Stopped Weight Watchers today.
 

Hello:

As the title says, I stopped the Weight Watchers program today. I lost about 60 pounds on the program over the past 2+ years. Problem is I have been 5lbs away from my goal weight of 165 for a few months. So, I'm going to use Fit Day for a while and see what happens.

I also am a veteran Weight Watcher. It just got too expensive. I had been going for several years and lost 108#. I am now going to TOPS and I love it!
Candy

I am stopping my WW today too. I lost weight well with WW 20 years ago, but that was when they told you what to eat and how much rather than giving you a free reign! The free reign obviously does not work for me!!! Its not working and after joining Fitday I am shocked to see how much fat I am eating and how little protein. This last week I have upped my protein intake and lowered my fat intake, and its weigh in tonight so I'll see how I have done.

I found a meeting close by to my house and I am going to try it out - I can use all the support I can get - I had never heard of it before your post, so thank you!

Regarding TOPS!

WW
 

I did WW years ago, lost about 20Lbs then put it back on. I just couldn't curb the cravings, and although I lost weight I didn't really lose fat - I just lost "weight."

I usually recommend everyone read "Good Calories, Bad Calories." The author addresses a lot of issues, including why people don't end up losing that last bit of weight regardless of caloric intake or exercise. I bet you can find it at the library. I did.

What is TOPS? I quit WW about 8 months ago. I got tired of paying 40.00 a month to hear the same advice over and over again. Sure, the motivation was nice, but in the end I gained back all the weight because WW didn't do much to help me with my emotional eating. I decided to take my 40.00 a month and spend it on a gym membership. So far, I'm using it.

WW never really worked for me. Everytime I tried it, I'd lose 15 lbs., then my entire body went nuts. Instead of blood sugar, A1C and blood pressure going down, they went up! I also had horrible gastro-intestinal issue (you don't want to know).

I went off, gained back the 15 lbs I lost plus 25. Then last summer, after a lot of research, I tried Akins. Within a month, all my sympotoms cleared up. I didn't stick with it (looking for a new job, moving, etc.) but just this past month I joined Fitday, read "Protien Power" (seems to upset people less than Akins) and joined a gym.

Here's to hope!

T.o.p.s.
 

FGJ: If memory serves me right, TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly. It usually is a group of people who do just what we are here, encouraging each other. I went to one about 25 years ago, so I am fuzzy about if you weigh in there or not. Maybe someone else can elaborate more.
The group I belonged to was fun and we shared ideas, did games and sometimes crafts. I remember once I made a costume and went dressed as a Daffodil...shiver...I can still see that big ol' yellow flower petal head piece I made. I am SO glad that it was before digital, camera phones and Facebook. LOL

I've also been on WW, off & on, and a true believer, for20 yrs. I've gained and sot numerous times over this period of time to the point that my metabolism is now non-existent.
I just heard about, & started, HCG, which at first glance appears, crazy, until u read all the material, pros & cons. I'm loving it so far, dropped 9 lbs in 6 days. I'm hopeful this could be the answer for me.
Good luck!

WW
 

WW is great if you follow it correctly.
As another said, it is too lenient. It is too easy to use up your points eating junk.

I was ALWAYS hungry! But if followed right, it is good for some people.

WW
 

I recently canceled my online WW account and have been using FITDAY to do my tracking. I really learned a lot with WW and have been very successful thus far with my weight losss, but I needed to cut back my expences. I felt confident that I can be just as successful using FITDAY, it's a matter of mind set and how accountable you can be to yourself.

