Weight Loss Support - I want to do WW but can't afford it

Hi everyone. I am really wanting to be involved in weight watchers but I cannot afford the start up fee and monthly fees. Is there a way to do it without actually being on their website? Like how to find out how many points I'm allowed and things like that? Any help would be appreciated.

When I was in university, I joined just for a month to learn the program, get a good start, then I just continued on with the plan by myself. I was living in residence (so not a ton of healthy food choices, nor control) and I didn't even own a scale. But I continued with the points counting to the best of my ability, and went I went home for Christmas 3 months later, found out that I'd lost 35 pounds!

So my suggestion is to pay for a month. go to the meetings, get weighed in, get really used to the plan.. then just quit and do it yourself.

GL!

There are some other groups that are free, like Overeaters Anonymous and Food Addicts, although I think that kirsteng's suggestions above is a good one. They give you a copy of the Point Plus book with food values that you can refer to after canceling your membership and that should get you a good start. You could also try meetup.com to see if there are any free regular get togethers for people losing weight. There is also a WW thread here where you might find some great information and friendship.

Thank you. My main thing is wanting to know how many points I am allowed. Thats the biggie. I love this website. It seems very helpful and supportive with everything, which is good.

When you join WW you get all the materials. If you go a few times, to learn the program,, you can easily continue on your own. They sell a 3 month journal, and if you own a scale you can weigh yourself once a week. The group support is nice, but cost certainly is an issue for me too, so when they discontinued my regular meeting, I decided I would do it on my own. So far, so good.....

Okay great! Thank you so much! I will look more into it.

Or you can do calorie counting which is 100% free.

Or you can do calorie counting which is 100% free.

I was too cheap to join WW, so this is what I did :rofl:

Little did I know it worked out for the best :)

I was too cheap to join WW, so this is what I did :rofl:

Little did I know it worked out for the best :)

This is my story, too.

I was too cheap to join WW, so this is what I did :rofl:

Little did I know it worked out for the best :)

Ditto!!!!!

I couldn't afford to do it either, so I'm doing calorie counting. I find it to be much easier to fit into my lifestyle. I did WW a couple years ago, and lost weight, but couldn't continue my membership and wasn't smart enough to stick to the plan to keep the weight off lol.

Now I calorie count, have adjusted it to my lifestyle, and get the group support from 3FC...all for free!!!!

Or you can do calorie counting which is 100% free.

I did this. Lost 50 pounds. yo-yo ever since. At some point I spent the $200+ and joined weight watchers. I think I lost 2 pounds in 5 months or however long I went. Absolute waste of money. I went back to calorie count, got back down to my initial low of the 50 pounds I had lost with no problem.

Except I have gained it back again, lol.

I say do calorie counting, it is free - lots of awesome free websites and phone apps. And a great support group here on 3FC.

I actually did WW for most of this year and then switched to calorie counting in August. Not because of the fees but because it is more accurate.
Can you go to a WW meeting and check it out? I like their health guidelines (I still stick to those!) but the points are very "interpretable".
Calorie counting is a no fail concept if you are honest and stick to general healthy options (like the WW guidelines).
Check out MyFitnessPal (free). It has a good community and a great food database.
You can always get help and advise here on 3FC too!

Another happy calorie counter here.

Meanwhile, you can pick up the WW book/starter kit on eBay (http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=weight+watchers+book+&_fscr=1&_ipg=&_trksid=p3286.c0.m19).

These guys are right, calorie counting is more accurate. They assign zero points for many foods which do really add up calorie-wise. To play devil's advocate, depending on the meeting (whether the check-in is at the door or more casual, size of meeting, etc) you can probably pop in to a meeting for the companionship without anyone realizing you're not a member. In fact, they might have an offer where you can go to a meeting or a week for free? You might not like it anyway -- or you might like it so much you sign up for a month.

This is my story, too.

Ditto!!!!!

I couldn't afford to do it either, so I'm doing calorie counting. I find it to be much easier to fit into my lifestyle. I did WW a couple years ago, and lost weight, but couldn't continue my membership and wasn't smart enough to stick to the plan to keep the weight off lol.

Now I calorie count, have adjusted it to my lifestyle, and get the group support from 3FC...all for free!!!!

Haha I'm glad I'm not the only one!

I really couldn't afford it either when I was starting out. I was finishing graduate school and in May when I started back up I hadn't been working more than a few hours a week because I was student teaching + taking 9 credits on top of that. I did work full time the semester before so that I could save up money, but I hadn't allotted for Weight Watchers or anything like that.

Calorie counting was free and the information was right there at my fingertips. Plus, I could work in whatever food was in the house (lived with my folks) because I didn't have the money to spend on that either.

