New Weight Watcher. HELP! - 3 Fat Chicks on a Diet Weight Loss Community

Brandy1984 · 01-15-2011, 10:22 PM

Ok, so I am 27, I live in Alabama. I am happily married for 7 years. Have 2 wonderful children. Up until I was about 20 I kept my weight at the average it needed to be for my 5' 4" body. After having my son in 2005 I have gained weight and kept gaining it. I have been on Atkins low carb for a few times getting great results, until I just got to where I was fed slap up with having nothing but meat, dairy and greens. Now I am going with weight watchers. However I am not a member of weight watchers online nor do I attend meetings. I have calculated everything and i am allowed 26 points per day. I don't know much about WW so any help would be greatly appreciated, as in recipes or the really important things to know. I have the dining in and out book plus the points counter book, which unfortanutely is from 2008, but surely nothing has changed as far as points. Wish me luck, my official WW starts tomorrow.

thinner · 01-16-2011, 08:00 AM

hi, i believe you have old materials. in dec 2010, everything changed. all points for food and all points allowed. the minimum allowed is 29 because all of the food point values have changed. i don't know how you would start the old program if you had the materials for it. some people with all their materials have said they want to keep on the old program but the ww company is recommending you switch to their new one. the new one gives a few more points for more nutritious foods and less points for 'bad' foods.

seagirl · 01-16-2011, 09:05 AM

If you are going to follow Weight Watchers, you either need to join online or go to meetings. You can't just cobble together information from various sources and hope for the best. Especially since the plan changed dramatically and you will be using conflicting information.

If you can't afford it, start with a plan that is free, like Sparkpeople.com which a lot of people have success on.

thinner · 01-16-2011, 04:19 PM

oops, edit--junk food is usually higher points than more healthy food.

josey · 02-05-2011, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by seagirl

If you are going to follow Weight Watchers, you either need to join online or go to meetings. You can't just cobble together information from various sources and hope for the best. Especially since the plan changed dramatically and you will be using conflicting information.

If you can't afford it, start with a plan that is free, like Sparkpeople.com which a lot of people have success on.

Actually you can. I did it before in 2002. I had a food guide and some getting started brochure. It worked very well. I lost 44 pounds in 6 months. I never went to a single meeting and I don't think the online program existed.

All you need is the formula, how many points you can eat and some basic rules.

Koshka · 02-06-2011, 04:25 PM

The thing is that it doesn't work well to combine 2 programs. The original poster says that surely nothing has changed since 2008 on the points. Well, they have. Yes, someone could follow all of an old program and problem do OK or follow all of the new program and do OK. What isn't likely to work well is combining parts of each one.

nancylmrn · 02-10-2011, 02:36 PM

I have been doing the "old" program off and on now for 3 years and do just fine as long as I stick with the program. (btw I have never attended a single meeting or on-line) I am sure the new program works well too but don't throw out the old. The way I see it weight watchers made a lot of money and people lost a lot of weight the 'old' way -- But they needed to re-invent themselves to bring in more paying members and those that are already members will now have to buy the new material/calculator etc.

I do agree you need to stick to one program or the other and you can not mix and match. Weight watchers main message from my point of view is to make healthy choices and be aware of what and how much you are eating. It encourges you to exercise...in a nut shell how to live a heathier lifestyle without feeling like you are missing out

josey · 02-10-2011, 02:44 PM

@nancylmrn I totally agree! What "old" program do you use?

PS: @Koshka I never said you can mix programs. But you sure can do it with an old program and/or without going to meetings or use of WW's online tools.

nancylmrn · 02-10-2011, 02:50 PM

josey the points book and eating out guide are from 2009, I purchased the ww calculator off ebay and the rest of the information I found through internet searches. I found several ww cookbooks in used book stores and with the calculator I can convert any reciepes into points. But the basic rule of thumb is 1 pt for every 50 calories, and green veggies are free lol

Tudor Rose · 02-10-2011, 10:39 PM

You actually don't even need to purchase a WW calculator for the old program, there are websites set up that do that math for you. The formula itself is pretty simple (the old one, it's more complicated now).

About a year and a half ago I did WW entirely on my own using old materials and stuff I found online. Never went to a meeting or signed up for WW Online. Lost almost 50 lbs. Of course, gained all back which is why I'm here again, haha. This time I actually did join the Online program.

You obviously can't combine the two programs, but it's not like the old one suddenly stopped working once the new one was introduced.

nancylmrn · 02-10-2011, 11:11 PM

I agree Tudor Rose, the only reason I got the ww calculator in the begining was so I could take it with me until I had a general idea of what I was eating when away from my computer

The 'old' still works just fine and yep I am back because I gained it all back now for the .....drum roll please.....3rd time...geez I hate to admit that