Weight Watchers?

CatEyed92

I am thinking of going down to weight watchers next week.
Age: 20
Height: 6ft 0in
Weight: 15st 3lbs
Ideal weight: 11 stone

15 stone really crept up on me! I usually yo-yo'd between 13stone and 14stone.
I did fall into the trap of eating rubbish at college for the last year! I don't drink alcohol and only drink water, tea and odd glass of milk. Rubbish food is my problem!

I would like to weigh 11 stone by September 2013?

Just looking for advice on how weight watchers work, what happens at meetings and does it actually work?

Thanks in advance

SunnyDub1

Don't do weight watchers IMO.
You will get results but it won't be permanent or healthy.
It's a big waste of money for a short term quick fix and all about marketing and selling their products



A friend of mine done weight watchers a few years ago. She now sufferers with more health issues then ever before.

Their foods are laced in hidden sugars and salts, and have very little if no nutritional value what so ever.

Eat fresh, high protein low carb unprocessed foods, for heathy and long lasting results!
Join a gym and get a program or else join a class.

Read Nutrition 101 (sticky)

Best of luck

thegreatiam

SunnyDub1 wrote: »

Don't do weight watchers IMO.
You will get results but it won't be permanent or healthy. plenty of people have seen sustainable weigh loss and live healthy lives after WW
It's a big waste of money for a short term quick fix and all about marketing and selling their products have to agree 100% on this, WW is a corporation and its sole goal is to take your money. it does not matter how much or little weight you lose to them. if you lose none, then they love you because you are a source of income, if you lose loads then they will use you as a promotional tool, either way their motivation is not your well being and health



A friend of mine done weight watchers a few years ago. She now sufferers with more health issues then ever before. this may or may not be connected to WW

Their foods are laced in hidden sugars and salts, and have very little if no nutritional value what so ever. WW make a lot of money from their specially designed health food, the figures of their nutrition are often misleading, but to say they have no nutritional value is just as misleading

Eat fresh, high protein low carb unprocessed foods, for heathy and long lasting results!
Join a gym and get a program or else join a class.

Read Nutrition 101 (sticky)

Best of luck

While I agree with the overall statement i think that the bolded parts are a little anecdotal and misleading.

Op if you want to do weight watchers then by all means go and enjoy. Just because some people have strong options on it shouldnt put you off completely. they are a big company with a long history, if they werent doing something right they wouldnt exist. but do some serious research into suitability and alternatives.

Having said that, i think SunnyDub1 is 100% correct in the rest of his answer, weight loss is better achieved by eating good quality food and making sure you are below a calorie limit.

What weight watchers does well, (but you pay a lot for it) is provide a structure and emotional support. These can be found elsewhere and usually for free.
Make it known to your friends and family that you are making a lifestyle change. measure (not weigh) yourself on a regular, monthly, basis. Take regular pictures. ( I say not weigh because usually people obsess over the numbers rather than the visible effects a better lifestyle has on their bodies). Use other, free, resources for motivation, keep a diary, and post regularly on sites like boards to get the community support that WW tries to emulate.

Educate yourself in how to eat correctly and how much to eat. (start with the stickies on this forum)

Lastly become more active, if weight loss is your only goal then exercise is not 100% necessary, but it will make it easier in the long run.

flowerpower12

Hi CatEyed92,
I do weight watchers and love it.
I need the structure and emotional support that thegreatiam mentions.
SunnyDub1 is perhaps thinking of the specfic WW branded foods in saying they're laced with sugar etc. I avoid WW foods as I perfer the Marks and Spencer count on us range, mostly as it tastes nicer.
WW primarily involves portion control and tracking what you eat. Educating yourself like thegreatiam I am said.
If you are like me, needing motivation, support and focus, WW could be for you.
Different strokes for different folks.

thegreatiam

how much is WW these days? and what exactly do they provide for the fee?

is the package worth the cost or are people generally paying for the result?

flowerpower12

€20 to join, then €10 per week for weigh in, discounts for students and oaps
Once you reach goal weight, and stay there for 5 weeks (afaik) it's free then for life, once you weigh in within 5 pounds of your goal weight.

