Weight Watchers - Thinking about WW- Questions?

I am new to the WW concept. I have read up on WW on the forums and through the WW official site. I suppose I am just confused about points. I do not understand how they work- do you have to eat only ww brand foods? When you join will they tell you how many points you can have? and how many points is in what food? Am I going to starve to death? :cbg: My husband thinks i should do the nutrisystem thing. (My husband is VERY fit...) Which would be better? There is the flex and core- which works best?

Sorry to be a pain! :faint:

You will be given a quiz when you get to WW that you can use to determine how many points you will have available to eat every day. You will also get 35 "extra" points every week to spend as you choose.

You can go through WW and never buy a single WW food product. I never buy WW foods - I tend to stick to organic or all natural products. WW gives you a "slider" that allows you to figure out how many points are in foods with nurtition labels, and you also get a book with point values for things like fruit, nuts, milk, etc.

I never feel hungry! I plan my day specifically so that I won't be hungry :)

I know someone who did Nurtisystem and lost weight, but then had no clue how to maintain it since he was just getting shipped food and ate it and never had to really learn how to eat correctly with normal food that didn't arrive at his door. So if you do choose Nutrisystem, I would suggest making sure they have some sort of maintenance program now.

Once you reach your goal weight on WW, meetings are FREE, as they want you to keep coming and maintain your weight loss.

Wow! As to which WW plan is right for you, core is good if you can handle portion control with limited food options, flex is best for you if you prefer open options on both food and portions (within your daily points allotment).

Points are based on the ratio of calories, fat and fiber in a food item- you can look up the points for any foods with nutrition information either through the WW website or with a sliding scale they give out at the WW meetings. For apples and other items that don't have nutrition information, there are many websites with the information available.

You are not limited to WW brand products- on core you have a list of whole foods you can eat and on flex you can eat anything within your daily allotted points value.

I have never tried Nutrisystem but the simplicity of it is certainly attractive- as I understand it, you have to eat all of the food, whether you like it or not, in order for it to work.

I use WW flex because restaurants and quick, easy meal options are my reality. I still struggle to get my water and veggies but I eat much better and have lost weight. Plus, I can gain points from exercising, which helps me have the occasional brownie without completely derailing.

Good luck!

Modkitten- Thanks for the fast reply. i was thinking that about the nutrisystem- like the maintaining thing. All the tools you spoke of- will those be sent to me if i do the online thing? I am not a meeting kind of a person. Small town chick and terribly shy. My size is my business kinda thing??

I might have to give WW a go. Seems there are a lot of people whom it has worked for them.

Lafayette-

So then maybe flex would be better for me. I have a desk job (cant leave the desk- i am a 911 operator) and end up "eating out" a lot. I know I should bring in food, but I am hoping to find a program where i can lose weight and know what to eat so to speak.

What happens if I dont spend all my points? Do I have to use them all? What if i go over? I suppose its all about discipline- which I need :D The points they allow- is it "do-able" "?

You guys ROCK. Thanks for replying!!

BTW- LOVE the sleeves Mod!!! (assuming thats really ink!!??)

No matter what, you'll have to start bringing food. Restaurant food is a diet killer!

On Flex, you can have whatever you want, within reason, and you'll quickly find that fast food is not within reason. Frozen dinners like Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones are much better options for people on the go.

I will typically bring a variety of things to work at the start of the week but I started with a daily lunch or I would just eat everything on Monday and eat out the rest of the week. My weekly bag o' tricks typically contains fat free sugar free Jello pudding, cut veggies, a small container of humus, salads with lemon slices instead of dressing, reduced fat cottage cheese, whole grain crackers, Campbell's Soup in Hand, etc. That way, I have a variety of good things to chose from for snacks and meals each day that reduce the call of the vending machines and fast food joints around my office.

WW recommends you use all your points. Based on your current weight, you will have a set amount of daily points plus 35 bonus points to use throughout the week for things like eating out, having dessert, etc. You can also earn additional points through exercise. I found it doable and, when I was really focusing on getting my veggies and other good stuff, I even occasionally found myself with a few leftover to spare.

It takes discipline and finding a series of snack and meal options that work for you. Because you are starting by yourself and have a lot of questions, you may want to sign up for WW online. The e-tools are awesome and include complete program descriptions, FAQ's and an online food counter that is often able to calculate your points for each food item for you.

You CAN do this!

Awesome. You and mod have answered a LOT of my questions so far. I am intrigued by the fact that you can GAIN points through exercise. So basically as long as I stay at or under my points I am cool and will likely lose/ Dont worry, I AM an exerciser and am NOT looking for an easy way out. I hate counting calories, as it is too difficult to keep tract. points seem smaller- thus easier to track? Another issue I have is accountability. I am hoping for that without the meetings. trust me... meetings in my small town would not be fun as it would just be a b**ch seesion among the ladies...lol.

Youre a rockstar. THANK YOU!!

A.

My husband lost 80 lbs. on the WW Points plan and has maintained that loss for 4+ years.

