Weight Watchers anyone?

[sherry7]

Budget buster! In my area, Weight Watchers is $13 per week, although registration is free right now. That's not to mention the added cost for the online features if you want them, the restaurant point books, etc.

I'm hanging onto about 14-15 lbs of post pregnancy weight that I really need to get serious about and lose.

I did Weight Watchers a few years back, and mainly did it at home after getting the materials at a meeting. However, they have a new PointsPlus plan now, and I'm not sure if I'd still be able to do it on my own.

Is anyone else doing Weight Watchers, or planning to start it after New Years? Any suggestions on how to lessen the cost of following the program?

edit: $13 per week, not month.

 

[robind]

I believe if you do the monthly pass it comes to about $9 a week and it includes the eTools.

 

[crisi]

Why not start you own support group for FREE? Have weekly meetings of like minded friends. Do weigh ins (people can share or just track). Share tips and recipes. Have a bunch get together three or four times a week to walk or jog or swim. Take the $10 a week and put it in the bank.

Losing weight is hard, but the system to do it isn't hard. Calories out greater than calories in. Keeping a food journal helps. Drink lots of water, eat lots of vegetables, cut out the crap, control your portions, and get some exercise.

I like WW, I don't think its $13 a week good.

 

[RangerPooh]

Depending on where I have lived/attended meetings I have paid between $11-$15/week so to me $13 is pretty good.

There are loads of websites that have information on them that you would find in the dining out books. So this is one way to lessen the costs. You could also look online (ebay, craigslist, etc) for someone selling last years edition (if your meeting location no longer has it) at a discounted price. To help with calorie counting I have found several apps that I have used on both the iphone and android phones. The apps were free and have worked well.

If you decide to not continue with WW due to the cost you can do your own weekly weigh-ins here on the dis. The forum for that is located below the community page.

 

[Where'sPiglet?]

Try Sparkpeople.com. It's FREE and they have many of the same features (food & activity tracking, recipes, community, etc) as Weight Watchers.

 

[ziggystardust]

i just joined again. I have about 10-15 lbs i want to lose and needed to be accountable again.

I did the monthly pass last time which wasn't too expensive but i found that i never went to meetings so this time I did the 3 month plan. It came to about $53 for the 3 months. It will get me used to the new plan and forces me to keep track of my daily intake. Plus now I have an iphone, so I will constantly be checking my points on the go.

Hopefully I'll hit my goal and won't have to renew

 

[DaniB]

Why not start you own support group for FREE? Have weekly meetings of like minded friends. Do weigh ins (people can share or just track). Share tips and recipes. Have a bunch get together three or four times a week to walk or jog or swim. Take the $10 a week and put it in the bank.

Losing weight is hard, but the system to do it isn't hard. Calories out greater than calories in. Keeping a food journal helps. Drink lots of water, eat lots of vegetables, cut out the crap, control your portions, and get some exercise.

This!

Before we were married, had a mortgage, kids, etc - I did WW for about a month, and then quit & continued on my own. I lost 50 lbs! Years later, it slowly crept up again.

Last year, I joined a group out my way. We chipped in $35 a piece (I think that's what it was) and met once a week for weigh-in and weight loss ideas. Those who lost weight got a ticket for a prize (3 drawn weekly). Those who gained weight put $1 per pound into the prize pot.

After 12 weeks, our weight was tallied up and 3 people won cash for most weight lost (50/30/20 division) and 1 person for most decreased waist size won the rest of the money.

I did this twice for my trip. Between January to September I lost 30 pounds! I also came in 2nd place the first time around and came home with $135 for our Disney trip!

Ohh, and I'm convinced that I lost so much weight in the first round because I counted every calorie! I did not bother for the second challenge and did not lose even 1/2 as much weight.

I drank a ton of water, walked 5 KMs daily (Mon-Fri that is), forced myself to eat veggies (I don't like them...), and cut my food portions way way down. Turns out I was eating 4,000 - 5,000 calories a day! Seriously!

Between November & December... I don't wanna know.. I'm going to weigh myself tomorrow but I'm sure I have gone up 10 pounds...

Hubby & I are going to start our weight loss program all over as of the 1st. Have another 9 months to lose whatever I gained in the past 2 months and hopefully another 20 lbs before we hit Disney again!

 

[pantherlj]

Just my .02. WW was the only way I could lose the 20 pounds I needed to. I tried with friends, online, etc and they never worked for me personally. If you haven't tried those you might want to first.

Having said that $13 a week for your health isn't bad. It isn't forever. Not sure how it works at most places but through my job once you hit your lifetime goal weight it was free. Maybe you have to do at least 6 months paid first or something though, that was a few years ago.