You can actually go and not get weighed in - CatEyed92 that might be worth a try. Explain to the leader you're not sure how it works etc.

Apparently, if you go every 2nd week you only pay €15, making it cheaper per month (€30 instead of €40 on average)

Emeraldy Pebbles

flowerpower12 wrote: »

I avoid WW foods as I perfer the Marks and Spencer count on us range, mostly as it tastes nicer.

Why not just learn to do it without using any brand? Seems better in the long run.

doctorwhogirl

If you a person who has not tried to lose weight before and would really struggle with healthy eating, then I say it is a great starting point particularly for the emotional support and structure. It makes you answerable to someone, and while in the end you are the only person you should be answering to regarding your own healthy, for people who are struggling that can really help.

I went from 16 stone to ten stone on WW and have been within halfstone/stone of goal since (2.5 years).

I had no idea what nutrition was, I comfort ate, I ate out of boredom, I ate without rhyme or reason.

Some people on boards tend to WW bash and direct you to the nutrition thread but I know if someone had advised me as such back in the day I would have been so overwhelmed by how big the mountain seemed to be I had to climb, I would have given up and ended back up where I started.
Small steps worked for me.

The first few months with WW I learned to watch what I ate and monitor what went in my mouth. I gained a sense of what foods were high in calories, what foods were low in calories.

After a few months and a bit of weight loss I brought in more exercise. I had been doing some, but I started to push myself.

As I got closer to my goal I started to really focus on eating better and really good exercise.

I'm not going to lie, I found maintenance hard, but that's because of my own issues with food and some minor health things. I'm listening to my own body now and higher protein, moderate carbs is helping as well as a good exercise routine that I love.

I rambled a bit there but that's my perspective and that's how WW worked for me. I don't really use the programme any more but it was one of the best things I ever did joining it. Changed my life, no exaggeration.

CatEyed92

I appreciate all responses thank you.

Do the help you with complusive eating habits and how to break them?

Ever since I was a teenager, I complusively, hand over fist, stuffed my face.
I wasn't big, I was a healthy weight for a tall girl. But in the last two years the weight has caught up with me.
The pill really finished me. I was on it a year and I came off it recently. I have noticed all the weight has gone to my thighs, stomach and butt!
It's uncomfortable and I really want to get rid of it.
I should not look like this at 20!
Weight has held me back and I want to be body confident finally!

I'll head along once I get paid

Eabhabear

CatEyed92 wrote: »

I appreciate all responses thank you.

Do the help you with complusive eating habits and how to break them?

Ever since I was a teenager, I complusively, hand over fist, stuffed my face.
I wasn't big, I was a healthy weight for a tall girl. But in the last two years the weight has caught up with me.
The pill really finished me. I was on it a year and I came off it recently. I have noticed all the weight has gone to my thighs, stomach and butt!
It's uncomfortable and I really want to get rid of it.
I should not look like this at 20!
Weight has held me back and I want to be body confident finally!

I'll head along once I get paid

Do you mind me asking what pill you're on? I'm unsure of mine regarding trying to lose weight.

CatEyed92

Eabhabear wrote: »

Do you mind me asking what pill you're on? I'm unsure of mine regarding trying to lose weight.

I was on the combined - Yasminelle ! It didn't affect me straight away but it was my mom who noticed all the differences!

My weight became very stubborn and weirdly uncomfortable? That sounds weird ha.
I was getting palpitations (turns out I should never of been put on them as there are heart problems in the immediate family!) , frequent headaches and was always breathless. Been off it two months and feel much better thank god!

xTLCx

I'm a weight watchers gold member, I've been maintaining my weight for the last 2 months. I lost 4 and a half stone in 7 months. It has really changed my life. I really would recommend it.

I'm also in a similar boat to you. I'm female, 21 and 5ft 11 and I was 16 stone 3 pounds in March and now I'm 11 stone 10 pounds.

deelite

I've never gone to WW / slimming world etc., but have found great motivation from Rosemary Cloney and Slimming World magazines. Also the stickies here are brilliant and give great advice.