Weight Watchers - Any suggestions?

Hi all,
I just need a little lift or tips or anything!! I am about 14 pounds from goal and it is going soooooo slooow. In the last 3 months I have lost 6 pounds. I have increased my exercise (I workout 30 - to sometimes 40 min 5 days a week), I started drinking a liter of water a day and I eat in mid range of my points. I really want to get to goal. Is there any suggestions anyone has or words of encouragement that could help? I, admit, I feel good, but I don't want to slip or lose motivation. So, help if you can!

Thanks,
Fran:)

Hi Fran,

Wow, fiirst of all let me say that you are doing wonderful. How much have you lost?

Fran, I think with the ammount of time you are spending on exercising that you really need to eat at the top of your range to start the weight loss going good again. You have to give yourself enough energy or your body just won't let go of the weight. Try it for a week and see if it helps and if not go back down to midrange again after a week and high range and maybe that will break your plateau and get you moving more quickly again. Also another way to look at it is you are getting very near to goal and I have always heard it gets much slower the closer you get. Anyway maybe these suggestions will help, I hope so. Most of all just hang in there because you are doing awesome.

Brenda

Hi Brenda,
Thanks for the advice. It is always nice to hear from others. I have lost 37 pounds. It has been a struggle and sometimes when I am feeling down about myself I remember where I used to be. I know I will always have a weight problem and I will never be able to eat like I used too. I just hope I can eventually get to goal!

Fran

Hi, Fran. Way to go on 37 lb. I too have had some plateaus, and I find that using up my points (I have a habit of hoarding them, and never using my earned or saved) will kick my weightloss into gear. I know this sounds counter-intuitive, but it might work for you too. The water and exercise sound great
cheers,
roma

Hi, Fran. Congrats on your 37 pounds!!! That's great.

Here's a few suggestions:

1. Drink more water. You should be getting in 2 liters per day, not 1. I notice my weightloss slows when I don't get in enough water.

2. With your amount of exercise, you probably need to eat an exercise point or so. I'm in 18-23 range, have 10ish pounds to go (lost 30), exercise at least 3 points per day and usually eat 25 points. I can still lose weight on that. My weight loss slows if I eat at the low end.

3. Mix it up--change what your eating, how your eating. For example, perhaps have small meals per day or have your heavy meal at lunch. Are you eating the exact same thing for a certain meal? If so, change it out. Are you getting enough fats and protein at each meal?

4. Go to the Library threads. Kelly_S has posted some ways to break a plateau, written by Elizabeth, I believe.

Good luck on your last 10!

Thanks Rec, I will keep your advice in mind. I know that as I get closer to goal I will have to really pay attention to specific details in my weight loss journey. I decided that this week I will try to double up on the water and increase exercise as well as points and hopefully all will go well.

Roma-
I never have used all my points in one day. I guess it is my "diet" mentality but I am willing to try. Hey, more food sounds great.!

Thanks,
Fran:)

Fran,

I have lost 43# so far and am 1 pound from goal (wow!) It took over 6 months to lose the last 10 pounds. It just took a long time with lots of small ups and downs. Our leader commented, when I hit -40#, that it took her 6 months to lose her last 10 pounds too. Your body is adjusting to the new weight.

Well, 11 or 12 pounds ago, I was ready to get a doctor's note and call it a day. Am I ever glad I didn't!

Keep on going - evenutally you will lose the weight if you stay on program and fine tune all the aspects of following WW.

By the way, when you said, "I never have used all my points in one day." did you mean you don't eat your minimum points every day??? Fran, you must eat at least your minimum. If you haven't been, your metabolism is going to slow down or maybe already has judging from the slow weight loss progression.

That's one of the many things I really like about WW, is that it takes time to lose the weight and you learn alot during that time.

Good luck,
Laurel

Laurel,
Thanks for the advice. Wow! 43 lbs- that is alot!! I hope I can handle the length of time it will take to goal. I have to be patient. By the way, I do eat in the mid range of points. The other members were suggesting that I eat at the high range. I guess I will wait and see. I could never take the low range of points- that would be too much to handle- I mean too less.

Thanks again,
Fran

Hi, I am new here also. I just went on ww and have to lose about 37 lbs. I have done it before and I will do it again, except this time I am determined to maintain!!

For Fran: There is a book called "Body for Life" that I recommend for the workouts. The diet is too high in points for me as I am not looking to be totally svelt or anything. So I have chosen to do the workout portion from the book and the diet from ww.

The reason that the book is good is because it stresses that you should not be working out cardio any more than 20 minutes at a time. You need to Maximize what you are doing, not make it longer. The book stresses to have a plan when you go to work out and really work hard for a shorter amount of time. This is the same for the weights work out. Only do about 40-50 mins and really work hard at it. I tell you, that I had never had a sweat like that from weights after I did this program.

