ALL THOUGHTS NEEDED ON WW...PROS & CONS

I need to find out from everyone that has been, is on it, was on it. What do you feel are the pros and cons of it.

Why do you think it works or does not work?Do you think you will have to count points for the rest of your life, in order to keep the weight off ?? Do you think counting points is realistic?

I watched 2 of my GF get on it and lost tons of weight and kept it off. But once they stopped counting or watching what they ate they gained weight.

I really liked this way of losing b/c, in my eyes it taught them portion control and in their minds they saw it as a lifestyle change and not a diet.

Why do you think people hit plateaus on the program and then give up? I just want to hear all about the program and your thoughts on it.

Thanks

I think that if you need to learn portion control, and let's face it, everyone could use a little lesson in it, then WW is a great diet. Personally, I know myself, I need more than portion control. I need sugar control. I'm a sugar addict, so a lot of the WW foods, which I would eat because they were convenient, were loaded with sugar. So it wasn't really a lifestyle change for me, just a lifestyle shift. I needed more, so I just branched out on my own and did my own thing. Luckily, it's working.
Another bonus about WW is that they have a network of support. You know that you can sit and get ideas on how to stay motivated or get a new recipe or make friends who are going through the same thing.
I don't know, see, WW has always worked for me when losing the weight, but never keeping it off, and again, I attribute it to the fact that I just ate less of the things that were making me overweight, and for me, that wasn't good enough because in time, I would go back to eating my original portions. Now that I'm cutting out as much refined sugar and complex carbs as I can, I don't crave them and I stear myself towards healthier choices in food. Hope this helped.

I see it more of a lifestyle change than a diet. Not sure if once I stop counting points I will gain weight because I haven't gotten to that point yet. I do know that I completely go off of it on the weekends and still lose weight. I think once you lose weight, you will shrink your stomach and you won't ever be able to eat the way you once did. I also think being that you lose weight pretty easily on WW [well, most do], it's hard to go back, I have been on other diets that I don't see the scale move and that is so discouraging.

I don't think I'll have to count points for the rest of my life because I think once you get to your goal it is easy to eyeball portions and know what is good for you. Also, working out WITH dieting, always helps, you can't do one without the other I think!

Thank you ladies. Anyone else.

I have lost about 10-11 pounds on WW since I began about 7 weeks ago. This was my first diet and I want to lose a total of 14 lbs.

WW was great because it teaches you want you should be eating and much of it. I thought the counting points concept would be extremely annoying, but it is actually very easy. With the exception of maybe three or four days, I have found WW to be so easy!! I can't believe how quickly I lost weight. It is better than other diets because you can eat what you want.

I do not attend the meetings. I just pay to get weighed in and then leave. It is kind of a waste of $, but I enjoy going.

I don't struggle with my weight or have a battle with eating (or any of those oprah-like problems). I just seemed to put on some extra pounds. I think if you are an oprah like person who struggles, it is probably an even better option because of the support group.

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I watched 2 of my GF get on it and lost tons of weight and kept it off. But once they stopped counting or watching what they ate they gained weight.

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The key to WW is portion control the big MODERATION. I am finding the current program very easy to stick to. I am loosing at a moderate rate and know I will hit my goal of lifetime membership. DH is doing it as well so that helps. Personally I know I will always have to watch and track what I eat but everyone is different.

Pros:
You can eat literally anything you want As long as you stay within your points (portion control) you will be fine

Balanced nutrition is emphasized. You are supposed to have 2 milk services, 6 fruit/vegggie servings and water water water each day

Its not a quick fix - Its a major habit change and takes time to get to your goal

For me - meetings and tracking work

Cons:
Its not a quick fix - Its a major habit change and takes time to get to your goal

You have to work at it and think about it.

You have to work at it and think about it.

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Like any diet! Just like working out. People ask is it better in the morn or evening, NEITHER, just do it and pick a time and workoout that you can continually do, that is what will make the difference. My SIL buys all the new gadgets for working out all the time but never sticks to them. I tell her, anything will work as long as you dedicate yourself and stick to it!

