went to a trial ww meeting today...
 

don't think I'm gonna join though. makes me feel as though I'm dyslexic. can't handle all those numbers, points etc.. I have to find a nother way to lose these 100 pounds.

can't decide if I want to pay somebody to tell me how to eat or to go it alone.

what do you think?

When I started this journey it was because my cousin showed up on my doorstep having lost 90 pounds. I was ready then and there to sign up with WW because I thought that was what she had done. She laughed at me and said "all" she did was calorie count.

So that's what I did. ;)

Everyone has to find what will work for them personally. For some people, WW is amazing. For some it's South Beach, others it's Atkins, and still others calorie counting. Some people choose to go simply whole foods and watching what they eat. Whatever you choose the most important thing is that it is sustainable...something you can stick with long term.

100 pounds is a lot to focus on right from the start, isn't it? I suggest breaking that down into smaller goals, maybe focusing on just five pounds at a time. Celebrate your small victories.

You've taken a great first step by joining here. ;) This place is amazing and you will find lots of valuable information by people who have found great success with various methods. But you will find that the one thing all the big losers have in common is sticking with it.

I go with calorie counting too. Plus if you sign up to a free tracking programme, like Sparkpeople.com (and others) it will keep track of the numbers for you.

another calorie counter. :D

I'm doing calorie counting, too. And cut out all the junky food. Lots of veggies, lean protein and moderate fruit. Oh, I reread and you don't want to have to deal with all the numbers...which is calorie counting. Well, you could start by deciding to eat healthier and cut your serving sizes down. And start some exercise.
I was eating all junk food before I started my weight loss. Seriously, I hadn't eaten a veggy in years...except potatoes. And sweets was my main food group, everyday.

I'm doing WW but I do it online. I don't do the point (number) figuring. I loaded a bunch of food items into my 'favorites' and just click and add to my day's count. There is also an app on my phone. I've been at it for 10 months so I kinda just know most of my regular food's points now.

I love the available tracking devices for points, activities, water intake, vitamins, measurements, weight that I look at for motivation. I go back and see where I was and how much I have accomplished. I go back and look at what I was doing for activity and food choices for when I lost weight or why it slowed to a crawl.

I'm sure there are other online programs that offer the same thing - probably for free but the financial investment makes me accountable to myself.

The big lessons I learned was serving sizes for food items! AND I always check the nutition labels.

Believe me, if there was a way to PAY someone to do it for me, I would have ;) I'm another boring old calorie counter ~ all my friends keep telling me weight watchers works, and it does...every single time they join! they keep gaining/losing the same 50... I guess I'm too cynical for my own good. I can't get behind a program that is primarily a business, as they all are, and who's bottom line depends on keeping MY bottom coming back over and over again :(

Would you be up for doing something like the South Beach Diet? I know a lot of people who have had success with that and it's an easy way to get started if you don't want to calorie count.

I'm doing my own thing. Basically, no sugar, no artificial sweeteners, mostly whole grains. I also make sure I'm eating veggies at every meal and watch my portion sizes. It's worked for me so far but I'm continually playing with it.

that is too funny, and I'm laughing a little too loud thinking about how much money I've invested in WW and JC (almost like 10 percent of income for a chunk of my life, the Church of Weight Loss). I can't say I didn't learn from those programs, about portion size and nutrition.

If you give it a shot on your own, or with free support, you still always have the option to try out a program (or a dietitian).

I have friends who have lost quite a bit of weight with WW. It truly is a wonderful program, but it's just not for everyone.

I've been calorie counting, I cut out fast food, soda and really fatty foods, added in extra veggies and fruit. I usually eat between 1200-1600 calories a day. I use http://www.dailyburn.com to track my calories and workouts. So far I've lost 18lbs since the beginning of November. You just have to find out what works for you. I was drinking more than 1,000 calories a day in soda, so just cutting that out has helped a lot.

Kind of the best thing I've read today!!

I do WW, but it's really just glorified calorie counting. I really benefit from the meeting structure and the accountability of the weigh in every week. But the bottom line is that you have to find what works for you. No one thing is going to work for everyone, we're all highly individual in our preferences and responses. Find something that works and go for it, tweak it as needed and keep on keeping on!

if u set up favorite foods on sites like sparkpeople, and apparently ww, you dont have to count them again as far as figuring them out. if you watch what you eat, you will have to count something somewhere sometime. even if you have wls, you still will have to count something that you eat. unless you are stick thin with an everlasting metabolism, you will have to count something. points is a simplified version of calories, though calories worked for me. other things are like fill your plate with 2/3 veggies, etc; don't eat white bread, sweets, etc; don't eat when you're not hungry. but for me, just doing that didn't make my body lose weight. i need something else. also, la weightloss gives you a list of foods to eat and don't eat. they do this to simplify it, so you might like that one.

The points program is just a tweaked way to count food, but I think the real key to their success would be the weekly support meetings. Support and accountability are crucial for many dieters. You can mimic that online - here :)