You will be given a quiz when you get to WW that you can use to determine how many points you will have available to eat every day. You will also get 35 "extra" points every week to spend as you choose.

You can go through WW and never buy a single WW food product. I never buy WW foods - I tend to stick to organic or all natural products. WW gives you a "slider" that allows you to figure out how many points are in foods with nurtition labels, and you also get a book with point values for things like fruit, nuts, milk, etc.

I never feel hungry! I plan my day specifically so that I won't be hungry

I know someone who did Nurtisystem and lost weight, but then had no clue how to maintain it since he was just getting shipped food and ate it and never had to really learn how to eat correctly with normal food that didn't arrive at his door. So if you do choose Nutrisystem, I would suggest making sure they have some sort of maintenance program now.

Once you reach your goal weight on WW, meetings are FREE, as they want you to keep coming and maintain your weight loss.

Wow! As to which WW plan is right for you, core is good if you can handle portion control with limited food options, flex is best for you if you prefer open options on both food and portions (within your daily points allotment).

Points are based on the ratio of calories, fat and fiber in a food item- you can look up the points for any foods with nutrition information either through the WW website or with a sliding scale they give out at the WW meetings. For apples and other items that don't have nutrition information, there are many websites with the information available.

You are not limited to WW brand products- on core you have a list of whole foods you can eat and on flex you can eat anything within your daily allotted points value.

I have never tried Nutrisystem but the simplicity of it is certainly attractive- as I understand it, you have to eat all of the food, whether you like it or not, in order for it to work.

I use WW flex because restaurants and quick, easy meal options are my reality. I still struggle to get my water and veggies but I eat much better and have lost weight. Plus, I can gain points from exercising, which helps me have the occasional brownie without completely derailing.

Good luck!

Modkitten- Thanks for the fast reply. i was thinking that about the nutrisystem- like the maintaining thing. All the tools you spoke of- will those be sent to me if i do the online thing? I am not a meeting kind of a person. Small town chick and terribly shy. My size is my business kinda thing??

I might have to give WW a go. Seems there are a lot of people whom it has worked for them.

Lafayette-

So then maybe flex would be better for me. I have a desk job (cant leave the desk- i am a 911 operator) and end up "eating out" a lot. I know I should bring in food, but I am hoping to find a program where i can lose weight and know what to eat so to speak.

What happens if I dont spend all my points? Do I have to use them all? What if i go over? I suppose its all about discipline- which I need The points they allow- is it "do-able" "?

You guys ROCK. Thanks for replying!!

BTW- LOVE the sleeves Mod!!! (assuming thats really ink!!??)

No matter what, you'll have to start bringing food. Restaurant food is a diet killer!

On Flex, you can have whatever you want, within reason, and you'll quickly find that fast food is not within reason. Frozen dinners like Lean Cuisine and Smart Ones are much better options for people on the go.

I will typically bring a variety of things to work at the start of the week but I started with a daily lunch or I would just eat everything on Monday and eat out the rest of the week. My weekly bag o' tricks typically contains fat free sugar free Jello pudding, cut veggies, a small container of humus, salads with lemon slices instead of dressing, reduced fat cottage cheese, whole grain crackers, Campbell's Soup in Hand, etc. That way, I have a variety of good things to chose from for snacks and meals each day that reduce the call of the vending machines and fast food joints around my office.

WW recommends you use all your points. Based on your current weight, you will have a set amount of daily points plus 35 bonus points to use throughout the week for things like eating out, having dessert, etc. You can also earn additional points through exercise. I found it doable and, when I was really focusing on getting my veggies and other good stuff, I even occasionally found myself with a few leftover to spare.

It takes discipline and finding a series of snack and meal options that work for you. Because you are starting by yourself and have a lot of questions, you may want to sign up for WW online. The e-tools are awesome and include complete program descriptions, FAQ's and an online food counter that is often able to calculate your points for each food item for you.

You CAN do this!

