I've been on WW since the end of January. I've lost 15 pounds. But it's been SO LONG. I've been good... I usually stay on points (20), I go to the Y and exercise about 3 times a week for an hour. I haven't gone down a size in pants, although it does show on the top/my back. Today I have to weigh in and I don't think I've lost anything since last week. This is so discouraging. Any help? Any ideas? I wonder if I should try core?

I hear you! I just posted under the WW Leader Loser thread. Take a look as I found a great little article about scales.

I've not lost anything for 3 weeks -- after journalling, measuring, counting every blessed point that goes in my mouth (and no for TOM). Hang in there! Oh and take a read over the Plateau Busting Ideas at the very top. I'm not giving up! So neither are you!

A 15 pound loss is very good. Keep on plan and you will meet your goal.

It is discouraging and tough to lose weight. I was reading the past week issue of People Magazine about the 6 people who lost 100 lbs or more and I'm sitting there as I reading them thinking to myself. This is my brain talking "I've been on WW since August, 2007 and I've lost 23 lbs. I know how proud I am of that. I am nowhere near my goal and I have struggled every day with food issues. WOW - how do they lose that much weight?"

Now this is me talking after having that self talk (I sound like my leader now). The article also talks about how one of them had joined WW 4 times and had a friend convince her to join again and this time was the key. Something clicked and it worked. I know in my case, this wasn't about getting to a Size 7 again. It was about relearning how to eat, when to eat and WHY I eat. It's a battle but I am winning. I find myself having more and more positive outcomes and better self talk. I am turning that key inside my brain and finding the learning experience in everything. The weeks that I have struggled and had little loss or even gains, I can honestly say that I wasn't working the program all the way to its potential. Do I think that I may get to your point Treighsie? Probably the closer I get to goal, I'm sure it will happen. Your body will fight you to hang onto those pounds.

Elan is absolutely correct. Read the sticky up above about plateaus. Reread Books 1-5 of your program. I find those the most informative and give me the best incentive. Work ALL the points of the program. Make sure you are getting in your water, ALL your milk and ALL your healthy oils. Get in your exercise. Switch up your meal plan - eat your larger meal at breakfast or lunch and graze on veggies on night. It works - we all know it works. Find the key to what's holding you up and you'll get the golden pass to success. You can find it in you. I know you can. And we'll be here rooting for you!

Laura just mentioned the sticky above about plateaus, that is exactly what I was going to recommend. Here is the link to it:
http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/index.php
I have periods of time where the scale just seems to STICK and then, all of a sudden, it moves again. I can't explain it and the weeks that I think it's going to move, it's such a small loss or even a gain. My body just is one of those bodies that hangs onto it's weight.
Don't give up though, eventually you will find the magic formula. I truly believe in Weight Watchers.
Sometimes, for me, I have to kind of "yell at myself" and give myself a pep talk and say things like, "Just becuase you lose weight more slowly than other people, that doesn't make you a failure". We are all different.

You're doing great ~ just think if you wouldn't have started in January ~ you'd be 15 lbs. heavier than you are. It'll click.....(((hugs)))

that is something to always keep in mind .... REMEMBER where you come from!

the fact you stay with it, hold yourself accountable and keep truckin, that is great

keep the faith sista!

Thanks guys! I will definitely read that.
I weighed in this morning, again was 139. I did go down .4 though.
CalgaryElan, No, we're not giving up!!

REALLY, thanks everyone It's so nice to have support!

Atta girl!!!!!! and here I sit jealous of your weight loss...BUT...my jeans did feel a bit looser today and they were fresh out of the dryer! hee hee! So it may not be showing on the scale for me.

Well... not a good day for eating... had chinese take out for lunch... it was so good... I've been wanting it for so long... but I did share it with my sons. And then had a little slice of pizza at the party, and a nice bowl of ice cream for dessert. That was good too
And tomorrow I will regret it. Or, I will just eat better and exercise and move on...

