Is anyone else a Weight Watcher?

[MandaBean]

Just wondering if we have some WW members among us? If so, tell me about your experience so far. I've been practicing the WW way of eating since last July, and about a month ago, I decided to become an online member. Anyone?

[lauren grier]

no. :D LOL apparently I just NEEDED to reply lol

[MandaBean]

no. :D LOL apparently I just NEEDED to reply lol

You are a skinny nerd.

[lauren grier]

lol I'm certainly not a skinny one.. nerd maybe.. lol but I am no twig. WW always just seemed too complicated for me.. either that or I'm lazy.

[Amber1279]

I did it before I got pregnant with my DD - I lost about 20lbs. After I had her I just could not get back in the swing of it. For me I end up obsessing about the food I am eating.

[KristinCB]

I will be following points after baby is born. I find its the easiest thing, I just have to find a healthy balance between doing it and not going completely obsessed with it. To meet somewhere in the middle would be great. :)

[meems]

The first time I did it, it was like i discovered a new religion. I thought it was the greatest thing. And it really got me to eat better. But the novelty of it wore off and I quit. :thumbdown: If I could just get my mindset back to those first days . . .

[Teresa]

Gosh I'm with you, Mimi!! I need that first few days/months momentum to stay. :)

I've never tired WW, Manda, but at this point I'm game for just about anything (see my "wish").....I'm not very excited to pay for an online membership, though- is there anything that's free? :) I've tried SparkPeople many times on my own, but it just doesn't keep the momentum up for me anymore.

[sczos911]

Me! Me!

I'm a meeting go-er though since I adore my leader. 6:00 AM on a Saturday! :) I love 20 pounds before my girls were born and re-lost that 20 plus another 15. I only have about 10 to go. I follow the point, but try to focus in on the CORE foods. My body doesn't like refined carbs at all and I have some serious issue with those foods, but I love it. I love that I have balance in my life and that it focuses on behaviors.

[MandaBean]

T, it is possible to follow WW without becoming a member, but I have realized that it's so easy for me to lose control if I am not accountable for everything that goes in my mouth. The online tracker helps with this beautifully.

When I decided that I wanted to try the online system out, I signed up for the 7 day free trial. It sold me right away, and I eventually paid 65$ for the next 3 months. I think that's their safest way to make money since alot of people either want to lose a small amount of weight only, or don't stay on very long. After the 3 months, I think it's like..12$ a month, but I'm not positive on that. Either way, I find it SO worth it.

Why the heck am I talking with YOU about this T? You are stone cold foxy and don't need to lose an ounce. Silly girl!

[Teresa]

Stone cold foxy......LOL, now that's a term I've never even considered!! LOL

You're a pretty recent newlywed, Manda....you know how those "happy honeymoon" pounds can just creep up on ya, right? :) Seriously, I lost 20 lbs for the wedding...gained 'em all back in the last 6 months. I just "feel" unhealthy and don't have a lot of support for getting back on the bandwagon, but I know my overall health is suffering.

I'll check out the 7 day trial and see how it goes- need to do something! I agree that it's really hard to do something on your own with a program like that, so I'm sure the membership is worth it. I'll be keeping an eye on this thread too.

T.

[lauren grier]

do you do the points or the other one miss manda..(I'm looking at the site).. I mean I NEED something that forces me to be accountable.. but most of these types of sites don't really mesh well with the foods I eat..

wth is the trial thing so I can at least look at it properly :D :D

[newfiemountiewife]

I did it, but I got totally obsessed with my food, to the point it was all I thought about. What I used to do was starve all day, and save my points so I could eat junk food at night. I never ever went over points, but obviously that is the wrong way to do it.

If I could figure out a system that I can adapt into my everyday life, and the way we eat, it would be better, but I just didn't have it in me to stick to WW. When I was breastfeeding I did it, but it was easier because I was allowed 10 extra points ROFL

[KristinCB]

Also, there are SO many resources online. One thing you can do is pick up the starter pack of materials online at ebay.. this will give you the basic information etc on points and if you have the dedication to folow it it is alot cheaper. Going to meetings ended up being more unhealthy for me because of my relationship with the scale ( i was actually going to TOPS but following weight wtacher) so this time after the baby I won't be going to any meetings but just with support from my hubby and friends :)

[Nettio]

Gosh I'm with you, Mimi!! I need that first few days/months momentum to stay. :)

I've never tired WW, Manda, but at this point I'm game for just about anything (see my "wish").....I'm not very excited to pay for an online membership, though- is there anything that's free? :) I've tried SparkPeople many times on my own, but it just doesn't keep the momentum up for me anymore.

