I have been on the ww program for about 2 years now and I have lost only 14.5 lbs. Although i should mention that I was not religiously following the program for a 6 month period in between. I guess what has happened is that I stayed in a particualr range: 152- 154 lbs, for about a year or so. I'm happy that I didn't go over 154 lbs and was able to stay in that range while I was away from the program. I also needed to be at that weight for certain period of time to mentally adjust to my new body.
But now, I am ready to drop even more weight. The problem is that I really feel I have hit a wall. How can I take this weight loss to the next level? I need to lose another 30 lbs and I just don't know if after doing this for 2 years...I have the ability to keep going. It's going to take me another year or two at least to accomplish this goal and I was wondering if anyone has been in a similar situation.

I too am stuck at 154. I started the week before Thanksgiving 2000 and lost 15 lbs thru the week of New Years. It has taken me this long to lose 4 more lbs. I do try to follow pretty good -- with birthday cake the exception. I rollerblade as much as possible and try to keep active -- I have a 2 year old to run after too! I just can't seem to break the plateau. I keep looking back and I am 155, 154, 155, 154. I just don't know what to do. I would like to be about 145 but just can't seem to get there.
One thing we both know is that 154 is a good weight for maintence!!! Not that it is where we want to be.
I hope some one can help us.

Any body out there that can???
My leader has given up on me too. I journal, count points, drink water till I am floating and no loss.
I have also found that I can't lose anything (and usually gain a pound) 2 weeks out of the month and the other 2 weeks lose that pound or two I gained.
HELP

I am stuck here with you - but I know why I am stuck. Once I hit the 150 mark (a huge acheivement for me) I stopped being quite so careful about my eating. I was still counting, but not religiuosly and I stopped journaling. Write down everything you are eating and don't guestimate points - use the calculator. My guessing is way off, and my portion sizes have been creeping up. When I measure a 1/2 cup, it is 1/2 cup. When i guess a 1/2 cup it is often more. Those little things all add up. If you follow the plan you will lose. For me, I just need to rededicate myslaef to losing.

Morrigan summed it up: If you follow the plan, you will lose. It sure can be hard sometimes to stay on program, but if you stay within your points, drink your water and exercise, you will lose. If you don't, you won't.

Losing weight is a simple matter of physics: calories out have to be greater than calories in. So it's physically impossible to not lose weight for months at a time if we're on program that entire (or even the vast majority of the) time. Where we fall down is in kidding ourselves about how on-program we're being. We just have to be scrupulously honest with ourselves about the points we eat and weight loss necessarily follows--it's slower for some of us than for others, but it has to follow--that's a scientific reality.

Good luck; I certainly understand your struggle.

There is a plan I just recently heard about that uses the WW program, but changes it slightly. It's called the "wendie plan" Most of the people who have tried it, it seems to have worked for. I'm really excited about it, and will be trying it starting tomorrow. Here is Wendie's message board where you can learn more about her modified program, and ask her any questions you might have. Good luck

http://pub70.************/blightenup78347

I would suggest that you start over again. Go to a meeting, stay for the new member orientation, re-learn the rules, write down everything you eat, come to these boards for encouragement and support and you will succeed. The program does work, but you must work with it. Much success to you.

The starting over thing is a good idea.
When I was totally frustrated a couple months ago, my friend said to take a week off that I was concentrating on the program and obessing over the scales. I did and ate just how I have since I started the program -- trust me I have definately changed my eating habits -- and I lost 2 lbs.
Sometimes I think we try too hard. I am thinking of starting over or maybe starting to use the 123 instead of the winning points. I lost more with 123!

Yes, I agree with the starting over thing as well. It's good to know that other people have gone through this too.

I think the Wendie plan mentioned in the thread is an interesting concept too. Because in a way that's whay I am doing. If I go over my point max on any give day, I take the amount I went over and carry it into the next day. If I've gone way too many points over, then I divide it up and carry in over in different days for the rest of the week. So I am essentially varying my point totals like the Wendie plan suggests. But I stay within my point toal for the week...which is the important thing in the end.

Also I have lost about 5 pounds since January and so at least I'm on the right track. Progress has been slow though. I guess I also have a mental fear of the number 150. I feel like once I get there I won't lose anymore so why even do it to begin with? I definitely need to change my thinking and envision myself being at 145lbs, 140 lbs 135lbs etc. Because at least I should think it's possible otherwise it really won't be.