Awesome. You and mod have answered a LOT of my questions so far. I am intrigued by the fact that you can GAIN points through exercise. So basically as long as I stay at or under my points I am cool and will likely lose/ Dont worry, I AM an exerciser and am NOT looking for an easy way out. I hate counting calories, as it is too difficult to keep tract. points seem smaller- thus easier to track? Another issue I have is accountability. I am hoping for that without the meetings. trust me... meetings in my small town would not be fun as it would just be a b**ch seesion among the ladies...lol.

Youre a rockstar. THANK YOU!!

A.

My husband lost 80 lbs. on the WW Points plan and has maintained that loss for 4+ years.

I had gained 35 pounds while taking medication after breast cancer. After five years I went off the medication, but the weight stayed. Inspired by my husband's success, I went on WW. I had never been on a diet and found the plan incredibly easy to follow and stick too. I was never hungry.

One of the best things that came out of our WW experience is how aware we became of the junk we put in our bodies without giving it any thought. We now eat a very healthy diet full of whole grains, veggies, fruit and lean meats/proteins because those are the foods we crave, instead of chips, fries, burgers etc.

Whatever plan you decide on, I wish the best of luck!

No more burgers??? Thats my favorite!! Not that I eat them a LOT- but thats a huge thing for me to give up~! Maybe a cheeseburger as a reward?? so can you basically eat anything as long as you dont go over your points?

that has been my issue in the past- denying myself- then I break and its a downward spiral from there...

maybe this plan is the answer- because I wont be denying myself, but at the same time being accountable via points?

Hope you don't mind me jumping in.....

hello alhiser! I started WW Aug. 15. But, I don't go to the meetings either. I bought my books and stuff off of E-Bay and bought a points calculator. I have lost almost 10 pounds in the past month and I don't feel deprived AT ALL!

You do have to track what you eat though. And, keep track of your points too! I still have McD's cheeseburgers every now and then (but, I make sure to count the points!!!). They have a "Dining Out Guide" through WW that gives you points for all different popular restaurants, so you don't have to calculate them.....it is HANDY!

That's one HUGE factor that sold me on WW is that I don't have to spend the rest of my life eating rice cakes and soy milk. To lose weight and keep weight off, you have to make a lifestyle change in how you eat. But, with WW, you don't feel like you've had to give up all your favorite foods, you can still have them (in moderation!). We still have game nights where we make chips, dips, pigs in a blanket, etc..... we do a lot with low fat, fat free, low cal. stuff - but it all tastes the same! We have changed all of our breads over to 100% whole wheat! But, these are changes that I can live with the rest of my life..... so, I don't have to fear falling off the wagon.

If you want to do WW from home (or online), there is a forum here for "WW at Home". I spend most of my time there. We have our weekly weigh-ins where we post our weights (or weight losses if you don't want others to know your actual weight) and we have our own little support group there since none of us go to actual meetings. Feel free to check it out.

AND, Wal-Mart sells WW foods (yogurts, snacks, entrees, desserts), and while you don't HAVE to buy these, it does make keeping track of points a little easier because the points are already figured out for you..... (and for other foods we buy, the Points Calculator comes in SO handy!!!).

Good luck on your choices!!!

Thanks for your reply Julz- Feel free to jump in any time!

I will definitely check ebay for that stuff- ebay is so rad...

I am really excited to try this stuff. I dont mind tracing food, its just calorie counting that it intimidating.

10# in a MONTH!! OMG thats awesome!! I am ready to do this. See you on the WW@H forum!

Ciao bella!

Good luck!

yay! Thank you so much guys!!

Ang

Please don't ever use food as a reward. Food is fuel for your body. That's it. It's using food as a reward, for emotional reasons, for comfort, that has gotten us into trouble with out weight. Think of different ways to reward yourself. Cheeseburgers got you where you are, to get to where you want to be, try a Bocca burger with a slice of FF Cheese on a Lite Bun - YUM!