Now I work full time so I could technically afford WW, but I'm almost done at this point and I've been so successful calorie counting that it would be silly of me to join.

Although I do have people at the gym telling me to join, saying it would teach me to eat properly. :?: Um... I think I'm doing that now? I guess they're not used to seeing me smaller. I've been going to the same gym for six years so they've seen me at my SW.

WW is just glorified calorie counting. You can get the same results by just knowing your own BMR + activity level and weighing/measuring your foods to count your calories, and you can get the support WW offers for free from places like this ;)

WW is just glorified calorie counting. You can get the same results by just knowing your own BMR + activity level and weighing/measuring your foods to count your calories, and you can get the support WW offers for free from places like this ;)

That is actually a good point. I agree 100%.

WW is just glorified calorie counting. You can get the same results by just knowing your own BMR + activity level and weighing/measuring your foods to count your calories, and you can get the support WW offers for free from places like this ;)

Exactly. There's a wealth of free information available on the Internet, and the support portion is right here (again, for free).

Your points will change as you lose and you need to know more than just the points you are allowed. Go to one meeting and you'll have all the materials you need plus you need to buy a calculator to compute your points.

WW is a lot more than glorified calorie counting. It teaches you to eat the right foods and exercise and gives you ways to deal with emotional eating, etc.

Your points will change as you lose and you need to know more than just the points you are allowed. Go to one meeting and you'll have all the materials you need plus you need to buy a calculator to compute your points.

WW is a lot more than glorified calorie counting. It teaches you to eat the right foods and exercise and gives you ways to deal with emotional eating, etc.

This is why I picked calorie counting. I couldn't afford to sign up again, even for one meeting, nor could I afford the extras. There are online calculators that are free to help you compute the points in foods. But Quilter is right, your allowed points will have to be recalculated as you lose weight.

Again, my suggestion is to calorie count first, for free, and keep coming to 3FC to find the moral support you need. You won't be out any money for trying.

If you find that it's not working for you and want to try WW go for it :hug:!

buy the points plus calculator, it will tell you how many points you get and has tons of other features. I think mine cost $7 and it keeps track of how many pts you used for the day and week. Definitely get a points calculator.

I count calories. Its very easy and if you stick to it u will lose weight.

For me, the most beneficial part of WW wasn't the food plan at all, it was the group support and the accountability of a weekly weigh-in.

The handful of times I succeeded at losing more than a few pounds, it was because I had some type of external support.

Currently I'm in TOPS (taking off pounds sensibly). It's a great program, and is a not-for-profit organization, and you can follow any plan you wish. Many of the members are following WW. With TOPS, you can be a member of otehr weight loss groups concurrently. We have a member or two who are members of both. It's pretty common for TOPS members to loan, give, or sell their WW materials to other members.

The great thing about TOPS is that the cost is low. I spent more money on my first month of WW, than I did for an entire year at TOPS - and in TOPS there are ways to win small amounts of cash and prizes for weight loss and other challenge competitions.

My goal every year is to break even making my TOPS membership free. I didn't do it last year, but I came pretty close. The national dues are $26 per year (and includes a monthly magazine). The chapter dues are $5 per month, but our group waives the monthly dues if you lost weight the month prior. Every week everyone contributes a dime to the biggest loser contenst (the person with the most weight loss, gets the dimes). And we pay a dime for every pound if we have a gain.

If you have a smart phone, there are plenty of free apps, that calculate WW points plus.

I'm a Weight Watcher. Have been for years. There's a Weight Watchers section under Diet Central if you're interested in learning more about it from members and people working the plan.

I completely disagree that it's just "calorie counting". The Points are quite similar to counting calories, yes, but the program offers a lot more than just that. And for a lot of people (myself, included) it's the "more" that they offer that is so wonderful and has helped me.

I enjoy that the plan involves more than just calories. It tries to urge people to choose healthier foods with their daily intake. It encourages people to get in regular activity. To get the vitamins that they need.

Where WW excels is Support. They have meetings all over the place, and for those who need in-person support it can be absolutely marvelous. There are great leaders out there. And members who have positive experiences and lessons to share about their own journeys. Meetings are a great weekly treat for a lot of people.

They do even have a website, and the online version that is less expensive than would be going in person. All the tools that you need are available through their site, as well.

Regardless of what plans you choose to follow, 3FC is a very supportive environment. So stick around!

EBAY!!! Girls best friend! I did WW briefly (was hungry ALOT) but I actually got 2 weeks free. (online) During that time I learned as much as I could because I fully planned to cancel.
I still get emails with tips and recipes.

