Thinking about joining Weightwatchers...

[HappySquirrel]

Hello all,
This will be a long and rambling post so I apologise in advance. What I'm looking for is whether Weightwatchers could be a good thing for me and perhaps some kind words on the way

I'm about 5'10" and a dress size 24/26, I don't know my weight and to be honest I'm scared to find out. I was at the doctors not so long ago for something else and the GP brought it up, asking if it was something I wanted to talk about. I really appreciate this because I've felt so uncomfortable raising it myself. My biggest problems are snacking way too much on all the wrong things coupled with what I believe to be too big portion sizes of reasonably healthy food. I no longer do any exercise, I did up to last year but I now feel too large and just feel stupid and self conscious In the past I have lost some weight by taking up running and being strict about snacks but I have always been overweight and these attempts at most last 8 months.

I have started to make some changes following my GP visit which was about 2 weeks ago. I have not had any crisps or biscuits and only 4 squares of dark chocolate (they were in the cupboard, I will not be replacing them) instead I have introduced carrot sticks and ricecakes with hummus as a snack option as well as trying to have fruit to satisfy a sweet craving. My sweet cravings has decreased. I am also making an effort to have 3 meals a day, currently my breakfast consists either of oatmeal with applesauce and semi-skimmed milk or cereal (small handful specialK + small handful blueberry wheats) with semi-skimmed milk. Lunch is generally soup with ricecakes on the side for texture. Almost all my food is homemade. I find soup at least is easy to portion size as I have a bowl full, never more.

As I go through food I'm also making an effort to replace eg pasta with whole-grain option. I am not buying any bad snacks any more which of course decreases the risk of eating them, currently in stock is some popcorn and 1 or 2 biscuit barrels. In a weird way they're helping me because I feel so proud not eating them. (Btw I live alone so no need to take notice of anyone else)

I'm thinking about joining the online version of weightwatchers (suggested by GP) or some similar service. I need something that can allow me to continue to almost exclusively cook my own food as I don't have the budget for expensive label diet food. Also I'm somewhat picky so it is essential that I can avoid my 2 big hates, tomato and peppers (though I use chopped tomatoes in cooking). I understand that WW has a recipe builder which would make assessing my own food quite easy. I'm a bit scared of the points system because it seems complicated but I like that there is (apparently?) a weekly and daily allowance. I feel too self conscious to be willing to go to a meeting (+ more expensive), all the people on the website seem quite normal size, even the overweight ones are nowhere near me. Do properly fat people use WW? Will I need to know my weight to start? I don't even own a set of people scales - perhaps I could wait and weigh myself once i feel like I've been making some progress and my head is in a better space? I'm comfortable keeping track of progress using a measuring tape - should I just measure my waist?

If you've read all the way here I'm really grateful. I hope I've not completely bored you, it really helped to write all this down.

I've done WW, I wouldn't go back, unless you follow a better diet within it, its not sustainable

first time I got to goal and stayed there for years.. but I was pretty much following a diet within a diet...

second time I did WW the more common less healthy way, lost week to week but of course relapsed and put it on and more (what usually happens with WW because you can do it and still eat crap!)

what i'm trying to say is that WW allows scope to have so many different kinds of diets within its points system that you then have to work ON TOP OF THAT at having a healthy sustainable diet if you don't wanna end up bigger then before long term

I will never do WW again, ever!

my fitness plan is free and helps you to keep an eye on portions (but you need to adjust it so you balance it out over a week rather then a day)
and something like Clean and Lean can help you make a lifelong change where you don't bloat back up to bigger then your start weight after loosing

Hi squirrel
I have just signed up to WW at home, in fact today is my first day.
I'm 5.6" and a size 20. I weighed myself this morning and it scared me :(

I like WW. It works for me and I can include it all into my daily life. I did it a few years ago and lost 4 stone!! I then put it back on and more due to depression and a huge op. It was not because i stopped the diet, it was my won fault and I know that :(

I say go for it, and go to the meetings as they do help.
I'm happy to start this time at home, but for once in my life I feel in control.

good luck with what you decide

Btw it would help if you had some scales. You will need to weigh in weekly.

Hi,
I cnat recommend myfitnesspal enough.
Its on line, its free and its a really good tool to get you started.

Get some scales and get cracking!

If you'd feel comfortable, your local chemist or Boots branch will have scales - maybe you could weigh weekly there? Or with the nurse at your Doctors surgery?

I have found slimming world good as you can still eat lots of pasta/potatoes etc and have small treats but it's made me snack in a healthier way. My downfall is bread and cheese but I found when I was focused I could really make it work and include family meals too.