I used Fitday (http://www.fitday.com/) for a while last year. I liked that it was simple to use and didn't involve too many distractions, lol. I totally hear you about the honeymoon weight though. I'm just finally back to my goal weight and we've been married two years, lol.

[KristinCB]

www.sparkpeople.com is a good one too, i forgot about that one lol :)

[Teresa]

Thanks, Lynnette- I think I've come across FitDay before, but never tried it. :) A lot of the other sites defintely have "distractions"....just need to get it done. Congrats to you!!!

[Kat Stokes]

I'm kinda still doing WW Points. I pay for the online membership but don't really use it much anymore. I'm only 6 lbs. away from my goal but I think the breastfeeding is helping me keep the weight off. I pretty much am just trying to maintain where I'm at now because if I really wanted to lose that extra 6 lbs. I would get away from this darn computer and go to the gym. :p

I love WW because it's so flexible.

Oh, and it's $16.95 a month after the first 3 months is up.

[MandaBean]

16.95..cool, thanks for clearing that up Kathi!

La, I am on the Flex Plan. The other one is core. I would suggest flex for you, I think, since you aren't a meat eater. I could be wrong. Also, I just looked and I guess they aren't running the promo right now. It comes up often though, so keep a check on it if you are interested.

I do stay very obsessed with points and what i eat, but it's never to the point where I starve all day just so I can have a huge meal. It doesn't work like that. You have to train your body to get just the right amount or even more of water, fruits/veggies, healthy oils, dairy, vitamins and exercise. At the same time, you have to learn how to eat for fuel and not for fun.

It's definitely something you have to be serious about if you want it to work for you, and it DOES work. It's so exciting for me when I am at the end of my day and I realize I have points leftover and I'm not starving for something. Only then, will I have a treat and get all my points in for the day.

Now, I only wish I hadn't gone away this weekend and thrown myself way off track with Alabama cuisine...lol!

[Paula]

I am and have lost 113 lbs so far!! WW is the way to go!!

[Teresa]

I am and have lost 113 lbs so far!! WW is the way to go!!

Paula, that's fantastic!!!!! :thumbup: :thumbup:

[MyEbella]

Paula that is awesome....

I did WW before mostly meetings though, but have since joined LA weight loss
it was def. more money up front, but what you calculate each week to cost it is the same price or less since I"m still going (should have been at goal) and it is almost a year later ... (not the best)
but accountable and if I was on WW I know i would have QUIT and NOT gone back!!! so it has helped me tremendously....but if I was better about self control etc.... WW would be good!

[scrapmonkey]

I'm a WW person, too. Technically I'm a Lifetime member, but I gained it back when I started travelling for my job (and then some) years ago (let's just say before the Points system was out there). I've joined up a number of times and lost some but then quit and gained back. Now I've decided to "lead" a few ladies at work to follow it so I can keep myself motivated, but I have about 100 more pounds to lose than them, so it's going to be a long road. We've been doing this a little over a month, and I've lost about 5 pounds, so fingers crossed. :thumbup:

[Paula]

Thanks girls.

[MandaBean]

That's fantastic Paula!! I am so hoping to be in your shoes someday. :) I'm 24 lbs down since I started on my own last July, so it's pretty thrilling for me.

[SaraAmarie]

La, my mom is vegetarian and she is doing WW now. I don't know much about it so I dont know what plan she is on, but it is working well for her.

[MikkelPaige]

Paula, that's AMAZING! Congrats!

Manda - I do it!! I'm going on my own right now (I do the Flex points plan and I get 20 points a day which is tough but necessary).

I would pay the monthly fee for the etools if my budget allowed it but it doesn't right now. I REALLY found it helpful when I did it - just go in, type what I had to eat, type in my exercise...super easy.

Now I'm recording on paper what I eat and if I can't find the points value for something (like the tiny bag of mini M&Ms I had for a treat yesterday) I just do a google search. I'm ALWAYS able to find points values for what I eat online.

I've had success with WW in the past so hopefully it'll work now too! I have a real problem with portion control usually so I love this for that reason (and a few others). Have you guys seen the Fruit Sensations (I think they're called that) Smart Ones meals? YUM!! I bring the Smart Ones to work a lot for lunch and love them!

