Weight Watchers Feedback Thread NOW CLOSED

[AngelieMumsnet]

This is the feedback thread for the Mumsnetters who are testing out the Weight Watchers programme.

Weight Watchers say: “With 50 years of success behind us we understand how to make losing weight simple, delicious and fun; but we also understand how challenging it can be when you’re facing it alone. Join us to lose weight, feel fantastic and achieve great things. You can follow our healthy eating plan completely online with support from our unique community, or benefit from attending our lively meetings, for personal coaching and weight loss guidance.”

Testers: we'll be asking you to add feedback once a week - we'd like your first impressions now and every week after that, we'll be posting some new questions for you to answer.

So, in terms of your first impressions...

~ Will you be going to meetings, following the plan online or a bit of both?
~ Why did you sign up to test out the Weight Watchers plan?
~ What sorts of foods do you think you'll be eating following the plan? Will it be a big change for you?

Everyone who adds their feedback will be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will receive a £100 Asda voucher, good luck!

Please note: your anonymous comments may be used by Weight Watchers on their website and other marketing materials.

Thanks,
MNHQ

Yes, mine came over a week before the first one was due to expire.

Do you have the app? You can just show it at meeting when you sign in.

Yes, I will do that.

I was just checking in to see if there were new questions, well done everyone.

Angelie must be on half term this week ;)

Was just checking in for anymore questions too...this has dropped off threads I'm on.

Well done to everyone doing so well, some great results . Ahem I put on half a pound this week . I had a bad week though so at least I know why!

OOps!

i put on 5lbs this week. Had three days away this weekend - all the wine has caught up with me. I am certain I will shed it by next week though.

I honestly thought I hadn't lost any weight this week. The combination of having to increase my food intake & the break in my routine of half term seemed to throw everything out of whack. Was amazed to be told I'd lost 1lb.

Will now be joining the Weight Watchers Christmas challenge to lose 1lb a week between now & Christmas! Anyone else on here joining in?

Hmm. We haven't had any questions in a couple of weeks. How's everyone doing?
Real life has made things difficult for me. Ugh. I haven't lost a single pound in the last two weeks and today is weigh in day and I'll be very surprised if I haven't put anything on. I need to try harder.

That's great shy!

Good luck on the Xmas challenge. We all had to write on a xmas card what our aims were for that, at meeting last night. I stated that I want to get to my 10% (and hopefully more) within the next 7 weeks. Most definitely achievable. This weekend's shenanigans has shown me how easy it is to get off track.

dobedo - It does get tough doesn't it, after the first couple of weeks. Do you go to meetings or do online? The new WW mag was out at meeting last night - it's only £2, so cheaper than n shops. The guides and cook books are on offer too. I meant to buy a journal last night, but forgot. Will pick one up this week -I think writing it down will really help.#

dobedobedo I agree with iwantgin, it does get difficult to keep going after the initial excitement is over. It doesn't help that it's getting colder & darker, as we tend to want our comfort foods all the more then.

I've found keeping track of everything really does help, everything I eat goes either into my phone app or into my journal (like cook books & recipe cards, journals are currently half price too). On a couple of days when I thought I had blown my ProPoints budget, I was often surprised that it wasn't as bad as I thought. This meant I didn't feel guilty, which during past weight loss attempts was when I'd start binge eating as I used to figure that I'd messed up anyway. Keeping track also meant I knew what I needed to do the rest of the week ProPoint-wise.

iwantgin 10% is a good one to aim for. If When I lose my 7lbs by Christmas, I'll also have earned my 10% in the process. From what I've read today, that would halve my risk of developing diabetes.

Our leader forgot the magazine, as she had so much to bring with all the extra cookbooks (I bought loads of them). Is the latest issue any good? I'm hoping they'll start to have suggestions for party food.

I am doing the Christmas challenge too, but I will have to lose 9.5 pounds to get to my personal goal of getting my 10% weight loss. We were given a picture of a champagne glass to colour in the bubbles for every pound we lose during these weeks.

I made use of the guides and cookbooks offer and bought some of recipe cards (only 1.35 a pack) and the eating out and shopping guide so hopefully I will get some more inspiration.

After missing the meeting last week, due to being away for half term, I have lost 4.5 pounds, bringing my total loss to 9.5 at weight watchers.

