Weight Watchers?
springsweet
Posts: 184 Member
Has anyone had success with this program? I've tried it in the past but didn't stick with it. I'm thinking of giving it another shot because I can't seem to make any plan stick for longer than a week on my own. 
Please share your experiences, good and bad! Thanks.
Please share your experiences, good and bad! Thanks.
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Replies
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I did ww for years, I found it to be good....You can do it on line, but you have to pay..Meetings good, but pay even more....Suggest...Buy the book from a bookstore, do it with a buddy...Or, stay on here....A0
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Weight watchers was the perfect fit for me for many years. However...each time they changed the plan, you have to change with it. The last and most recent change to Freestyle left me lost. There were too many food items that became free...not zero but you didn't have to count them. Eggs, beans, chicken breast. The indicate the amount you can eat, but there's still those calories. I was OK with not counting certain fruits and veggies, but beans and eggs? I tried the Freestyle and gained weight. I tried to stick with it for a year to no avail. It was time to move on and I came here. Many still have success with Weight Watchers. It can't hurt to look into it. Good Luck.5
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Bellagrl1956 wrote: »Weight watchers was the perfect fit for me for many years. However...each time they changed the plan, you have to change with it. The last and most recent change to Freestyle left me lost. There were too many food items that became free...not zero but you didn't have to count them. Eggs, beans, chicken breast. The indicate the amount you can eat, but there's still those calories. I was OK with not counting certain fruits and veggies, but beans and eggs? I tried the Freestyle and gained weight. I tried to stick with it for a year to no avail. It was time to move on and I came here. Many still have success with Weight Watchers. It can't hurt to look into it. Good Luck.
This is the same experience with my mom. She had success with it, then had trouble with the changes (along with the change in community mood that it seemed to bring) and she couldn't stick with it.3 -
Nope - tried it for 2 weeks and quit. The group leader told me *not* to eat back any exercise points. Despite training for a half marathon (25+ miles of running a week plus strength training and whatever else). I couldn't sleep because of the very low calories I was on (I figured I was eating less than 1000 a day with the points I was allowed). The final straw was the last two days where I had already eaten all my points, all my "weekly extra points", AND ate back the exercise points and was still shaking and weak from hunger. My workouts were suffering as well.
Also, they are in it to make money. Not get people healthy. I've never understood the "free point" foods. You can absolutely overeat on those. Quick calculation - over half my calories today would be "free" on WW.5 -
If you want the online version they have an option to try it for 1 month. I think it can work for some but you have to make sure that you can control the "free" foods. You have to be reasonable on how many of those foods you eat. I tried it for a month but continued to log my food here periodically. My problem was that I ended up not eating enough. If you try it I would recommend continuing to log here until you get a grasp on how much to eat and still meet your goals. Then periodically recheck as your target goals check.
That (free) list however (which you can find for free online) is a great reminder to low calorie foods that you can incorporate into your eating. I actually concentrate on those foods more now after having tried WW for a month.0 -
Thanks for your comments so far. I realize the program costs $ and I am willing to pay in order to have some accountability. In fact, I have to pay if I want accountability. My husband offers me none - he's always supportive of everything I want to accomplish, but he's overweight himself and his exercise level is very low. So he can't be a good accountability partner. I don't have any close girlfriends I see regularly. Basically what I'm saying is I've tried to do this on my own for a long time and all it's gotten me is more weight. I'm the heaviest I've ever been.
The meetings with other members would be a big help to me I think. I can sit here on my computer at work and talk all day long about what all I'd LIKE to do to lose weight. But at the end of the day (literally) I don't make it happen.
Good suggestion @Annie_01 about the online/digital option - I could try that for a month, and if miraculously I do see success with it then yay! But if not, then I could go to the next option which would be the app plus in person coaching and meetings.
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Ha. I suggested to my hubby about starting with the cheapest plan (the digital only) to see if that one would work, and he made a good point. He said "don't set yourself up to fail from the start"... good point.
Oh and I would definitely stay on here as well. I've been on mfp for years now. Even though I haven't lost weight, I still like coming here.0 -
springsweet wrote: »Ha. I suggested to my hubby about starting with the cheapest plan (the digital only) to see if that one would work, and he made a good point. He said "don't set yourself up to fail from the start"... good point.
