Considering Weight Watchers, would like input

[walkdmc]

I quit WW one year ago. I spent many months just floundering on the program, not giving it a good effort and lost a small amount of weight. I liked the leader and the group I attended but the program was new at that time and I started having trouble with "free fruit". I just quit and started working out a lot. I lost 30+ pounds on my own, doing My Fitness Pal and exercising. My weight loss has stalled and I'm looking to shake things up. I'm thinking of joining WW again.

Have you been successful on the latest plan?

Thanks!

 

[erinna]

Yup. I lost 70 pounds. The free fruit thing isn't a problem for me though -- I just don't have more the 5-7 servings of fruit and vegetables in a day....

 

[walkdmc]

That's fantastic! Did you lose much of your weight while following the latest plan (well, the one release a year or so ago)?

 

[erinna]

Yup -- I lost ALL the weight while on plan. I've been exercising quite a bit as well -- and I've started participating in run Disney events as a walker

 

[PrincessRhi]

If you still have all your materials from your previous shot, can you try to see if you can follow it before signing up?

 

[pjlla]

WW can and will work if you are faithful to it. If you've had trouble with it before, then you need to think about why and are you willing to make the changes necessary for it to work this time?

Why do you think your current system NOT working?

If you really want to try WW again, you need to be prepared to be totally committed to making the change. It sounds like you are well on your way to making permanent lifestyle changes on your own. Could you make some changes on your own to try and get past this plateau?

I'm not trying to talk you out of WW. I've been doing it faithfully for 4 years now and couldn't imagine living my life any other way now. I am a HUGE advocate for/of WW. But I'd hate to see you go into it without being totally committed and then getting frustrated if it didn't work and throwing in the towel.

Good luck......................P

 

[BabyTigger99]

WW can and will work if you are faithful to it. If you've had trouble with it before, then you need to think about why and are you willing to make the changes necessary for it to work this time?

Why do you think your current system NOT working?

If you really want to try WW again, you need to be prepared to be totally committed to making the change. It sounds like you are well on your way to making permanent lifestyle changes on your own. Could you make some changes on your own to try and get past this plateau?

I'm not trying to talk you out of WW. I've been doing it faithfully for 4 years now and couldn't imagine living my life any other way now. I am a HUGE advocate for/of WW. But I'd hate to see you go into it without being totally committed and then getting frustrated if it didn't work and throwing in the towel.

Good luck......................P

Totally agree with all of this. I started on WW on May 10, 2011, and as of today, I have lost 71.6 pounds and I am currently on maintenance. As with any weight loss program, you need to be committed to it. I know for myself, the fact that I was paying money for the program is what propelled me to jump feet first into it, because I have a hard time parting with my hard earned cash!! The program works...as long as you work it!

 

[erinna]

One of the big things that helped me is my husband did it with me. We did it online -- we are like our own WW meeting.

 

[Friend of a Mouse]

I lost 15 lbs on the old Points program (back when they had the Flex and core plans) but did not stick with it. I have lost a total of 10 lbs this year, but that's a combo of yo yoing between three diet plans.

At this point I am thinking of going back because I have gone Vegan which is making Jenny Craig pretty much impossible. It works, but I found the counting points tedious. But I feel like I am in a better place mentally now.

 

[erinna]

It can be tedious, for sure, but I find the smart phone apps have made it much more convenient.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I just signed up for the online program today and I have to admit, I find it confusing. If only their message boards were as easy to use as these! I'm starting for real tomorrow so I'm off to the grocery tonight to find foods (after going to the gym, of course). I'm kind of a picky eater so I am afraid of the food choices I will have. But we'll see ...

I am encouraged because my co-worker lost about 15 lbs and my sister has lost 100+ lbs! My initial goal is about 15 lbs but since I'm so short (5'1"), that 15 lbs really shows on me.

 

[IWantMickey]

OP, congratulations on your weight loss!

I joined WW online six weeks ago and have lost 12 lbs so far. I haven't been the best about tracking my points online every day but I do keep track in my head and I am getting better at tracking online. I used to go to meetings and would stop going after awhile so I decided to try the online program. Hopefully it's a better fit for my needs.