I had gained 35 pounds while taking medication after breast cancer. After five years I went off the medication, but the weight stayed. Inspired by my husband's success, I went on WW. I had never been on a diet and found the plan incredibly easy to follow and stick too. I was never hungry.

One of the best things that came out of our WW experience is how aware we became of the junk we put in our bodies without giving it any thought. We now eat a very healthy diet full of whole grains, veggies, fruit and lean meats/proteins because those are the foods we crave, instead of chips, fries, burgers etc.

Whatever plan you decide on, I wish the best of luck!

No more burgers??? Thats my favorite!! Not that I eat them a LOT- but thats a huge thing for me to give up~! Maybe a cheeseburger as a reward?? so can you basically eat anything as long as you dont go over your points?

that has been my issue in the past- denying myself- then I break and its a downward spiral from there...

maybe this plan is the answer- because I wont be denying myself, but at the same time being accountable via points?

Hope you don't mind me jumping in.....

hello alhiser! I started WW Aug. 15. But, I don't go to the meetings either. I bought my books and stuff off of E-Bay and bought a points calculator. I have lost almost 10 pounds in the past month and I don't feel deprived AT ALL!

You do have to track what you eat though. And, keep track of your points too! I still have McD's cheeseburgers every now and then (but, I make sure to count the points!!!). They have a "Dining Out Guide" through WW that gives you points for all different popular restaurants, so you don't have to calculate them.....it is HANDY!

That's one HUGE factor that sold me on WW is that I don't have to spend the rest of my life eating rice cakes and soy milk. To lose weight and keep weight off, you have to make a lifestyle change in how you eat. But, with WW, you don't feel like you've had to give up all your favorite foods, you can still have them (in moderation!). We still have game nights where we make chips, dips, pigs in a blanket, etc..... we do a lot with low fat, fat free, low cal. stuff - but it all tastes the same! We have changed all of our breads over to 100% whole wheat! But, these are changes that I can live with the rest of my life..... so, I don't have to fear falling off the wagon.

If you want to do WW from home (or online), there is a forum here for "WW at Home". I spend most of my time there. We have our weekly weigh-ins where we post our weights (or weight losses if you don't want others to know your actual weight) and we have our own little support group there since none of us go to actual meetings. Feel free to check it out.

AND, Wal-Mart sells WW foods (yogurts, snacks, entrees, desserts), and while you don't HAVE to buy these, it does make keeping track of points a little easier because the points are already figured out for you..... (and for other foods we buy, the Points Calculator comes in SO handy!!!).

Good luck on your choices!!! :hug:

Thanks for your reply Julz- Feel free to jump in any time!

I will definitely check ebay for that stuff- ebay is so rad...

I am really excited to try this stuff. I dont mind tracing food, its just calorie counting that it intimidating.

10# in a MONTH!! OMG thats awesome!! I am ready to do this. See you on the WW@H forum!

Ciao bella!

Good luck!

yay! Thank you so much guys!! :hug:

Ang

Please don't ever use food as a reward. Food is fuel for your body. That's it. It's using food as a reward, for emotional reasons, for comfort, that has gotten us into trouble with out weight. Think of different ways to reward yourself. Cheeseburgers got you where you are, to get to where you want to be, try a Bocca burger with a slice of FF Cheese on a Lite Bun - YUM!

You know- thinking more about the points- I think I would rather look at a two digit number (i.e. 20 points Instead of 2000 calories) A little less defeating that way? and less intimidating?? :p

Susan-

As much as i hate to admit it- you are SO RIGHT!!! I am totally an emotional eater- and not just bad emotions but ALL emotions. Bocca burgs are good- if you cook em right- like on my little foreman grille.. hmm... Rewarding myself will b a difficult challenge (yeah i know...) I am not a money spender. I dont shop. I dont buy stuff for myself- I have got emotional issues... I know- I am weird. So I need to find a way to reward besides food...

To me, it's a LOT easier to keep track of points rather than calories. Because to come up with the points, WW includes the calories, fats & fibers - some of the more important things to look at. When I was counting calories, I'd get hung up on the fats, sugars, carbs, etc etc etc. So, the points are SO much easier!!! PS, if you get your books off of E-bay - they should have the quiz to help you figure out how many points you are allowed in a day (plus the 35 extra weekly points). At least, the book that I got had it in there.

Julz- I looked on ebay and there are all kinds of different things. I see a lot of them say "2007" does the stuff change each year? Will I have to get a new set in '08?

I am really stoked about this opportunity!!

Welp, since this is my first year on it, I'm not sure how much it changes from year to year....hmmm....

My stuff is all from 2007. I have the "Dining out Companion", the Points calculator and I also have another booklet that has a #1 in the upper right corner, and on the bottom it says "Eat Wisely" and "Weight Watchers Turnaround" (this is the book with the quiz in it to find how many points you get) It also has listings of every day foods, fruits, and veggies with their points.

