New WW Plan: getting started

[RabbitPam]

Hi, I’ve been on Weight Watchers since Jan. 30th and have lost between 24 and 26 lbs. so far. I hit my best weight to date 2 weeks ago, but then gained a wee bit.

Anyway, I like the plan, go to meetings every Sat. at 7:30AM before work, and have had moderate success. I am a lifetime member due to trying it for the first time about 4 years ago. This time, I had regained twice as much, so still have 10 lbs to lose to be at my real goal.

The summer was frustrating – I plateaued seriously, and just broke it within the past month. Finally showing progress, then hit a bump on my birthday/vacation, but lost a bit right after. However, I had gotten out of the habit of tracking.

Yesterday they started us on the new Points Plus plan. Totally new way of tracking. All old printed material obsolete. All learned points values no longer apply. Back in first grade to learn it all over again. Sigh.

I am asking anyone who is also on the plan for support. I know, I know, they have a website that I use on occasion and plenty of forums for support. But you guys are my peeps, and only you would understand that I have two drawers full of fruits and fresh lettuce, but I never eat the greens because they’re not for me!

So if you’re doing WW, or considering it, or just feel like helping me stick to it to get to goal, reply please. I’m so confused.

[MimzMum]

Oh for heaven’s sake…what’s the point of having a finish line if they keep moving it?? >.<
Considering there are now SO many reality shows on body image (not that this hasn’t been a topic all along without the visual effect) I wonder if Weight Watcher’s is just trying to ‘keep up with the Joneses’ with this new plan? What was wrong with the old one,exactly?
Kudos to you for sticking with it though. I think if they gave me too many hoops to jump through I’d walk.

Hmm…so Sammy won’t share her veggies? Shame! >.> I think it’s the best fun to sit with my bunnies while they are eating their greens and munch away with them. It’s like having dinner with the family (which my human family has probably never done more than five times in our lives.)

I have to be careful of so many things I eat anyway, because my stomach doesn’t tolerate a lot of stuff. Sort of a mandatory diet due to gastric allergies. It makes it hard to pass up things that I’d love to eat, but would pay for later in debilitating discomfort. I envy folks who can actually use these plans, because I probably couldn’t eat most of the stuff they tell you to.
*ahem* I could stand to lose at least 20…just to be comfortable.

[LoveChaCha]

WW keeps on changing the goals? What’s that? Really? How are people supposed to meet the goal when it keeps getting moved? O_O;;

I’m not on weight watchers or anything.. BUT food seems to be everywhere at my house. When I was with my mom, I only ate what I needed.

Does WW do gym type of stuff?

Since I have no more school, I’ve been going back to the gym 3-4 times a week. It makes me feel better about myself lol.

[MimzMum]

Hey, I know I’m in trouble when I can’t keep up with my Yorkshire Terrier as she bullets off down the road with only four tiny feet to propel her. Walking is hard enough, but running is excruciating. My lower back gets most of the punishment and I can’t even sprint anymore, which I used to be good at.
I would love to live near a gym, but I know my hubby would think I was just going there to ogle hard bodies. >.<

Pam, does WW also plan your exercise or is that up to you to do? I’m curious what kind of regimen they recommend. And I know you said in another thread you do a lot of walking. (it’s definitely more fun on your end of the country….aaahhh, beach….!)

[LittlePuffyTail]

Good for you, Pam! I’ve been wanting to lose about 20 lb for a long time now but I have to admit I really haven’t been trying hard. My big thing is: Energy.

Where do you find energy? What sort of exercises do you do? I’m interested in starting belly dancing classes and I just got a bunch of yoga/dance vids but I need to find energy to start them. I think if I lost like 5 lbs that would really motivate me to stick with something. I find the first few pounds are the hardest. I’ll start the diet tomorrow is always the plan…

[RabbitPam]

Well, in fairness to WW, the did NOT move the goal. You set your own goal for weight loss, they urge you to take your measurements, and then you learn how to track your food through a points system. The reason it works so well for so many years is that you eat whatever you want to, in moderation. And they educate you in good food choices, so you learn that if you eat a food like fat free cottage cheese, or a small amount of protein, or a banana, you will feel satisfied longer, have slower steady energy to burn, and not crave other stuff so much because you got empty fast. They do not rule out any foods, or make you choose certain things. They let you know that if you weigh x lbs, you can eat say, 29 points a day total and will lose up to 2 pounds a week if you don’t go over your points. They also allow an extra 49 points a week so you can plan a special meal that will count but not be more than allowed. Many of us do not lose much or at all when we dip into our extra points that week.

