Stacy, I've been on SB and WW both and after a long period of giving up trying to do anything about my weight at all and gaining a lot of weight (some of it due to medical issues) I decided to take control of my life again and rejoined WW 7 weeks ago. This is what is working for me so far:
I start my day planning what dinner is going to be, and working out the number of points. This lets me take into account what's in the fridge, if I skipped going to the grocery store and supplies are low, etc. If I know I'm going to be making spaghetti, which is high in points, I'll try to choose lower-point foods for breakfast and lunch.
I'm also trying to concentrate on healthier choices. I may have enough points allowance for french fries but I'll choose a baked potato instead because I have no gall bladder and grease does a number on my intestinal tract. A nice fruit salad is better for me than a couple cookies so I try to choose that instead. An easier choice to make, btw, because I put all the cookies on the highest shelf in the pantry, out of eyesight, where I have to use a stepstool to get them down. I've cut WAY down on diet soda -- water is free! And water is better for my complexion, too.
Another change in WW from years ago is that they are now encouraging us to exercise. You earn activity points when you exercise for a certain amt. of time, which basically means that,
if you choose, you can eat more. Members who are at goal tell me it's a big help when their points allowance gets low. The 35 weekly points allowance can be a big help too; I've only used a few points so far when I went out for a family celebration but I'm sure I'll use it all the next time I go on a cruise, or during the holidays.
Good luck! You'll get lots of support here.
Donna D., Hemet, CA
My biggest downfall with SB, however, was my lack of portion control. WW helped me learn portion control and that's something that I will carry with me into maintenance. I still use a lot of the recipes from my SB cookbooks.
