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Welcome to the Personal Development for Smart People Forums, the place for lively, intelligent discussion of all personal growth issues -- physical, mental, financial, social, emotional, spiritual, and more. You're currently viewing as a guest, which gives you limited read-only access. By joining our free community, you'll be able to post your own messages, access many members-only features, see the new messages posted since your last visit, and of course remove this header message. Registration is fast, simple, and free, so please join today. If you arrived here from a search engine, you may want to explore the main site first, which includes hundreds of deep and insightful articles on a variety of personal development topics. |
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09-14-2007, 05:35 PM
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 So I am joining Weight Watchers... what are your thoughts or suggestion on that? I need to loose 40lbs, will it really help me? I am also joining a gym to get back on track ( I had my baby 21 months ago). I was not able to loose the weight since then.      |
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09-14-2007, 05:40 PM
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| I have heard that a lot of people have success with Weight Watchers. Perhaps the support is the most important part; it's encouraging. The other option would be to exercise and eat healthily on your own. You can lose weight both ways, but if you have trouble staying motivated or deciding what to eat, I think Weight Watchers can help. I have not used them before, but like I said, I hear good things.
__________________ I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies. This is the dawning of the rest of our lives. --Green Day The more I see, the less I know, the more I'd like to let it go. --Red Hot Chili Peppers |
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09-14-2007, 05:41 PM
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| Good luck! I've heard Weight Watchers has helped a lot of people, especially if you're the kind of person who likes lots of social support and structure. By the way, be sure and make resistance training (weights) part of your workout -- you'll lose fat faster, feel better, and age more gracefully. Maybe you could do a journal on your efforts, with photos and measurements of yourself along the way so you can see your progress clearly. We're with you all the way! |
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09-14-2007, 05:52 PM
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| Weight Watchers is an outstanding program my wife who would tend to yo-yo with her weight lost about 30 pounds two years ago and kept it off, my sister inlaw dropped over 70. I count points and I'm down 20 since the system was brought to my attention. Their points system is the smartest way to lose weight. You tend to watch cals, fats and fiber more which makes you make better choices about what you eat. Some of their recipe books are the tastiest dishes that I've eaten reduced Cal/Fat or not, I think Costco still sells one, pick it up if you get a chance. Good luck, I think WW is the smartest most sensible way to lose wieght, and no I have no affiliation with them. |
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09-14-2007, 06:35 PM
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| I am a big fan of the hard graft approach to losing weight... Strict diet and smash through a load of QUALITY exercise... BUT... i am aware that some people struggle with motivation and for that reason, things like weight watchers are a good idea. Without knowing your personal situation, i would advise you to look at High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). You can find out more about it here: HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) - The Community for Excellence Forum The only way you can fail is if you give up. Phil x |
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09-14-2007, 07:56 PM
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| I'm a member of Weight Watchers, lost 30 pounds from August '06 to May '07 and so far I've kept it off. To me, Weight Watchers is a way of eating for life. It helped me really put into action some concepts that I had heard all my life, such as avoiding empty calories and drinking adequate amounts of water. You don't have to go to meetings at all if you don't want to. My sole participation has been online. Weight Watchers gives me concrete guidelines on portions, getting all my daily requirements, and helps me translate my specific exercise activities into calories burned and from there into points which equal extra amounts of food I can have. It's actually a way of eating that I feel I can live with from now on. Good luck to you!! |
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09-14-2007, 10:57 PM
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| I think anyone who makes the decision to lose weight or make a lifestyle change needs a support system. WW seems to be perfect for that.
__________________ <jamariquay> I never understood the need for people to kill for their religion. Then I remembered, "Wait. If Optimus Prime tells me to gack someone, that ****er's going down." |
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09-14-2007, 11:38 PM
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Diet is very important, but so to is the amount of exercise you are doing. Phil |
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09-15-2007, 01:38 AM
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| Diet is probably the most important factor, in your beginning weight loss program. It's much easier for a person who's overweight to ditch 500 calories than it is to exercise 500 calories worth. At my clinic we start a good diet the first day, with a modest exercise program that escalates as patients drop pounds and become fitter. If you do want to journal, or just chat, you're welcome to check out my link below. All sources of support will add to your success. |
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09-15-2007, 02:06 PM
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| Mixed feelings about WW Congratulations on this decision, and I hope that you are pleased with the process and results. I have been on WW more times than I care to count. For me, it provided a structure of accountability (the weekly weigh-in) that helped me to stay disciplined. I learned a lot about point and/or calorie contents of foods and tricks to eating low-point meals. However, I was never able to function on the amount of food that was allowed, so I began to question why I should pay them for an eating plan that I was not able to adhere to. Also, there wasn't enough flexibility in the goal weight range for me. Interestingly, I recently heard that the percentage of people who reach (not maintain, but just get there once) their goal weights through WW is in the single digits (I don't remember the exact percentage. |
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09-15-2007, 03:41 PM
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| It is probably better to make losing weight a group effort. It will give you something to commit to. If you are not losing the weight, people will call you on it and encourage you to step up your game. I didn't do Weight Wachers, but I did lose 20 pounds switching to a more plant-based diet, filled with fruits/vegetables/nuts/seeds. The only problem is my clothes don't fit so well anymore. I'm on my last belt loop. But that was something that motivated me. I was on #1 when I started, and now I'm on #5. You have a goal in mind (lose 40 pounds), and going to Weight Watchers will be a good step towards reaching that goal. Good luck. |