I apologize for not being 100% up to date on WW, but from what I have been told about it, I have my own opinions....
Pro:
Helps you be conscious of protion control. a HUGE factor in being overweight.

Promotes exercising too.

Lifestyle cange

Teaches you will power,,,,to a certain extent (see my cons below)

Cons:
I do not feel it teaches you how to eat healthy. You should not have to trade healthy food points so you can eat unhealthy foods. I do not believe in that AT ALL!

I don't feel you have to wegih in,,that's body weight, does not tell you body fat. Plus your body fluctuates so much, weekly is not necessary!

Shamma

pros: it's great helping one with portion control; weekly weigh in keeps me honest, and the meetings are great support. plus where i am the timing of the meetings work for me. they focus on making it a lifestyle change not just losing weight.

cons: i hate journaling, takes awhile to find a leader that inspires, the '2 pts bars' are too good and for me they become '6 pt bar binges'.

but if you have WILLPOWER you will love WW

I think WW is the BEST diet. I really think everything is in MODERATION, and WW teaches you to eat with portion control. You can eat whatever you want.
I'M NOT a big fan of these low/no crabs. It is so unhealthy.
I lost the most weight from WW.

My mom was on WW before my wedding. She lost about 15-20 pounds in a few months (now she's a 'lifetime member'). She looks great. I think maybe she's put back on 5 of those pounds in the last year and a half.

I figure if she can do it (no exercise, and no willpower), then I can. Once you get in the habit, its not about counting anymore - its just about portion control and eating right.

I joined online a few weeks ago. I know I'm not the meeting type - I wouldn't go to them so its a waste to pay for them. Instead, I track my points online, and bought a scale.

It was tough for the first few days, but its gotten easier. I don't see at as unhealthy at all - in fact it forces me to make better choices about what I'm eating, and I find myself under my daily points often and rarely use the flexpoints (except when we go out or having drinks).

So I still allow myself those glasses of wine, but I'll only have 1 piece of brie, rather than 4. I cut out snacking, and I make a point of eating a lot of veggies and not having a burrito for lunch every week (one burrito is more than a days points!). I also have started cooking with less butter and oil (they add points quickly)

I think you just need to be smart about it and chose your foods for their nutritional value as well as their point value.

(but I love that it also allows you to splurge sometimes and nothing is off limits)

Regarding Healty Eating and WW
You can eat anything you want BUT they Stress having the following each day:

2 Milk Servings
5 Fruit or Veggie Servings
and water water water

Following these guidelines you will use between 9 to 11 points on Milk/Fruit/Veggies.
Add some protein and maybe a bread or two and you are about done with your points for the day.

Yes you can have 22 points worth of cake and call it a day but you are really not following the plan if you do that. I try to follow the plan and use my flex points for cake/wine what ever goodies I want. Once those flex points are gone so are the goodies for the week.

Fran, I must agree with you, I was speaking to my GF and she says that if you have 20 points they stress you make healthy food choices not eat an entire chocolate cake or make choices that are bad that stay within your points range. If someone uses their 20 points to eat cookies and candy that is not WW I think that is their bad choice.

Thanks all for responding.

there are so many more pros than cons

the only cons in my eyes:

**they keep changing their system...carrots didn't have points when I joined...but now they do....well I lost my 15 pounds by eating carrots...so I will continue to do so...

**it depends on your leader...I had a FANTASTIC one...and he helped to explain healthy habits...when he was absent there was this horrible awful woman!!! and I couldn't bare to be at the meeting...so that wouldn't have helped me

Another Con to add to the list:

If you have a tiny bit to lose, its next to impossible and hard. After being on WW either a month or 6 weeks in January, I only lost one and a half pounds. AND I was STARVING most of the time.

Without WW, I have been roughly same weight since I came off from them.