The reason I can't do CORE is because you can't have alcohol on CORE (or maybe you can if you count it for the weekly points allowance you get? Maybe I don't know enough about it.) and I enjoy a glass of wine a few nights a week :-). But, as I type that and think about it, it is 2 points for a glass of wine and lately I've been opting out of the glass of wine at night b/c I'd rather save the 2 points for other things!!

[aleerichards]

I'm also a WW lover...

I started 2 years ago after I was gaining weight after my first baby instead of losing it! I had 30 pounds to lose and made it in 15 weeks to Lifetime. The same week I became a LT member, I found out I was pregnant with #2. (that was the plan, I needed to lose all the baby weight before having another baby, but it was very HARD for me. I'd just gotten skinny and then I had to give it up and get prego :))

After ds#2 I went back to WW (it was free the second time, since I was LT and just had a baby, you have 3 months to get back down) and I made it to my goal within 12 weeks.

I LOVE WW's b/c it works!! And it really rocked when I was nursing. I love counting points and don't even need to write anything down anymore since I can do it in my head. It's so simple for me, especially since I eat the same breakfast and lunch everyday.

Well, I just wanted to stop in and share my story! LOVE LOVE LOVE it!! And my advice to any of you who are struggling is YOU CAN DO IT! You really have to decide inside you...that THIS IS IT. No more. And stay within your points. You will lose it if you do :)

[Leah]

I'm a wanna-be!! hehe

I was on WW before DS was born (child #3). I lost 30lbs. in only 12 weeks and it was amazing!! I felt awesome! Then I got to my goal weight one week and found out I was pregnant the next (surprise!)

So much for that...

I'm really trying to get the motivation to start again!! I'm 40lbs. heavier than when I reached my goal. Waaaahhhhh!

[digi-gee]

congrats, all you losers!! :thumbup: heehe I'm a WW too. I've lost 20 since July. I need about 15 more off. I'm a slow loser but recently tried the core plan and lost 3.2 in one week! I've tried other's like nutrasystem but I really need the meetings and the encouragement I get from ww.

[Zoe Pearn]

I personally think that WW is the way to go... I've tried everything before, but it seems to be the easiest way to keep on top of it, for me anyway :D

Back in 2004-2005, I lost almost 20kg (44 pounds) following the points plan. I never attended a meeting, but I did it all at home, and even though it was hard, once you start to see the results, it's addictive! I managed to keep it off until I fell pregnant (of course), but now I'm 6kg (13 pounds) heavier than that... :( I've been trying to follow it again at home, but it's definitely coming off slower than it used to - having a baby must do something awful to your metabolism! :p

ETA - One downside is that I now have an addiction to Diet Coke because it's point free - LOL! I just bounce off the walls all day now instead of sitting on my butt ;) Maybe that's why it's point free??

[Sari]

Sort of. :p I did WW last summer to lose some weight. I kinda slacked off and haven't been counting points but just watching what I eat. I totally do it on my own though. There are a ton of great sites with recipes and points calculators to help you out.

I just need to get back to actually counting points again.

[Teresa]

Sari- do you have a quick list of those sites for doing it on your own? :) I've done some searches today, but haven't found a whole lot. I might splurge on the Ebay thing to get the basics, but I'm not sure I want to do the online WW just yet (will wait for the free trial to check it out).

Anyone else doing it from home have any pointers? :)

[Teresa]

Hey ladies- Just wanted to share this with you: I picked up a copy of the newest WW magazine at the grocery store last night (good magazine!!) and found a link to a free trial! :)

Just go to www dot weightwatchers dot com /freetrial. You have to sign up to be automatically charged at the end of 7 days, but if you cancel before that, you won't be charged.

4 lbs down- I'm a believer already (or I just retain water like a sponge)! LOL

[MandaBean]

Hey ladies- Just wanted to share this with you: I picked up a copy of the newest WW magazine at the grocery store last night (good magazine!!) and found a link to a free trial! :)

Just go to www dot weightwatchers dot com /freetrial. You have to sign up to be automatically charged at the end of 7 days, but if you cancel before that, you won't be charged.

4 lbs down- I'm a believer already (or I just retain water like a sponge)! LOL

I'm a sponge too T, but really, any loss is a great loss!! Congrats! I'm so happy you found the magazine and the link. You are going to be pleased with it I think. If you decide to start posting to their message board, lemme know what your name is. :) I'm gonna send you a PM soon'ish K?