Hello. I am new here and considering switching to WW. I have recently lost 19 lbs by following Atkins on *and off* over the last few months. 228 down to 209. I am happy with those results but find I am constantly tweaking things, numbers, percentages trying to figure out what works for me and for some reason when I low carb, I will stall or gain immediately even if I am within my carbs and calories over a slice of cheese or something. I don't think this is a way for me to eat the rest of my life. I find it too restrictive and I am actually more depressed since losing weight because I feel it extremely limited many of the foods I loved. I have learned portion control, calorie counting, and making better choices but need a more balanced diet.

After having been a part of the LC forums for a while *not on this site*...I am kind of scared now because they are pretty hard core that carbs are poison...even the whole grain ones. I do enjoy the natural fats and do use them in a healthy way. I don't know....I guess low carbing became too much "work" considering I have to be in this optimal percentage range for carbs/fat/protein and the numbers crunching is killing me. The tweaking everything...cutting out cheese, adding back cheese, ok try cutting out artificial sweetners and pop, hmmmm that didn't work, it turned into eating plain meat, plain veggies, with a bit of butter for me to see ANY loss. I have no health problems and have had my thyroid tested. I am 31.

I need to try something else with more variety! My worry is: will I re-gain suddenly because I switch from a high fat/low carb diet to a lower fat/moderate carb diet assuming I eat more veggies and fruits and some bread now and then? I can't believe how much I want a sandwich!! LOL But not at the cost of being overweight forever. Help!!!

You have to find something that will work for you for life. If you can find an ideal balance of eating well and losing weight but not feeling completely deprived then you are set. That's what ww has done for me. Remember that if you are dieting and you stop and go back to your regular lifestyle you will likely gain the weight back so think lifestyle change

I recently switched over from Atkins since it wasn't working for me. The tweaking, the major restriction, etc. - I just knew it wouldn't work for me long term.

I am now consistently losing weight and didn't have the "bump" in weight that the Atkins people talked about. After a 10 day plateau on Atkins, I started losing again immediately after switching to WW.

I am happier since I can incorporate foods I love (in moderation) as well as eat fruit. I think I am eating healthier since I am not relying all the Atkins bars/meals/shakes to keep me within my carbs since I have a wider variety of foods available to me and I can eat lots of veggies to keep me full.

Personally, I think WW is a better plan for long term.

I tried atkins a few years ago and had major headaches. I love WW It works and is definitely better for the long run. I only say that b/c I feel WW teaches portion control and how I can have anything I want, like gooch100 said, in moderation.

I did Atkins and lost, but as soon as I stopped it put it all back on.

WW is realistic and fits your lifestyle. It teaches you how to lose weight by eating healthily - not by just eliminating foods. I like the options and the fact that I can eat anything, again - in moderation.

I agree with everyone here, weight watchers has worked for me and it's liveable. I however with WW do a more low carb style but because I feel best that way. However, sometimes I go all out and use my points for pasta and things like that. You can tweak weight watchers while staying within your points to truly suit your needs.

Atkins, although it does work for many, does not work for all and your health and weight loss goals are the most important! So don't be afraid and get after what will make you feel great!

I've done Atkins and been very successful with it, but - like SoMuchFattitude - as soon as I stopped, I would gain it all back. And I felt sick, which they say is normal, but felt the worst and kept me from going back to it.

I honestly didn't think I could lose weight on WW, because I have PCOS with some evident of insulin-resistance, but I made a 100% commitment to it on the first and I'm down 17lbs. I can't really exercise seriously due to a back injury I'm trying to heal from, so that's all diet-based weight loss. I am sold! I do, however, take cinnamon supplements before eating carb-y meals.

I just wanted to add that a couple of days after switching to WW I made myself a sandwich. I used a multi-grain sandwich thin (found at Costco) with turkey, swiss, lettuce and dijon mustard.

It was absolutely heavenly.

That was the moment that I knew WW was going to work for me long-term since I would be able to incorporate stuff like that into my diet.