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09-15-2007, 06:41 PM
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| Depends upon you There's some good advice in this thread. One point I'd like to make is that it really depends on what type of person you are as to whether you need the group support feature of WW or not. It's definitely there if you need it, but as I said, I have never attended a meeting. I'm not a big joiner and I don't really need group support. However, friends of mine enjoy it tremendously. Another point is that WW really helps you understand how much activity you accomplish and rewards you with points that you can use to have more food on that particular day. It was a great motivation to get me up and moving to know I could have an apple spice bagel if I do 45 minutes of step aerobics. It's a trade-off! There are also foods of which you may have unlimited amounts. Not donuts of course, but veggies, which are way better for you anyway. The plan definitely caused me to develop better eating habits and that's why I said it's a lifelong way of eating for me. It gave me a great feeling of being in control of what I eat, how active I am and understanding how that impacts not just my weight, but my overall health. I like the control  |
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09-15-2007, 06:49 PM
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| I had a really good experience with Weight Watchers. I did it back when they had the "at home" program so I didn't go to meetings--I just had all the stuff and followed conversations on forums, joined some e-groups, stuff like that. The only issue I had with it (and all programs like it I imagine) is that to be successful I felt like the amount of attention I payed to what I ate and how/when I exercised bordered on obsessive. If felt like my whole life was about what I did or didn't eat which just isn't the person I want to be. If I ever run across a diet philosophy that helps people make good choices about what they eat and encourages a high level of physical activity without getting into the good/bad dichotomy or encouraging an obsessiveness around it I will be so thrilled. My guess is that's more about personality than a magic pill though--so I guess Personal Development is the way to go!
__________________ Who is Lizthefair? |
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09-15-2007, 07:04 PM
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| My mom has used WW in the past. She's always been successful losing the weight, but she's also gained it back each time after she stopped going to the meetings. I wouldn't say you need to be a member for life, but you should go into it with the idea that every diet change you make will be a permanent one, even after you stop going to meetings one day. Also, keep close tabs on your weight (I check mine every day) so you'll know quickly if you're starting to stray from your goal.
__________________ A truly open mind will seriously consider all points of view, even those with which it strongly disagrees for there may be a grain of truth in even the most ridiculous of opinions. |
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09-15-2007, 08:11 PM
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| Yup, WW is really helping my fiancee and she has struggled to lose weight in the past.
__________________ Want readers? Try BLOG RUSH. It's 100% free. Still looking for the ideal diet? The answer is 10,000 years old: I'm an Omnivore |
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09-15-2007, 09:09 PM
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09-17-2007, 04:18 AM
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The day-to-day variations in weight are used by most people to beat up on themselves, or reinforce willpower. These are part of creating yo-yo dieting, not of a long-term strategy for success. Lasting weight loss means never personally needing to step on a set of scales again - ever! |
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09-17-2007, 05:02 AM
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__________________ <jamariquay> I never understood the need for people to kill for their religion. Then I remembered, "Wait. If Optimus Prime tells me to gack someone, that ****er's going down." |
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09-17-2007, 03:14 PM
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Now I'm no doctor of course, but I have been successfully losing weight and I say check the scale every day and don't worry about gaining a few pounds if the overall trend remains downward. Tools like The Google 15 or dailyplate.com can be very useful in gauging trends, too.
__________________ A truly open mind will seriously consider all points of view, even those with which it strongly disagrees for there may be a grain of truth in even the most ridiculous of opinions. |
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09-17-2007, 04:37 PM
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| Thank you to all. Most of your answers were positive. I have my 1st meeting tomorrow. I will keep you posted on my progress. All of your advice will be taken in consideration. Thank you to all! Happiness. |
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09-17-2007, 04:44 PM
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| Can't wait to hear how you do.
__________________ I beg to dream and differ from the hollow lies. This is the dawning of the rest of our lives. --Green Day The more I see, the less I know, the more I'd like to let it go. --Red Hot Chili Peppers |
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09-17-2007, 06:17 PM
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| The hardest step is the first one, just stay motivated, keep up the good diet and good exercise program and you'll drop to you optimum shape/size and firmness in no time... Good luck x |
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09-17-2007, 06:53 PM
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 Weight Watchers It probably will help you, but you need to make provisions for when you eventually stop going - otherwise you will put all the weight back on! Unless you are planning to keep going for the rest of your life?! Good luck!
__________________ Jon Rhodes is a clinical hypnotherapist and owner of Free Hypnosis Treatment the free hypnosis and meditation site. |
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09-18-2007, 05:08 AM
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This is NOT what many scale watchers do. They take the mantra of weight yourself every day to mean that you take action on what the scale says each and every day. I still maintain that the end result is to not need to step on scales ever. Any process that requires weighing yourself daily therefore is at best, a step along the way, and at worst a habit that holds you back. Most people want to lose enough weight to change clothes sizes, not just scale measurements. Happiness - use the scales however they are recommended for you by the person/system you are following. Scales may benefit you weekly or daily or never, and Matthew is a good example of how it may work successfully daily. All the best. |