Do you do Weight Watchers?

[maslex]

I've joined about a zillion times (well more like 7x) But I SERIOUSLY need to lose this weight (and it's significant). I was thinking about Nutrisystem but heard negatives from it. But I've never heard any negs about WW.

So are you doing WW or have done it in the past? What are/were your results?

 

[CheshireVal]

I have some friends who have done WW and they've had really good success with it.

The only thing is, they have all gotten really obsessed with food and points. I have one friend who I don't even really like to go out with anymore because she won't eat or drink anything but water and *maybe* steamed veggies when we go out. That's not much fun!!!

But.... she has lost a ton of weight.

 

[fanofdisney]

I've done it in the past and it really helped. I gained 60 pounds when pregnant and lost it all. I like it because nothing is off limits. I once tried Nutrisystem, and it was pricey with little variety. Thinking of doing WW again, I have about 10-15 pounds to lose.

 

[bigmerle1966]

I did it "unofficially" and lost about 35lbs. It was great and I only "stuck" to it for 4 1/2 days a week. The thing to remember is to make sure you exercise, I stopped doing the points thing and still did 2 to 3 days a week at the gym and maintained it for a couple of months.

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

I became a Weight Watchers Lifetime member way back in 1974. My weight over the years has been up and down, but what always works in the end is tried and true Weight Watchers. IMHO, there is nothing bad about it since it is simply a balanced diet. The best part? A Miller Lite is only 2 points!!!!!!!!!!

 

[CheshireVal]

I became a Weight Watchers Lifetime member way back in 1974. My weight over the years has been up and down, but what always works in the end is tried and true Weight Watchers. IMHO, there is nothing bad about it since it is simply a balanced diet. The best part? A Miller Lite is only 2 points!!!!!!!!!!

I was told last week that a Beck's Light is only 1 point.

 

[hlbtimes2]

The only thing is, they have all gotten really obsessed with food and points. I have one friend who I don't even really like to go out with anymore because she won't eat or drink anything but water and *maybe* steamed veggies when we go out. That's not much fun!!!.

Sounds like you need to find some other way to spend time and have fund with your friend. Go for a hike, go shopping, go to a movie- something other then eating!

 

[ead79]

I am currently doing Weight Watchers, and I've lost around 25 pounds. I still have a long way to go, but I have had excellent success with the program. WW now offers two different options--the Flex program with the points or the Core program where you don't count points but eat specific foods off of a list. I prefer the Flex program because I'm a pretty picky eater.

My grandmother tried Nutrisystem a long time ago, and while she did lose weight, she did not keep it off. Also, she had to have her gallbladder removed, and I have heard that many people who did Nutrisystem had the exact same problem. But more importantly, I think it's critical to long-term success that you find a program that allows you to eat "real" foods. Otherwise I think it's easy to set yourself up for failure by eating mostly pre-packaged meals like at Nutrisystem.

WW allows a lot of freedom and there are no "forbidden" foods. Plus, it's a healthy well-rounded approach to long-term weight loss. The meetings are very encouraging, and there are lots of statistics that show that people who attend the meetings are much more likely to lose the weight and keep it off than those who don't.

Don't feel badly that it's not your first time at WW. Most people at my meeting now had tried it before. Once you're ready and committed, then take the plunge and join! Just remember, this is steady, long-term weight loss, not a quick fix. It takes time to make the necessary lifestyle changes in order to learn to do things a better way.

 

[escape]

I tried it and while I thought the program was a good one, I didn't stick with it. The team leader didn't seem very energetic or motivating to me. The people in the meetings stuck to themselves and didn't really mingle. I thought I could do better on my own.

While I was still a WW member, I attended a meeting in LA and one in Dallas and these meetings were totally opposite of the meetings in my town. The leaders were awesome and the folks attending really seemed to care about one another. If my WW group had been like the ones I visited, I'm sure I would have given the program more of chance.

 

[GJM]

I worked with people that have had great success with WW - my father just started and has lost 8lbs. He said he doesn't feel like he is missing out on eating at all.

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

I was told last week that a Beck's Light is only 1 point.

You are kidding???!!! Oh, I could double my beer intake!!!

 

[DisneyBlonde]

My personal opinion is that the program is very flexible, which may be a good thing for some people, but it doesn't work for me. I did better on WW in the early 80s, when the program was much stricter. In my opinion, you have too many choices now, too much flexibility. If I could make good choices, I wouldn't need a program.

 

[BamaTigger]

do you have to attend meetings?

 

[mla2177]

I highly recommend it! I did WW to try and lose the baby weight from my pregnancy, but I did the online version. It was nice because it wasn't exactly easy trying to go to meetings with a new baby. I lost the weight with a couple of months, but I was a stickler. I hardly ever cheated, plus I was running at the gym too! Good luck!

