Quite a lot people in my circle of friends are joining the weight watcher's program. I have never tried the program before as I think it is very stressful to count points all day. What do you think about the program? And have you been successful doing weight watcher's? Would you suggest me to give it a try?
SHould I give weight watcher's a try?
- Thread starter Jane1975
- Start date
maverick2
New member
I've never done WW, but I know a few people who have done it and liked it quite a lot. It's really just a structured way of making sure you eat healthy food, so if you're really concerned about points, making an effort to learn some basic nutrition and plan your own meals could take you just as far. You just don't get the backup and support.
One complaint I've heard about it is the weigh-ins. Lots of people are self-conscious about that.
I can imagine it would probably be less stressful/more fun if there are a bunch of your friends doing it together. That way you can motivate each other.
One complaint I've heard about it is the weigh-ins. Lots of people are self-conscious about that.
I can imagine it would probably be less stressful/more fun if there are a bunch of your friends doing it together. That way you can motivate each other.
discolemonade
New member
I did Weight Watchers when I was in high school. My mom and I did it simultaneously, actually... it really *does* work but you do have to be aware of how many points you're eating. The program has changed since I've been on it, true, but I still know people who are participating currently and they've all experienced success. Counting points isn't too stressful especially if you plan out your meals beforehand, or for snacky items if you mark how many points per serving it is right on the box so you don't have to think about it. It's actually kind of fun for awhile, too, like a game. MY problem was that I started to eat under my target points amount which is NOT good. I got a little too anal retentive about it, but that's just me. But really if you pre-plan your meals it's not too much of a drag. It also helps if you know people who are doing it - although your conversation revolving around points often aggravates the non-WW people around you! Haha. 
AmberNC
New member
hello and welcome! I have done Weight Watchers a few times. Yes it works!! I lost about 40lbs in 3 months and kept it off until i had my baby..lol..anywho the points arent as stressful as it seems! also they have another plan where you dont have to count points its called the Core plan and you eat until you are satisfied with fruits/veggies/meat/fish.... and anything thats fat free..I lost 3.4lbs by the core plan in one week! Also you could give it a try and if you dont like it just dont do it, there is no membership fee just the weekly fees! Good luck!
any program will work if you are willing to commit to it...
Counting points is no different than counting calories... you have to be really aware of what you are eating... and be accurate and honest about what you are recording.
I tried WW years ago and hated the meetings... the public weigh ins weren't a big deal but the meetings were downright irritating... but that's m y personality...
hello and welcome! I have done Weight Watchers a few times. Yes it works!! I lost about 40lbs in 3 months and kept it off until i had my baby..lol..anywho the points arent as stressful as it seems! also they have another plan where you dont have to count points its called the Core plan and you eat until you are satisfied with fruits/veggies/meat/fish.... and anything thats fat free..I lost 3.4lbs by the core plan in one week! Also you could give it a try and if you dont like it just dont do it, there is no membership fee just the weekly fees! Good luck!
Wow that is a lot of weight! I wish I would have lost so much weight already...But what is the core plan? I have never heard of that before. So I have to do it instead of counting the points and I can eat as much as I want to of special products? But how am I able to lose weight then? And what about cravings? Did you have lots of them?
IsldGrl81
New member
i'm doing weight watchers as we speak.
i'm finding it super easy suprisingly, i'm not feeling deprived, counting points is easy and the calculator is kinda fun the only thing that i can forsee being an issue is that i'm pretty hungry before bedtime, but i'm not indulging in a a snack (unless i have points left over) which is great cause that means my metabolism is hard at work.
my sister lost 65 lbs on weight watchers in 8 months. i have 35 to lose so, we'll see!!
i'm finding it super easy suprisingly, i'm not feeling deprived, counting points is easy and the calculator is kinda fun
the only thing that i can forsee being an issue is that i'm pretty hungry before bedtime, but i'm not indulging in a a snack (unless i have points left over) which is great cause that means my metabolism is hard at work.my sister lost 65 lbs on weight watchers in 8 months. i have 35 to lose so, we'll see!!