Hi,
I am currently on WW, but if I didn't already have a good grounding in nutrition and fitness, I would most likely be eating all the wrong things. WW is more consumed with points rather than the quality of the points. They do not walk their talk. Examples are the WW foods they sell, they are filled with chemicals and horribly high in sodium. Having said all that, I will continue to go to the meetings and use their online access because I like the regular meetings/weigh ins/ and one on one support. So I use WW points but only in conjunction with healthy nutrition habits.
Also (as I ramble on) their recommendations for 18-22 points are 1200 and less calories. It's no wonder people are very hungry and re-gain the weight. There minimum baseline is NOT healthy.
Cheers,
Tracker

My dad is not on WW but he likes their frozen desserts. Recently his blood pressure has gone all wonky, so his doctor told him he needs to shed a few pounds, add cardio to his daily routine and watch his salt intake. So my dad's solution to all this was to change his sub buns to slim buns, get reduced fat cheese instead of regular cheese and to change from ice cream to WW ice cream bars. When I looked at the labels side by side, he was better off eating the ice cream. Of course the WW comes in a single serve wrapper, whereas the dish of ice cream is always more than a suggested serving size, so maybe he's made a step in the right direction, I dunno.

Personally I only did WW when I was a teenager and my mom went to the meetings and made me diet along with her. I don't know that I ever had dramatic weight loss on it, but I certainly preferred it over the Slim Fast plan. At least with WW you got to eat food.

Quit WW
 

The problem with WW is that is that it's focus IS only on caloric reduction. And more to the point about using their system of "food" products, and making sure to have repeat customers!

The problem will almost ALL weight loss programs that offer either a food system(or "support group" )in order to "help" you eat less create products that remove sugars and fats and add a LOAD of MSG. If you search those three letters online look for all the other names that this chemical is listed under-over 75. It is scary. Take the time to really understand how this chemical is going to jack up your body's ability to regulate its own blood sugar. Looks for it's history and the food industries history of usage.

You will find that there is no FDA regulation to this "natural flavor". As the chemical compounds are derived from seaweed, it is deemed not to be an issue. However over the last 30 years it has found its way into almost all "diet" and fast foods. Its main purpose is to enhance flavor. It does make you think food tastes better, it does make you eat more!

The real result is that it jacks up your metabolism. It also plays with your internal sensors which give you the message that you have not satisfied your hunger. And...like in Chinese food-find yourself starving an hour later. Please do not believe me, do not take my word for it.... do your own research!

Motivation and positive feel goods are not going to help you over come a chemical reaction to food additives. And eating the "fad" diet of the month's program is not going to help you lose weight for that very reason. They are designed to make you fail.

Again, they need customers! Programs like these are designed to make you fail so that you go back time and time again to use their systems.

If you want to lose weight...stop dieting! Stop eating "diet" low fat food. Simply eat foods that are full of fat, such as full milk, yogurts, olive oils, flax seed oil, omega 3 oils, unprocessed veggies( you cook), whole grains (you cook), chicken, etc. And make sure to enjoy it!

For sure do the calorie counter daily.

Start eating food that only YOU cook at home. Add herbs, spices. Lots of water, veggies, fiber, beans, some meat, fruit, grains. This is what life style change really means. That is the practical way to make the diet change. Do not focus on the"why" I eat. You already know that if you have been in these systems. That is really focusing on the negative and keeping you mentally in the wounds that spur you. Shift it and go okay...I am triggered ..NOW ...today...this meal....I am going to take care of that wound by eating this!! After all you would not put salt on a wound right?? One meal at a time

It is not about positive support therapeutic group speak. Want to do something different ?

Start having family and friends come over and bulk cook on the weekends, so you have the food you need for the week and put them in meal size ziplock's etc so you pull and nuke...no thinking..just acting on the plan. So when that binge hovers, you have a plan!

Recipe exchanges..

Start studying at TOPS about proper nutrition, meal planning, crock pot cooking etc... Consider it a free university cource and you all get to make the lesson plans... take that time and start developing a skill base to support your desire to change your life.

Go for a small walk with each other! No matter your fitness level just more a little, with other people.

Start a food buying co-op to get food cheaper.

Then add the three meals you would have a day and split them into 6. Put a small timer at your meal times and put it for 20 minutes, that is how long it takes to do the biological process from food to mind to start to have the sensation of fullness, end of hunger. Have a serving and after that 20 minutes if you are still hungry have an apple.

