism regular). No one should eat fewer than 20 points, however, which is where you'd be at, say, 145. (That's where I'll be at goal, in all likelihood.) When you start out and they give you your starting weight, you eat that many points minimum every day. As your weight decreases, your target number of daily points decreases. 1 point corresponds to, roughly, 60 cals, so it helps you to keep track more efficiently than counting cals.

You also get 35 points per week that you eat if you want to, or not eat, depending on what you choose. Some members eat some, some eat them all every week (ME!), and some try not to eat them unless they have a special occasion to attend. After someone on the online board said eating all of her weekly points helped her lose faster, I started doing it, too, and I also found that to be true, as long as I didn't go grossly over. :)

At Week # 3, I think, they talk to you about activity levels and how to gauge them. If you are very active, you'll earn a lot of activity points. You can choose to eat them or not. (Say you have 30 points to eat every day, and you earn 3 activity points each day, too. if you want to,you can eat them as well as your daily and your 35. Some lose faster if they do. Right now, I have rather bad plantar fasciitis (swollen tendon on the bottom of my right foot) and am not doing cardio, but when I do, I will be eating my activity points (APs), because I'm now down to 26 daily points from a start of 32, and I like to eat certain foods I ate prior to starting, so this helps me not feel deprived. (I also susbstitute a lot of things--eat things that taste a lot like what I used to eat, in order to get the "fix," so I'm not deprived. They're lower in points, so I can have them every day, if I want to: turkey bacon, Low-Fat cheese, WW bread and English muffins, WW candy (yeah...they make CANDY!! :D ), etc.

There is another plan they don't talk about as much: Core. I haven't done it because, frankly, there are too many foods I like that aren't Core foods, and I couldn't stick to 35 points' worth per week :), but if you wanted to do it, they give you a list of Core foods in your starting book. If a food is Core, you can eat "as much as need to feel satified," and these are foods such as fruits and vegs; non-creamy soups; whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, potatoes, and grains; high-fiber (no sugar-added) and other cereals, lean meats, poultry, fish, and eggs; fat-free milk and milk products (cheese, yogurt); healthy oils (olive, canola, safflower, sunflower, flaxseed); condiments, coffee, tea, and sugar-free beverages.

This should help you get the idea, but if you have any questions, send 'em on. :)


Good luck!!

LIZARD :)

[shimzy]

Guys-

I've been stuck in a rut and am considering joining Weight Watchers. Anyone here that might have tried it? I'm also interested in how the point system works that they use.

Any opinions appreciated.

joe

HI There. Just wanted to input my two cents becaus I am the other side of the spectrum for the other post .. who WW worked for. I followed WW to the *T* and lost 4lbs in 2 months...

I am now doing a GI/lowcarb diet and am losing approx 2-3lbs a wk (I have 100lbs to lose).

Not every ONE diet works for everyone. Try it out and give it a good honest try. I hope it does work for you because it is darned expensive! :rolleyes:

If anything I enjoyed the WW for the encouraging meetings they had.

[LIZARD]

I'm sorry you didn't have the success you'd hoped for, but I have to disagree re the expense. When you consider what you would pay for so many other weight loss programs, WW is very reasonable. I don't know how you could follow it strictly and not lose, to be honest. This is what the real world does; we're just more conscious of it. To call it a "diet" is to lump it together with all the stupid fads and restrictive regimens out there. If you're really doing WW the way it's supposed to be done, you should be changing your whole way of thinking about food. I am utterly incapable of eating the way I used to, plain and simple. My body will not tolerate greasy or rich foods, and I am satisfied on what I know I need to eat.

It did take awhile--about 3 months--but I am most certainly not going back. Eating the proper portions and types of foods, drinking plenty of water, and staying active will take weight off of anyone. If you didn't lose by doing that, you should be eval'ed for medical problems.


Good luck,

LIZARD :)

[shimzy]

I have a body type that does not process carboyhydrates well (comples or simple). SO those of us who have diabetic tendencies and crave say, sugar, flour, wheat type products will not lose appropriately on the WW program. It just simply wont work. Its not difficult to understand when you've been there done that, but with a little research Im sure it would become more clear. :)

Edited to Add: As far as the cost goes, when one learns how to use food appropriately, well that cost would simply be ... free :) For those of us who need to go to the meetings for the encouragement, then sure, pay the money, but if the diet doesnt work - theres not point. Thats all i was saying :)

[ella138]

I'm chiming in here. Being what i would call a professional dieter (as many of us are) I've learned through trial and error that it's true, not every diet works for every person. When I did WW I was successful to a point and then, nothing. I was stuck for such a long time...and it is expensive! However, when you are motivated and ready to loose, money is no object.

