My outlook on eating and health has totally changed!
Written: Mar 03 '07 (Updated Aug 19 '07)
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Pros: A healthy lifestyle you can live with for life AND lose weight in the process.
Cons: It takes time and loss is slow, but slower is better than too fast!
The Bottom Line: You become an overall healthier person. The only thing you have to lose is weight!
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| danyell282's Full Review: Weight Watcher's Points Weight Loss Program with F... |
The Lowdown:
I joined Weight Watchers May of 2006 to try to lose excessive weight I gained from anti-depressants. I started out doing the at work program and lost 16 pounds in 12 weeks. Because the at work sessions are not a constant thing and come and go at weeks at a time, when my session ended I tried doing it on my own. I missed going to meetings and stepping on the scale every week and making the weekly announcement to my co-workers on how much I lost (which was encouraging).
Finally in October I decided to join the local WW center. I picked the monthly pass plan ($40 a month) which entitled me to 1 weigh in a week plus unlimited meetings and use of WW online. Around the same time I joined I also got a new job that requires a lot of travel. A combination of that, the holidays, and not being 100% committed made me gain about 6 pounds of my weight back by New Years. That got me extra motivated and as of today (March 3, 2007) I lost all the weight I gained back and then some... totalling about 20 pounds. I've learned how to stick with the program while on business trips and am more determined than ever to get to my goal weight. I want to lose 20-30 more pounds, and Weight Watchers makes me confident that I can do it.
Why you should try Weight Watchers:
In my opinion, Weight Watchers is the healthiest lifestyle change you can make. I call it a lifestyle change because that is what it is. The term "diet" sparks fear in the hearts of many because it is synonymous with being restrictive and bland and just all out no fun. While it does capitalize on being a way to lose weight, what I personally love about WW is that they totally change your view on your old eating habits and promote healthy and balanced eating. I've tried many fad diets (Atkins and the diet they give to heart surgery patients to lose weight fast) and while they did give short term and quick weight loss, they were not something you could realistically do for the long term and I just didn't feel healthy.
WW basically forces you to eat healthy if you follow it well. I do the flex plan, and writing down everything you eat and the points values helps you stay on track. On each journal page, they have check marks for healthy living guides. They encourage you to drink 6-8 8 oz glasses of water a day, 2 (or 3, depending on some factors) servings of dairy, and 5 servings of fruit and veggies, which you check off each time you have a serving of any of the above. I always liked to see my check boxes completely marked, so I would always eat/drink what I was lacking. They also encourage you to eat whole grains as opposed to their white counterparts, such as brown rice, whole wheat pasta, and sweet potatoes (which are also lower in points than the white versions, which makes you want to eat them even more). Also, they definitely encourage exercise, which is also essential to weight loss and just essential in GENERAL. If you exercise, you can burn off excess points you may have acquired during the day, and also if you choose, allow you to eat even more. In addition to your daily points, you have 35 extra points to use during the week if you wanna splurge now and then.
Basically... Weight Watchers is an easy way to track your calories AND eat/be healthy.
Support:
I remember watching a commercial for Nutrisystem and one of the huge selling points they tried to convince you of was that you didn't have to go to any "embarrassing weigh ins or meetings." I think the support WW provides is one of the biggest pro's about the program. There are people of all ages, sizes, genders, and races who go to the meetings, and if anything, its where I personally feel the least embarrassed and more like at home because you have a room full of people going through EXACTLY what you're going through. I'm proud of everyone there because it's shown that they are taking a step to conquer their weight loss. The fact that the leaders are lifetime members of WW is also encouraging because they know what you're going through as well. Everyone can share tips and stories and struggles and victories and its just a positive and uplifting experience. Also, if you are having personal difficulties, the leader takes time out to help you on an individual basis and make suggestions. And if you're worried that everyone is going to know how much you weigh during weigh in... don't. One person weighs you in, and they tell you how much you lost and never publically disclose how much you weigh. Only they know how much you weigh, and you should never be embarrassed because they were once in your shoes as well.
Weight Watchers Online:
Since I have the monthly pass, I get access to WW online. I think it is a great thing to have, with or without meetings. As I have said before, I have a job that requires a lot of travel now and WW online makes it easy for me to stay on track when I'm not at home (in fact, I am on a business trip RIGHT NOW!!!). I can plan out my meals for the day with the point tracker and the food search makes it easy to quickly find points values for foods that don't have an easily accessible nutrition label. I can also use the message boards for when I have questions or need some advice or support as a substitute when I'm not at home to make the meetings. They also have recipe sections to make healthier versions of your favorite foods and tons of success stories to give you that boost of motivation.
How I've personally changed:
Weight Watchers has totally changed the way I eat. I think back and remember cooking up and eating an ENTIRE box of mac and cheese as well as some other horrifying habits I don't care to mention haha. To learn REAL portion sizes and the portions I used to eat was especially eye opening. After a while, you become very used to eating smaller portions and do not feel deprived. When you eat less, you learn to feel satisfied and realize that you just don't NEED a ton of food. I've also trained my taste buds to accept low fat or fat free versions of certain things such as cheese and salad dressings. I've even adopted a mostly vegetarian diet (with the exception of eating seafood every now and then), for health as well as other reasons.
I've also learned how to eat in moderation and balance everything out. For example, if I want something high in fat and calories, I will just eat a smaller size of it. If I want some chocolate, I'll have a few hershey kisses instead of a whole bar. If I know I'm going to go out to eat at dinner, I'll eat small and sensible for breakfast and lunch and save some points. I choose healthier snacks such as cut up veggies, 94% fat free popcorn, fruit, and other healthy things instead of chips or fries or anything else fat laden. I personally like WW BECAUSE of its non restrictiveness, which makes it easy to stick to. You can basically eat whatever you want in the right amounts and you don't have to completely give up things you like or buy any prepackaged meals or restrict food groups.
The Moral of the Story:
We're living in a society that keeps getting unhealthier by the minute. Obesity has become an epidemic in recent years, and the only person who ultimately has control over your health is YOU. WW in my opinion is so much more than a "weight loss" program... it is a healthy lifestyle that EVERYONE should follow... regardless if you have to lose weight or not. If you look at it as a way to get yourself healthier, it is much easier to stick to than just as a way to lose weight. If you sincerely adopt it as a permanent change of eating, the weight loss is just an added benefit. I HIGHLY recommend it to anyone and I wish you the best if you are considering it.
Good Luck!!
Danielle
*UPDATE*
I am still going strong on the WW program and so far I have lost almost 40 pounds!! The best advice I can give to anyone is DON'T GIVE UP!! We all have our bad days and sometimes we pig out every now and then but the key is that tomorrow is a brand new day and as long as you get back on track you cannot fail!! I still have another 15-20 pounds I would like to lose, and while most people think that is quite a feat, after losing almost 40 pounds already, Weight Watchers has given me the confidence that I can do it!! :)
Recommended:
Yes
Approximate Monthly Cost (US$) 40.00
Food Variety Restrictions You eat any food you want
Restrictiveness of Portions Satisfying
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Epinions.com ID:
danyell282
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Reviews written: 2
Trusted by: 0 members
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