What you are naming as emotional issues...can also be called blood sugar issues.- imbalances- While for certain dealing with emotional triggers is one way to change...but the hook is that most of you have been doing that for years and it does not work. I can not work because what supports your emotions IS biology. That is really what no one is telling you!!

So how about trying it from a biological perspective. S. Seriously, women get nailed time and time again about being emotional eaters, when it has more to do with not being taught proper nutrition. It is a set up to feel bad about yourselves.

Same symptoms ...panic, anxiety, worry, fuzzy thinking, dizzy, disoriented, crying spells, anger, short temper, cold, pale... LOW blood sugar- also known as trigger for emotional eating...but approaching the problem from a different vantage point.... proper diet and nutrition.

Seriously, the diet industry is set up to make you think it is all in your head. That way they get to control you. If these products worked... you would not be here today in this thread! If these systems worked...you would not be here in this thread. You would not have been on the fast track of yo-yo weight issues.

Take back the control and educate yourself on diet and nutrition. Sure it is going to take a while to re-learn lots of stuff. It is going to take a while to learn how to cook differently, menu planning, budgeting, health conditions and diet requirements. It is. But really you are already hyper focused on the issue, just in the wrong direction... move forward and stop referencing to the past, cause that is over and it did not work.

GOOD show for stopping WW.

best of luck and information to all of you!!

Take your life back, you are after all you are the only one who lives your body!

great post, openend my eyes, thanks for the valuable information!

I quit too. I was on Dr. Bernstein, lost 60 lbs then went to WW for maintenace support and gained back 30 lbs after 1 year. WW was too lenient, focusing on fibre, calories and fat only. No consideration to sugar or other problem carbs that stimulate insulin response and fat storage. Many of us have to control insulin but a company such as Heinz, who own WW, would not encourage restricting sugar - all that ketchup would stay on the grocery store shelves.

Stopped WW
 

No offense, but I saw a couple people say WW was too expensive, and while I agree that it isn't the cheapest, I had to laugh when most people lost somewhere b/w 60 and 100lbs! :D

Come on now, i would pay 12 bucks a week to continue to lose weight and get me healthy!

I went on WW as a 420 pounder and when I stopped (b/c I moved to a small town that did not have one) I was down to 300. Expensive is relative when you losing weight! lol

I love WW. If they tell you what to eat, they're wrong. If they DON'T tell you what to eat, they're wrong. If they give you an option of having your ice cream and saving calories, they're wrong because they have a product. If they didn't give you an option of having your ice cream and saving calories, they're wrong because they make you deal with all the products out there and don't tell you what has the best value.

If you have to go to meetings, they're wrong. If you don't have to go to meetings, they're wrong ('how am I expected to do this difficult thing without the support!) If they tell you exactly how much protein to eat, they're wrong - it's not enough, it's too much. If they don't tell you how much protein to eat, they're wrong ('irresponsible! useless! What's going to be best for my health!) If they offer motivational talk, they're wrong ('smoke and mirrors, I don't have to listen to this!) If they don't offer motivational talk, they're wrong ('What's the point of showing up, I already know how to diet!")

Whiney, complaining, bitchy grousing about every aspect of dieting - how happy are people that they can blame the big bad organization? Really happy. So you'll always hear negative reports and 'they ruined my life' stories. Meanwhile, go to a meeting and listen to people who have lost weight and realize everyone has an individual goal to reach, they all have information to share, and dieting is tough. Benefit from that realization.

What I remember most
 

What I remember most about the times (yes more than once) on WW is sitting at my desk at work and all day saying to myself "Oh my gosh I'm so hungry, I'm so hungry" I probably said it out loud and didn't even realize it.

I have a friend that recently rejoined and tried to get me to do it again and I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

We don't have an TOPS meetings in my area but I would certainly check it out if we did! I went to TOPS many years ago and what I remember is that you at least you get a chance to participate in an actual conversation which you don't get to do at WW meetings. More like a group of friends getting together to talk about weight issues.

Good luck on whatever you choose to do, I wish you great success.

Great post, Rcht! Lots of valuable info and suggestions.