 

[need_a_Disney_fix]

do you have to attend meetings?

You can check them out here! http://www.weightwatchers.com/index.aspx

 

[LindaR]

This won't be a popular response.........but any "program" will work IF you have decided that YOU want to work to lose weight. Those programs will not do it FOR you. And you can lose weight without using a program! People are always looking for the quick fix (lose weight rapidly without changing your lifestyle).

I lost 25 pounds with Weight Watchers. Gained it back.
I lost 22 pounds with South Beach Diet. Gained it back.

When I hurt my back AGAIN....(I've had two back surgeries) and then soon afterwards had my gallbladder removed, I finally decided that *I* want to lose weight for good, for me. I made lifestyle changes! I had alot of problems after my gallbladder was removed and my doctor said that I'd need to be on a low fat "diet" for the rest of my life. SO, I changed what I eat and how much I eat and how often I eat. I lost 30 pounds EASILY! I eat snacks, never go "hungry, and due to my spinal problems.....don't exercise much (walking). So, if I were able to REALLY exercise......I would lose much more.

It's in my head! I decided to make a change. *I* do it. I don't expect help from any foods, supplements, pills, etc. This is just like quitting smoking. YOU have to decide to DO it, not try it.

I hope that makes sense and comes across the way I hope it does. You don't NEED a program. You need to make a decision and stick with it.

 

[ead79]

This won't be a popular response.........but any "program" will work IF you have decided that YOU want to work to lose weight. Those programs will not do it FOR you. And you can lose weight without using a program! People are always looking for the quick fix (lose weight rapidly without changing your lifestyle).

I lost 25 pounds with Weight Watchers. Gained it back.
I lost 22 pounds with South Beach Diet. Gained it back.

When I hurt my back AGAIN....(I've had two back surgeries) and then soon afterwards had my gallbladder removed, I finally decided that *I* want to lose weight for good, for me. I made lifestyle changes! I had alot of problems after my gallbladder was removed and my doctor said that I'd need to be on a low fat "diet" for the rest of my life. SO, I changed what I eat and how much I eat and how often I eat. I lost 30 pounds EASILY! I eat snacks, never go "hungry, and due to my spinal problems.....don't exercise much (walking). So, if I were able to REALLY exercise......I would lose much more.

It's in my head! I decided to make a change. *I* do it. I don't expect help from any foods, supplements, pills, etc. This is just like quitting smoking. YOU have to decide to DO it, not try it.

I hope that makes sense and comes across the way I hope it does. You don't NEED a program. You need to make a decision and stick with it.

I just wanted to say that I think that is a wonderful response. It's a decision, not a program that equals success. And for me it wasn't a one-time decision. I have to choose to stick with it every time I feel bored or discouraged.

The only additional point I would make is that I do think that choosing a sensible weight loss method (whether it be low-fat, calorie control, portion control, a mix of these or WW, etc.) is critical to success. If, for instance, you chose a diet that involved only shakes for every lunch, you would probably not be able to stick with that for a lifetime and would thus gain the weight back. It's important to choose a method you can live with.

 

[dvcfamily41801]

I joined 3 times and the first time I had great success with it. I was also just married, my husband worked a lot of nights and I am one that could eat the same thing every day for lunch and the same thing for dinner so I did not have to worry.

The other two times, I had success, in the beginning but got frustrated when I hit that plateau where you lose nothing or 1/2 a pound.

Then the beginning of this year I tried WW Online and it was a train wreck. Started out strong but then once I got behind in entering what I ate, just said forget it.

I think it is key to stay for meetings, as you get suggestions for points, menus, snacks, etc., and keeps you motivated.

You may want to check out the WISH boards as I am sure you will get a lot of info over there!

Good luck, as you may have guessed, I am in the same boat, I really should join again.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I lost 26 pounds in 2003 and became Lifetime. I still go once a month to weigh in. I think it is a good program because it is healthy eating that you can use as a lifestyle change. It is not a "diet". This really does agree with what LindaR said.

 

[fofinia]

HI! I'm currently doing WW's right now. I had done it 7 years ago. I lost 16 lbs then in about 3 1/2 months. Of course I went off plan, got married, had two kids etc, etc. Well now I have a lot more to lose. So I've lost 15 lbs as of now. And I just went thru a difficult plateau. I bounced up and down the same two pounds for 6 weeks. I don't know why. But I lost this week and that is two weeks in a row. So I'm hoping!!

I joined with my younger sister. She really needed encouragement. And we attend meetings. It's a pain because I have two small kids and I either have to bring them or find a sitter. But sometimes I do get some really good encouragement there. And I know it helps my sister. She is down 26 lbs.

Good luck. And I agree with the person who said you have to decide that this time it's for real for you. That is how I feel about it. I actually wanted to quit during this plateau, but didn't because I don't want to gain it all back.