I went to my first meeting tonight, and I was surprisingly confident in myself! I even spoke up and told the entire group (30+ people) what my goals are and why I was joining!! Which is a HUGE thing for me!

But I was looking at my points allowances (I am starting on the flex plan, I think I need to count or else I'd be tempted to over indulge!) I get 28 points a day, and while that sounds like a lot... it also doesn't! I'm so worried that I'll blow it! (I'm a big binge eater...)

My other question is this... what are some of your favorite low point treats? Do you ever buy the WW treats? (Or are they just a waste of $$??)

Also, (I know... full of questions ) do you have any tips for me? Anything that can help me be good this first week?

One thing that I think is important is to begin to change your routine. If you always sat on the couch at night with a bowl of chips like I did, then get out and take a walk, fold laundry, call a relative you havent talked to in a long time... whatever, just find something to do during those times you are so used to eating. Knitting and crochet are nice and keep your hands busy. Good luck and keep us posted.

Mel, Thank you for your advice! I'm definately going to try and stock up on low and no calorie foods... I am lucky in that I love veggies! (Seriously, my family always jokes that they have no idea how I got so big because I could eat peas and broccoli all day long!)

LucyGoosy, I actually just started crochetting!! And I hadn't thought of it... but you can't eat while you crochet

i agree with everyone so far, eating small snacks and things throughout the day will keep you from binging, most times. i'm a binge eater as well, and sometimes, i still indulge. the best thing about WW is it's very forgiving. you have your daily points, plus the 35 weekly points which i DO use. you can still eat out on this plan, just plan ahead and strategize. and if you have a bad meal, or a bad day, just hop right back on that wagon and keep on truckin'. one bad day does NOT have to determine your week.

water has been the most important thing for me. just keep the water coming. i hated it at first, but i used little crystal light packets to lightly flavor it. now i can drink it "straight".

i buy the WW minibars, and those help for a quick snack or something i can slip into my purse just in case. but they are a bit pricey. also, the WW yogurts are yummy, and you can count them for your milk requirements. and at 1 point each, they're a great option. you could also top them with a little FF SF cool whip for dessert. yum!

Thanks Rahkstar! I didn't see those yogurts! But I will keep an eye out for them!

I definately need to keep something in my purse and my car... just not sure what yet! That way I'm prepared for when I'm out and won't drive through someplace!

You can buy 2 points bars at the meetings...but for half the price you can get Kudos bars with m and m's on them for only 2 points. I like to keep those handy in the car when I know DH will stop for a snack I feelyou can find many low point alternatives to the WW things that are far less pricey, but I do buy the cakes on occasion. The candy is mostly the same as any whittman candy, it's just individually packaged. I enjoy having sugar free LifeSaver Cream Savers, I think they are 5 for a point.

I feel best and stay on program when I have a good dinner, so I make sure I eat low points things for breakfast and lunch and save the bulk of my points for dinner and leave a couple for a light evening snack. I get to eat when I feel the most hungry, and when I know I will crave a little something while watching tv and that keeps me on track.

Thank you Misty! I actually planned out today before I went to bed last night, saving most of my points for dinner

If I don't plan out my basic meals for that day, every single day, I lose track and blow my points. I plan dinner a day ahead of time and figure out those points and subtract them from the daily total. From there, I decide what I want for lunch that day, figure out those points and deduct them. Then I plan breakfast, figure out those points and deduct them. I basically plan all of my meals ahead of time, but backwards. This way if I happen to be having a lower-point dinner that night, I know I can be a little more flexible with lunch and breakfast. I save most of my extra points for the evenings because I always seem to crave a snack in the evenings while watching TV!

During the day I may have a 100 Calorie Snack Pack from Nabisco (2 pts each) or eat some veggies. I use "I Can't Beleive it's Not Butter" because it's low points, and I think that the spray version is actually 0 points. I also use WW breads - I love their rye bread and english muffins.

I hadn't thought of planning backwards! I'll most definately have to do that!! I know tonights dinner is low point though, I planned it on purpous!

Joining is the hardest part! I'm starting week 5 today and I'm truly amazed at how well this is working for me. I'm down 13 lbs and am only 3 lbs away from my 10% goal. Nothing else has worked for me long term. That's what I'm really hoping for.

I love Dannon Light and Fit Vanilla Yogurt (1 pt for 1/2 cup). My favorite evening treat is a few strawberries cut up with the yogurt over them and a sprinkle of cinnamon. Yum!

I really like the Weight Watcher's little chocolate cakes. They are 1pt and give your your chocolate fix when necesary. The low fat puddings are great for that, too.

Quaker multigrain mini's are yummy and you get 9 for a point. They will satisfy a sweet and crunchy craving.

Good luck!!!

Liz, thank you for the advice!! I got some of those little weight watchers cakes!

Muffins are my downfall (those super bad for you otis spunkmyer ones) and so I tried the WW ones this morning and mmm! Those are yummy!

I definitely find the WW foods helpful. I crave chocolate at certain times of the month without fail. (Mayfield Moosetracks was my weakness.) Those cravings tended to blow my dieting until I discovered the WW pecan crowns (1 point each) and the WW chocolate ice cream wheels (2 points). You can freeze the crown as a trick to make it last longer, but I'm content to just suck on it as is. Congrats on taking the first step and getting to the meeting.

I was nervous about my first meeting too. I sat in the parking lot thinking about just driving off for a while, weighing the pros and cons of such a change. I'm glad I decided... "eh, go for it."

I'm only on week 4, but I'm really happy that I finally decided to join. I just found out about the lovely Laughing Cow cheese packages.. which are just so great. I've been using those on rice cakes. Since it's spring, I'm really getting into this whole fruits and vegies thing. I mean, I ate asparagus. I even LIKED it. I would have never thought of doing that a couple months ago. :P

Oh and I'm finally understanding the value of water. I've started to drink water at room temperature too... so I guess I'm breaking those "cold can drinks" habits!

I have only tried one WW product from my meetings. These smores bars.. They're not bad. But I don't really like sweets so I haven't tried the others from the meetings. I did buy their Ultimate Flex & Core Recipe Book though... made the fahitas. They're pretty good.

Forgive me if someone else mentioned this and I didn't see it, but have you thought of the WW 0-point soup? Start with tomato juice, add some FF chicken broth, and all the "free" veggies you like. I personally add shredded cabbage, green beans, tomatoes, carrots, onions, and then spices like Italian blend. I keep this in a 1 gallon pitcher in the fridgie when I'm having a hard time, and when I'm doing better, I freeze some.