WW and Atkins questions??

[gillis95]

--WW

What exactly does WW do? What are the points? I see them on Lean Cuisine packages. Do all foods (real foods) have 'points'? Do they sell package foods or teach you to eat real food? What are you paying for?

I did JC years ago after college and I'm a lifetime member. I went back for a month after baby and lost a lot of the baby weight but due to our finances could not afford to keep going.

Any info would be great.

--Atkins

I tried Atkins after quitting JC. My mom lost weight doing it but I can't seem to stay with it. I hate to cook and like easy super quick stuff. I had a hard tiime finding things to eat after 3 days. I like eggs but after 3 days I actually had a hard time swallowing them. Sliced Roastbeef w/ mozz cheese for lunch and I don't remember what I ate for dinner. What do you people eat for months on end??? This probably is not the plan for me since I believe I won't stick with it if its too hard 'for me'. Thanks!!!


I do believe we all are not going through weight loss but rather weight management and that is a lifetime thing. I know I could never avoid carbs the rest of my life and I would be truelly miserable!

Thanks for any info WISHers.

 

[Melora]

I don't know a lot about weight watchers but I do know that every day foods do have points... as a matter of fact just about everything you can think of has a point. I alwyas felt like i was starving on WW.

I feel like I am an advertisement but I have to say again try http://bodyforlife.com/ and also http://www.hussman.org/fitness/.

Good info on both sights!

 

[webray]

Hubby and I are doing atkins and we are eating the best, tastiest food. We find the meals very easy to cook, even meals to get ready ahead of time that reheat quickly and easily to pack for lunches. You don't have to avoid carbs for the rest of your life..you just learn how to eat them properly and how your body reacts to them so that you can keep your weight off.

Did you use the atkins books when you got started last time...follow his suggested menus (they are very involved..we only did that one week). Then I used his suggested menu as guidlines and made my own menus every week..much easier.


Good luck in whatever you choose to do!

 

[Nancy]

I am a WW person. I love the program. Every food item has a point system based on the calories, fat grams and dietary fiber. They give you a points claculater your first day. Most of WW is portion control. There are alot of 0 points foods that you can load up on. I eat everything I used to, just smaller portions. I now eat tons of salad with FF dressing. They don't have pre-packaged foods you have to buy, they do sell 2 point bars and smoothy mixes, but you don't have to buy their stuff. You pay mainly for the meetings and the support. At first my husband thought it was crazy for me to pay someone to tell me how to eat. But I love the meetings! If I wasn't paying and going to the meetings I would have given up on this months ago. WW also has a web site that you can join. This way if you don't like structured meetings you can do WW on-line.

Never tried Atkins...but I know I couldn't do it because there are so many things that I wouldn't be able to eat. But I know people who have done very well with it.

I like to say I'm changing my lifestyle...I am NOT dieting!

 

[MelanieC]

Hi gillis95,

Well you have the start to success this time. You already understand that you have to find something that you can do for a lifetime! Way to go on realizing that before you even start.

This is my second time on WW's and the first time I lost 37 pounds, but I hadn't realized it was a lifetime journey and gained almost all of that back.

This year I have lost 26.8 pounds, but I know that this is a lifetime journey. It has made all of the difference in the world. I eat healthier than I have ever eaten in my life, and I feel on top of the world. This time I know that I will succeed.

WW's uses real, everyday food. No food is off limits. It just teaches you how much you should eat for your weight to be able to loose weight. It teaches you what portions are and when to know you have had enough food for the day. It also teaches you to make sure you eat enough. Some people who diet, eat too little thinking they are doing what they need to do to loose weight. If they don't eat enough thier bodies say.....hold on and the metabolism slows down and they actually gain. This is why some people who try to diet never succeed, or they say I can't loose weight.

No food to buy, but they do have foods in the stores with the points already on it if you choose to eat these. I did at the beginning, and it really helped me when I didn't know what to eat and when it was hard in the beginning. I have since learned that I enjoy getting those processed foods out of my diet and I make a healthy lunch instead. Those frozen meals are full of sodium, hydrogenated oils and chemicals. It doesn't mean I won't eat them, I have just learned how to do the lunches myself. At the beginning, they allowed me to follow the program until I learned it.

Foods get points based on a formula. Calories/fat grams and fiber grams. Once you get your points calculator at the meetings, you can figure out how many points are in food based on the nutritional info on the packages. Your first week book comes with a list of foods and points. Mostly, the kinds that don't have nutrional labels, or generic points. They average the points of several brands. It is best though, when buying something that has a label to use that. You can also buy a guide ($5) called the complete food guide, that has a much more extensive list, plus a list of convience foods.

Also, you can visit Dotties Weight Loss Zone

Dotties Weight Loss Zone

There are restaurant points, other food points (like a lot of meat points) go under site map and on the left hand side there are links to the food points. General food is not in there, but is in the first weeks books. I also have a word copy of the complete food guide. If you want a copy, PM me.

Good luck in deciding. Hopefully I explained it well enough for you. I really love the program.

Melanie