 

[walkdmc]

Thanks for all the feedback. I almost forgot about this thread, LOL.

I decided to try and do it on my own again, but will consult with a nutritionist. I found an outstanding boot camp studio I've been attending for the past 2 months and the instructor is a registered dietician. I will begin routine visits and food diary checks with her and see how it goes. I don't know what happens to me but when I start to feel successful, I fall off the wagon. The only difference this time around was when I went off program (counting calories on MFP) I kept exercising which has kept the weight gain from creeping up.

Thanks again everyone and good luck on achieving your goals!

 

[Chris931]

I lost 170 lbs on WW.. the older program. I just got the information from one meeting and with some help from internet sites and then I did it on my own. I didn't really like the meetings and I was able to stick with it.

I did go back to a few WW meetings when the new Points Plus came out. I didn't really like the changes so I just stick with the original plan.

My sister religiously goes to WW and has been in maintenance for over a year. She does use the new plan but she counts each serving of fruit as one point... she felt better doing it that way.

It does work. I think it is the best plan out there because it is realistic. I don't like to deprive myself so I can work in things I want which helps keep me going.

Good luck!

Christine

 

[lsenquiz]

I started WW in April 2008. I lost 20 lbs very quickly and then another 20 very slowly. I finally made goal weight and became a lifetime member is Nov. 2010. I did really well on maintenance until Oct of last year when I started gaining again. I am now up 15 lbs and just started going back to meetings again two weeks ago. WW is really the only diet that has ever worked for me. However, I will say I am not loving the points plus program as much as I liked the points program. The free fruit is doing me in. I usually lose 2 to 2.5 lbs a week while I am on WW and with WW points plus I only lost 1/2 the first week and nothing the second. I will be going back to regular points program since I still have all my old stuff. I still plan to attend the weekly meetings though because I find them very motivating.

I also found the most awesome recipe blog that provides WW points and WW points plus for every recipe. I have made several of the dishes and they are all excellent. It's called skinnytaste.com.

 

[Stacy's a freak]

I'm about 3 weeks in and I have lost about 7 lbs. That was in the first week and now I'm starting to yo-yo a bit. Weekends are killing me! I have a hard time staying on points on Saturdays when I am out and about. But when I can really plan my meals Monday through Friday, I'm really making it work! That and making it a point to exercise as much as possible (3x a week hard cardio at the gym and trying to walk for at least 30 minutes the other days).

 

[MellieluvsDisney]

I would say that your mind has to be in it! No matter what weight loss program you are following, if your mind is not in it and you are not commited, in the long term it won't work.

I followed every weight loss program there is, and they all worked but I would be commited for a couple of weeks and then go back to my old ways. I have been doing it on my own for the past 7 years. I have struggled, and struggled, but in the end what really started to work is that I started to change my way of thinking and I started to focus more on my health in general oppose to focusing on the numbers on the scale. I try to keep a food journal, I work out and eat whole healthy foods 90% of the time and I have gone from 315 pounds to 235 pounds in the past 10 years. Yeah, it is slow, but I have not gained anything back. And that works for me. I'm not saying it would work for everybody, but you have to look into what works best for you.

I say if you are losing on your own, I would continue that way and reevaluate in 6 months, and then maybe try WW again. Just keep in mind that you have to find something that you will be able to do for the rest of your life.

Good luck!

 

[keahgirl8]

Hi! I'm new to this section of the board, but had to put my 2 cents in on this. It works. It is the ONLY thing that has worked for me, and I have been on a lot of diets. The thing is, it's not a "diet." It teaches you how to eat, and still lets you splurge now and then. I have been on it a couple of times and quit, because my head wasn't in the right place, but I am in it for the long haul now! No matter what weight loss plan you choose, YOU are the determining factor of whether it will work. You have to be willing to make the effort and make the lifestyle changes.

I do not work for Weight Watchers, so I get nothing from them for recommending it. I just had to share because it has changed my life.