Weight Watchers

[deedisneydream97]

That is one of the reasons I don't like the WW points. If you follow the small print, you will end up eating whole foods and proteins - but the broader message is "eat what you want, just don't exceed your points"

Weight Watchers has really changed for the better in the last few years...they now focus more on your mind-set, eating more good protein, less bad carbs, choosing fruit over empty calories, strong on the veggies. They have program guidelines for diabetics, gluten free, etc. You can attend a meeting for free....check it out on their website to see if a meeting near you is offering it.

There is also a free on-line program out there called Sparkpeople.com. They also have recipe builders, activity counters and message boards. I need the accountability of a meeting and weekly weigh in, but not everyone has the time.

I've lost 30 lbs...I find their simply filling program the easiest to follow. And since I am close to 60, the only exercise I do is walking 3 miles a day, using some handweights and doing some simple stretching exercises.

I personally hate all of their pre-packaged snacks and frozen foods...except their mac and cheese once in a while. I have the time to cook from scratch and very rarely use any processed foods (like rice a roni, noodles & sauce, etc.).

I found that whole grain and whole weight pasta is not going to kill me, and I actually like brown rice now.

Good luck in whatever you decide. Just taking the step....knowing that you need to do something...is a big step.

 

[brazzledazzler]

The Good: I have lost 60 lbs since joining in April 2012, and kept it off. Since then, not only has WW affected my health, but I'm a half-marathon runner and I got happier about my life and found love since then (married as of April 2015!)! Weight Watchers works, if you put in the work.

The Bad:
-You need to change what you eat, you can eat junk food and drink alcohol, but rarely. You need to really change your lifestyle.
-You need to be honest to yourself and keep track of every lick and bite of food you eat daily. If you don't, you won't lose weight.
-You need to increase your activity.
-This needs to be a life change.

The Ugly:
-For me, the meetings and the weighing in are the only thing that work versus online. They give you support and make you accountable, but it costs $40 a month.
-Tracking your food can be annoying and frustrating, and difficult.

 

[MagicalMawMaw]

My husband, daughter & I have been doing WW for about 6 months now. We track & count points & weigh in weekly. None if us stay for the meetings however.

Doing it as a family has worked great for us. We have totally changed our way of eating. Like snacks are usually fresh fruit & dessert is not on the menu very often.

It is really working for us. I reached my goal last week. I lost 25+ lbs & am at my desired weight. I'm now aiming to be a lifetime member & be able to use the tracking app for free.

My daughter & husband have lost 24 lbs & 31lbs. They both have 15 to 20 left to reach their goal.

It is not the fastest way to lose weight but it for sure works! I love mexican food & find I can eat it often by counting points. Chicken tacos & items like that aren't real high in points.

Good luck if you decide to try it.

 

[crisi]

Weight Watchers has really changed for the better in the last few years...they now focus more on your mind-set, eating more good protein, less bad carbs, choosing fruit over empty calories, strong on the veggies. They have program guidelines for diabetics, gluten free, etc. You can attend a meeting for free....check it out on their website to see if a meeting near you is offering it.

I did it recently and discovered it depends on your meeting. I went to a few meetings, and depending on the size of the meeting, the facilitator, and the dynamics of the group, some were better than others - some groups/facilitators really wanted to teach how to get the most chocolate or potato chips out of your points. The one the worked for my schedule really didn't work for my habits, and after six weeks I dropped it. Which is a shame, this was my fourth time, and the first time I dropped before hitting my goal weight. (I gain ten to fifteen pounds over my goal weight, still within my "normal" weight band - then go lose it - and I've been doing this now for 25 years - so my first WW experience was probably in the mid 90s.) I want to say that our facilitator was incredibly inspiring when it came to the exercise portion, he was just obsessed about the maximizing food part of it (and selling the crap). Which is why he had managed to lose weight and keep it off, he'd gone from a couch potato to a marathon runner who was 80 lbs less than his previous self - but because he burned all those calories running, he could spend lots of points on Doritos.

A bad WW group is like a bad AA group, where you talk about how much fun you had when you drank (ate).

 

[crazycatstacy]

I have been doing weight watchers online since March and have lost 25 pounds. It has not been a quick fix for me but is certainly working and flexible to my life.