WW is no longer uses a completely calorie based approach. In fact,it is working much better for me than when I was on 1,350 calories per day.

Add me to the calorie-counting group! I lost 100 pounds by calorie counting and exercising. I gained a lot of it back, but to be honest, I gave up the calorie counting too. Now I am back at it, trying to lose the weight I regained.

I recommend TOPS as well. It is pretty inexpensive, and besides support, there are often good contests and other incentives.

I'd like to echo everything that's been said so far -- calorie counting is free, there's plenty of resources + support available online, etc. And a lot of people are more than happy with that.

For me personally, WW is not just a place where I go to get weighed in every week. It's not just "glorified calorie counting." Sure, I could just as easily weigh myself at home every week -- but the thing is, no one else has to see that number. So it would be all too easy for me to ignore the number. It's hard to explain, but I need the weekly meetings to keep me on track. Knowing someone else is going to see that number gives me motivation. It's not like they'd ever SAY anything if I gained -- but just knowing that I'm not the only one who's going to see the number keeps me going.

And please don't do what someone else suggested and try to sneak into a meeting unnoticed. That's....not cool. At all. And it's not fair to those members who pay their weekly dues. Many meeting locations will let you check out a meeting for 100% free, so check into that in your area. But don't try to cheat the system, because that's not the way to go about things.

Calorie counting is good but it's a different mental game than WW. Calorie counters tend to be on their own. For me, it works, and for many others. Some need, or just want, the support of a WW community. It really comes down to whether or not you feel you need a community to help you through this journey - some do, some don't. It's about how we need to approach our issues with food. If it was just about food intake, we'd all do the same plan and get good results. But we all know there is more to it than that, or none of us would be here, have plateaus, have pitfalls, etc.

Good luck with your choice. If you feel you need the support of the WW community then consider the long-term cost vs the cost of not staying on plan. If you feel you truly cannot afford it then calorie counting is free and 3FC is a great community to support you. Good luck!

Calorie counting is good but it's a different mental game than WW. Calorie counters tend to be on their own. For me, it works, and for many others. Some need, or just want, the support of a WW community. It really comes down to whether or not you feel you need a community to help you through this journey - some do, some don't. It's about how we need to approach our issues with food. If it was just about food intake, we'd all do the same plan and get good results. But we all know there is more to it than that, or none of us would be here, have plateaus, have pitfalls, etc.

Good luck with your choice. If you feel you need the support of the WW community then consider the long-term cost vs the cost of not staying on plan. If you feel you truly cannot afford it then calorie counting is free and 3FC is a great community to support you. Good luck!

Not necessarily true. I have cc buddies here and on myfitnesspal. Maybe compared to in-person meetings but not compared to WW at home/online.
Also, you can join something like TOPS which is supporting people on different programs and as far as I know way cheaper (or even free?).
It comes down to a personal preference I think. But don't be afraid to try something else. Especially when you are struggling with the costs of a more expensive program. You can lose weight with zero expense (apart from food).

In the end I think we are all on our own anyways. Every body is so different, even with support community you fight on your own. Don't rely on others, don't expect it works all the same. You need to find motivation and drive within yourself.

Sorry, I mean you are "on your own" in terms of figuring out your calories etc. With WW and other paid programs, you have someone else doing your basic guesswork whereas calorie counters have to do that for themselves. I have CC buddies on myfitnesspal too but it's not really the same as an in-person meeting I think. MFP does not take into account proper activity levels for some people (yes, I know it has an exercise feature but those numbers aren't really supported for an actual weightlifter like myself) so I'm "on my own" in many ways. I do much better this way on my own, but some people need more.

From my blog:

I don't use an iPhone, so I did my research and through trial and error and a lot of comparisons (basically, a whole weekend of screwing with my phone and online) I found a couple amazing (free) apps in the Android market. The first is the calculator. It's simply called 'WW Points+ Calculator'.







The second app you'll want to look for, in my opinion, is called WWDiary.






This diary is amazing. You can track your weight, activity, and set up a profile that logs your height, gender, etc, and how many points you are allotted daily based on your information. It also allows you to choose when your new week begins. For me, it's Saturdays.

After calculating the points for the item you'll be eating (assuming the points aren't already calculated for you), you will type in the name of the food/meal and the points. That's all there is to it. It will log this information and automatically deduct your consumed points, leaving you with what its remaining. In the upper right hand corner it will also have your WP (weekly points), so if you go over your daily points, it deducts from your weekly points. Should you borrow from your WP, the remainder of the week you'll have your total remaining WP.



I don't have the finances to use WW but I still follow the program.
Good luck.