Thread: Starting Weight Watchers

So a WW group has started up in my office building and I joined. Need to drop another 25 lbs and in the past being part of a group where I have to be accountable (at least to myself) has helped get me past plateaus. I've lost 35 lbs after getting off Paxil and now I need to finish the job and get back to pre-Paxil weight.

Any other WW gals here?

Souzan

I'm trying...well, I'm paying, but I haven't gone to a meeting in few weeks. I know I need to get my butt back in gear.

Go you, though! WW is a great program...you know what they say in twelve step groups. "If you works if you work it, so work it you're worth it!"

Here too! Have been lifetime for about 27 years now but...I have gained weight through the years (metabolism, slacking on the portion control, etc.) and I'm trying to get back to my goal weight which is a very slow process.

Good luck Souzan!

I seem to be stuck at the lost-15-lbs point, but I'm still working on it. go for it Souzan!

First meeting in about an hour. I've been through 2 different 4-month programs offered by my HMO for diabetes prevention and the weekly weigh ins helped keep me honest. I need daily goals. Paxil was a great drug for my panic disorder and anxiety, but I put on 50 lbs over a period of months after I started taking it. That was probably about 9 years ago. When the dosage was reduced I lost some weight, but despite calorie counting and lifting weights and daily cardio and dancing I just couldn't get back down to where I was pre-Paxil.

So keep your fingers crossed for me!

Souzan

How did it go Souzan?
I´m an old WeightWatcher who really likes the system-lost 19 kilos(41 pounds on it).

Some don´t like that the system counts in points instead of calories,but I found myself drawn to the (ProPoint)healthier choices because they contain more fiber+vitamins+antioxidants.

And the idea is to eat real FOOD instead of protein shakes...better long term than any fad diet!:)

Can you bring kids (2year old) with you to the meetings? What is it like? I have 10lbs to lose post baby and they are not budging!

Good luck! I just posted about going public w/my weight issues. I too want to loose about 20-25 lbs. Hows it going so far?

Originally Posted by lylagus

Can you bring kids (2year old) with you to the meetings?

You can bring kids to meetings but, there are some meeting locations that have signs that pretty much request kids be relatively quiet as it is a meeting that members pay to go to. I have seen members complain to the leader if kids are being quite rambunctious and the leader has to be the one to tell the member to "mind" their kids. I think that meetings held on weekday mornings are more tolerable with kids present than those in the evenings or on week-ends. Good luck!

what are the differences in Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem? I've been thinking maybe I need to check into something like this, but I'm unemployed and not sure how expensive these programs are.

Mahira, I pay $40.00 a month for a monthly pass at WW, which includes online e-tracking tools and unlimited meetings. I don't know much about the other programs, but I do know that both Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem focus a lot on processed/prepackaged foods. While WW does have a lot of processed/prepackaged foods the meetings and the materials really stress healthy eating and nutrition.

Originally Posted by MahiraRaqs

what are the differences in Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and Nutrisystem? I've been thinking maybe I need to check into something like this, but I'm unemployed and not sure how expensive these programs are.

As Andalee said, the monthly pass is $40 monthly and it gets taken out of your credit card. That is the most inexpensive. And with WW, you use your own food that you buy at the grocery store (unless you want to supplement with WW stuff such as the frozen dinners). They also sell cookbooks that incorporate the points system (my family likes some of the recipes I've done). With the other two programs, there's all the really cheap specials ("lose 20 pounds for $20") but you have to get their food which (I think) can run about $60-80 weekly because that's all your three meals plus a snack. You still have to supplement with stuff like produce.

My thing with getting all these packaged meals is this: 1) if you've got a family, you have to prepare something different for them 'cause you're having your "special meal." 2) what happens if you want to go out? like a dinner? or how about a cocktail? 3) so you lose all your weight by eating these meals, then what? I hear that when you get closer to the weight you want to be at, then it's a transition to regular food. I know a handful of people that tried the non-WW programs...some had a hard time with the WW program and went the other route but, they stop buying the food after awhile (due to $ or get tired of the selections).

Originally Posted by BasiaRaks

My thing with getting all these packaged meals is this: 1) if you've got a family, you have to prepare something different for them 'cause you're having your "special meal." 2) what happens if you want to go out? like a dinner? or how about a cocktail? 3) so you lose all your weight by eating these meals, then what? I hear that when you get closer to the weight you want to be at, then it's a transition to regular food.

Exactly my point,too!What happens in the transition?

I´ve never used the pre-packaged meals...I need real food!
Going out I´ve used the "WW Resturant Guide"which lists the "better"choices.

My whole family ate the same food as me at home,and my stepdaughter didn´t even know it was WW recipes..g.:

I *heart* weight watchers, for a couple of reasons.

1) Almost everyone I've ever known who lost weight and kept it off for a matter of years did it using weight watchers or a very similar system.

2) I was on weight watchers while I was an exercise/wellness major in college a couple of years ago. Everything we learned about diet, nutrition and weight loss made me think 'oh, yeah, weight watchers is already incorporating that information in the program'

3) The WW point system is really just a way of simplifying watching your calories, though it also incorporates some more subtle things like fiber, fat, making sure you get enough water, etc. WW is NOT a diet. They don't tell you what to eat, ever (though they will suggest naturally low-cal foods to fill up on and offer you plenty of recipes). 10 people attending the very same meetings are going to have eaten completely different meals the previous week. They'll all be learning, though, to control portions, to get full on low-cal foods, and to save high-cal snacks for occasional treats.

