I have been working for a year at losing weight and have only managed to lose about 10 pounds. My problem is not lack of knowledge-I am well educated as to healthy foods and preparation methods. I know what I need to eat and what I nned to do but I have 2 major issues:

1. I LOVE sweets and soda (cannot stand diet pop) and can throw my willpower out the door at a moment's notice.

2. My life is hectic, hectic, hectic and many nights I am running until 11pm just doing things for the family and work. This results in lots of ordering food and eating on the go.

I think that the accountability of WW (and also the comraderie) may help me be more goal oriented and would help with problem #1. I also realize I just will have to make the time to prepare more meals for myself at home.

My main concern is that it may take a LOT of time to track everything. I know that tracking what you eat is essential for weight loss but I fear it may take much more time to figure out points than it would to track calories. I have several very healthy recipes that I don't know points for. How would I go about figuring that out?

I guess what I am looking for is some honest input on how much time I will be spending figuring out all the point stuff-will it take so much of my time that I would just forget it all? How has this worked for some of you?

I have been following weight watchers for 9 weeks and I have lost 15lbs!! I had tried it in the past and just couldn't get going but this time it has been great. It really doesnt take much time to track your points especially after you memorize the points values of things you eat frequently. I have found many staples that i fall back on when I'm in a hurry. Also there are a lot of frozen dinners that have the points right on the box. So I would DEFINENTLY recommend giving it a try. I really look forward to going to the meetings to see how much weight I have lost!!

Well just like anything you are just learning it takes time and effort. If you aren't willing to do that then you may not be mentally ready to do W/W or any other weight loss program.

1) I have a sweet treat daily...usually I try to make it a fruit instead of candy or cakes or cookies but there are days I have it.

2) you can waste your caloric intake/points intake on a sugar soda or you can try finding a diet soda you can stand, eventually you may even find you like them better...not saying you will but you may. You may also want to gradually move from regular to diet by mixing the two. Many people find that that the diet sodas made with Splenda are more to their liking than those made with Nutrasweet.

3) The use of my life is hectic, hectic is an excuse in my opinion. I'm not saying that to be mean or rude but it is my honest opinion. Many members have families, fulltime jobs and go to school. They all make the time because they have 'heard the click.' If you aren't willing to take time to learn the program, make time to track/journal, and plan they you (as I said before) may not be mentally ready to do the program (or any other weight loss program). W/W isn't a quick fix ... it is a life style change.

4) points are based on calories/fat/fiber and the tools W/W gives (slider to figure the points or the online points calculator) or the electronic points calculator you have the option of purchasing makes it relatively easy to figure the points. It will take time but since most of the information you need to figure points is right on the nutritional label it really is easy.

5) As for figuring points for recipes there are 3 ways you can figure them. Once you have it figured you just write the points in the margin of the recipe and you have it figured for future use.

a) you can list the points for each ingredient and total it up then divide that number by the number of servings to get the points

b) you can list the calories/fat/fiber for each ingredient. Total up each category and divide each category by the number of servings then use the points slider/calculator to figure the points

or

c) if you do online or have e-tools you can utilize the Recipe Builder OR purchase a program like Mastercook. If you use the recipe builder on the W/W site it gives you the points per serving. If you use Mastercook it gives you the nutrtional information and you take the calories/fat/fiber and use your points slider/calculator.

Just remember like anything you are new at it takes time and patience but as you do it you get better and it gets easier.

I'ved been doing points for nearly 10 years.

I've been thinking of ordering Master Cook for a long time, just to have it to manage my extensive recipe collection. Does it automatically figure nutritional info on recipes that I input? And are you telling me that WW has an electronic calculator that I just enter the nutriotional info and it will figure the points? That sounds easy enough! Do you know the cost of that.

Don't get me wrong-I am MORE than willing to spend time and effort to monitor my intake and I just need to totally give up soda. I think the accountability of WW would be more motivation for me. I just don't want my entire day to be consumed by figuring up points. I figure my time would be better spent exercising than spending hours trying to figure out how many points I ate.

Thanks for your help and your frank answers!

I think you should consider the Core Plan and not count points on day to day foods but only the extras not covered by the Core list. It will make things easier and you won't have a lot of counting in a day.

Once I count the points of my favorites, I write it down, for future reference. You'd be surprised how many times we eat the same things, over and over.

Why not give it a try for a couple of weeks, and see what you think? It really isn't that time consuming. Plus, it gives you something to do besides eat.

