I have some info that a friend gave me from when she was on W.W. and I was thinking I would just do it on my own. I know that going to the meetings is recommended, but I would have a difficult time getting to the only weekly meeting that they have close by. Does the online version give you anything that you really need?

I say join if you can afford it. I have done it both ways and always had bigger successes when I was going to the meetings and I learned so much there. Nowadays I can't afford it, so I use my mom's materials to learn and grow in the program. I'd definitely join if I was able. Mom uses the eTools. She swears by a few of them. I don't really care too much for the website, but Maybe you could join up for a couple of months and then drop it if you need to? You'll already know the plan, and it's pretty fool-proof, so it's not like you wouldn't be able to function without access to the site, right? You can do it either way. I'm doing it solely at home without access to their site and I dropped 4 pounds my first week. (The first seventy pounds I lost, I did by just counting calories. Now that I have that year of doing things a different way behind me, I knew I could do WW and do it RIGHT this time!) Best wishes! Let us know how you're doing!

I used to go to WW meetings for a few months a couple years ago. I now pretty much follow the WW plan w/o going to meetings or paying for online services. I would say if you understand how the point thing works and have a good idea as to what foods are high/low in calorie you would be ok to still follow the plan. if I ever need to look up calories and fat for foods I just google search them. I also know of a site where there is a free WW point calculator. If you PM me I will send it to you. However, it still may be a good idea to join a group meeting if you feel that you need the support of others people fighting the weight battle. WW is great for support.

Well i dont go to the meeting and i dont pay for the online thing either i got my materials from my boyfriends mother however so i suppose i got lucky but i find that im losing weight fine without actually joining , as long as you can find out what you need to know from these fourms etc or from other people i say u dont really need to spend the extra money.

The first time around I used things I found on the internet and found out from friends on the program to try it out. After the first month I bought the at home kit. I like having the materials handy when I don't have access to the computer. If that is what you have then I think you have the tools to succeed. I have never been to a meeting though so I guess I am bias.

When I did WW the first time I went to meetings. This time around, just had a baby, I have decided that I already have the stuff i'll just do it at home. I am hoping that since I have a weight loss partner that's where i'll get my accountability. Have you thought about a weight loss buddy to make you accountable.

GL!!!!

I went to the meetings when I was in college but ended up losing all of my material...because I knew pretty much what to do I borrowed all the material from a friend and have been doing it on my own since oct 07..........it takes a lot of dedication and hard work...i am only a few lbs from my goal!!!!!! So yes it IS possible!

For me, an in-person support group is a vital part of successful weight loss for me, more so than the specific food plan I've learned. When I joined TOPS with hubby in August (because we both could go for 1/10 or less the price of WW, which we couldn't afford), I was intending to follow WW as I still had all of the materials from when we joined in 2004, when hubby was still working. (In TOPS you can follow any food plan you wish). We have several members in TOPS that are following WW with materials they received as WW members or materials they received from former members (one TOPS member donated her WW materials to another member since I've joined).

I've since switched to an exchange plan, but I keep my WW materials, because I do revert to points on days that I can't easily take along my food journal and exchange book (I've memerized a lot of foods' points values), because I can do points in my head.

If you can do it on your own, go for it. If you think that a meeting would help you stay focused and the local WW meeting doesn't fit your schedule, check out if there's a TOPS chapter near you with a more convenient meeting time (if you have a couple friends who are interested you can also start a new TOPS chapters with as few as three members I think - or maybe it's five). The tops.org website has a lot of information and you can search for local chapters.

I looked into the meeting near my home and the times are not for me so I decided to do it at home. I can not afford to join the online so I went to ebay and bought the books there for less than 1/2 the price and between that and what is on this and other forums I think I can pretty much follow the program. Of course I still have a few questions but overall I think anyone can do it with the right tools

I bought my Weight watchers pack online... ebay to be exact... I paid about 65 dollars for the 2008 kit and got an electronic point calculator with it too... I use this site and other blogs/forums for help when i need it.

I dont go primarilly because I am Deaf and I use interpreters and while WW has agreed to get me interpreters for the meetings it really does limit which meetings I have to attend as there is a shortage of interpreters in this state... plus Deaf is a small world and I really am private enough to not want even my interpreters around when I am watching my diet... I find I do better if I just do it and not to many people really know.

WW on line I found to be a waste of money..... I would regularly forget to enter what I ate.... I dont work at a computer so it means making a special trip over to the computer to enter foods... and I found the forums to be obnoxious and unmoderated so the rudeness and trolling were out of control....

the only thing I miss about hte WW online is the recipe builder that was a good tool and fsat and easy....

I find that I have the stuff.... I just do it myself and I am fine... Ih ave a notebook on my kitchen counter where I write everything....

good luck
s

I went to the meetings for about 8 months when I was 19 (and lost 40 lbs!) and the in-person weigh in and accountability was awesome for me. The meetings themselves were so-so, especially since I was the only young, single person there. But the tools I learned to use (even just how the pts system works, and knowing that it DID work when I used it correctly) were a lifelong investment. Three times since then I've used the points formula to lose weight (the first time I let it creep up a little too high, the second two were from weight gained during pregnancy) and it always works! I don't go to meetings anymore because it's too expensive and too difficult with my two kiddos, but I have the points formula memorized and understand the plan, and I know I'll use it all my life to keep on track or get back on track when I've gained a little too much...

I think we all have found a niche to make this work for us. I am always on the prowl though for family friendly recipes that are cost effective. I live on a limited budget so this is very important to me.

I do write down everything I eat and am careful with my points. I have not had a day yet (whoo hoo been on it a whole 5 days lol) when I binged. But I know my day is comming. I am usually good for about 3 weeks then the urge to binge grabs me and shakes me so hard my teeth rattle and I eat the entire contents of my cuboard.

You all are great support and inspiration please keep it u[

I think the success level of the people who go to meetings vs. those who do it online or on their own is due in part to the accountability. I know for me, the idea of stepping on the scale in front of someone else kept me just a little bit more motivated than if I was going it on my own.