I chose to go to WW because I had tried it in the past and I knew that there are meetings just about everywhere. I felt that what I needed was the face to face meeting, the accountability, the weigh in, etc. Then after starting on the program (this past March), I decided to try the new core program. And now I am totally in love. Core is something that I can do for the rest of my life. Even though you do exclude a lot of different foods on this plan, you also get the 35 weekly points that you spend on "everything else". So I can eat whatever I want, but just limited amounts of processed food. For me, eating whole foods and emphasizing the 8 good health guidelines is a revelation. Finally I am eating a balanced diet! I feel AWESOME! I don't ever want to give up this good feeling I get from eating a balanced diet based on whole grains, lean meats, ff dairy, and tons of fruits and vegetables.

I recently started exercising! I felt so much energy, I just had to start moving my body. I have always been a couch potato. So this is a miracle. And it's all just based on good nutrition which the doctors and nutritionists have been telling us to do anyhow.

I'm so glad that I gave Weight Watchers another try because I love my new way of eating and it is going to change my life!

I had a friend who had started it. I saw a huge difference. I had told myself so many times that it was okay that I was a size 14, because I was happy eating any old way I pleased. When I started to gain weight instead of just maintain, I decided I needed to make a lifestyle change because I wanted to be a cool mom and not have my son be embarrassed to go out with me. He is only 10 months old right now, but I knew what it was like to grow up with a morbidly obese mom. She would ride around on a motorized cart at the mall and never came to any of my softball games in high school.
She turned all that around and became an inspiration for me. She lost 150 pounds 10 years ago on her own without a surgery but gained it back through the course of my dad dying, being attacked my a cow (we lived on a dairy), and taking care of my father for a year while he battled throat cancer. She made a decision to have gastric bypass and I was so scared. I had already lost one parent on the operating table and couldn't bear the thought of losing her too.
But it turned out fine and she went from being 330 pounds to 164 in the course of a year and a half. She has so much energy and confidence. Proud does not even begin to describe the way I feel about her.

I chose WW (Flex) because I dont believe in any diet or any program that tells me what I can or cant eat. I need to make a change that I'll be able to maintain for my whole life and saying goodbye forever to sugar, carb, treats, certains fruits even, is not acceptable to me. With WW, I can have whatever I want, as long as I have the points for it. I'm learning moderation but I'm having fun while at it because I'm also taking the time to learn new recipes and try out new food.

Ive also read the first chapter of Thintuition online, which basically reminded me to listen to my body : eat when Im truly hungry, eat something that I want to eat and STOP when Im not hungry anymore. With thintuition and WW, I cant go wrong. Now all I have to do is be patient

Wow, I think I could of written that myself!!! I no longer go to meetings, but I am also a "recovering" binge eater and have had other eating issues, and WW has been the only thing that has "stuck." Though WW, I have been able to make a complete lifestyle change. I feel that I can eat whatever I want, there are no "bad foods" but I know my limits. WW is an easy way to learn how to eat properly. If I want my cake, I can have it....just a small portion, and then be accountable.

Totally agree with this, for me I find that WW allows you to be in control of what you're eating but also in control of the amount you're eating, which is key to the plan working, you have to have some accountability into the portion sizes of what you eat, but if you want a big portion, just rack up the plate with veg or salad and you're still doing good but really filling yourself up. I think that nothing compares to how good i'm feeling when i'm 100% on it, 1000% in the zone of WW, getting really good results every week and seeing and feeling the difference. The act and sense of belonging to the group, even if you dont stay to the meetings, for me goes such a long way in helping me to feel like I can have the freedom to choose what i want to eat. I feel so good when I'm doing well and it makes me want to do really well and get out there and finally be the slim person that I know I can be if I just allow myself to be.

I chose WW because it's real food. You don't have to purchase stuff just for yourself and still feed your family. For me, it's making me and my family healthier.

Wow, you ladies now have me sold! I have been thinking weight watchers is the program I want to start. And this thread made me realize, this program is something I can do for the rest of my life!

playfullyme: Glad to hear you are thinking of checking it out. I'm sure you will find the Weight Watchers program to be really great. I think the program has improved a lot. It has so much to offer because you get all the materials that explain how to change the way you eat, and then you also get a lot of good information that shows you how to start becoming more physically active, and then you also get a lot of great information to show you how to set goals and be motivated to make these changes ("tools of living", "helpful habits", etc.)

It's really a good deal when you think about all you get. I pay for the monthly pass which also gives me the online tools at the weight watchers web site. But the forums are free there if you can figure out how to log in (some people have trouble with that, I hear). It's easy if you are paying for it because it's all set up rather easily.

I have belonged to Weight Watchers in the past and I did not enjoy it half as much because I just didn't work the program very much. I also didn't set goals and just was oriented towards trying to figure out how much junk food I could get away with eating and still lose weight. This time I am totally committed and gung ho, so I love the program as I am delving deeply in to all it has to offer.

Good luck!!!

I joined WW because I needed other people to be accountable to. I'm glad I've found this board because I've doubled the people I need to be accountable to now!

I first joined WW early in 2004, about 6 months after my mom passed away with the main cause of death on her certificate listed as "morbid obesity." Within the next year and a half I lost about 80 pounds (without always being perfectly on program), met the love of my life, got pregnant, had the OTHER love of my life who just turned 2, and now I'm back on WW for good! I toyed with other plans (most recently South Beach), but the strictness of them made me beat myself up every time I "slipped" (and with South Beach that could be as easy as having a regular baked potato!). I made a list of pros and cons for each plan and realized that WW really is the best one for me. All I have to do is remember not to eat my daily points in just ice cream