Good luck in all of your endeavors. I hope to be back reporting some good losses soon!

Cheers,
L

Nice job on being so close to goal! It does take a heck of a lot more work to lose the last few pounds than the first few. I am still working on the last phase of my weight loss effort, too, and it has taken a long, long time to lose the last 15 pounds or so.

Do you lift weights? If not, my suggestion would be to start a weight training program. You'll increase muscle mass, which will increase your metabolism and you'll be able to burn more calories without decreasing your food intake.

--Diamonda
266/140/135

Horse Lady, why do they say you shouldn't do more than 20 minutes of cardio at a time? I've never heard that. My doctors have always recommended 45 minutes three times a week.

--Lauren

Hi there,

You really have to read the book but basically because you don't have to spend more than 20 mins on cardio if you have a plan and do intense workout (I mean you really sweat in this) for less time.

You can also look under their workout cardio web-site at www.bodyforlife.com for more information.

L

HorseLady,
Believe it or not i have that book and I had done the program last year. The problem was that I was no where near goal weight and when you exercise with weights you either stay the same or gain weight which is all muscle so I quit because i was starting to look like a very big girl- meaning muscle on top of 20 extra pounds. I think once i hit goal i will pick the book up again. For some reason, i am afraid of weights. I know you gain muscle and tone up but in my head I feel I need to get to goal weight before I start using weights. It is all psychological but I feel it is better for me. I do feel that I work my muscles with the tae-Bo tapes. i use them 4x a week and my body has definitely changed for the better. Those last few pounds are stubborn and will take awhile to get off. i guess i'll have to be patient!! :)
fran
171/134/ 120 (This is the first time i ever showed my weight- wow making improvement!!)

Fran ~ You've gotten some good advice here. I hope it helps. I've heard lots of folks say it takes longer to lose those last 10 or so pounds. One suggestion I would offer is to be sure you're getting some added fat every day - in addition to the fat in your food I mean. Just a few points a day will really help. A TBSP of real mayo, or butter, 2 oz of avocado, etc. Our bodies need fat - just not a lot of it. :)

Diamonda has the right take on weight training - IMHO. It does help your metabolism speed up as muscle burns more fuel. But more importantly, as women age they begin to lose bone (and muscle). Weight training will halt and even reverse this process. I for one don't want to be a little old lady with fragile bones like my mom, grandma and MIL. I can recommend Miriam Nelson's books Strong Women Stay Young, Strong Women Stay Slim and one other, the title of which escapes me. She also has a website which I think is http://www.strongwomen.com She recommends only a program that will help you build strength and bones, not look like a bodybuilder. And muscle takes up less room than fat - you'll look slimmer whether or not you lose weight.

Good luck on those last few pounds!

I just posted to say I was struggling..... and then I read your posts. I am encouraged. Keep up the great work! You must look and feel wonderful!!

Ladies,

I find you all so inspiring--close to goal and looking for health!

I totally agree with Diamonda and Water Rat about the importance of ST. It's for health, bones, fat burning, etc. But just doing any exercise is better than doing nothing. I'm about the same weight as I was 10 years ago, but am in a bigger size now. That is because I now have less muscle mass and more fat than when I was 31 (I was ST the and doing A LOT of aerobic exercise). I'm ST (and aerobic exercise) now to reverse this body to those former proportions. I want to be a size 10 and do not care what the scale says.

A great ST site, put up by a formerly obese lady who got into ST is http://www.stumptuous.com/weights.html . You'll see she was an overweight pear shaped person and now she's a strong, healthy, small pear shaped person (no such thing as spot reduction). She has some very informative articles and suggestions.

50PoundsToGoal,
Hang in there. Don't give up. I know you won't because you would not be here if you didn't care. We have all been there. i have been there too many times. I wish I had a dollar for all those times I was ready to throw in the towel and look at who began this post...ME.. I was slipping and I reached out to the great people here. When I feel down, fat, dumpy, or whatever, i come here. Read the posts and talk with us. Look how much support I got with my struggles. Hang on, tomorrow is another day!

Fran:)

Hello Fran,
Great job so far!!! I have noticed for myself that sometimes I have to mix up the points for my week by going high then low. This really worked for me this week as well. I lost three pounds and gave my body a little shock by doing low and high mixes. I hope this makes sense to you. I have been a Weight Watcher since 1991 and made my goal to become lifetime. Here it is ten years later and I am struggling again after having two kids in two years. They are three and one year old. I have lost thirteen pounds and have twenty seven left to be at goal again. I really think the key is to give your body a little nudge however you can. For you that might be a different kind of exercise or more water or less points or even more points. I think it is really different for everyone. Hang in there. Keep going to meetings and remember that you didn't gain the weight over a quick period so don't expect to lose it that way.

Best of Luck.
mel