I'm currently losing and learning (a lot) on Nutrisystem, but no one needs to tell me that it's not something you're going to want to do on a permanent basis. Not only is it hecka expensive, but it's also very.. um.. packaged. Granted, I've learned a LOT on the system, but I know I need to find a way to maintain once I've gotten where I wanted to be. Through the system, I've discovered portion control, types of food and how much of it to be eaten a day... etc... but at the same time, it's still a little bit of a struggle when it comes to figuring out how to cook for myself (though I have been making a little progress, I'm proud to say!). I'm kind of hoping that WW would come to the rescue and pick up where Nutrisystem can't really go. However... I'm not really sure what WW entails, how it works, what I need to do, etc. Gotta love those "this-is-so-amazing-you-MUST-try-it" sites that don't tell you crap.

Can anyone please explain to me the rudiments of how WW works, the points, etc... and what I need to do? Suggestions? Tips? Anything?

I have done WW and it works, I have also done NutriSystem and other diets , they all work. BUT I discovered a wonderful diet, Calorie counting, it is flexible, reliable and best of all .....FREE !

In a nutshell, WW is a different way of counting calories.Some prefer to have a point value attached to their food...some prefer to count the actual calories.I think each are both as successful if followed.It is which ever you prefer.Good job on your success so far.You look great.

I'm a lifetime WW'er - meaning when I joined 10 years ago, I lost all the weight and kept it off for just over 3 years, until *I* stopped working my maintenance (it was a very bad period in my life and I just pretty much gave up on everything). Lifetime means I never have to pay to join again, I pay a weekly fee when I'm above my goal weight (like now - though I do it mostly online and check in once a month, because I love my leader) Weight Watchers basically is about the comraderie, the tips and discussions, the weekly topics but MOST OF ALL it's about learning nutrition, portion sizes, self-control and accountability.

It's like calorie-counting, in the sense that you count "points" (US WW'er please correct me if I'm wrong here) - based on calories, fibre and fat - for your weight, age, activity level and you can pretty much choose what you want and when you want it. There is quite the focus on accountability and portion control, getting all your fruits and veggies in, water and exercise. It's all about moderation and learning what works for you. You can do that with any sustainable program (which I don't think there are a lot of, but that's my personal opinion).

I personally love WW and like that I have less numbers to think about and spend the way I want, than calorie-counting. And after a while, you just know what something "costs" you (I suppose, like calorie-counting). You learn what works and what doesn't. You learn that you'd rather have a glass of wine or three in the weekend, than chips, or cola or chocolate. Or you simply work out to earn your treats, spending your points on getting all the basics in.

I feel like I'm rambling now, so I'll stop but I hope that gives you an insight!!

I'm new here, but familiar with the ins and outs of WW, and it's what I'm currently following. Points are, to me, a simplified form of calorie counting. I did try calorie counting for a while, but it wasn't for me - for whatever reason, I didn't "click" with keeping track of numbers like 1600, 1700. I found it more work, and I guess my brain just isn't wired to remember calorie counts for foods like it does points values! Even today, I can't recall exactly how many calories are in 1 cup of the milk I drink, but I will probably still be able to tell you 50 years from now that it's 2 points!

I think WW sets good parameters, that are easy to follow. Combined with a bit of knowledge about good nutrition, the program feels like "real life", not a diet. Like calorie counting, you can eat anything....so it becomes up to you to make the right choices. I think if you're learning a lot about nutrition and portion size from Nutrisystem, WW would be a great next-step for learning how to cook and prepare your own food, while still keeping within guidelines that promote weight loss or maintenance of what you've already lost.

I calorie count right now, and I don't mind it actually... but what I'm worried about is when I have to start cooking big meals by myself and figure out all the calories in what I'm using/making! I've started to make some stuff, mainly from calorie sensitive recipes on the net.... but when I branch off on my own I feel so lost and afraid that I'm missing something! Hmm....

Does WW put out a book/manuel, anything? Something that I could read up about it before I decide if its for me or not?

One thing you might try is just attending one meeting. The cost varies depending on where you live, but for about $14.00 you can get the Week 1 materials - this will give you a good overview of the program, how it works, and a condensed guide of points values for common foods. Between the materials and perhaps sitting in on the meeting, you should be able to get a good feel for the program - you could even do the program orientation with the leader at the end if you want to get further into the program details.

Most meeting centers sell a lot of items you may find handy - cookbooks, food guides, etc. A lot can be found online if you have the time to search, though, so it's not necessary to spend a lot of money.

That's a good idea. I think I might go to a meeting eventually, probably the month before my vacation because that's when I'm REALLY going to have to get used to the eating without Nutrisystem since I'm going to be in India for a MONTH.

I wonder if they give any advice on Points for international foods??