I think a big benefit of the weight watchers for a lot of people is the in-person meetings, so it is good he helped you upgrade!1 -
I really wanted to like weight watchers, but I just couldn't find a meeting that I felt a part of.1
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hi Sweet...another suggest ask people what they though was the best program, I know this is a bit retro, but it may work...And look up Amazon... A0
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WW changed my life. WW is where I learned the value of tracking. I only started 1 time in 2006. I lost about 35 lbs, made Lifetime and only left because we moved in 2017. As a Lifetime member who stayed at goal weight I attended meetings for free from late 2006 until January, 2017.
Two things about the meetings. One is I wouldn’t have maintained at GW without attending at least once per month and staying in their system. Also, I found the meeting mostly to be the school of what not to do. I don’t mean the topic of the day, I didn’t pay those much attention. But observing the people come and go.
The first thing I noticed about WW was the revolving door. Then I noticed a patern, the path to quitting- for whatever reason, eat over you number. Then decide to quit tracking because you’re over your number. Then, because you aren’t tracking, decide you are going to eat all the things you feel you’ve been deprived of. Then vow to start over tomorrow. Then next week. Maybe someday. Then don’t come to the meeting because you’re “off program.”
So I vowed not to do those things. Now I don’t think it’s possible to track for long without going over you number. I’ve misread, menus and NI. I’ve done bad arithmetic. I’ve lost concentration, been overly tired, made bad judgments, been distracted, there are a lot of ways to make mistakes. But I tracked them all no matter what. I did my best to record what I ate and drank and come up with a good faith number. As long as I was tracking, I never thought of myself as off program.
After about 5-6 years of tracking I found I could maintain without it. But if you ask me now at any point in the day, I can likely tell you what I’ve eaten and the calories.
We eventually moved away. I tried the local meeting but it just wasn’t the same. But I seem to maintain ok without it now. So you asked for experiences with WW, that’s mine.
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WW changed my life. WW is where I learned the value of tracking. I only started 1 time in 2006. I lost about 35 lbs, made Lifetime and only left because we moved in 2017. As a Lifetime member who stayed at goal weight I attended meetings for free from late 2006 until January, 2017.
Two things about the meetings. One is I wouldn’t have maintained at GW without attending at least once per month and staying in their system. Also, I found the meeting mostly to be the school of what not to do. I don’t mean the topic of the day, I didn’t pay those much attention. But observing the people come and go.
The first thing I noticed about WW was the revolving door. Then I noticed a patern, the path to quitting- for whatever reason, eat over you number. Then decide to quit tracking because you’re over your number. Then, because you aren’t tracking, decide you are going to eat all the things you feel you’ve been deprived of. Then vow to start over tomorrow. Then next week. Maybe someday. Then don’t come to the meeting because you’re “off program.”
So I vowed not to do those things. Now I don’t think it’s possible to track for long without going over you number. I’ve misread, menus and NI. I’ve done bad arithmetic. I’ve lost concentration, been overly tired, made bad judgments, been distracted, there are a lot of ways to make mistakes. But I tracked them all no matter what. I did my best to record what I ate and drank and come up with a good faith number. As long as I was tracking, I never thought of myself as off program.
After about 5-6 years of tracking I found I could maintain without it. But if you ask me now at any point in the day, I can likely tell you what I’ve eaten and the calories.
We eventually moved away. I tried the local meeting but it just wasn’t the same. But I seem to maintain ok without it now. So you asked for experiences with WW, that’s mine.
Wow, thanks for sharing! I really want to make this work for me and I think if I go to meetings and continue to do so, it will! It makes me feel motivated just imagining it.
What does it take to become a Lifetime member?0 -
WW taught me portion control and how to plan for Events such as Trips and holidays and still be overall on plan. I was on the program for 4 years; no regrets.1
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springsweet wrote: »WW changed my life. WW is where I learned the value of tracking. I only started 1 time in 2006. I lost about 35 lbs, made Lifetime and only left because we moved in 2017. As a Lifetime member who stayed at goal weight I attended meetings for free from late 2006 until January, 2017.
Two things about the meetings. One is I wouldn’t have maintained at GW without attending at least once per month and staying in their system. Also, I found the meeting mostly to be the school of what not to do. I don’t mean the topic of the day, I didn’t pay those much attention. But observing the people come and go.
