Hi I am new to this forum and have been thinking about weight watchers? How is it working for you? Do you think it is a realistic long term plan? Are you on the online plan or the meetings plan?

Hi! and welcome!

I do weight watchers online and I love it! To be honest, I don't think I'd actually go to the meetings consistently if I chose that method so this works for me. When I first began my weight loss journey I tried a low carb plan. While I did lose weight, I just knew it would not work long term for me. I love my carbs too much and felt very deprived which lead to binges.
You really do have to be prepared to track EVERYTHING that you eat with weight watchers and I would highly suggest you also purchase a food scale if you don't already have one. I use mine multiple times a day. In the past 6 weeks on WW I've lost 14pounds and am very pleased with my results. I know the idea of weighing and tracking all your food may seem overwhelming at first, but before you know it'll just become your normal routine. I absolutely believe this will work long term for me. It really is a lifestyle change and nothing's off limits so I don't feel deprived. You just have to make sure it fits in your daily points and you are also given an extra 49 weekly points that you can decide when to use. I usually don't use all 49 but I will dip into them from time to time or on special occasions. Good luck with your weight loss and feel free to PM if you have any more questions!

Hi, Lana!

I have been doing WW (old plan) along with calorie-counting (mostly just curious how much I get a day) for the last 2 years (usually go off-track a bit in the summertime but then get back on 100% track in the fall with 5-7lb gains.) I personally think it works very well and I don't feel deprived since I can fit many things in my plan. I also think it can work long-term even in maintenance as long as you are honest with yourself and hold yourself accountable for every bite, lick and taste.

Good luck with whatever you decide!!

I'm new to the forum too. I've been doing weight watchers since February 2012. I'm 5 lbs away from my goal. I've lost 65 lbs. For me, it's definitely something I can do long term. It basically steers me to eat healthy and gives me a way to keep track of what I'm eating, because I know that if I don't keep track, I will eat too much. And I didn't have to give anything up. That's one of the reasons I know I can keep it up long term. I go to the meetings. That works for me. Can't wait to be lifetime, cause then I won't have to pay unless I gain weight. Seems like a pretty good incentive.

Personally, I think WW is best for the Long-term as you can eat anything. It's all about the portions (calories). It works well if you are accountable and stick to it. I've been on it (on and off) for almost 20 years. Lost most of my weight (50 lbs.) on it.

I just joined WW on Thursday. I have tried fad diets in the past and always failed. I needed a lifestyle change so I joined. I have joined WW in the past and given up because weight loss was slow. I am determined this time. I have seen too many people lose weight quickly on plans and then gain it all back. My mind set seems to be different this time and I am so excited about joining. I attend the meetings and may change to on-line after a while. My first weigh in is on Thursday and I am actually looking forward to it! That's a first!

I've been doing WW since Jan 2012 and I love it. It's my lifetime way of eating now- I start maintenance next Wed and after 6 wks, will be Lifetime and have a free seat. *Fingers Crossed*

Like JuvenileNarcissist said, that was a big incentive for me as the meetings are super-important to me. I love WW and am so glad I joined even if it was grudgingly, lol. As for whether it's realistic? Totally. You choose how you eat your points so you never feel deprived. I knew that if I had a gain, how to lose it. I can do this for life.

I'm new(ish) also, but to be honest its like anything. If you stick at it it will work. It takes commitment.

That said, it is a great way to eat healthy without having you life totally restricted because you can pretty much eat anything, and if you follow the guidlines you will lose weight.

The advantage of meetings also is that you are accountable because you have to weigh in!

Hi Lana - I've been following the WW plan since Feb 6 and I attend meetings. I am loving the plan and find that it is very realistic and it's a plan that I'm able to stick with. I am working the program and have lost 16 pounds since starting on 2/6 and have not at once felt deprived. I eat foods that I enjoy and have learned portion control. I hope it works for you too.

I am in it for the long haul. I could see myself going to meetings as a lifetimer and helping others. Recently I have decided that not being a Weight Watchers is a sure fire way for me to gain my weight back. I mean, I have only lost 30llbs of the 130 I originally wanted to lose, but for right now, there is no end in sight. I am like a train.

It's hard to imaging doing anything else now that I'm used to WW.

What I like the best is that theoretically you can eat anything but it steers you towards making smart choices. When you do well it's as if the good idea was all yours and when you stray a little it's not the end of the world.

Tt's totally doable forever but you still can lose weight at a reasonable clip.

To me the only really unique thing that WW has is the meetings and the reward structure -- that is the weighing in and being recognized for your losses and the measurable goal of lifetime membership.

I am a regained lifetime member and always do better when I attend WW meetings. My problems arise when I don't attend meetings. For me, online removed that part so wasn't helpful for me.

Other people don't need to in person support so find online is fine. For me, online only gives me everything I don't like about WW without giving me what I do like.

What is it that I don't like?

1. I like that WW doesn't forbid any foods, however, I think that WW could do more on healthy foods. While there are good health guidelines they are just that. There is no requirement to follow them. I also don't like that WW sells products at meetings and WW branded frozen foods are often very unhealthy in using refined carbohydrates. I don't like that the frozen foods, for example, include refined pasta or white rice. I don't like that the products sold at meetings use refined carbs. I think WW should not be promoting unhealthy foods.

2. I personally find it more helpful to count calories directly. Some people do find it easier to keep track of points but I really don't find that easier. I actually am comfortable with counting calories so don't find their points all that helpful (I do like the structure of WW in having a base number of points a day while allowing individual daily variation through weekly points).

3. I find it disingenuous that WW still lets people add activity points without first having to meet a baseline. If you have an ActiveLink or a Weight Watchers Pedometer (in full day mode), you don't start earning activity points for formal exercise until you first meet a baseline based upon your age, gender, height and weight. I like that and feel it is accurate.

However, for people who don't have those devices, you can add points for activity regardless of what you did for the rest of the day.

Before I had my ActiveLink I would do formal exercise and then add activity points (I did also consider anything low intensity). After I got my ActiveLink I found that I no longer got those activity points because my life was otherwise sedentary enough that I wasn't reaching my baseline.

WW knows perfectly well that you should not add for activity points unless you first meet a deadline because that is how they correctly do it for the ActiveLink or Pedometer. But they aren't up front and telling people who don't have those devices that they may be over counting points.