It is very difficult to really guess sizes even if you know someone's weight. Body shape and height are a factor. I weigh about 10 pounds less than you show in your profile (but I'm shorter). I can't wear anything close to a 10 or a 12. I am just now starting to get into 16s. I have one pair of jeans that is a 14 (from a curvy line).

i think any company that you have to pay into to loose weight or that you have to eat their brand of food is an unhealthy option... just eat real original natural foods in moderation and good things will come of it..... i read a quote on here that said if you can kill or grow it dont eat it.....

That seems little strong. I follow WW for example and do pay for it but I don't really think it is an unhealthy option. There is no requirement to eat their foods. It would be nice if eating natural foods in moderation were enough for me to lose weight but it just hasn't worked out that way for me. I do better with the group support and weekly weigh in. I fully understand it doesn't work for everyone and not everyone needs it, but I do. And I don't think that the fact that I do means I'm doing something unhealthy. I used to think I shouldn't need the group support or weigh in and that I should be able to do it all on my own. That ended up being worth about an extra 30 pounds for me though. So it was better for me to go for what works for me.

There are many healthful products, foods, and weight loss services a person can buy. You can do everything yourself, but you're not obligated to, anymore than you're obligated to make your own clothes from fabric you've hand woven and dyed, from thread you've spun from cotton you've grown or the wool of sheep you've raised yourself.

Paying for support isn't money ill-spent. I prefer TOPS to Weight Watcher's, because it's less expensive, the support is more personal, all reasonable plans are supported, and there are ways (usually with weight loss) to earn cash and small prizes to offset the monthly and yearly dues.

As with buying any product, you have to know what you're buying, how (or if) it is different than what you would make yourself, and evaluate whether you can do it youself, have the desire and time to do it yourself, and what the costs and benefits are of buying it vs making it.

As with all products and services , there are high quality weight loss products and services and there are also scams and crap.

Whether weight loss-related or not, being a smart comsumer means judging the pros and cons of doing yourself versus having some of it done for you.

i apoligize for offending you ladies!!! i really wasnt meaning on the support side of it.. i think they are great!!! and help a bunch. i just think programs that say the only way is to spend all your mony on our food. like adkins. used to be great eat these types of food and youll do good now it eat atkins shakes and bars!! you can only go so far on these then its back to real food and my experianjce is once you go back to real food i gain my real butt back lol..... i think a support team is crucial to success and if i hadnt joined 3 fat chiks has helped me unmeaseueably!!!! once again i didnt mean to insult or offend any one sorry!!!

And my point is that we shouldn't celebrity-bash, or anyone-bash, for that matter. Undermining someone's weight loss accomplishments, with no evidence that they DIDN'T do what they said they did, is pretty nasty.

stellarosa27-

BRAVO! Nicely said. I agree.

We're on the same page as far as that goes. I truly don't have a problem with how someone loses weight, and I agree that any type of bashing is inappropriate. However, I don't think saying something about misrepresentation is bashing. If I was shelling out hundreds of dollars to a specific diet plan because I followed and admired "Celebrity X" who was having success on the plan- only to find out that "Celebrity X" had lost the weight through other means, I'd be pretty disappointed. I'd be happy for "Celebrity X", but I'd feel kind of let down. Does that make sense at all?

I hope my posts don't come across as hateful or sarcastic- especially since I mean them to be hypothetical.

As a veteran yoyo dieter and an older woman (turning 50 in less than a month), I'm happy to see someone her age looking great and managing to succeed at weight loss through any means. To me, she doesn't look like a typical size 4, and I'm not sure she'd look good that slender. But we all know the sizing numbers have a lot of fudge in them and I'm sure there are some 4's she can fit in.

Regarding her advertising of food products, I do think that's shady since it was not the food products that were key to her success at weight loss.

It does make sense, and I understand what you're saying, but it's part of the advertising world. For years celebrities have endorsed products that they didn't use, and while it's not the best practice ever, there's no law against it. They're not making "false claims" - WW does help you lose weight, there are many of us on here who will testify to that - they're just using someone famous to say it.

My point is just that there's no evidence that she didn't do what she said she did, you know? The Jennifer Hudson thing really upsets me. I was about her size, and using WW, was able to get down to her current size. It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and for critics to just write it off is hurtful.

That being said, it's partly why I don't use products based on celebrity testimonials, especially weight loss products. Why did I try WW - because I knew of several IRL people who had tried it and had success with it. Those testimonials are worth more to me than celebrities because my friends live in the "real world" if you will