It's late and I'm tired and I don't have a lot of time to chat... but I really feel like I must respond.
I tried WW for the very first time when I was about 13 or 14 years old. I lost the 20 (ish) pounds I probably needed/wanted to, maintained it off through high school and most of college and didn't really think much about WW during all of those years. But of course, post-college years, early marriage years, and baby years changed all of that. And I probably joined and rejoined WW at least 5 times between 1994 and 2004, with varying degrees of success. My longest time of actively working at it (attending meetings, journaling, etc) was almost a full year (2003). But I NEVER hit my goal weight.... I never even really got closer to it than maybe within 30 pounds before I would "fall off the wagon" for one reason or another.
I started WW again on 01/02/2008..... on my own this time. I didn't want to spend the $$ on meetings that I kept missing and I wasn't sure if WW online would work for me. I had the paperwork, the point slider, the knowledge and the desire.... I just needed to DO IT. Between that day and now I have lost 88 pounds and maintained that loss for over a year now. Sure, I'd like to drop just a few more pounds (less than 5), but I am NOT going to complain about maintaining in the low 130's!!
I wish i could tell you exactly what "CLICKED" for me this time. I originally started up the weight loss again because we were going back to Disney and I didn't want to be fatter than I had been on the previous trip. I lost enough to return to Disney thinner than previously... and when we got home, I got right back on plan and haven't stopped since!!
I don't do anything "unusual" for WW. I track every bite, every day. YUP, every bite, every day. I still weigh/measure most of my foods. I still use my points slider EVERY DAY to check new foods. I eat lots of fruits and vegetables. I avoid most processed/packaged foods (including WW brand and Smart Ones). I eat lowfat dairy at least once or twice a day. I eat my healthy oils (mostly in the form of salad dressing.... but probably not as much as I should). I exercise on average 60-90 minutes a day 3 days a week and 30-45 minutes another 3 days. I try to not eat after 8:30 pm. I never (well, almost never) skip meals or snacks. I rarely eat white carbs (white breads, crackers, potatoes, rice, pasta, etc).
I will say that YES, I am hungry... probably more often than I should be. But veggies are my friend! And I've created a large list of very low point snacks for myself. With the new Points Plus system that has zero point fruits too, you should be able to keep yourself full easier. I still do "old school" WW Points, so no zero point fruits for me. If you make SMART choices with your foods, there is almost no reason to go hungry. But, of course, if you choose to spend your points on Oreos instead of fruit and lowfat dairy (for example), then you WILL be hungry because obviously you can't eat as many Oreos for, say 4 points, as you can fruit and lowfat dairy.
After a while you do learn to eat for FUEL, rather than entertainment and/or boredom. I actually do find myself thinking about what my body needs (calcium, protein, fiber, etc) rather than what I "want" to eat. It has been a big change in my thinking and a long process.
So any how, I just want to say that YES, WW does work... even if you've tried it over and over. Sometimes it takes some time for it to "click". If you use the system properly, it WILL work. It is an excellent system and a very healthy well balanced system. If you can keep up with the journaling and points counting, you will do well.
PM me if you have any more questions.... I'd be happy to chat more............P
Thank you for taking the time to share all of that with me. Good luck to you with everything and thank you!