People spend more on maintaining their cars (ie oil changes) then they do their own health. It was save you more in the long run if you maintain your health just like it will your car.

I have about 10 to drop after breaking a toe and gaining 10 of 20 WW pounds back. I have tried with a coworker and online and it's just not working so going to to back to WW soon.

Good luck!!

 

[kellia]

In Jan, our new insurance covers it. $35 for 3 months, I think, so I'll be trying it. Check yours!

 

[leagirl12]

WW is the only thing I have ever lost weight on. Unfortunately I have been off the wagon for a while but am getting back on next week. Last time I lost weight I went to a few meetings to get the idea and then did it on my own. I plant to do that with this new plan as well. WW is actually running a promotion where you can buy the Monthly Pass for 50% off. So only $20 for a month of meetings and access to their internet info. A month should be enough time to get the info you need to do it on your own.

Good Luck!!!!

 

[jessrose18]

WW is the only thing I have ever lost weight on. Unfortunately I have been off the wagon for a while but am getting back on next week. Last time I lost weight I went to a few meetings to get the idea and then did it on my own. I plant to do that with this new plan as well. WW is actually running a promotion where you can buy the Monthly Pass for 50% off. So only $20 for a month of meetings and access to their internet info. A month should be enough time to get the info you need to do it on your own.

Good Luck!!!!

I just looked up the monthy pass it was $39.95 which includes meetings and the use of their website. Is it a special promo for the 1/2 off????

Just checked my deleted hotmail, I had an email from ww for 1/2 off the first month of month pass...thanks for mentioning this

 

[mamaLori05]

I purchased the books and calculator off ebay and googled ww info and found a ton online. If you want to find out how many points you can eat, google ww points, etc... and you will find everything you need to know. I think I spent about $30 total and did the program on my own. It worked for me, so well in fact that my dh started doing the plan as well. We became our own support group and it worked out really well for us.

 

[shelwoj]

I found that weekly meetings were not for me. I hated listening to the whining about junk food (even "diet" junk food) being sooo many points. I love using online and the message boards. Right now online is waving the registration fee when you purchase the three month plan. If you have a smart phone you can access everything (the calculator etc.) on it. Whatever you decide I wish you luck and good health.

 

[happily single]

Everyone has forgotten to mention that with the new plan you HAVE to purchase the new points caluclator. It was on sale for $5.95 but I anytime now it its going up to $11.95.

I did belong to Weight Watchers until just last week. I found myfitnesspal here and follow that so I stopped weight watchers.

 

[tchrrx]

I am heading to the grocery store later today. What are your favorite WW friendly foods?

 

[Inigo]

My best friend has lost about 45 pounds since August following WW. She goes to the meetings and has the on-line program too. I have her password so I'm able to look on-line for recipes.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I am heading to the grocery store later today. What are your favorite WW friendly foods?

Amaretto yogurt Also vanilla bean yogurt. Green beans, celery, grape tomatoes... that's the 'good' - well, good for you - stuff. I still have a lonnnnnnnnnng way to go to retrain my eating habits. I more or less live on cheap frozen dinners.

 

[rigs32]

I think the new points formula is better for long term success. It has thrown in an element of low-carb and focusing on natural, healthy foods rather than high fiber processed foods. I started using the online stuff last weekend. I'm already 2 lbs down. My snacks are fresh fruit (now 0 points!) rather than Fiber One bars like th last time I used WW (2005).

It's also the only plan that's worked for me long term. Atkins or South Beach I found too hard to maintain long term. With WW, I can recover from a bad day much easier.

 

[sherry7]

I think the new points formula is better for long term success. It has thrown in an element of low-carb and focusing on natural, healthy foods rather than high fiber processed foods. I started using the online stuff last weekend. I'm already 2 lbs down. My snacks are fresh fruit (now 0 points!) rather than Fiber One bars like the last time I used WW (2005).

It's also the only plan that's worked for me long term. Atkins or South Beach I found too hard to maintain long term. With WW, I can recover from a bad day much easier.

Totally agreed about the new points plan. From everything I've read so far, it seems like a much healthier program than the old one.

Just an update (I started the thread): I got an email with a link to get 50% off the first month of Monthly Pass, so it would be $19.95 for the first month instead of $39.95. Registration is free right now. I plan on joining for the one month, and buying the deluxe kit (books, electronic calculator, etc) which is around $35 or $40. After the first month, I'll cancel and do it at home (which I did successfully once before).

 

[crisi]

I liked the really old "non points" plan that was about portion control and servings in a day. That one really taught you how to eat.