Just catching up on posts and saw the part about your love of cheeseburgers. I have to say, I'm right there with you! These things can still be part of your life, just do it the smart way. If you're craving a cheeseburger, don't go through McD's and blow all your points for the day! We had burgers for dinner last night at home, and here's how they broke down: 1 healthy life hamburger bun - 1pt., 1 handmade hamburger patty, made with 93% lean ground beef, 4 oz. cooked weight (grilled on the bbq) - 4pts., 1 slice 2% american cheese - 1 pt., tons of lettuce, onion, dill pickles and mustard - 0 pts. SANDWICH TOTAL 6 points! YUMMO!!! I rounded this out with some steamed cauliflower and green beans. Had a fabulous meal that included a craving for only 6 points. You can do this, like I said before, you just have to do it smart!

Actually, according to the WW Dining Out companion, a McD's cheeseburger is 7 points. Sometimes I crave a McD's cheeseburger and nothing else will compare.... I don't get the FF - just the cheeseburger. Otherwise, if we do cheeseburgers we make them at home, but a 1 point difference wouldn't be enough to keep me from the drive thru during a craving :D Luckily, I only crave them every once in a GREAT while

Hey thanks for the compliment. I think I lost track of this thread - sorry about that! As for meetings, they do not say your weight out loud and you do not have to be acknowledged for your progress during the meeting if you don't want to. The meetings are a BIG help for me, since I need a lot of support. Once I start missing meetings, my good habits go right down the drain :)

:cbg:Kelly!

Thanks for replying to me- I so love cheeseburgers. I saw last night on biggest loser that Kim made turkey tacos (or was it burgers?? crap- cant remember...I wonder if that would be good as a burger????

I am so shy Mod- Its pretty wack how shy I am. Maybe I will enlist a pal to go with me to the meetings, but I am a wallflower- though i get better once i know you.

I think my shyness of course is cause my self esteem sucks...:shrug:I will get better though...

Julz- so the cheeseburg from "Crappy-D's" would be maybe like saved for a bonus point deal? I really should stay away from there...lol. I think they put something addicting in their food.. crack or something, idk.. :hyper::woohoo:Heheheheheeeeee

MOD!!! Was checking out your progress pics---- Did you get that thin from WW!!!! Holy :censored:!!! Damn girl!!! (Why did it take so long for me to figure it out?? durrrr.....)

So another dorky question- I love tacos. Mmmm.... you now flour tortilla, burgrer, lettuce, toms, (no onions. uck) salsa and sour cream. cheese of course. Pretty simple. So would the WW books tell me how many points that would be since there are so many components to a taco?

I havent signed up yet. I think im gonna do it. tomorrow is payday. WOOT! :sumo:

For the tacos you would need to calculate each component...the meat, sour cream, etc. Often times those darn flour tortillas are the worst component of the dish. Now when DH and the kiddos crave tacos, I turn mine into a fabulous taco salad.....lots of lettuce, very little cheese, measure out the meat mixture, and top it off with ff ranch dressing instead of the sour cream. I get what looks and feels like a bigger meal for fewer points. It works for ME!

You can also get low carb, low fat tortillas at your grocery store. I think one tortilla is 1 point. I don't have any in my fridge or I'd share the brand name.

Use lean meat and drain the fat or use Boca and make your own seasoning with cumin, chili powder and fresh diced onions (lots of packets contain hidden sugar). You can also buy low or no fat Mexican seasoned shredded cheese. Measure your meat and cheese and then load up on veggies. Plus, fat free sour cream is another great option that tastes exactly like the full fat.

You can also make chili with the leftover seasoned meat, a can of sugar free diced tomatoes (read the ingredients!), the leftover chopped veggies and some vegetable broth, then garnish with cheese and sour cream. I even toss on a little mashed avocado to up my good fats.

Anything I can make in a larger quantity and then have multiple but different meals from is perfect for my lifestyle.

So, did you start yet? I think your shyness will start to fade away as you see some scale success- give the meetings a shot. It can also be inspirational to watch your fellow members shrink! They have a combined online and meeting WW membership option. If you really can't do the meetings, the online tools will still be there for you... and so will 3FC!

Lafayette and Kelly-

thanks for the recipe hints!! I haven't started yet. I am going to pick up some books and stuff today i think and order the other stuff. Im very nervous about this and was looking at recipes and their point value yesterday online. I dont know my "pointage allowances" yet but I reckon its like 22 or something- thats not a lof of food. I am going to have to be totally disciplined about this. Oy...

There's lots of flexibility in WW, that's a big part of what makes it work. It teaches you to plan and adjust and to forgive yourself and get back to it when you don't do what you planned :D

A guy I work with started Nutrisystem about 3 months ago, him and his wife, he quit already. He lost huge amounts of weight at first too, like 8 lbs. at a time or something, but he went on a trip for work and as soon as he didn't have his little boxes of food he was sunk.

I'm inching along towards my goal, but inching in the right direction. I recommend trying the meetings, there is privacy at the scale, the only thing they say is how much you're down, not what the number is, you can sit in the back and not say anything if you're shy (I did at first), after awhile you make new friends and get all kinds of great ideas. (kind of like here :D)

Best of luck to you!