question about weight watchers
 

Ok maybe this is going to sound very dumb, so please forgive me. I'm intrusted in starting weight watchers and looking for the best way. By that I mean - there is a weight watchers on-line program or a program where you go to meetings. DO you get enough out of it - information how the plan works and everything by just doing the online program? - are you supposed to do both - I'm confused and their sight isn't very helpfull
can anyone inlighten me?:gossip:

Join and go to the meetings. I tried losing without the meetings and it didn't work. If you can afford the monthly pass (I think it's about 35.00 a month) you can go to any number of meetings and don't have to pay for the ones you miss. It also gives you e-tools, which I think is a wonderful tool. I think e-tools has been a tremendous help to me. Like this board, you can post messages, exchange recipes whatever. I just joined three weeks ago and I'm doing well so far. Good luck with whatever you decide.

no need to do both. i personally dont care for ww online youi dont get the books.

you could join a meeting for 1 week n then do it at hom

I say go to the meetings. I too tried to do it online/at home & didn't have much success. Good luck & let us know what you decide.

if you go to the site right now they are offering to allow people to attend one meeting free you could go for that and see what you think of it :)) i do much better going to the meetings honestly than i do trying to do it on my own at home something bout having to weigh in on that scale every week in front of the ladies keeps me very honest.

I prefer the meetings as well. I started at home and waited about 2-3 weeks before I decided there had to be info that I was missing, so I went to a meeting. I had fully intended to go to one meeting, get the info, and then continue on at home on my own. That was the end of August, and I haven't missed a meeting yet....guess I'm hooked! Try a meeting, you might be surprised! I sure was...

Being successful online is easy if you have the motivation and accountability to do so. Yes you get all the info that you get at meetings but you get no group/leader support. Sometimes the information is hard to find on the website but they do have a pretty good search function and for the most part the people who post there a lot will help you find where to find the info. They will not and cannot post it on the message boards there because W/W is very hard on their copyright and do tend to band those who post the info. That means no posting of points mostly.

You don't have to do both. You can pick one or the other or you can do the meetings with the supplement of e-tools.

QUOTE=evylou;1459940]Join and go to the meetings. I tried losing without the meetings and it didn't work. If you can afford the monthly pass (I think it's about 35.00 a month) you can go to any number of meetings and don't have to pay for the ones you miss. It also gives you e-tools, which I think is a wonderful tool. [/QUOTE] I am not sure if evylou realizes this but Monthly Pass is not available everywhere it depends on the franchise. However you can purchase e-tools even if the monthly pass is not available. It is about $13 a month.

Andrea is correct with online you don't get the books to carry with you because all of it is available online to you.

Personally I like online for many things but I needed the accountability of weighing at meetings. I rarely stayed for the meetings I just paid, weighed and then went to the gym.

Here's my two cents: When I don't go to the meetings, I don't do as well. I did the 2 week free membership of eTools and did not like it. IMO, the meetings give you accountability and support where online wasn't too much different from doing it on my own.

I guess I'll be the total oddball here...

I don't attend meetings, nor do I do WW online. I do it all from home with books that I bought on eBay.

The 3FC forum here has been all of the support and motivation I need. There are constantly threads with monthly goals that everyone does together, questions can get answered by others on the diet, there are recipies, tips... everything I need the 3FC site offers... and it's free.

I know this doesn't work for everyone, but it is doing wonders for me. I am a SAHM, so we only have my DH's steady source of income & that $35 a month or whatever is more than we can swing; and I have three kids, so it's hard to me to get someone to watch them for meetings.

This is just what has worked for me and I've been losing weight and a very nice rate! :)

Ditto to justsomegirl i just cant afford it, i have 4 kids and my mother and 15 year old brother to take care of so i went to the first meeting and bought the books and Kelly mailed me a activty point slider she had an extra of :hug: (thanks kelly) and 3FC is the only support i have so which ever you choose it will work if you work it ;)
My 2 cents
Michelle

n/p Goddess

If you *can* make the meetings - they are worth it. I fully understand the cost aspects, etc. - but if it's affordable, I would say go for it.

As far as on-line - well - I don't do the 'on-line membership' BUT - I do take great advantage of the e-tools. With the Monthly pass - you get BOTH e-tools and the meetings for around $35-40 a month - i was paying $40 + per month for the meetings and another $13 per month for the etools- so the monthly pass saved me money!

I have never done WW online - not sure how that officially works. I use the e-tools because you can use the points calculators, build recipes and have the system do all the point calculating for you, have an on-line resource from anywhere you can access the web - for a database of foods and their point values, etc. Oh and I like journaling on line versus writing it down on a paper journal.

All that said - I have recently switched to core - and don't use the e-tools quite as much. I do use it to search for core foods and to track my weekly points allowance. Basically, I would keep the e-tools whether I was doing meetings or not (I have actually had the e-tools membership now for probably 2-3 years, and only attended meetings on and off) - I definately have better success when attending meetings. It's the accountability and the support. It does work.

Good luck in your decision!

Tina

E-tools and Online are basically exactly alike the only exceptions are 1) what meeting goers get at meetings in the form of books is available online (etools don't have this access) and 2) the marketplace items (some are available to etoolers but since they can buy most of it at meetings most is not).

While I am sure you truly beleive this it really depends on the individual if meetings are worth it. Some people are as much accountable doing it themselves as they are going to meetings. Some people know more than the leader. Still other people love the time they get at meetings. The only way for a person to know if they like meetings are to go. I always suggest even to onliners to go to at least the first 3 meetings (getting started, week 2, and activity) because it does help explain much of the program.

There are not meetings where I am so I started out with WW online..I did that for about 6 months and then I just do it from home now..I have a points calculator and the books and so that is how I do it now since I can't afford to pay for online. Personally I liked online though. I loved the weight tracker on there and the daily points tracker. I have no basis for comparison though since I've never done the meetings. But as others have said..you have to keep yourself accountable if you do it on your own.

Thankyou for all of your advice, I just have one more question - money is kind of tight right now. I found a bunch of books my mom used to have that give point values for food and everything - so I'm going to try to do this at home - however I can't find any where how many points I'm supposed to have daily - can any one help me? I weight about 245# right now thanks again for all the help

Hopefully after new years if money is looking better I'll be able to try the meeting than!