I joined TOPS with my husband because we couldn't both afford to go to WW, and we both do best when we both attend weekly meetings. When we joined I decided to switch to a diabetic exchange diet plan, but a lot of the members in our TOPS group are former WW members and still following the WW food plans (core or flex). Others in the group are following exchange plans and others calorie counting and others are on South Beach (TOPS endorses an exchange diet, but does not require you to follow any particular plan).

I think almost every plan has been criticized by one member or another for being too confusing or time consuming. I guess it depends on what you consider time consuming and how easily you're confused. When I joined WW, I bought the kit containing the carrying case and the two "extra" books - the grocery guide and the restaurant guide. They helped a lot, and I wouldn't say that it ever took me more than 5 minutes to calculate the points for a meal. If you can balance a checkbook without difficulty, the Weight Watcher's math is pretty quick and simple.

I love MasterCook and have been using it since I started W/W back in 1998. It does automatically figure the nutritional value BUT you have to enter it correctly. Say you use the generic CAN for a can of beans. You need to make sure you use the same size can. The great thing is you can add ingredients to the database.

Yes it works just like the slide that you get for free. You put in the calories/fat/fiber for the amount you ate and it gives you the points. I think it runs $25-30 dollars but right now I think they are revamping it so many meeting places don't have them in stock.

Your statement Is really confusing. It will take longer for you to figure and plan when you first start than in a few weeks, few months, a year from now because like when you learn anything it is new and can be confusing at first. The more practice you do with it the easier it is. I can now basically figure points in my head without a calculator or slide. As for exercise...do you plan on exercising all day? This is what confuses me with your statement. You don't have to exercise all day long like they show on Biggest Loser because that isn't realistic. I do about 1 - 1 1/2 hours a day in exercise. I do a cardio DVD every morning except for Sunday that is between 30-45 minutes and then weights at the gym 4 days a week in the afternoon.

A few thoughts came to my mind:
After two or three weeks on the program, tracking becomes easy. This is because you quickly begin to memorize the point value of food items. Many times we eat the same foods or a few of the same foods for our meals. For example, you might have cereal or egg for breakfast every morning. That is only two different things to remember. Same with lunch and similar with dinner. If you eat some WW TV dinners for some of your lunches or dinners...the points are calculated for you....this makes it easier. It is relatively easy to quickly add up these points at some point late afternoon or early evening. Then all you have to do is figure out what you have left at the very end of the day. It becomes routine rather quickly.

In addition, to the above...a person could do Core. Then you would only have to track an average of 5 optional points daily, which could be done in your head. Since they are optional, you would probably want to keep them to a minimum anyway.

WW advocates exercising a little each day...building up to what suits your time and ability. Many people start off with 10 minutes a few times a week. The point is simply to move more than you are doing now.

You are right...there are many positives to the WW program and accountability is probably the best part of the program. It really works/does the trick!

Another trick, get a sharpie or someother magic marker and write the points on the label of boxes like the popcorn box, helpers, side dishes. I do that every so often then you see right away and learn what they are for future reference.

good luck! and stick with it!

Like the other posters have mentioned, once you figure out what the points of the commonly eaten foods in your house are, it is much easier. But something that came to my mind when I was reading was this: I spent most of my life until now obsessing about food; constantly thinking about food, what I was going to eat, when, how much, etc. Where could I stop on the way home to get this food or that food? How could I rearrange my finances to be able to buy that lunch or dinner or whatever? Do you get my point? So many times I have decided it was too much work to try and lose weight without even realizing how much work I was putting in to eating! So much time I wasted...so much money...and so much of my health. Trust me, you are worth every minute it takes to get this or any other program to the point where it is an automatic thing to do each day.
Good luck and God bless!

Tara - welcome to 3fc, and to the Weight Watcher forum in particular. What a good point you made! I, too, spent a lot more time wondering about my next high fat/high calorie meal, thinking about unhealthy snacks, etc. than I do on figuring points.

Hi everyone: As of 1/08, I will be joining WW. I have been on LA/Pure Weight Loss, and lost 26 lbs with that since July '07. My health insurance will be paying $300 towards WW, so I might as well take advantage of that. I hope that it won't be a hard transition, since I need to lose about 25 lbs more. Anyone switch from LAWL to WW?? Tx, Louise.

Hello, my lawl center is closing I also will be moving to ww on the 8th of Jan, I'm looking forward to a new change with new friends and a new diet.
I have lost 30 Lbs as of July 16th 07. Is counting points hard to do? My sister gave me the books and counters, but I choose to go to the meetings for the support. Does it cost a lot? Can't wait!
Angie in Tennessee

www.weightwatchers.com and then go to find a meeting and it will give you the costs or your area