Then I discovered South Beach, a program where you learn to eat good carbs and goot fats. Some people associate it with Atkins, but they are nothing alike. South Beach basically teaches you what will break down easier in your body and not turn to sugar and be stored as fat. In a nutshell, it eating no white. No white flour, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar etc. Stuff like that. But thats not to say you cant eat brown rice, sweet potatoes, brown rice or whole wheat pasta etc. As far as fats go...things like olive oil, canola oil are high on the list of good fats. Dairy is limited as well. The big problem I found with SB is there is not enough portion control. So while it teaches you to eat the right things, there is no real limit imposed. This is good and bad. The good part is that it makes it very easy to follow, no counting carlories, points, food groups etc. The bad thing, for people like me, is I do have a portion control problem.

So I say in a perfect world, the best program would be a combination of SB & WW. One teaches to us to make proper healthier choices, the other teaches you portion control. Hey and a little exercise doesn't hurt either. (Yuck!):eek:

[LIZARD]

So I say in a perfect world, the best program would be a combination of SB & WW. One teaches to us to make proper healthier choices, the other teaches you portion control. Hey and a little exercise doesn't hurt either. (Yuck!):eek:

I agree with most of this statement. WW actually teaches healthier eating, too. They employ a cool trick, I think, in that eating more fiber (up to 4 g per serving) will help lower the points on the food you eat, so you tend to eat foods higher in fiber as a result. I have always been a very picky eater, and I was truly afraid I couldn't make it work, but I have learned to like foods I never used to by preparing them in a different way, and eating fiber-enriched food to keep my points down and feel fuller longer. Even the WW candy is fiber-enriched!!

I do agree that SB teaches healthy eating, especially if you have insulin resistance. If this is truly your problem, starting with SB and working into WW is probably the best thing to do, so you're not always restricted to eating SB foods.


Good luck to all!

LIZARD :)

[Foot Thing]

I have rather bad plantar fasciitis (swollen tendon on the bottom of my right foot) and am not doing cardio


Doctors have known for years that the alternate application of heat and cold coupled with massage to sore and inflamed tissue relieves pain, reduces swelling and promotes healing. The problem has always been how to massage with heat and follow immediately with cold massage.

You might try this foot therapy device, Foot Thing (http://www.footthing.com). Sounds silly, but it really works. It uses heat therapy to increase circulation, cold therapy to reduce swelling and massage to knead out dense tissue issues.

Useful for: Heel Spurs, Plantar Fasciitis, Heel Pain, Strains, Countless Foot Ailments and just Tired/Aching Feet.

Best of Success!
Foot Thing (http://www.footthing.com)

[LIZARD]

Thank you, FT! :)

I may be buying one of these this week. :)


LIZARD :)

[Persevering]

Weight Watchers is awesome! My husband and I did it last year. We both lost about 30 pounds and have kept it off. We go once a month now for weigh in. I had to eat slightly less points than they allowed on the program. It seems my metabolism is a little "shot." However, it got me to eating properly again (portion control) and exercising moderately. From there, I started paying very close attention to food choices and now eat in a very healthy manner. It all started with the WW program. I have seriously considered becoming a leader. I think it's a wonderful, well balanced program. They provide a lot of support. Try to find a leader that works for you. Overall...it's an excellent, A1 program. Go for it! You WILL be glad you did this!!! :)
p.s. I lost faster on the WW program the weeks that I cut my sugar intake. Some days I didn't have any sweets at all...skipped dessert and had fruit instead. I'm petite, so I don't get alot of points to begin with (20). I'm also on a medication that is a weight gainer. I ate 20 points most days and a few days a week, I probably ate 18. I was losing about 1/2 pound a week. However, I was eating one or two sweet snacks a day, but staying within my points. I started to change that...eating one sweet snack every couple of days. I also greatly reduced my bread/carb intake. My diet was largely vegetables, fruit, lean protein, a LITTLE whole wheat bread, and something sugary a couple of days a week. (Actually my diet is very similar to this day...but slightly larger portions). I drank water and exercised moderately (still do). When I did all of this, stayed within my points, the weight CAME OFF VERY NICELY. I made some minor adjustments and it all came together. Well worth the time, effort and small amount of money to get the support/ideas at the meetings.