WW definitely works for some. It never worked much or longterm for me. I'd lose a few pounds then gain it all back and more. I found myself obsessing over food (well I always do that but this was even more extreme.) While I got some good ideas from meetings, some of them seemed a little silly (a member talking at GREAT length about the creamer in her coffee, the caloric drawbacks, the nutritional benefits, the psychological and spiritual ramifications etc. Sorry to make fun but it just seemed a bit much to me.) And while I enjoyed some of the products, they are loaded with chemicals.

Everyone has to find his/her own way. If WW works,then I think you should go with it. There are certainly worse plans out there. To me, real food in reasonable amounts and exercise is what I would like to be able to lose and live on.

Shhhh!

Let's keep that little nugget to ourselves, write a book, infomercial and create a multi-level maketing plan and make a few million! :D

Hi Canary, I'm with you on the right track... real high-quality food, reasonable amounts, eat on time, eat enough, no obsessing, never crave the Halloween candy, never binge anymore. It's great and I know it works because I've been doing tihs for over two decades and I'm "naturally thin" and eating more. Good for you, this is what really works long-term. It's not fast but it works, guaranteed! And with exercise in the mix, it's even better.

Noel

I'm with mecompco: let's market this revolutionary "new" plan!!! And make zillions!!! And maybe we'll be Time magazine's people of the year!!! Move over Mark Zuckerberg!!!!

Noel, I am trying to do this, not quite where you are. Kudos to you!!! I admire it!!! But yesterday as a right step, knowing I would eat dinner out, I just ate sensibly without starving myself earlier in the day, had my Thai food (quite a nice portion thank you very much) had some candy (not silly amounts just enough to be happy:)) and got on the scale this morning and saw I had actually lost weight. Huh? How'd that happen?

Canary, you are listening to your body, allowing your eating to become "body centered," and honoring your hunger. Eat when you get hungry, high quality food, enough (not too little, not too much), variety of foods, and pay attention to your appetite. That's all there is to it. Cravings for pleasure foods diminish over time... I still have a little dark chocolate every day because I love it! Good for you, you are becomming "naturally thin" all by yourself. Best of all, your body controls the weight loss and you feel good every day. It's a little miracle! Noel

Thanks for the kind words and support, Noel. I'm trying. I like a little dark chocolate too; it's a good thing. And good not to be so out of control (not that I don't have my moments.)

Now if only I can get my 16 year old to do this. She is overweight and recently getting heavier. She, like many kids, gorges on junk food. And is an emotional eater on top of this. I worry about her but when I try to bring up her health, she gets very defensive. She is militantly anti diet, possibly because of all she's seen me go through, which is good but going the other way into overindulgence is not. How to find balance for a person in an age group not always known for balance? That is my question. She wants a nose ring. I am almost considering making a deal that if she starts to get in shape I will let her get the nose ring. But I'm not sure bribing is the way. Once she gets it, she could always go back to the bad habits, if she even agrees in the first place. Ideas? How do I get her not on a diet, which I know is a trap but to take better care? I try to offer good foods but she's often out, at school activities or with friends. Sorry I know this is off topic a bit and there's a post on kids but I still wonder if we all struggle so much, what's the answer for the kids? When my DD listens to her body, it apparently says eat all the Halloween chocolate (a lot) in two days.

BYW Noel I'm not totally where you are yet. I still use my Fitday log to plan out my next day roughly so I'll have some guidelines so I'm not totally listening just to my body but I am trying. I used to plan on WW too but just can't live on a points (or Core or whatever) system anymore.

Keep working on it, Canary, it's a process. For your daughter, just by modeling good eating you will influence her, even if you don't think it's working. You might want to read about "the anti-diet," which is what I do, in "How to Become Naturally Thin by Eating More," Jean Antonello (circa 1989), you can get it used on amazon for a few dollars. There is a sequel book, "Naturally Thin Kids" that might be of interest as well. Good luck, it sounds like you are on the right track. If logging your food BEFORE gives you confidence, you can work from there in babysteps toward logging your food AFTER and listening to your body's needs. It's good that you are getting away from restrictive dieting and thinking about being healthier. Being older and healthy is a great blessing and saves lots of money! Noel (still "cute as a bug's ear" even though I'm approaching "older than dirt!")