The first thing I noticed about WW was the revolving door. Then I noticed a patern, the path to quitting- for whatever reason, eat over you number. Then decide to quit tracking because you’re over your number. Then, because you aren’t tracking, decide you are going to eat all the things you feel you’ve been deprived of. Then vow to start over tomorrow. Then next week. Maybe someday. Then don’t come to the meeting because you’re “off program.”
So I vowed not to do those things. Now I don’t think it’s possible to track for long without going over you number. I’ve misread, menus and NI. I’ve done bad arithmetic. I’ve lost concentration, been overly tired, made bad judgments, been distracted, there are a lot of ways to make mistakes. But I tracked them all no matter what. I did my best to record what I ate and drank and come up with a good faith number. As long as I was tracking, I never thought of myself as off program.
After about 5-6 years of tracking I found I could maintain without it. But if you ask me now at any point in the day, I can likely tell you what I’ve eaten and the calories.
We eventually moved away. I tried the local meeting but it just wasn’t the same. But I seem to maintain ok without it now. So you asked for experiences with WW, that’s mine.
Wow, thanks for sharing! I really want to make this work for me and I think if I go to meetings and continue to do so, it will! It makes me feel motivated just imagining it.
What does it take to become a Lifetime member?
Reaching your goal weight selected by yourself (but within healthy BMI range) or a doctor's note, and maintaining it for the 6 weeks after you reach goal.
Once Lifetime, always Lifetime, but to be free you must be within 2 lbs of goal. I believe you also have to attend meetings also to be Lifetime a well.1 -
I've been on WW for over a year, kept off 45# . Gone from a size 20 to a size 12 in 9 months. Why don't you look at the menu structure on Pinterest or something and if you'd like to join I can get you a free month using my "Add a Friend" request. It's a very supportive environment online too, the Connect Community has a lot of people there for you.0
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Lifetime- 6 weeks at GW, weigh in at WW at least once per month, no more than 2 lbs over GW.
If I had just quit the meetings I would have gained back a significant amount. I left out the part where I lost about 65-70 lbs on my own before I started WW. It was a big problem for me. I wasn’t sure I would ever muster the energy to lose a significant amount a second time so I made a point of not regaining. I’ve gone back to tracking now and again when needed.
This last year I’ve finally started to think that if I don’t lose my mind, I won’t gain it back.
Calling it Lifetime makes it sound like you can just declare victory and go home. Don’t.1 -
I use the WW Good Health Guidelines but track calories instead of points. I bought an “At Home Kit” a long time ago when I lost weight before my last pregnancy. I personally feel the overall plan is nutritionally sound and that it can help guide you to a way of eating that can assist with maintenance. However the current plan has so many zero point foods that I think many people find the overall concept too complicated. I am a member of an on-line support group that is 90% ww and I find them very encouraging.1
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I've been on WW for over a year, kept off 45# . Gone from a size 20 to a size 12 in 9 months. Why don't you look at the menu structure on Pinterest or something and if you'd like to join I can get you a free month using my "Add a Friend" request. It's a very supportive environment online too, the Connect Community has a lot of people there for you.
Wow, thank you so much! I'll send you a friend request (if I can remember how)!0 -
Lifetime- 6 weeks at GW, weigh in at WW at least once per month, no more than 2 lbs over GW.
If I had just quit the meetings I would have gained back a significant amount. I left out the part where I lost about 65-70 lbs on my own before I started WW. It was a big problem for me. I wasn’t sure I would ever muster the energy to lose a significant amount a second time so I made a point of not regaining. I’ve gone back to tracking now and again when needed.
This last year I’ve finally started to think that if I don’t lose my mind, I won’t gain it back.
Calling it Lifetime makes it sound like you can just declare victory and go home. Don’t.
This might be a dumb question, but how do you decide on a healthy goal weight for yourself? Is it based on height? Or more than that? I have had an idea of my perfect goal weight being 135 (I am 5'5") but that is mainly because that was my weight in high school when I played soccer. In reality, 145-150 would make me happy. I remember weighing 145 not long after college and I felt great...