The don’t tell you to “exercise” they just say Movement. Do not tell you to join a gym. They tell you that movement you like will work the best. Urge you to find an activity you like, (walking, swimming, dancing, hula hoops) schedule it into your week and increase your time doing it as you improve. A gym is great of course, but not necessary. I actually have a dvd by Lesley Sansone – “Walk at Home” – that I highly recommend. Great to do inside, 15 min. or more, 1 mile or more, designed for those who want to move but don’t want to follow some skinny minny in aerobics class and not get the steps right. She makes several dvds. Very good to start out, MM.

The meetings are like a support group and that works for me. I have trouble with tracking, and when I don’t, I don’t lose as much. Now we are learning different points values, so we need to re-enter the regular good foods I had switched to and recalculate. Ugh. Once it’s rote again, no problem. Tracking works. But you have to keep at it. What’s nice is there is a strong emphasis on “do over’ thinking. I mean, you can blow it one day or one week, but you don’t quit. You just start fresh the next day and get back on plan. It trains you to think positive and accept setbacks. Last night I was discouraged and snacked on lots of wheat thin crackers. This morning I made myself track them, it wasn’t as high as I’d thought, and today I’m starting out better again. I may do a nature walk later.

LPT: I actually went back in January because I lost all energy and was panting climbing stairs at work. It was see a Dr. now, or lose weight. I chose WW. I lost the weight and stopped panting. But boy, I still tire easily. More lbs. to lose.

[RabbitPam]

Oh (long winded on the site this week! Don’t know why.) they changed it because they recalculated the points values of the foods scientifically and stopped counting calories and count proteins and carbs instead, which is new.
Before it was points = fibre/calories/fats. Now it’s points = fibre/fats/proteins/carbs.
You need a points calculator (we got one) to do that. More accurate in what you are eating, so easier to figure out what to watch in order to lose. Pain in the butt to be doing until you can get a list of points of regular foods to refer to. It’s available on line and smart phones, but blech.

[Elrohwen]

Good for you! I’m really impressed.

I’m not in WW, but have been slowly losing weight since July. I’d been saying I was going to lose 15lbs for a while, but finally in July, when I started my new job, I was able to stick with it a little. I was only losing 0.5lbs a week, but I don’t have tons to lose and I figured doing it my way meant I was more likely to keep it off (rather than starving myself then gaining it all back). I had lost about 10lbs, but then went on a 2 week vacation and gained 4lbs back 🙁 So now starting again. I manage to eat small breakfasts and lunches, but I usually fall apart at dinner and eat way too much – in the 3.5 years I’ve been living with my husband I’ve gained 15lbs. The year before that I lived alone and worked for a cookie company and didn’t gain an ounce, so obviously living with a big eater (though he’s thin as a rail) makes me eat larger portions. The main challenge for me is cutting back on portion size from what I’m used to eating.

To add to your last post, I read that the point system also changed to give fruits and veggies 0 point values. WW found that people weren’t eating fruits and veggies because it had to count towards their point total (and they would rather eat other things). I think it’s great that they’ve made eating these foods “free” and hopefully more people will load up on veggies.

[RabbitPam]

I just was reading the material they gave us (as I recycled much of my now obsolete info. like my old trackers.) and the fruits are all 0, but some veggies, like potatoes, have a point or two. Plus they don’t count avocados (my favorite) in the 0 group. So it’s all fruits, MOST veggies. I am really having a hard time finding the points for my staples. I think I am going to buy yet-another food guide. It’s just too hard to go fishing for the listings on line when I’m hungry!
Wolfing down grapes, though.

[Elrohwen]

Ahh, that makes sense that potatoes and other high starch or fat veggies wouldn’t be included. Those aren’t really “veggies” in the same way that broccoli or spinach are.

I’m surprised they counted all fruits though, since fruits have a lot of sugar. I guess it’s better people get sugar that way then through other high sugar foods.

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