Hi everyone! Ok, I have been on and off a low carb diet for the past 6 years or so. When Atkins first was getting popular and went from 180 down to about 126. I'm 5'4 so it was a BIG difference....however, I went off the diet for a while around the time I got married and was off for a few months. The last 2 months or so I have been trying to loose the weight that I gained back in that time, and was able to loose the first 4 or 5 lbs. in the first week, but I have totaly STOPPED loosing! And I don;t look any different then when I started the diet 2 months ago! So, a friend of mine was doing weight watchers and she was really happy with the way it was going and said I should try it...so, I bought their newest book on Amazon along with "How to motivate the "thin" you" along with a couple of cardio palates DVDs. I have never really tired excersising along with dieting before, so i hope it will speed things up... but, My question to all of you is: Do you think that weight watchers will work for me, even though I have been doing this low carb diet for so long? I worry that my body will reject this weight watchers diet and my biggest fear is that I will GAIN on the diet, rather then loose. I feel like I have been brain washed by the lack of carbs into thinking that ONLY the low carb diets work..please, help me out anyone! I have been looking for SOMEONE to give me an honest answer on this for some time! Thanks all!

-Tiffany

W/W has basically 3 Eating By the Numbers or PointsPies to utilize for points plus they have a new arm of the program called Core. Flex allows you to customize the program more toward what you like and limit nothing really but portions but you can make it as healthy as you like and definately as healthy as Core if you eat wholesome, natural foods rather than processed or simple carbs. Core is no points counting except for those foods that are deemed not Core foods such as breads, bakery products, alcohol, sugars, flours. There are some limits each day on other items such as potatoes, whole wheat pasta and brown rice. But mostly the foods that are listed as Core are UNTIL YOU ARE STATISIFED (which does not mean stuffed or even necessarily full).

I think W/W will work for anyone if they work they program.

These are the points pies aka Eating by the Numbers:

Points Pies

Balanced (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8-9 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 6-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Protein (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 5-6 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 9-11 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 0-1 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-4 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

Higher Carb (under 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 9-10 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 5-7 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 1-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 1-2 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

20-28 points a day

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Balanced (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 11 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 10 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 3-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 2-3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Protein (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 8 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 12 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-3 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 4-5 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

Higher Carb (over 250 pounds)

Complex Carbs/Grain Based Foods – 13 points a day
Protein-rich Foods – 8 points a day
Fruits and Veggies – 2-4 points a day
Fats, added sugars – 3 points a day
Milk and Milk Products – 4-6 points a day

30-34 points a day

One last thing the way to make weight loss last is not to look at it as a diet but a change of life style. If you are doing something that helps you lose and you quit be it lowcarb, Nutrisystems, Jenny Craig, WeightWatchers you'll gain it back. You need to make the commitment to something you can do for life.

Thats the way I do see it...a life style change... I guess this whole thing is a little scary for me...having been doing one diet for sooooo long then changing is really difficult to trust in. I wish I could have a gurenttee that if I fallow this diet religiously that I WILL for sure loose weight. Like, just have someone say, "I promise you WILL NOT gain on this diet..." . lol...

http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/...ername=kelly_s is my album site. My current pics are in the first album and my before W/W pics are in that one. I was yo-yo dieter and fad dieter. It works if you work the program.

Cool pics Kelly! You look great and have done amazing!

Tiffy -Yes you can! I was doing my own version of WW lower carb before they came out with the core plan. What I basically did was cut out potatoes, white rice, regular pasta and refined wheat products. I switched to whole wheat bread, whole wheat pasta and brown rice but also watched my portions of these items. You can have carbs and still lose weight.

The WW plan does work but you do have to follow it. I love this lifestyle as I can still have normal food and still have a social life with my friends. For me it was learning about portions sizes and making better choices when eating out. I have lost 15 lbs and kept it off and I am working on losing my last 15lbs right now.

My friend that goes to meetings with me has lost 25lbs. There are some people in my meeting that have lost 80 to 100lbs - so yes it does work if you stick to it.

I found that with WW I have been able to make lifestyle changes that have stuck, ie. the way I grocery shop, prepare meals, choices at restaurants. Even my DH does WW and doesn't know it - he just eats what I cook and he has lost 10 lbs

Wow... thanks so much you guys! You don't know how much you have boosted my confidence in this diet! Great pics by the way Kelly!

mauvaisroux, I see what you are saying about keeping it low carb, but still haveing some carbs...its just so hard to wrap my little brain around it.. lol. This Atkins diet has warped my mind so much...lol. I am a very determinded person and if I can stick with Atkins for as long as I did, weight watchers should be no problem at all... (so I say now...) I can't wait to get started on it and start counting down the pounds! I just wish it wasn't so expensive. One more question for you all: Does anyone know how I can see a list of the foods in the core plan? On the official WW site it has lists of foods you can and can't eat, but you have to pay for it...going to school full time and working 3 jobs just to support school...it doesn't leave much extra money to pay for all this. I had to save up for a long time just to get the two books I did and the pilates DVDs! lol. Thanks again you guys...you really have inspired me!

-Tiffany

I'm not sure if you will find it on-line anywhere as it is WW copywritten material.

Can your friend that is doing WW not give you some advice?

no... she borrowed her stuff from her aunt and has done this long enough to just eye ball everything. Oh, and I just thought of one more thing to ask you... The two books I got from weight watchers, Weight Watchers Coach Approach: How to Motivate the "Thin" You and Weight Watchers Weight Loss That Lasts, has anyone read these at all and do any of you know if it explains the points program and core programs in any of these? I wish I had the money and time to go to a meeting, but until I have graduated, thats not going to happen...sorry if I am asking so many questions...I feel so dumb...

Tiffy- don't feel dumb! It is normal to be asking questions when you are first starting out on a new program. It can feel overwhelming and it is hard to figure things out at first.

I haven't read either of those books so I am not sure what kind of information they provide. I will pm you with the answers to your other questions.

Ditto what mauvaisroux said about asking questions. Many of us in here answer the same questions over and over and don't mind at all.

Like she said the Core list is copywrited but if you get a hold of a current Complete Food Companion it is all in there.

I just went to my first meeting today and got all the stuff I needed! YAYNESS!!! I also picked up the food companion book and the dinning out companion and am so happy to know and understand the flex points program! I figure I'll endulge today with whatever I want to eat, then start the program tomarrow, first thing in the morn after I have had a chance to go shopping and pick up the stuff I need. Thank you all so very much for all you help and support and you can bet I will be on here alot more now and swapping recipes with yall! hehe... thanks again...you guys are angels!

-Tiffany

tiffy, i'm new on weight watchers myself but i just wanted to add that i did atkins myself and lost but hit a point (cravings or whatever) that i couldn't stay on it so as a result i gained weight back. since i joined ww i have had to problem dropping 1 0r 2 pounds a week ( even though i'm less than perfect)

Hi! I've been low carbing off and on for years but am now doing a combination of Weight Watchers CORE and South Beach. They work well together. I am feeling healthy and full of energy and am losing - very slowly but it's going. Hang in there!

Thanks much you guys! Actually, I have one more question that I'm not sure if yall can answer or not. When I was at my meeting, I forgot to ask how you determine your activity points. I get that you are suppose to subtract them from your daily points (Or put them back in so to say) but I'm not sure exactly how to determine how many points I worked today. thanks!

-Tiffany