Thinking about joining weight watchers

I did my own fitness thing, then joined WW and then joined MFP.
I dropped 15 lbs on my own, then 25 on WW. I maintained for a year, and then decided to try MFP for the final 32-37 lb drop.

I personally liked WW because I enjoyed the accountablilty of weighing in each week. Also, I liked the WW leader, the meeting members and I always went to the same lady for my weigh in. She was great! The people were really supportive. That's where I first learned about CrossFit. One woman had plateaued for a few months and was getting really frustrated and she joined CrossFit and things started changing.
Another guy had lost almost 200 lbs and was still dropping and decided to train for a 5K and he set up a weekly walk/run with other WW members. They had a group on FaceBook and they were all very supportive of each other.

I think it depends on what you really need and what you are looking for.
I needed WW in the beginning. After a while I felt I didn't need it anymore and didn't want to spend the money.
So I joined MFP.

I really like how MFP counts calories because I can also track my sodium, sugar, fat, carb, protein, etc... intake. And that's important to me. I tend to eat high sodium foods and I want to cut back on those. I also tend to eat high sugar foods, and now I can see better which foods those are.
While tracking points was ok and a little easier than calories, I find MFP's way more effective for me.

Also, I am finding lots of supportive friends here. And lots of people here who are very inspiring to me and keep me motivated.

Oh, and MFP has a more extensive food database.

:laugh:

What are you going to do afterwards?

If you want to pay someone to tell you what to eat I have a paypal account.

I did weight watchers. However I did not attend meeting. I just used the materials on my own. I got my support from family members who were doing weight watchers(and going to meetings) and from message boards. I lost 120 lbs on WW however I must say exercise was a big part of the weight loss. I got into running and long distance cycling. I had to give up running due to bad knees and made a conscious decision to "splurge" which eventually became too frequent and I gained weight. Now, I'm using mfp to lose the 20+ lbs. I am a big supporter of weight watchers as I know it works. I am using mfp because its free and because with the new WW system, you really can't calculate the points as easy(50cal no longer equals 1 pt). A difference I'm noticing is on mfp I feel like I have more freedom. I am staying within my calorie goal and eating things that I enjoy. On WW I ate very very very little fat and protien and a lot of carbs including fruits and veggies. It worked at the time but I can't go back to it. I used to eat a giant size bowl of broccoli with butter spray and hot sauce every day while my family ate pizza or whatever. Now, I can't even stand the smell of that let alone eat a mouthful:) On mfp, I'm eating eggs and full fat cheese (in moderation) as well as grains and I am not as hungry as I was on WW when I was eating a lot of carbs.

Weight Watchers has helped a lot of people, though I'm not sure what their stats are for permanent weight loss. My suggestion would be to do some studying on your own...become a detective of your own body and what it needs. There is simply no out-of-the-box programs that are going to work for everyone long term, at some point you have to take responsibility and learn what food helps YOU reach YOUR goals. How much protein do you need? What is YOUR carb tipping point? That kind of thing.

If you're thinking of WW as a place for accountability, what about joining a meet-up group or searching MFP for some local ppl that you can check in with. Ultimately, tho, it comes down to YOU and YOU doing the work. I'm a huge proponent that we need each other for encouragement, but leaning on a program or another person without knowing your own personal needs will simply be a waste of everyone's time.

Just my two cents. I've been to this place more times than I can tell you.

Weight Watchers has helped a lot of people, though I'm not sure what their stats are for permanent weight loss. My suggestion would be to do some studying on your own...become a detective of your own body and what it needs. There is simply no out-of-the-box programs that are going to work for everyone long term, at some point you have to take responsibility and learn what food helps YOU reach YOUR goals. How much protein do you need? What is YOUR carb tipping point? That kind of thing.

You got it right - NO PROGRAM (including MFP) will work long-term (or forever) if you're not committed to doing it for a LIFETIME. The programs do not fail - the people do (though they like to blame it on the program).

I disagree. I worked with a nutritionist who had me on what was basically the zone diet. I followed it strictly, checked in with her a couple times a week and did strength and cardio training, and after 8 weeks I hadn't lost an ounce. There were hormones at play and some other issues going on in my body that needed addressing. Not every program will work for every person, and there are very few that you can take and not make any adjustments to that will work long term.

That said, if a person is committed to getting the job done and making lifestyle changes that support their goals, almost any program can be used as a STARTING POINT. Pick one that, after being a detective of your own body and gaining insight, meets your needs and that you can stick to.

I haven't tried weight watchers so I honestly don't know if they work or not. I do know people who joined and failed.
Have you tried seeing a nutritionist first...or better yet, your doctor who should know what you body needs based on your blood samples and whatnot.
Or instead of trying different eating diets...try different fitness regiments. Get a personal trainer, or a workout dvd. Get moving. Try something your body is not used to because shock is the ultimate way to counter a plateau.
But hey, if you want to give it a go, go ahead. Ask for a free trial. Maybe they can let you test it out before you commit. I mean, even landlords let you see the place before you rent. That's how you know if they moderately care about you, or just your money. A lot of gyms care about money but even they would let you try it out for a week or so.

Yes, been thinking about this for sometime now. Will be joining, next week. Thanks