You say you are following the program....are you eating enough? I have a friend who had lost 65 lbs and needed 5 more to get to goal. She was stuck for over a month. When the leader looked at her journal and told her she wasn't eating enough, she laughed and said, "but, I'm tring to lose". Well the leader told her to eat at her high points for one week and sure enough, she lost 5 lbs that next week!!

Now, I'm not saying that this will work for everyone. But just take a look at your journal. Maybe this might be part of the problem!

I had to put my 2 cents in also. I was stuck for quite some time too and I believe you have to shake things up every once in a while. I recently bought a new workout video because I was getting bored with Taebo. This new video, along with shaking up my diet a little (eating more fruits and vegetables) has put in back into the loser bracket again!
You also might not be eating enough. Your metabolism could be slowing down because your body is going into starvation mode.

Hey there Stuckies:

I've been there too. And for me it all comes down to being really vague about portion size and it's points, a drink now and then - and not really writing down everything (and it's points) that I put in my mouth.

So I needed to try something different to get myself off this plauteau.

I'm trying to do two Actions, both using the WW threads. First a daily online write up of my points - no matter how many they are
. Check out Myra's Journal #2 she and the group write down everything. Mine's the one that's sometimes over in points. No wonder I'm not losing

Second - My WW Leader started us on a 12 week Journal Diary Challenge using that new WW spiral journal (only 4 bucks). So, I started a new Thread for anyone to write down on a weekly basis what points they've been using each day, any frustrations, and weekly leverage / motivation suggestions.

Want to try it? Even if you only do it for a month or two, it'll be a real wake up call to see what you and others do on a daily basis.


And Jillly's Mom If your WW leader has "given up on you" get another one, or talk to her / him again and get her to realized she should NEVER GIVE UP. Mine doesn't. She's had members who keep coming back no matter what and sometimes that's a year long plateau - but keeping a weight is better than putting it back on.

Like I did . Since November '00 I put back on 13 pounds - that's almost half the weight I lost (30). I've been working the journal (not perfectly) for 2 weeks and I'm down 3 lbs. That's huge.

Thanks for having this Thread and please join us on
Lifetime / Maintainance - 12 Week Journal Challenge. We could use gals like you.

Patch

O.K. guys, I have a new outlook. Just when I said I was starting over, our leader went over the program from day one and all the literature that we receive the first 12 weeks! How ironic for me

I have done great today and got all my water in and more, ate at the low end of my points and didn't order that Wendy's single like I wanted and had a salad with Fat Free French and ate 1/2 of my daughter's JR. hamburger! I also walked 20 min. -- couldn't take anymore since I am a hairdresser and worked from 9 - 7 today, standing the entire time!

If it weren't for you guys here I wouldn't have gotten my second wind, I would just be sitting, soaking and souring!!!

Thanks for all the encouragement.

I am shooting for a 2 lb loss this week. I told my husband to MAKE me walk at least 20 min. a day. The treadmill is in the cool basement so I have no excuse not to walk.

The chocolate covered raisins, if eaten, will be counted this week! Not just "Oh this handful won't hurt anything ..."

Thanks for all of the support. I couldn't do it without all of you.

Lets relight our fires and start losing again.

I am open to any other suggestions or tips.

Lets see results!

You really *can* get stuck at the same weight, even when you're following the program religiously. It's hard to convince folks of that sometimes; they think you're cheating somewhere. Sure, that's a valid assumption, but there really are times when you hit a plateau and stick there, no matter how closely you follow the program.

When that happens to me, I find that shaking things up is the best way to go. That's what the Wendie plan does in a more formal way (you eat high points, low points, high points, low points, etc.). I haven't followed the Wendie plan myself, but I've seen results when I've done an informal version.

Also, I now have to exercise in order to lose any weight at all. Didn't used to be that way.

Good luck!

--Lauren

O.K. since I decided to "get going" here is what I have accomplished so far.
I have walked for at least 20 min. each day since Thurs. Today I rollerbladed pushing my jogging stroller with my daughter for 4 miles.
I have stayed on points and even my mom said I looked thinner today
My shopping cart had sweet corn, watermelon, strawberries, multi grain buns and bread and lettuce. Can you believe that. It looks a lot different then it did in November!!!
Hopefully the scales will show my dedication this week.
I can't believe how good I feel. Just 20 min. makes a world of difference!
Take care everyone and don't give up.
Bunny