Ive been on ww for about 5 weeks and have lost 25 lbs. I think this program is great because you can eat anything you want and just count your points. It's seems the most practical for a lifestyle program because it really is something that you can learn to live with and stay healthy.

Never fear--you are not alone here! If you just scroll down the screen a bit, you'll find a whole section of the message board devoted to Weight Watchers!

Hi LGR! Congrats on your weight loss. I have been on WW before and it took me 6 months to lose 25 lbs. I'm just wondering what's your secret? ANd how much more do you plan on losing? I'd love to hear what you are doing to be so successful. Thanks, Saggy

Well saggy, I think I lost that much weight in the beginning because I have alot to lose. I'm already slowing down only 2 1/2 pounds this week but i'll be happy with 2 pounds a week. I would like to lose about 75 more pounds. As for what i'm doing, I really couldn't say I'm doing anything special except that I always stay within my points range, I write everything down in my journal, drink alot of water and walk on my treadmill about 4-5 times a week(i think the exercise might be the trick) this is the first time i've been on a weightloss program and exercised at the same time (and i've been on alot of programs)

LGR--I've done alot of programs too. Right now I'm considering going back to Jenny Craig for the special they are running. I always lose weight on her program, but I get really sick of the food after about 2 months. I do like weight watchers, but i don't like to stay for the meetings. Good luck with your efforts.

Hi you guys --

ONLY two pounds a week?!? Whaddya mean "ONLY". Don't be discouraged. That's an excellent weight loss! Read some of my previous posts on losing weight slowly. And hey, if it took you six months to lose 25 pounds that's pretty close to a pound a week -- and weight lost slowly through lifestyle changes is proven to STAY off longer - and do we really want to keep losing and gaining the same weight over and over again? I think not!

The 'trick' is to find a calorie input/output level you can live with for the rest of your life - permanent lifestyle/habit changes. My old Jazzercise instructor used to say it takes three months to change a habit. I guarantee once you get into the 'healthy habit' of eating right and exercising, through persistence you will lose weight slowly...AND have a much better chance to keep it off for life than if you follow the 'lose weight fast' nostrums and products that make up the bulk of the multi-billion dollar industry that feeds off the dreams and hopes of (mostly) women like you and me that just want to be thin!

I'm living proof of the power of persistence I've kept 100+ pounds off for 10 years now - check my website (again, I'm not selling anything...) - I have had my ups and downs but have never been above 179 since 1991. I want everyone to have my success - plus a lot of cash to buy all those cute clothes that will catch your eye when you can fit into them!

You don't need to cash your life savings to buy overpriced Jenny Craig stuff or diet pills -- it's just a matter of reading, educating yourself on proper eating and exercise - you can do that at your local library! On my website I've listed some recommended books in which I have found very common-sense info which you should be able to find in your library.

Education and putting your knowledge into action -- THAT's how you lose weight!

MrsJim
265/155/145

how do you guys do it? i eat 1500 calories a day and exercise 3-7 times a weeks for a minimum of 30 minutes. i can only muster a pound a week. i cringe at the thought of it taking me over a year to lose the rest.

aarrrggghhhh!!!!!

Rockydog --

The deal is, you just have to keep it in perspective...instead of looking at your ultimate weight loss goal far down the road, it's better to set mileposts and concentrate on getting to each one. In other words, set interim goals.

You might want to go through my previous posts and see what I've written about losing weight slowly - rather than saying "I need to lose 30-50-100 pounds!" instead aim to lose in increments of 10% of your total body weight at a time. Oh, what the heck, I'll post it again...

"LOSE WEIGHT SLOWLY

(excerpted from Fat of the Land by Michael Fumento)

"Wayne Callaway, MD, notes that marketing studies conducted by one weight-loss organization found that, when dieting, most women expect to lose between 2-3 lbs per week and most men expect between 3-5 lbs per week. If the expectation is unmet, dieters will discontinue the program by the 3rd week...'Rapid water loss is the $33-billion diet gimmick' says Callaway. 'It looks good on your bathroom scale and it raises your hopes. But the initial water-weight loss is completely meaningless in terms of your ultimate goal. You are not losing fat; you are not getting leaner. It's only a trick, a gimmick, the temporary side effect of not eating enough carbohydrates to supply your brain...'

"Remember that virtually any diet can cause you to lose weight; the real problem is keeping it off. With that in mind, choose a regimen that emphasizes not speed, but PERMANENCY. While one often hears that no more than 2 lbs a week should be lost, it appears even this is too much for most people who are not extremely obese (Obviously, the fatter you are, the less of an overall percentage of your fat 2 lbs is. So with some people, two or even 3 lbs might be OK)."

"George Blackburn, MD, chief of surgical nutrition at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston, is considered one of the nation's foremost authorities on weight loss. He suggests you begin by aiming to lose no more than 10% of body weight at the rate of NO MORE THAN A POUND A WEEK. Only after maintaining that loss for 6 months...should you attempt to take off another 10%..."

"The main reason to aim for slow weight loss is because you are seeking to permanently change your eating habits. The calorie deficit you create should be close to what will be your permanent calorie level and certainly no lower than 1,200 to 1,300 calories. The further you go below this, the more likely you are to suffer from hunger -- and nothing defeats a weight-loss regimen more quickly than hunger...Consider severe energy restriction [on very low-calorie diets of less than 1,200 a day] as a jackhammer while lesser restriction is more like a hammer and chisel. You can break up rock more quickly with the jackhammer but more to your liking with the delicate instruments."

Whew! Also, if you want to make sure that you are exercising within your ideal fat-burning rate, I highly recommend investing in a heart-rate monitor -- you don't need to get the ones with all the bells and whistles, just a basic one. It's not always easy to percive your exersion level!

MrsJim
265/155/145