I was really good while we were away (and it was a great excuse to not eat my MILs cooking), but I might not but so good this week as DH is taking me out Friday night and we don't know what kinds of food will be on offer, I think I will have to save all of my weekly propoints just in case.

Yay, a new WW magazine, thanks for the reminder. I've bought the last two months' issues and really like them, the recipes are great, much better than those we've tried on the website. I will keep an eye out for it in the shops (as I'm not at a meeting)

Good luck everyone with the Christmas challenge! I do think this is the sort of thing that online-only members miss out on with not going to a meeting (and not everyone goes online-only because they don't want to go to a meeting IYSWIM)

Just realised this is my weigh in day and I forgot to weigh in. I think I will probably have gained this week but hopefully I will be pleasantly surprised.

Just gone back to the original post about tis trial & noticed it says:
We'd like testers to offer feedback every week for the first month on their experiences and (if they don't mind sharing) how much weight they have lost and how they feel.
Maybe we're not getting any more questions set then. Still think I'll post how I'm getting on in here though, as it helps keep me motivated to stay on track (especially now I'm on the Christmas challenge). I also like seeing how well you other ladies have got on

Ah - that'll be why then :)

I like to share and compare too. So will keep updating my success (Or lack thereof this week..) :)

Have been trying to claw back the weekend's excesses. Made a bunch of soups - all quite nice and pretty much zero points.

Who is Counting points on here? I am still doing the Filling and Healthy. Perhaps that is laziness - but, last weekend aside, it seems to be working.

I am counting now, it seems to work for me, I already have to cook two different meals for DH and the DC every day and doing a third filling and healthy meal was getting really hard. I have to cook for the DC quickly when they get home from school as they always come out ravenous and I have to feed them before their after school activities, and I never know when DH is going to get home from work - it ranges from 5.30 - 7 or later (he is a senior teacher at the local secondary school - so he can't even call from work to give me a warning as it is only 5 minutes door to door) and he likes the food quickly after he gets in or it gets in the way of the DC's bedtime.

With counting I can sometimes do a quick WW meal or soup etc instead of trying to fit around everyone else.

Weekends are so much easier as we can all eat together and I can just cook Filling and healthy for everyone.

Updating after weigh in is helping me too, as sharing my disappointments or successes is giving me more accountability and it helps to know that I am on this journey with other people.

1 1/2 pounds lost this week so that's 10 1/2 altogether. It feels quite slow but I have lost something every week so I'm pleased with that. I would love to lose another 10 1/2 by Christmas but that might be pushing it.

Thanks for all your feedback :)

As the first month of your Weight Watchers experience has just finished, here are a few questions for you about the experience so far:

• How have you found the Weight Watchers experience over the past month?
• What did you think of the Weight Watchers plan?
• Would you recommend Weight Watchers to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

*How have you found the Weight Watchers experience over the past month?
*

i have enjoyed keeping to a plan. The weekly meeting and weigh-in has been quite enjoyable too. So I don't mind going out in the dark to get there :)

What did you think of the Weight Watchers plan?

Very easy to stick to. I have been doing the Filling and Healthy approach all along - and have found it fits in very well with the rest of the family's meals. We tend to eat food made from scratch anyway - so it's no great shakes to just make the minor amendments so that we can all eat the same. Am starting on Full Counting this week though - as I think I have become a little lazy on tracking my extra Propoints. Will see how that goes.

Would you recommend Weight Watchers to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

I would recommend it to others actually. Which surprises me as I am the biggest cynic ever. I have always been of the attitude that I know what to eat/drink etc and to take exercise. I think keeping tabs on every morsel is the way to go though - it seems to be working for me. I am far less likely to cheat if I know I have already written/tapped the app the points down.

I think it is priced similarly to Slimming World? But I like the various options of either online, or at meetings. I also like that you can - within the week - do a combo of Full counting and Filling and Healthy. Keeps it manageable.

How have you found the Weight Watchers experience over the past month?
When I first started, I didn't think I could possibly make the necessary adjustments. There was no way I could switch to skimmed milk, let alone change my comfort eating ways. The first week was tough, as I kept wanting to eat purely out of habit. Once I got past that, I had the opposite problem of not eating enough & was therefore losing weight too rapidly. I did appreciate my group leader voicing concern. In fact, I really appreciate how supportive my group leader is in general.