I did WW but I felt I was still able to binge on cakes etc and stay in my allowance which to me wasn't a healthy approach. You also end up buying low fat franken foods that are so full of chemicals it is unbelieveable. Don't get me wrong, it did work while I was doing it, I lost 3st 7lb, but I was constantly hungry and maintaining while being hungry all the time is not going to work.

I have also done SW but to me it is not healthy either as it does not encourage portion control. It has an eat as much as you want of certain foods ethos which as an overweight person, I found a bad approach.

I have since switched to low carb and it is the best thing I have done. I no longer crave sweet things, I am no longer hungry between meals, sometimes I even miss a meal due to not being hungry then realise an hour later. I feel that food has no control over me know. My blood sugar levels are stable, less mood swings, better skin, better PMS, loads of energy plus I can eat lovely, tasty, full fat foods instead of low fat shite.

Typical foods include Full fat greek yoghurt with slivered almonds or bacon and egg scrambled with double cream for breakfast, belly pork or tuna mayo with salad dressed in oil with avocado and full fat mayo on the side for lunch, salmon or chicken with pesto or any other form of protein with salad or green veg smothered in butter. Tasty and filling.

I have tried weightwatchers a couple of times and am permanently starving and obsessed with food while I'm on it. But it does work for some people. It does tend to make people obsessed with food what they can and can't have and then when you come off the diet you overeat all the things you had to cut out or severely restrict. You get sold weightwatchers biscuits, weightwatchers crisps, weightwatchers scales and so on and so on. It's just one big moneyspinner.

I saw a couple of books recommended on the threads about overeating and losing weight. I keep meaning to look them up. Have you looked at Slimming World. I think it's better than weightwatchers.

Thanks for all the replies

I have signed up for MyFitnessPal as a starting point, at least it will allow me to see black on white what I am eating and making me aware of how many calories are in food. For example my breakfast is apparently often under 100 kcal - maybe this is why I struggle later on in the day. This coming week I will basically be tracking to see what a regular week might look like for me (now this is a MakingAnEffort week so not indicative of past diet) and then have that as a basis for making more changes. At the moment I have put in a generous estimate of my weight (I'm fairly sure I weigh less than this) but I'm thinking seriously about getting some scales, my head is slowly coming around. I might also get some food scales as it will make it easier to correctly input what food I eat (eg I usually make a handful of pasta, unfortunately this is not a standardised unit of measure)

I agree with what people say re coming off diets and sustainability. I think my goal is less of a diet-until-hit-target and more of a need-to-profoundly-change-relationship-with-food. I'm intrigued by low-carbing but I understand the benefits are not present unless one is fairly strict with it, I will read up a bit more around it.

There are a few low carb threads on here that have lots of info. Also some good books to read if you can get them from the library or something are Dr John Briffa "escape the diet trap" and Gary Taubes "why we get fat" and "good calories bad calories". Googling Paleo, especially "the primal blueprint" and "marks daily apple" are also good sources of info on a slightly different take on low carb. The main principle with all though is to give up grains and starches, they really are not good for us. HTH

Hi Squirrel. I think you need to bite the bullet and find out how much you weigh. There is nothing more motivating than seeing the pounds go down on the scales.

You sound like you've already made some positive changes and I'm sure you're feeling better than a few months ago.
I'm doing WW and it's working for me, but I do understand what others have said. I adapt it to suit what I already eat and I never buy their branded stuff as it doesn't taste like real food. It's just a nice group that I look forward to seeing each week.
You sound like you're "in the zone" now, so good luck

last time i lost weight I didn't weigh myself at the start either.
I did regret it as it would have been nice and motivating to know how much I had lost once I started loosing
Also it helps you calculate your calorie (or points if you must!) allowance

I'm doing ww online and I think it's great. Like you I cook from scratch. It's not a quick fix but I think it is sustainable. I've lost 12lbs in 12 weeks, and I have had a few bad weekends! I lost two stone on it ten years ago, it's changed a bit and is even better now.

I'd be happy to let you have my favourite low points recipes if you decide to go for it. Good luck!

You can track measurements on the website too. I would recommend weighing in though, it's very motivating seeing the numbers go down.

I bit the bullet and have ordered scales from Amazon, they should be here middle of next week. I promise to be brave and take them out of the packaging too..!

I've also ordered some digital food scales, the flat only has a lot of old fashioned ones, and while brilliant for baking they are too much faff to weigh out a 20g serving of dried fruit for example. I start a new job tomorrow and as there is no cafeteria and this is out in an industrial setting I will be bringing all my food. Good for me as it lets me retain control. I plan to start as I mean to go which means making sure I bring good snacks etc in case I want them. Nothing worse than starting a bad vending machine circle I think.

@HelloShitty: I think you're right - I do sort of feel "in the zone" and that despite having any tangible results or anything - hopefully I'll be able to hold onto this feeling until progress is made.