I am thinking of joining WW in the new year but i have a few questions...
If I join online, do i still get all the stuff ie. the books, the slider bars that type of stuff or do they expect you to use it all online? Can I go to meetings if i can find the time?? Do you get acess to the online stuff if you go to meetings? Could I like go to a meeting to get the stuff and then switch to online?

If you have done both which did you find more helpful?

thanks for any input =)

I joined ww in feb 2007...as of last monday night i have lost 78.75 pounds...i would recommend the meetings for the fact that you have a support group and its amazing how much harder you try when you have to face the scales and your group every week.

My brother said they don't give you the books and stuff online, that's what he did. I have been going @work, but will go to meetings at night since they discontinued our @work. The @work program is 8 week sessions and they give you 10 weeks of materials, then with a new session you get the same materials again.

Some meetings allow you to access the online tools, I think they pay something extra. Where I go in PA doesn't, but some do, you'll have to check. You can always start out with the meetings and get the books and stuff and then go online if the meetings aren't convenient.

I'll be honest though, I love meetings and becoming part of a group.

Usually when you start they have some kind of package where you get registered and so many meetings for a reduced price. Sometimes they have deals where registration is free, watch the newspaper for ads with the new year coming. Best of luck!

Congrats!! Iclampit, great success!!

If you can do the meetings, I think you should. The support and information available is amazing. At the meetings you will receive booklets/info weekly for the first 8-10 weeks, and then every time something new comes out. The Complete Food book and Dining Out companions are not included, but you can purchase them if you want. As for the best of both worlds, I think if it's available to you, the Monthly Pass is your best bet. With it your meetings are less expensive ($39.95 per month) but it also includes e-tools. Voila! Best of both worlds! Best of luck to you!

If you can't do the meetings, you can purchase the points slider and books at eBay. I had to do it that way, because I was the major caretaker of my MIL who had Alzheimer's. My DH taught a night class on the one night that WW met, and I had to watch MIL every day. I lost 85 pounds doing it on my own, so it can be done. Having attended meetings years ago, I do think the meetings are even more of an incentive, and the fellowship is great. But sometimes it just isn't feasible. Good luck to you, and I hope to see you here often.

With online you get all the information you get at meetings within the website however you have a 'marketplace' where you can purchase the dining out companion, food companion, points calculator and some other stuff.

Also may areas have MONTHLY PASS option which is less then the cost of meetings PLUS it includes e-tools so you would basically have all the online stuff (not eligible to purchase from the marketplace) and meetings. I think it runs about $40.

I think they still offer the at home option too for around $100 which gives you all the materials that the meeting goers get with their meetings plus the companions and a calculator.

Yes you could start going to meetings and then sign up for e-tools and then drop the meetings. They will let you continue to pay for e-tools even if you aren't going to a meeting...or you could switch to online.

Kelly, the "At Home" kit isn't offered through the official website any longer, at least not that I could find. I think that's one reason eBay is such a condender for the materials.

Actually e-bay is usually higher than what you'd spend to join online then buy from the market place for what you wanted or needed at least in my opinion.

If you can fit the meetings into your schedule I say go to meeting. They have helped me tremendously, and as someone earlier said, there is something about the accountability at meetings that keeps me on track. I don't know where you live, but check the website for available meetings in your area and see if you can find one that's convenient for your schedule.

yes, I've done online before and now i attend meetings. i am consistently losing more weight this time around because I'm attending the meetings.

I have done both. I just rejoined going to meetings again becuase online wasn't doing it for me. I purchased the Monthly Pass option which also gives you free Etools, which is the online stuff. If you join online, you have everything right there on the computer. I just felt I was not held as accountable, and the meetings do wonders for me. I was told that for every 1 person who makes it to goal online, 10 making it to goal who attend meetings.