What did you think of the Weight Watchers plan?
I have concerns about how balanced a diet followers of the plan get. It does seem to prioritize low-fat at the expense of too many carbohydrates (particularly sugar). Saying that, I appreciate it needs to be easy enough for people to follow. Now I have the complete flexibility of pure ProPoints, I am really happy. I really like the Weight Watchers recipes too, such as the ones in the cookbooks or Your Week magazine.

Would you recommend Weight Watchers to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?
If I'd been asked that a couple of weeks back, I would've been reluctant to say yes. Now though, I would strongly recommend it. My group leader showing concern over losing weight too fast, made me realise how careful Weight Watchers are. I like that they don't have a slimmer of the week, as I've seen how obsessive & competitive that makes some people. I also have made the most of the cookbook offer & have been making some amazingly tasty baked goods that are low in ProPoints. Despite eating brownies, flapjack & muffins, I still lost weight this week.

I just want to add I am incredibly grateful to Mumsnet & Weight Watchers for giving me this opportunity. I've already lost more weight than expected (20 lbs & counting). I'm just 1lb away from earning my 10%, which means my health has really benefited from this. In fact, I think even when my trial ends, I'm going to continue with Weight Watchers.

How have you found the Weight Watchers experience over the past month?

I started weight watchers after getting very downhearted after slowly gaining a stone in weight while going to Slimming World, I wasn't really expecting much as I having lost 6 1/2 stone at SW previously I thought I knew all there was to weight loss. I have been really pleasantly surprised, weight watchers works, counting isn't hard when you use the tools that you have access too (app, e-source, etc). I love the fact you can literally have your cake and eat it (as long as you count it too), I have been out with DH, but planned my day and didn't go over points - I used my Eating Out Guide to plan what I could eat in advance. I have lost 11 pounds so far, after losing another 1 1/2 this week.

• What did you think of the Weight Watchers plan?

Before I started I thought it sounded overly complicated, thinking it would be easier to count calories than points, I didn't really enjoy my Simple Start week and didn't really have a healthy diet that week (anyone for a crumpet!) Now I am fully counting it is a lot easier, being able to accrue activity points is fun too, while I don't eat them I enjoy trying to beat my previous weeks total. I love that the fact that exercise is needed as part of the plan, and it isn't just a diet alone.

• Would you recommend Weight Watchers to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?

Yes, I think that it is a way of losing weight that most people can do, there are many products out there that anyone can use even if they aren't a confident cook, and if you are a confident cook you can use the recipes on the website or in the cook books, or the recipe builder online to work out the points.

I had intended to go back to Slimming World after the test, but now feel that I would be very happy continuing on this diet to get to my goal weight.

How have you found the Weight Watchers experience over the past month?
The experience is interesting and challenging for me, I have set a goal to lose 1.5 stone and I'm tracking what I eat.

What did you think of the Weight Watchers plan?
Quite good, I was able to see the results weekly, even though its a slow process its worth it.

Would you recommend Weight Watchers to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?
Yes, I would recommend them to try out WW, it really helps to focus on you and you only. You will definitely see the results in a steady pace. Track your food everyday and each and every step you take counts so we need to track our activity as well. My advice would be set realistic goal and try to reach it.
slow and steady always wins the race

Is anyone still waiting for this months monthly pass...just wondering whether to chase it up?

My one runs out mid November. Hopefully I will get the next one soon.

My monthly pass expires end of November- but the one on my app shows a date in January?

I'll have a look later and see if the numbers are the same.

I must say this is the first week I have done Full Counting. I think I like it. Have been doing Filling and Healthy for the first 4 weeks - but this way makes me feel totally in control.

Next MOnday's weigh-in will show results.

How have you found the Weight Watchers experience over the past month?
I only got the first monthly pass sent when it ran out they didn't send another. I just show the online one on my phone at meetings. I do think they are pretty disorganised what with the initial charging us and lack of monthly passes.

Whilst I'm on a moaning run I find the meetings fairly dire. I stayed this week but wished I hadn't bothered. I didn't stay the two weeks before that. When I previously went to WW I thought the meetings were inspirational.

All that said I lost another pound this week so that's 11.5lbs altogether which feels very slow but at least it's steady.

What did you think of the Weight Watchers plan?
I think the plan is good. It's easy to follow and pretty flex alb to fit in with the family.

Would you recommend Weight Watchers to other Mumsnetters and/or your friends and family? Why?
I would recommend it as it clearly works.