Funnily enough, they DO! There will be some Indian dishes with points already calculated, which may help.

You can eat awesome vegetarian dishes in India, and tandoori chicken or fish is usually a good choice when all else fails! Many dhals, and "drier" dishes (like Aloo Gobi, where there isn't a thick, creamy sauce) are points-friendly and pretty healthy to boot. Brown basmati rice is also delicious - very nutty and satisfying.

Oh man, that's great!!! THANK YOU Sue! That really made me feel more confident about my trip... and definitely now I want to give WW a try!

Seriously... you need to do something chica! Since I'm probably going to be signing up in Dec to get a feel for it the month before I go to India or at least peruse the materials before I go... maybe I can help you get an overview and stuff of it, and you can do it that way? If you wanted to buy any of the extra stuff, it's pretty much found online... just the starting information and how to do it isn't! Which is why it looks like I'm going to have to go the meetings for at least a few weeks to get the materials and the knowledge.... but yeah, if it's possible to share, I will!

Another question, if anyone can answer it... I kinda wanted to stay on Nutrisystem for a few months yet, bar the month that I'm abroad... would it be possible for me to be on Nutrisystem and start WW while still on it? Cos I'm not yet sure if I'll want to go back on Nutrisystem when I get back from my trip... I'm kind of thinking I wanted to do Nutrisystem until I reached my 100lb lost goal which definitely won't be for a while yet! The WW I wanted to do for maintnence, except during my trip since I can't take the NS with me!

I don't see why not, at the end of the day it's your own business HOW you're losing weight. Nothing says you have to be actually following WW to attend the meetings...as long as you pay, I don't think they really care! :P

Essentially, with WW you take a quiz (you will probably find it online if you Google it!) to determine your daily points target. Your target is determined based on gender, weight, age, activity level, etc., and you should aim to eat your target every day. In addition, WW also provides everyone with an additional WEEKLY points allowance of 35 points. These points are yours to use as you see fit - you can divide them up and add an extra 5 points to your daily target, you can use them all on one day, you can use only some of them on days when you're feeling extra hungry, you can decide not to use them at all if you prefer. I personally use mine, as they don't hinder my weight loss and I'd rather eat as much as I can while still losing - this only bodes better for maintenance!

You will receive a points slider that you use to determine the points value of the foods you eat. To determine points for a serving, you enter the calories, fat and fiber from the nutrition facts label. The higher in fiber and lower in fat and calories a food is, the lower the points will be - the higher in calories and fat, and lower in fiber, the higher the points will be.

WW also has what they call Good Health Guidelines - these can also be found online, and address how many servings of fruits/veggies, lean proteins, dairy, etc. you should be eating. Though your points are yours to spend as you choose, I far prefer to follow these guidelines as they really do promote healthy eating. If you eat according to the guidelines, the bulk of your points will be taken with healthy choices, leaving fewer points available for treats (a good thing, in my case!).

Tracking, as in calorie counting, is key with WW. If I track, I lose weight - if I don't, well, things slow a little. You can do a reasonable job keeping track in your head, but overall I find my best success comes when I keep a journal. It sounds tedious, but really isn't - over the course of a day, it's less than a 5 minute total time commitment.

If you have an iPhone or iTouch, there is an app called "iWatchr" that will allow you to journal on your device - it also has a points calculator built-in so you don't need to carry the slider around with you, and a food database where you can also add your own favorites.

You can also earn activity points, based on your exercise. Again, you can likely find the details online, or use the slider that is included with the week 1 information - depending on your weight, activity level, and duration, you can determine how many points you've earned through exercise on any given day. You can eat your AP's, or not - again, the choice is yours.

I don't know if this is a repeat of information you already have, or not - if so, sorry to repeat!! I'm happy to answer any questions you have about WW, so fire away! I only recommend attending for a week to get the actual printed materials in hand so you have them, and can get a feel for HOW you might like to do the program if you do decide to join (at home, going to meetings, online, etc.). You never know till you try, right? Between asking questions and what's available online, though, you can likely get enough info to experiment with the program on your own if that's what you want to do.

Wow, thank you again Sue! That answered so many questions for me actually.... WW doesn't seem as quite a mystery as it was before! I'm definitely going to give it a go now... Seems like it could definitely work for me.

With Nutrisystem, we journal our food too... they just don't ask you to calorie count, but I started doing so at the beginning anyways. So calorie counting is no stranger to me... in fact, I like it! What just messes me up is when I have to start cooking meals with it.... trying to figure out what calories are in servings of casseroles, spagettie's, and similar stuff! That's why I was hoping WW could help, as well as keep me regulated when I've stopped Nutrisystem. And it definitely can't be anywhere NEAR as expensive as NS is!

I will definitely keep you in mind if I have any more questions... you've been a great help and seem to know what you're talking about!