Bless you, Noel! I actually just went to Amazon and ordered a copy of "How to Become NaturallY Thin" for four bucks. I have been on some diet or other for 38 years. 38 years. Seriously. And if it worked for me, I wouldn't need to keep doing it over and over. I want to eat naturally, to stop being obsessed by food and diet, so I think this is a step in the right direction. And you're right, maybe if I go there, my DD will follow. I would love if she could be free from both extremes: the heartbreak of being overweight and the tyranny of constant dieting.

BTW I had a feeling I wasn't the only one "cuter than a bug's ear" out there!!! LOL!!! As far as being "older than dirt" my Dad used to say that youth was wasted on the young. And as the blues singers often say, there may be snow on the roof but there's still fire burning in the stove.

One last thing: have you heard of Geneen Roth? She's another proponent of the anti-diet movement.

What do you think of me just giving my DD a pillowcase full of chocolate (her obsession) and saying have it? Crazy or could it work?

WW made me have headaches.
 

Yes, I lost 5% of my weight in the beginning and then gained it back. Then I lost it and then got headaches. I was so hungry as well...I'm on the Low Glycemic Index Diet which is working out fantastically for me! I lost 30 pounds and no more cravings! With the diet and some moderate exercise, losing weight was easy! No more headaches!:D

Canary, did your dd want that chocolate? If you give chocolate, teach her to want the very BEST and to be a chocolate "gourmet." I appreciate your comments and wish you the same success I've had. By the way, I did read everything by Geneen Roth before I found "Naturally Thin." Wait until you read what Jean Antonello has to say about emotional eating, then we'll start our own thread and talk more about it.

I never raised a daughter (one son) so I don't know about that but with our son we never lectured or bribed, we just set the example and he followed. During his teen years was the time I was food obsessed but I was able to keep it to myself, except I do remember one time searching his room for the stash of Chips Ahoy cookies! You set the example in love and hope for the best!

The anti-diet was for me the minute I read about it. Not easy to unlearn all my dieting strategies but well-worth the effort and the wait. By the way, a diet is just "what you eat" but when I say I don't diet, you know what I mean is I don't restrict. I lost weight without counting calories or thinking about any formulas about calories in/calories out = go figure. Yes, the laws of thermodynamics still apply but this is something the body can do all by itself. We weren't born to be fat. From Jean Antonello, I learned about "adaptation theory," which is that an animal in nature, given a healthy diet, will reach a lean adaptive weight. It's brilliant and it worked for me, over time. No, I didn't lose weight in time for the Christmas party, or whatever, but today I eat plenty of good food and I don't obsess and people at my gym tell me I'm a role model. To think that for years I starved myself for the same results and those results never lasted because you can't starve yourself forever, the body won't let you, thank goodness. By the way, to me REAL RESULTS are those that last... not just "since October" or for 32 weeks but for decades. The best way is the way I can do for the rest of my life and I intend to be even "older than dirt" because I'm taking good care of myself!

Sorry this is so long, guess I was in a reflective mood tonight. Merry Christmas! Noel

Noel, thank you for your thoughtful and thought provoking response. I offered my daughter that pillowcase of chocolate quite a while ago and she said no I couldn't trust myself with it. And that's the whole thing too: not trusting ourselves to nourish oursleves properly.

So I take it you do not track your food? Do you ever binge? I am so curious about how this very healthy approach you take actually works.

Hi Canary, No I don't binge, ever... ever! Not since June 1990 when I read the book and quit artificially restricting my eating. Bingeing is nothing more than an exaggerated response to the feast/famine cycle... make-up eating in the extreme. I'm not doing that anymore. It's not an emotional issue.

I use Fit Day as an occasional tool to see if I'm eating enough protein to support what I'm trying to accomplish in the gym. I don't restrict calories. If I'm hungry more so one day than another day, I eat until I'm satisfied... and I'm thin.

