Sue,

for me the key was getting a reign on my portion sizes. I was OUT OF CONTROL.

Feta on my salad now is 1 oz max and i'm trying to wean down to 3/4 of an oz whereas before WW I would put half a cup of feta which is more like 5 oz... and delude myself into thinking I was eating healthy...,.

I did WW Flex with the WW at work program. I know the leader must have gone over the healthy eating guidelines at the first meeting, but I totally missed it. It wasn't until the program restarted after 12 or 13 weeks and she covered the intro again that I realized it was part of the program.

A few years ago I did WW Core with WW with DH. This was easier to live with but I lost very little weight. I did stop gaining.

I've been doing South Beach since mid-December. I'd already lost 15 pounds in 8 months (probably in 3 months and maintained for 5) with WW core principals on my own. I lost 8 pounds in Phase 1 in 2 weeks. I've lost 40 altogether. I like the focus on healthy foods. I feel less focused on what I can't eat. I really like that I don't have to be obsessed about food on this plan. By that I mean I like it that I'm not thinking about or talking about food all the time. If I had to combine this with counting, I'm afraid it would get like that again. I do some tracking with FitDay to make sure I'm not going out of line with portions from time to time. Also I'm not buying expensive "diet" foods like ice cream treats and cereal bars. I'm also seeing great health results with my bloodwork.

To clear up any confusion, WW's thing is "you can eat whatever you want, as long as it's in moderation." No restrictions. That's how they sell it. That was my point, and it's why a lot of people get discouraged with WW and gain back pounds after a long plateau. Here's your number of points per day, eat away!

They not only allow you to eat processed food, sugar, etc, but even put their name on the labels of things that are processed and full of sugar and encourage you to buy them. I mean, sure the Weight Watchers Blueberry Muffins are delicious, and only 3 points each, but each one also has 20g of sugar. Smart Ones can be a quick and low-point lunch, but check out the preservatives and sodium content.

I'm not dissing either. I actually have done both and like both, and I have Smart Ones Quesadillas and Weight Watchers English Toffee Bars in my freezer as we speak. I do like a treat once in awhile. That's why I've combined them. I just think it's better to eat nutrient-rich, natural foods for the most part, rather than eating 22 points worth of, say, Weight Watchers Blueberry Muffins, Weight Watchers Chocolate Cakes, Smart Ones Fettuccini Alfredo, Weight Watchers Ice Cream Bars, etc.

SBD taught me what foods are important for my health, what will keep me full longer, the importance of fiber (I do love my beans,) water, vegetables, etc.

I would say WW Core or a WW/SBD Combo are your best bet. I went with the WW/SBD Combo because I needed SBD's Phase 1 to detox all the crap out of my body. It's ultimately up to you. I just know that personally, I have to have something measuring what I'm eating otherwise I'll just keep eating til the cows come home. And as my Tommy (the bean pole who can eat anything) says: "You can get fat on fruit and salad if you eat enough of it."

things I eat that are not truly SBD

beets
fresh corn on the cob
watermelon
some of the fruited yogurts (including WW)
the ww meals that don't have pasta
the ww low point bagels and english muffins
select salad dressings that are low fat but have no HFCS

other than that I'm beachy all the way

Sorry to get in here late, but I agree with Nessa...that's what I don't like about WW...you can eat what you want going by points. It just doesn't work for me, I'll gain anyway even staying within my points. You have to measure and follow strict lists of foods on SBD so that's one thing you have to worry about. I don't think any one (WW or SB) is more complicated than the other. Pick one and stick to it the best way you can.

My DD is 13 years old and she eats what I eat and she's lost weight too so if you do the diet with someone else most likely you'll stay motivated.

I think both plans have their benefits but SB is very easy to live with after the initial detox phase. I have lost so much weight since starting this diet and I don't obsess about food all day long the way I used to when I was on other diets. Good luck whatever you decide.

Thanks Artemis, for the clarification. I know Weezle wasn't advocating eating 22 point of cake a day. It just made me sad that some people sign on to WW thinking that to do so is okay, because that is not what WW is about. Maybe I have a strict leader, because ALL she does is ramble on about the Healthy Guidelines, ha ha! I do WW flex, but I really stay away from the sugary stuff--fruit just tastes better to me anyway. Most of the WW snacks/desserts have artificial sweeteners in them, which I am extremely allergic to.
I am thinking about doing phase 1 of SB just to see if it helps me out of my little plateau. I'm not a big candy person, but I do have a weakness for chocolate. Maybe this will reduce my chocolate cravings! To the OP, good luck! Please keep us posted. I'm eager to see what the effects will be for me.

I did WW for years and lost very well on flex.....until I hit my 50's. Then I went off plan and gained a bunch of weight back. When I went back on flex, I found I couldn't lose. And my cholesterol jumped up in the low 200's. Then I found South Beach. I lost 8# on Phase I, then another 16 on Phase II. Dropped my cholesterol 30 points and got down to a weight I couldn't attain before & all without the constant hunger & obsession with food I had on WW. I attribute the change to the quality of the food I was eating. On WW I was eating more processed food (like the WW muffins I always saved my points for) and simpler carbs that were making me crave food and not satisfying me. I now eat a higher fat diet, but it's healthier monounsaturated fats like nuts and olive oil. (I never wanted to use my points for fats & ate a very low fat diet - 10%.) I also eat more protein than I ate on WW. I always saved my points for carbs, but as I have gotten older, carbs seemed to be more problematic, not only the quality I was eating but also the quantity. On SB I don't crave the carbs, my cholesterol dropped 30 points and I lost 25 pounds. SB also really targeted my abdominal fat more than WW ever did. And best of all, I can maintain my weight pretty effortlessly, all without counting, weighing or measuring. Since I am a lifetime WW member, I like to weigh in once a month and the ladies at the scale always ask me what plan I'm on. When I tell them SB they always ask me questions about it and are really impressed with my weight loss.

I found WW to be very UNHEALTHY. We were constantly being advised to eat lots of "fake" foods to soothe our sweet tooths or desire for fattening things. I found that many of the women had serious issues with disordered eating. Many meetings consisted of women talking about how "bad" they were. Counting points made me completely obsessed with food and I found myself eating awful things that had ingredient lists miles long and fake foods like fat free hot dogs simply because they were low in points.

I imagine that the tone of the meetings is set by the leader though.

yep it is. and i meeting shopped till I found a leader that fit into what I wanted.

I don't eat any of the WW foods.
she eats core but counts points and that seems to work for our group.


I'd like to address that I do not thinke that WW and SBD are mutually exclusive.

I think they can be combined and work together....

I know they pushed a lot of their products at the meetings. Each week it was something, be it their smoothies, cakes, candy. The members would load up on that stuff. I did Core. I really didn't have any cravings for that junk.

I find most WW food SO gross. They are overpriced and taste chemical-y. And that's coming from a girl who could eat 15lbs of Combos or other pseudo-food. I'm only doing SB now, but I've done WW in the past and I try and keep the portion stuff in mind. SB is much easier for me for now.