That's why it's sustainable. You learn new ways to interact in a healthy way with real food.

It doesn't 'work' for everyone because not everyone is ready to make the committment. Not everyone has the willpower to be honest with themselves (just changing what you write down will NOT help you lose weight LOL). Not everyone has the willpower to walk away from the donuts and eat a banana instead. (none of us have the willpower every day).

You can accomplish the same thing for free using a calorie recording program like The Daily Plate, which is what I have to do because I can't afford WW right now. But the group support, accountability, and the helpful tips, tricks, and tools you learn about in meetings are lacking, and those things are really REALLY powerful.

I went back to a meeting last night for the first time in 7 weeks. I am recommitting. I gained 2.4 lbs in 7 weeks, which sucks and which goes to show...I will gain weight if I continue to live my life with no concern over my food intake.

Originally Posted by andalee-oriental

I went back to a meeting last night for the first time in 7 weeks. I am recommitting. I gained 2.4 lbs in 7 weeks, which sucks and which goes to show...I will gain weight if I continue to live my life with no concern over my food intake.

Good for you!

Yes, the hardest thing for me was the long plateaus, where I'd be doing absolutely everything right and not lose a pound for weeks.

Finally I realized that if I *wasn't* doing everything right, I'd have been *gaining* weight week after week. I've had to learn to think of staying the same weight as a payoff, not a punishment.

when I stopped watching, I gained back 10 pounds. Just starting to get back on program, wish I could afford to go to meetings right now!!! But I'll do Daily Plate, even though it's a little harder. No excuses!

Lauren - couldn't have said it any better!

Well, the at-work group never got off the ground. Lots of people showed up but not enough were willing to but their money on the table.

Actually its okay. I am back to using FitDay to track food. Don't eat a lot of pre-packaged food so I like using FitDay to check the ingredients. Gives me a better idea of what to put in a dish and what not to, or if I do put it in adjust how much I eat to compensate.

My HMO is starting up another diabetes prevention/weight management discussion group so I may just go for another round with them. Its free and the group leaders are nutritionist/dieticians and a medical school professor who teaches wellness and nutrition classes.

In the meantime my weight has been dropping again, a little at a time.

Souzan, I wish you great success. Keep us posted how you are doing.

Another Weight Watcher here. I've done the program before with varying degrees of success. This time I'm in it for the long haul... longer now that I've fallen out of the habits for the last couple of weeks. Like Andalee, I need to get back to my meeting to re-engage myself to the program.

Still, I've lost 20 pounds so far. Lots to go, but it's the most I've lost in a long time!

WW, to me, is an excellent program! I have always struggled with my weight, and tried dieting for sooooo many times...

I started WW in mid-september. I lost about 34lbs so far, and I still need to lose 2lbs to reach to goal I initially set. But I'm thinking about changing my goal and then I need to lose 5lbs... I'm hoping to get there by the summer & then I can start the stabilisation program.

Now I need to get myself a new wardrobe, cuz all my clothes are way too big now, which is really fun! (but also expensive haha)

Unfortunately the WW group at work fizzled. I really, honestly do know what I need to do. Just need the accountability.

OK,
So last week I fell on this post, and said to myself "should I have to restart WW?"... I went to my balance and it wisppered "YES" to me .w.:... I jumped on a dress I hadn't worn since my pregnancy and she said "YOU MUST" ..cr.: ... I looked at me (and my belly) in the mirror and thought "It worked once, you just have 18lbs to loose" ..c::

Yesterday, I went to my "new" first meeting

I started my stabilisation program 2 weeks ago!!! I reached my ideal weight at that time, bringing me at a 17kg weight loss ( 37 lbs.) and now 4 more weeks stabilising and I'm a golden member, hopefully for goooooood!!! So excited

Originally Posted by Adiva84

I started my stabilisation program 2 weeks ago!!! I reached my ideal weight at that time, bringing me at a 17kg weight loss ( 37 lbs.) and now 4 more weeks stabilising and I'm a golden member, hopefully for goooooood!!! So excited

Enhorabuena
félicitations
congratulations

I just joined WW Online a couple weeks ago and am already losing weight! I'm so excited - for some reason, counting calories never worked for me, but these points things are. I especially love being able to eat what I want (I hate frozen food), cook for my hunny, and still lose weight! So far so good!

1st week finished, and I've lost 1.8lbs... a little desappointed, but still ready to loose more :)

Originally Posted by verohazade

1st week finished, and I've lost 1.8lbs... a little desappointed, but still ready to loose more :)

That is a fabulous start! The average every week should be 1-2 lbs. so you have a great start!

Originally Posted by BasiaRaks

That is a fabulous start! The average every week should be 1-2 lbs. so you have a great start!

2nd week, I've lost 3.3lbs in ONE week! (5lbs in 2 weeks!)
I know I won't go on loosing so much, but I can't hide my satisfaction and the fact that I'm recovering self-confidence ,r:;

WooHoo!