I acheived lifetime member status but I got a bit frustrated as the points value and the rules of the program changed from year-to-year.
I also don't believe they do their homework properley with the analysis of take away foods - one minute KFC Chocolate Mousse was 1.5 points then the next year it was 7.5 points!!! They just take what the comapny says at face value!
I also don't believe they do their homework properley with the analysis of take away foods - one minute KFC Chocolate Mousse was 1.5 points then the next year it was 7.5 points!!! They just take what the comapny says at face value!
Hi Jane...I just registered for Weight Watchers again last night for the umpteenth time. I lost 82 pounds on the Weight Watchers points plan four years ago. I decided that I could do it on my own after that and stopped going to the meetings. That was my big mistake. I've learned that I need the support of the meetings to help keep me on track. Some people prefer to do it online so it's great that Weight Watchers offers options to fit various lifestyles.
Also, now you don't have to count points with Weight Watchers if you don't want to. They also have another plan where you can eat certain foods without having to worry about counting points. I believe the foods are determined by how dense in calories they are. Quite frankly, I'm not real familiar with that Core Plan because I prefer counting the points. The Core Plan relies on your ability to know when you're not hungry anymore so you stop eating and that's an issue for me so counting points works best for me.
What you can do is go to a meeting and just tell them that you are thinking about joining and ask if you can sit in the meeting. This gives you an opportunity to kind of hear what goes on and learn a little bit more about the programs before you decide. I feel that it's really an extremely healthy way to go because you're learning some very valuable healthy habits. I can't say enough good things about Weight Watchers.
Hope this helps in your decision. Whatever road you take, know that people here are ready to support and encourage you along the way.
Shelby
i'm doing weight watchers as we speak.
i'm finding it super easy suprisingly, i'm not feeling deprived, counting points is easy and the calculator is kinda fun
my sister lost 65 lbs on weight watchers in 8 months. i have 35 to lose so, we'll see!!
Good to hear that you like the program. But I thought you everyone has a special amoint of points which you are able to eat a day. Well, but you said that you are usually very hungry before bedtime. Do you have to watch the time? Are you not allowed to eat anything in the evening? Then such a diet would be wrong for me as I really need to eat something in the evening.
With Weight Watchers there is never a time when you aren't 'allowed' to eat. I'm on Weight Watchers and always have a 'bedtime snack.' (Well, ususally about an hour before bed or so.) The key is choosing a snack that is within your personal points range if you are counting points or choosing a snack that is on the list of Core foods. That's a nice advantage to Weight Watchers....having two different programs that you can choose from. You can even switch them from week to week.....one week counting points the next week on the core plan (you just have to make sure to stay with the plan that you choose for the full week.)
IsldGrl81
New member
i prefer not to eat after 7.
just a personal preference that i'd rather not get into as a lot of people have their own opinions about eating in the evening.
ww doesn't say that you can't eat at certain times. you are given points for the day and you can eat them all for breakfast if you choose.
Cowgirl
New member
Like Mal said, any program will work if you stick to it. WW is more of a portion control concept that we all should adhere to anyway. I've tried WW and it helped me truly understand what I was stuffing in my face. I would give it a try if you're okay in the finance department.
DarylB
New member
My mother-in-law tried this program and seemed to like it a lot. The only thing was, she didn't like the weigh ins, nor did she have time to commit to the program.
The moral, if you've got the time and aren't insecure about your weight (and you shouldn't be), then it could be right for you. It's very supportive and motivating.
The moral, if you've got the time and aren't insecure about your weight (and you shouldn't be), then it could be right for you. It's very supportive and motivating.
I also couldn't imagine to go to such a weigh ins as I don't want everybody to know my weight. And you also have to go there on certain times which would be very difficult for me as well. But although your mother-in-law didn't like the same things she seemed to be satisfied. So how did she do the program? Did she do it for herself? Isn't it necessary to join the group meetings?
When you weigh in at Weight Watchers it is always done privately and only you and the WW employee know your weight. I was talking to someone recently who thought that everyone's weight was announced at the meetings. That is completely false. They will announce if you've reached a milestone....10% lost, 5 lbs. lost, 10 lbs. lost, etc. Your weight is NEVER disclosed to anyone else in the meeting.
