(I posted on the Momentum board so I'm sorry if this a double posting for you. I am following an older plan but was hoping that I could still get advice and tips from everyone,regardless of what plan ya'll are following,thanks!)

Did you lose weight the first week you started WW?

I'm just curious since I just re started on Friday,what your results were the first week on program. I am a VERY slow loser since I had my second child. I was trying to lose weight with calorie counting and working out a few months ago -and had a tragedy in my close family and ended up not caring and emotional eating-but in those 4 months of working out and being diligent in what I ate,I lost a total of 4 stinkin' pounds.It was incredibly frustrating.

So,I've decided to come back to what worked in the beginning and count points and do Momentum. It's nice because I feel excited to look things up in my book and I actually FEEL hungry sometimes but I'm scared that I will have the same 4 lbs. that I lost last time will come back and haunt me. I don't want to do the whole lose 2 lbs. gain 2 lbs. again.

I have a scale, 1 cup and 1/2 cup measuring spoons...do you guys all weigh and measure things every single time?

When did you introduce working out,did you start right away?I was thinking maybe getting the whole point counting under control for a couple of weeks before I add exercise into the mix.

Would you mind sharing your experience and tips with this newbie?

Many thanks,
Laura

I don't recall exactly what I lost the first week. I tend to lose slowly as well but think I lost a couple of pounds the first week. I average about .7 pounds a week.

I always track my food and I count calories as well. When I eat packaged foods I track by what is on the package and if it is a single serving then I don't need to weigh or measure it. However, for something like nuts, I do measure every time. Nuts are my main snack and I eat them every day but I always measure it out (usually a 1/4 cup). I generally don't estimate except when I am eating out and can't estimate. In that case I try to find nutritional information on the restaurant's website.

When you start exercising after not having exercised for awhile you tend to retain a little water which can show up as a temporary weight gain. If you've been working out that shouldn't be an issue for you. In fact, if you stop working out to start the plan then you will likely gain a little due to water retention when you start it up again. So, if already exercising, I would just keep on doing it.

Also, even though I get frustrated with being a slow loser I recognize that in the last 14 months I've lost 40 pounds. Yes, I'm envious of those people who lose 40 pounds in 4 months but I also recognize that I'm better off then when I went a year and didn't lose anything or gained.

At your height and current weight you won't lose weight as fast as someone who weighs more and is more likely to lose more quickly.

I am a slow loser too. I have no idea why but it is what it is. I have lost only 8lbs since the begining of Sept even with exercise nearly every day for the past 6 weeks (65 min on an elliptial at the gym).

I use an older plan too I do flex and I track everything even if I eat poorly. I don't so much measure anymore but the first 4-6 weeks I did just to get a good grasp of what each proportion size looks like. I tend to eat the same foods 90% of the time. If I know I am going to eat out I do my research and find the points value of my I am most likely to eat that way I could plan my day. I never eat my ap points and only eat about 1/3 of my weeklies.

There is a group of us that are tracking on a great spreadsheet so we know who is doing what it is a great motivator to stay on track

Thanks for the insight girlies and it's also nice to know I'm not alone in the slow losing spectrum.

Nancy: so what does that average out to? Like a 1/2 pound a week? I wouldn't be so upset if that happens to me,but I still "feel" your frustration on the slow weight loss, it's just those weeks of not losing that keep happening that makes me want to hunt a candy bar down and binge. I'm an awful binge eater.Could it be for you that your not eating enough because it sounds your pretty hardcore about working out!! 6 days a week is commitment!

I feel like 30 lbs is a lot so I just hope that in the beginning I am at least showing progress like a a pound a week. But we shall see....

I think what is more frustrating for me is I can weigh mid-week and be down 3lb and on weigh in day only offically lose that .5 LOL I think this could be the result of too much wine over the weekend???

Ah well we can do this! We just have to keep at it and I have more than 30 to lose..yikes but since I signed the paperwork and joined the gym for the next 18 months I should look great

LOL it's most likely the wine You should change your weigh in day to Friday if the weekends are your problem and maybe you'll surprise yourself with a 3 lb loss!! That'd be awesome. I had my first weigh in Friday and only lost 1.5 lbs but I'll just be happy that I lost anything...I've got my fingers crossed that I lose next week too.

I lost 4 pounds in 8 weeks of WWPP and it was up/down/up/down by a pound/half pound...would have been easier to take if it was a weekly loss of .5 eight weeks in a row.

I had been a WWer back in the day when it was more of an exchange program. During PP I tried to eat that way, you know -- balanced. It was too much food for me at 29 pts. When I finally looked to calorie counting to calculate my day, I had leftover unconsumed points. That was a light bulb moment for me. Others who have done the same come up with different tallies, and it also depends, of course, on what your day's choices were.

I would suggest that you dually count PPs and calories for a typical week of eating and see what you come up with. I find it doubtful you're not eating enough...but that's my humble opinion.

I don't understand people saying one is not eating enough--in the beginning especially. I cannot fathom that a couple weeks of dieting will put someone into starvation mode, especially when they are consuming more than 1200 calories a day. I don't want to start a debate on that either.

Anyhow, when I switched to calorie counting in the 9th week of my WW at work tour, I lost 3 pounds, then 2.2 the 2nd week when I gave myself a calorie ceiling of 1400.

I am not here to bash WW. I just finished my last week at work this Wednesday just passed (in order to get a 1/2 $ refund from my employer). In 17 weeks I lost 4 pounds in the first 8 weeks following WWPP, the remainder counting calories, totally 17.2 overall. Calorie counting is what made the difference for me, and I gave up on WWPP. There is a subgroup here of people preferring prior WW programs. I cannot guess how many of them switched over from points plus, or never did and stuck with the prior programs, but I "know" a lot of people online now who had followed prior programs successfully, but had dismal results with PP, who switched back to what gave them success.

That sits with, whether or not the results of PP are worth following the program. I had thought maybe it was just my medical issues/slow metabolism that was coming into play, however, the results achieved AFTER stopping WWPP are astoundingly wonderful, and now I know my body can respond to eating better, healthier, and in a manner that creates weight loss.

A Google search will return hits on people not being happy with the results on PP. Matter of fact, some of those hits will lead you to discussions right here at 3FC that have been occurring all 2011.

For some people, it works great. For others, not so much.

If you find it is disappointing and non-motivating to continue with WWPP, find an alternative.

Well that sucks that you didn't have a good experience with pointsplus...I'm currently doing the old 'flex points' and am happy with it! The only free foods are veggies,sf ff jello and a few other foods. But fruit is not free and so I have to count for all of it. I like how ww has cut the calorie counting out of it and all I have to do is count to 22,lol.But, this is my second week so we shall see. I am the opposite of you : 124chicksinger,I lost barely anything calorie counting and hated it in the process. SO,do what feels right for you.

Love Flex points,Hate calorie counting and PP!

I can't wait to weigh in this week....got my fingers cross for another 1.5 lbs.

Time will tell.~Laura