I have been struggling to get my weight down after 2 kids....going on over 3 years now. I exercise 5-6 times a week and have even run a half marathon. But, I cannot control my eating. I will do well for about a week or so, and then fall back into my bad habits. I have a major sugar addiction. Anyways, I did WW years ago, before kids, and was very successful (got down to 109 lbs...will never see that again!), and I don't know if I should give it a try again.
For those of you doing it, is this your first time on? How difficult have you found it to work the program, especially if you have a family? Have you tried any other programs before this?
Thanks!
Re: Those on Weight Watchers....
I will say this....I lost 25ish lbs on the new points plus, over a year. It took that long bc I cheated a lot and didn't give up a ton of the foods I was eating. I stuck to it, but used weekly pts a lot too.
Now I am having stomach issues, potentially gallbladder related, and I can't eat anything with excess fat. I see the weight coming off. First it was bc I was sick. Now I feel good, but I still need to watch my food intake. I don't eat sweets, fast food, or anything with more than 6 grams of fat and I notice a difference in my mood, weight, well being, etc.
WW is about wanting to lose weight and STICKING TO IT. You really need to be ready to lose the weight. Otherwise it will be slow or not come off at all. You can make it happen whether you are a mom, single, work a lot, whatever....those are all excuses. You are either ready or not.
Once I get my stomach issues squared away, I plan to stick to my new way of eating bc I feel good and that is more important to me than eating those thin mints. In your case, I would ease into it....give yourself a set amount of sweets to eat per day, say 2 cookies or something, load up on good carbs, fruits and veggies andlean protein.
I have been on WW a little over a year now and it has worked really well for me. It has been easy to follow. This is my first attempt at losing weight since High School (10years ago). There are tons of online resources to help along the way.
I don't have a family, but I can see it working really well with a family. My partner eats the same things I do when we're together even though she is not following the program. WW is mostly about portion control and making smart choices, so it's totally do-able with kids. The portion control aspect also allows you to have things you like without feeling like you "blew it" and have to give up. I still have sweets and not-so-healthy food, but it's in more reasonable proportions now.
I haven't tried any other formal programs before this. All I know is that I need a structured program. I have tried to "eat healthy" before and it has fallen flat. The WW guidelines are easy to follow and really work.
**Landon Keith 6/03/10 6lbs. 9oz. 19 inches**
"When the waves are flooding the shore, and I can't find my way home anymore, that's when I......I look at you" Miley Cyrus
Ditto what everyone else said...
This is like my 15th time joining WW but first time doing it with the new program, which is SO EASY to stick to. Fruits/veggies are now free and you get an additional 49 points a week. The program is now concentrating on making sure we pick healthier foods as opposed to processed stuff. Let me put it this way: would you rather have a banana (0 points) for a snack or a 100-calorie Pack (2 points)? I've never done another "diet" because I know I won't stick to it. In short, I highly recommend WW.
GL!
TTC#2=July 2011: Surprise BFP: Chemical Pregnancy
I've been on WW for a couple of years and it definitely works, BUT, you have to follow the program. I am the worst at the weekends and then doing great all week, I still lose weight, but it might be .2 or .5 instead of the 1-2 a week that I could if I followed it to a tee. I'm trying to lose about 20lbs, but I want to enjoy myself too, so I'm happy with half a pound a week.
It is great that you can eat whatever you want though, teaches you to live within the program basically forever, everything in moderation.
I'm a big fan, but you have to make it work for you. Good luck!
I've been on Weight Watchers for a year. I've lost 20 pounds. My ultimate weight lost goal is to lose about 80 pounds, so only 60 more to go.
But I'm not on any kind of timeline. Slow and steady is the way for me.
I did not find it hard to fit in Weight Watchers with my family. My husband and children eat what I cook. If they protest, too bad. This is what I'm cooking. I do all the grocery shopping as well, so I control the kind of "junk" that comes into our house. My health is a high priority to me and me being healthy benefits everyone in our family.
Now, it hasn't been an easy road. I've had to unlearn a lot of eating habits and really examine why I eat what I eat and when. I'm a boredom snacker as well as a stress eater. Meetings are the key for me. Also having someone in the program with me helps, too. My sister and I are doing it together. I actually started the program after she did and it's how we spend time together.
Weight loss is hard and takes time. I think WW is a great program, though.