After googling, I found this:
<i>"If you can't recall a time when you felt healthy, begin with the standard formula for calculating the ideal weight for women: Allow 100 pounds for your first 5 feet, then add 5 pounds for every extra inch. To account for muscle mass, body shape, size, and genetics, add and subtract 10 percent."</i>
Wow, so according to that, my ideal weight would be 125. (I don't quite understand the second sentence.) I think I'll stick with 135.1 -
I did WW many times. The old program was livable but the new Freestyle program doesn't appeal to me. When I quit attending WW meetings I joined the digital program and it was useless to me. I finally dropped out of it after about 20 years and came to MFP. I have since lost over a hundred pounds and maintained it. If you want the meetings for accountability I would say give it a try but if you are only doing digital I doubt it will help any more than MFP which is free.4
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So glad to have read this! I just canceled WW yesterday, after the freestyle program I had no success I literally lost the same few pounds over and over.. my weight loss journey looked like a heartbeat! I hope to have better success this way!!2
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Looks like I'm joining today, I'm excited! Maybe it can help me stay in line this weekend when I'm at the beach with my family.
Thanks to everyone for your advice. 0 -
I like it. I know a few people have said they don't like the idea of the "free" items, but I think it works. Every one is different. I've just started using MFP again to compare the points with how many calories I'm actually eating, so I will have a better understanding. I think I can get you a free month if you want to join WW.0
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I’ve lost 41 lbs in 8 months on WW and I’m 50 this year so it proves it works and free foods aren’t free everything in moderation
WW works along the scientific approach not all calories at equal it encourages healthy eating
I eat clean now and exercise more and have dropped from a uk size 20 = a US size 24 to a uk 12 - US size 8
In just 8 months1 -
runnermom419 wrote: »Nope - tried it for 2 weeks and quit. The group leader told me *not* to eat back any exercise points. Despite training for a half marathon (25+ miles of running a week plus strength training and whatever else). I couldn't sleep because of the very low calories I was on (I figured I was eating less than 1000 a day with the points I was allowed). The final straw was the last two days where I had already eaten all my points, all my "weekly extra points", AND ate back the exercise points and was still shaking and weak from hunger. My workouts were suffering as well.
Also, they are in it to make money. Not get people healthy. I've never understood the "free point" foods. You can absolutely overeat on those. Quick calculation - over half my calories today would be "free" on WW.
It does work I’m proof2 -
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runnermom419 wrote: »Nope - tried it for 2 weeks and quit. The group leader told me *not* to eat back any exercise points. Despite training for a half marathon (25+ miles of running a week plus strength training and whatever else). I couldn't sleep because of the very low calories I was on (I figured I was eating less than 1000 a day with the points I was allowed). The final straw was the last two days where I had already eaten all my points, all my "weekly extra points", AND ate back the exercise points and was still shaking and weak from hunger. My workouts were suffering as well.
Also, they are in it to make money. Not get people healthy. I've never understood the "free point" foods. You can absolutely overeat on those. Quick calculation - over half my calories today would be "free" on WW.
It does work I’m proof
It didn't work *for her*.
She didn't say it wouldn't work for anyone. You can overeat zero point food, and I'm proof of that. I've been struggling ever since the switch to Smart Points/ Freestyle. WW only works for me if I double track. Connect is the only thing keeping me there.
Why are you here then? Not to argue, but out of curiosity.3 -
yourenotmine wrote: »I like it. I know a few people have said they don't like the idea of the "free" items, but I think it works. Every one is different. I've just started using MFP again to compare the points with how many calories I'm actually eating, so I will have a better understanding. I think I can get you a free month if you want to join WW.
Thanks - someone else offered that too but they're running a special that ends this Saturday so I went ahead and joined just now.
Man I hope this works for me! I want it to so badly!0 -
Ugh. Right off the bat, WW can't "find" my lunch, where mfp found it easily. I usually eat the salad kits that are very common these days. Annoying WW can't find it. What do you do when it can't find your meal? If it can't find this, I assume it'll be pretty tough to find most of the meals I eat.
Edit: Would I just need to "create a new food" with all the nutrition facts?
Edit2: Annnnnd the app has a barcode scanner. Perfect!
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springsweet wrote: »Ugh. Right off the bat, WW can't "find" my lunch, where mfp found it easily. I usually eat the salad kits that are very common these days. Annoying WW can't find it. What do you do when it can't find your meal? If it can't find this, I assume it'll be pretty tough to find most of the meals I eat.
Edit: Would I just need to "create a new food" with all the nutrition facts?
Edit2: Annnnnd the app has a barcode scanner. Perfect!
In the app; enter the nutritional information for the salad kit and it will calculate the points; alternatively contact WW through “Chat”.1
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