It's a fantastic support system and is easy to fit into your meal planning.
It's a fantastic support system and is easy to fit into your meal planning.
With Weight Watchers you are able to just go and weigh in....it is not mandatory to stay for the meetings. However, the support that you gain from the meetings is extremely helpful. I used to go and just weigh in and then leave and that's when I started my down fall. It works for some people, but not for me.
The important thing to know for anyone who is considering Weight Watchers is that you can go to sit in on a meeting for free while you're deciding if you want to join. You can find meeting times and locations at the Weight Watchers website or by calling their toll-free number which can be found in your telephone book.
The important thing to know for anyone who is considering Weight Watchers is that you can go to sit in on a meeting for free while you're deciding if you want to join. You can find meeting times and locations at the Weight Watchers website or by calling their toll-free number which can be found in your telephone book.
Kino1
New member
I lost 20lbs on Weight Watchers before in 2 months. I had only signed up for two months, however and once I stopped going I gained all the weight back. It took about 2 years but I have recently gained back all the weight. I'm actually doing Weight Watchers Online now so that's another option for you as well. I never attended the meetings but did quite well on the program.
I never found counting points difficult, if anything it has opened my eyes to how out of control my portions are. I had cut out take out food (almost a month) after Christmas and was eating more regular food and still gaining weight pretty quickly. Since starting Weight Watchers online less than a week ago I've lost 4.2lbs (probably christmas weight) Even though I had done the program before and I consider myself pretty up on health issues I never realized how much I was over eating.
Anyway when I was successful on the program the first time, I lost 6 lbs my first week and averaged between 2-3 lbs per week thereafter. And I allowed myself a treat day each Friday where on average I would eat Dairy Queen and go to a movie and buy a large popcorn and diet drink and a bar (Fridays were my weigh in day) and I still lost weight each week (with the exception of christmas where I stayed the same) as long as I stuck to only ONE treat day a week.
I've yammered on enough...I would definitely recommend it! Like others have said, it's just basic calorie control and portion control but it's something structured to stick by.
Oh and my only concern is that when tracking points they don't take into consideration protein, sodium or what kinds of fat are in what you're eating. It's up to you to make sure you're eating healthily!
Goodluck
I never found counting points difficult, if anything it has opened my eyes to how out of control my portions are. I had cut out take out food (almost a month) after Christmas and was eating more regular food and still gaining weight pretty quickly. Since starting Weight Watchers online less than a week ago I've lost 4.2lbs (probably christmas weight
) Even though I had done the program before and I consider myself pretty up on health issues I never realized how much I was over eating. Anyway when I was successful on the program the first time, I lost 6 lbs my first week and averaged between 2-3 lbs per week thereafter. And I allowed myself a treat day each Friday where on average I would eat Dairy Queen and go to a movie and buy a large popcorn and diet drink and a bar (Fridays were my weigh in day) and I still lost weight each week (with the exception of christmas where I stayed the same) as long as I stuck to only ONE treat day a week.
I've yammered on enough...I would definitely recommend it! Like others have said, it's just basic calorie control and portion control but it's something structured to stick by.
Oh and my only concern is that when tracking points they don't take into consideration protein, sodium or what kinds of fat are in what you're eating. It's up to you to make sure you're eating healthily!
Goodluck
One advantage that nobody mentioned was the WIDE network and the ability to cook. I'm a big feeder, so when people come over I like to have something to offer them. I'll cook something from the weightwatchers cook book and usually nobody notices that it's lower in calorie and fat. With the exception of these pumpkin cheesecake bars... but I might have destroyed them on my own (not the recipe's fault).
Counting points can be tedious from time to time, but it's good to keep on track. I have a planner that I use for absolutely everything and I keep a running tally of my points and glasses of water.
Counting points can be tedious from time to time, but it's good to keep on track. I have a planner that I use for absolutely everything and I keep a running tally of my points and glasses of water.