Tracy, ONE day, such as a family birthday will not affect your ultimate success as long as you don't let that one day turn into a "birthday week" as we all know these things can do. So, if there was one day with Chinese food and pizza, so be it. But, get back on track immediately!
This happens in my family during February. We have my birthday and my son's two days apart from each other. There is usually a special dinner out for my birthday and my son's separate of each other, then we each get our own cake. Yikes! This year, I chose not to have a cake of my own and had a leftover slice of his cake. We combined dinners out for us both. For Valentines Day (14th, his b-day is the 16th and mine is the 18th) I requested absolutely no candy whatsoever. It was a more successful week than usual.
I have a problem with Christmas, for example, as it becomes "the holiday season" and all the special foods that we get one time during the year are so hard to resist.
I should try to make a few of those "special" foods at other times during the year so that I can recognize that they are not just holiday foods and I could have them at other times. This way the binging won't occur? Just an interesting thought. Wonder what my family would think to come home to me making candy cane cookies during July? I tend to gorge myself on a few items that are just so well loved that I cannot resist them. I use the thinking, "but I can only have them once a year" and blow it.
At any rate, Tracy, do watch Chinese food. I reserve that for the most absolute special occasions due to the high sodium content. Every time I eat it, I have a gain that week. If my family goes to the Chinese Super Buffet near our house, I have found out that they have a take out menu and I can order the chicken and steamed Chinese vegetables and not do the usual buffet thing with them. It's not as much fun, but I can at least join them.

Thanks Linda!!

Well, unfortunately, although not on purpose...this has not been a good weekend. Yesterday we celebrated a neighbor's first communion with pizza. And dinner with the same family, I just didn't eat a lot.
Today I have a luncheon for a banking thing I coordinate in the elementary school. Chicken teryaki for lunch. Aaaagh!! I will try and not eat much... and maybe eat really low-point food for dinner. This is where it gets hard... when I can't figure out points... and I don't have much control over what I eat.

Tracy, I'm right with you. Did you take note that I've only lost 14 pounds (at the bottom of my signature) and I've been doing this since LAST JUNE... it takes time, but I am not willing to give up. I'm a bit older than you are, I presume, and when you are a bit older, your metabolism slows and it's even harder to lose weight.
I find that I have to just pick up the pieces and move on when there are circumstances beyond my control as far as eating. We are all often in social situations like parties, and things like that, and we cannot control what other people serve us and we don't want to be impolite and refuse things, hurting feelings. One thing I do try to do, when we are invited to some one's home for example, is to offer to bring something and then make sure it's a low point "safe" food, like veggies and dip, and then I can eat more of that food and nibble on other things. But, often when I am in these situations, my resistance is lower and I might have wine or something. I get myself into trouble again and again over things like this. But, quite honestly, the person I was before going to Weight Watcher's meetings would have eaten everything and there are still better choices to be made everywhere I go.
The answer is to be consistent. To keep doing this, to keep journals, to drink water, to exercise. Those special occasions will happen and if we are happy and social people, they will happen again and again. I refuse to go to some one's summer BBQ, for example, brings a "bag lunch" and not eat their wonderful and thoughtfully prepared foods. It's bordering on rude, in a way?
One thing, just to rant a bit, though, that bothers me is that often the people putting on these parties are overweight themselves. They truly can't "afford" to be eating this stuff either, so what possesses them to have such high calorie/fat foods in front of their faces, and their guest's faces? Ah well, I can't change others, but I can change myself.
If I were a diabetic, for example, I would have no problem asking what is in certain foods and asking if I could bring an alternate, though. Perhaps I need to be more assertive? We are doing this for our health after all? But, I can't bring myself, as a guest, to start picking apart my host or hostess's food choices. I keep telling myself, it's just one day, but it seems that situations come up like this once or twice a month, maybe more.

15 pounds is about what I've lost since January as well and it is a challenge but here's the way I think about it: Stay on program and I'll slowly lose weight whereas getting off program will cause me to slowly gain weight. So the choice is fairly obvious :P

Tracy....sometimes WL is slow and tedious. Don't give up. Giving up only leads to disaster.