Thank you all for your replies. I am going to make the switch! My hubby is starting WW and that was another thing....2 very different shopping lists, making 2 seperate meals all the time, etc would have been expensive. Me buying full fat, him buying low fat, etc. That is what I want, a total lifestyle change. Something that I can do forever and not go back to my old habits. This is the longest I have stuck it out and 19 down is the most I have ever achieved. I used to do Atkins and I would always quit around the 10 pound mark because it was too restrictive and I ended up gaining it all back plus some. It got to where I started out only needed to lose 5 pounds to get below 200 to suddenly 28 over a few on and offs. Ridiculous. I don't want to go back to my old habits. I am a total food addict. I love this board here...I have been on several others on the web and this one is by far the most supportive, motivational, embraces all.

Oh and gooch100, I TOTALLY LOVE your avatar. I am a complete Whovian and cannot WAIT until the March 30th episode! Which Doctor is your fav? I am torn between the 1st, 9th, and 10th.

Oh and I have been tracking EVERYTHING and went back over the last 2 weeks and put all my info into my WW PointsPlus calculator and found that I was only getting anywhere from 21 to 28 points when I am supposed to have 32 and hardly any of it was veggies and no fruit.

I have also noticed while reading through a few WW forum threads that no one really talks much about "stalling" or "gaining" while following WW to a T. On the LC side, stalling and gaining even while in induction seems to be the norm. That is a quick demotivator for me.

Piecukonis - Glad to see another Whovian on here! I am torn on which Doctor I like best. I adored 10 but 11 is growing on me (I call him the floppy Doctor). 9 will be forever in my heart because he's the one that brought it all back. But, truthfully, the best one for me is 4 since he was my first Doctor (on PBS when I was a kid).

Good luck on your switch over to WW. I think you will be happy with how it all turns out.

I had huge headaches when I tried Atkins. I am loving being on WW because I don't feel like there is any restrictions. Just moderation and deciding if something is worth the points! lol

Roxanne <---also a whovian

Roxanne - So cool that you are a whovian too! :-)

They say you never forget your first Doctor. LOL

I had constant headaches and dizziness on Atkins. Today is my first full WW day and I am very gradually adding back in more veggies and fruit and breads will probably take just a bit longer. I want to make sure I don't suddenly put on 10 lbs since my body won't know what the heck I am doing. Been tracking my points and measuring today. I am having the best salad for lunch right now:

4oz boneless skinless chicken breast (boiled) then seasoned with lemon pepper.

Cut that up and put in on about 1.5 cups romaine lettuce, 1/3 cup shredded fiesta cheese, 1 tbsp bacon bits, and my homemade ranch which came out to only 2 points for 1/4 cup.

Also enjoying a can of Diet Rite. I am down to 1 can a week from having soda ALL day long, HUGE amounts. Always diet though. I upped my water over the last month to about 100oz. Now soda feels like a super treat.

I have tried a few diets off and on for most of my life. I finally decided to do Weight Watchers after reading an inspiring article out of my local newspaper about a woman that kept getting rejected for bypass surgery so she joined WW. She lost almost 150lbs, which is what I am looking to lose. I was a major soda addict (about 4 cans a DAY!) I TOTALLY cut them out and took Excedrin when I'd get headaches. I bought a food scale at Walmart and always buy Light anything if it's available. I find it handy to buy Smart Ones for lunch at work because it's early and i'm in a rush. There are also MANY recipes online, in books they've made and on these boards. What I LOVE about WW, is that unlike all the other diet plans out there, they teach you how to control your portions and how to eat better, even when you've reached your goal weight! I have been on it almost a full 2 weeks and have been feeling pretty good. I'm rarely hungry and i'm still able to eat whatever I want, but just in portions! Just give it a try, if you end up liking WW, it's cheaper to pay for more months if your budget allows. I began by paying for an entire year for online which was a little over $100. Worth it to me, but it's all up to you! Good luck in whatever you choose! :-)

Hi-- I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoy Weight Watchers. I've been at it 5 weeks now and feel wonderful about it. I did try Atkins years ago and hated evey day of it. With WW There is no guilt involved. When I started I also switched to 100% whole grains. Having hypothyroidism, I need carbs to function and whole grains have been just the ticket. I never feel starved or deprived--it's all positive. I'm down 25 lbs and feel that the way I am learning to eat is a whole lifestyle change. One I can and will live with, not for a year, not just in the ambiguous 'long term" but for life. I really suggest trying it. Whatever you do, I wish you so much success.