Noel

You are my hero.

I can't wait to read this book. It was a holiday present to myself.

Canary, you are one open-minded person and I predict you will "get it" big time! And there will never be a day when you say "39 years" of diets. Hooray! This coming year I hope you can write in your journal "no more diets!" ... Noel

Noel, I certainly hope so. In fact, I am looking forward... and thank you so much for your encourgement and support. You are a very generous person to try and help like this.

You, Canary, will be inspirational to yourself and your young daughter! Becomming naturally thin is a process that happens over time, over many SEASONS, not overnight. It is a great, great joy to me to find like-minded people who are persistently looking for different solutions and willing to ask themselves "how can I see this differently?" When most people want to lose weight, they look to other people who are overweight and going hungry...and maybe have been "thin" for about 15 minutes. Why not look for naturally thin people and ask them what THEY do? For sure they don't do shots, pills, pre-packaged food, low carb/high carb, or fad diets.

I live near Summit County, UT which is the ONLY county in the USA where the adult population meets the government goal of having less than 15% overweight persons. How can we raise healthy children when the parents don't set the example?

By the way, I'm having lunch: two slices whole wheat bread with peanut butter and jam! Not diet bread either! ...Noel

Whereas I am still counting calories. I do eat real bread (and sometimes diet bread.) I do have trouble controlling my appetite.

My child is in her teens, so not so young.

Still the thin people I know are not on diets. They do not however eat a lot.

Congratulations on losing 60 pounds!
My husband and I did WW and had lots of success with it.
I think it is a very good program. I also think the support and accountability is extremely valuable. Some say it is a little expensive, but honestly, I would not agree with that.
The only negative in my opinion, is that they should probably be more forthright about how it is best to greatly limit sweets, packaged foods, and other items known to be unhealthy.
True, natural foods are going to be less points. But, when I was involved, this was not usually emphasized.
I noticed that some people could on their own or perhaps in combination/conjunction with advice from their doctor, etc. make a personal decision to avoid unhealthy foods AND use the WW program. These folks had the best success all around....losing weight, enjoying great health AND keeping it off.
I'm not doing WW anymore, but I understand the new program is much better w/ reference to taking into consideration this type of thing. For example....fruits are 0 points...and most 'junk' food is very high in points....thus encouraging members to make better choices.
As I've gotten older (40+) I have noticed that they quality of my food has more influence than ever on weight loss. In my opinion it is not just quanity, but also quality.
Still think WW is a good program, but it is best to eat healthy foods, AVOID junk foods, and enjoy all that support and accountability.
Also think Fit Day is excellent. Provides some of the same things...plus the reports, etc.! Good luck CT!!! If the scale goes up...please don't hesitate to go back to WW. You can "tweek" it as appropriate...chosing the healthiest foods out there.
Wishing you success either way!!!!!
Hang in there!!!!!

I just joined myfitday.com today. WW works, I have lost 40 pounds but find it expensive. In addition, they keep changing the program in a way that all the previous tools (slider, recipes, points) no longer work. They are making more money & I was getting more frustrated.

I think this kind of tracking may work for me... I need it!

Welcome, Lahila.

I agree that WW works--in past weight loss journies I used the original point formula on my own (it's a pretty simple formula, actually, and very easy to put into a spreadsheet) and lost weight. At the end of the day, it is simply a way to "mask" to some extent the maintaing of a daily calorie deficit (which is, of course, the ONLY way, short of cutting off body parts, to lose weight).

So, I wholeheartedly support your move to FitDay. It's worked for me!

If you have any questions or would like any advice, please don't hesitate to ask.

Regards,
Michael

Wow. I'm surprised how my original post took off.

To re-cap. WW helped me lose close to 60lbs. I just couldn't drop the last few pounds.

With that said, I understand that they re-vamped their program for 2011. My company will pay for 8 weeks of the program (we have on site meetings) so I may give it a shot on the next rotation.

In the meantime I'm happy to say that I have don e a good job maintaining my weight with help from Fitday.


Chris