weight watchers?

what do you guys and gals think about counting points instead of calories?

:) Deana

I did weight-watchers for a few months and really did notice the weight come off. I actually didn't have time to attend the meetings but I did order the kit off of ebay. I just recenlty started my lifestyle change as I call it all over again and it really is about the same for me. I have a website that figured points for me, I can share it with you if you would like. For now I am just counting calories thanks to the help of this website.

I went to Weight Watchers..let me tell you what i think of it....I spent 11 dollars a week , every saturday meeting was at 730 am...(this was the only time i could go due to my job) I would walk in , stand in line...for a few minutes ,get weighed..plunk down my 11 dollars and if i wanted i would buy like a pack of those fruit chews and maybe a box of those WW Bars. But i did lose some weight ,..the first few weeks..then nothing.
then the next week..nothing..so the leader tells me maybe is should start walking..so i walked 3 miles per day 6 days per week for a while..i lost another 3 lbs...after that i quit...i quit because the meeting was to start at 730 am...i would get there 725 stand in line until
730 get weighed, sit at my table until everyone else got weighed and at about 740 when everyone was weighed the leader would come up..tell us about some recipes, that she found, give out a couple of awards then ask if there were any questions..no one would ask anything so that was the end of the meeting at about 750, so i could not see paying 11 dollars per week for 10 minutes of recipe exchange, and for someone to weigh me on a scale i could do myself at home for nothing.
There was no support at this meeting ,,no one talked to each other or anything it was a real drag.
Counting points became an obsession...everything i would eat or think about eating..was always on my mind...how many points for this .how many points for that...how many points do i have left?
I am glad i am out of ww and now am just doing the 1500 calorie per day like my doctor advised..seems to be working so far..i have lost 23 1bs since December..it has been s-l-o-w----but he says i am doing good.
so my advice about WW? save your money ..you don't need that>

Weight Watchers is good if you have the time and the money to spend. But if you are time poor and lack the $15 (here is australia) a week it becomes a burden. The post above me explains is so well. Counting points is great to loose weight, but are you going to count points for the rest of your life? Do the other people around you count points? I say no to both of these questions. First of all doing the 1500 calories a day is great for you. You are actually doing something a trained professional is telling you to do. Your doctor I think is the best person to seek advice from. We here are the best people to get motovation from. Welcome D78 and keep us informed.

I liked weight watchers when we had meetings at work. If you have enough people, and your company will provide a scale and a conference room once a week, a weight watchers coach will come to your workplace. The idea is that the company will subsidize the cost for the members and reap the benefits of healthier employees. I lost weight and the coach was really great since there were only 25 members.

However, when they stopped doing it at work and I had to go to meetings in the evening, it was a drag. As was said - the standing in line in a crowd of people and then not getting much motivation because time had run out was a problem. Also, I could never use any of the WW products because they are too high in sodium. I went off the diet and gained all the weight back, plus 5 more pounds.

I still remember some of the great tips, recipes and suggestions made by the coach.

The difference now is, I'm not on a diet. I'm making permenant changes in the way I eat. Instead of trying to see how much weight I can lose in a week, I'm trying to live healthier. I know that weight loss is only part of this new way.

hey all,
thanks for all the replys.
I have the start up pack from a while ago..(which I didnt stick with) So I wasnt planning on going to the meetings, but was wondering which was easier. seems to me like counting calories is easier. Although, I was it never got this far so the whole counting calorie thing wouldnt even be needed. ho-hum. Cant change the past.
So! To the future! May it be fat-less and calorie limited!!! haha
thanks again all!
:) Deana

counting points is easier I think. There is less to calculate. But I'm finding that counting every single calorie is keeping me on track better. It's time consuming, but I'm retired and I have time.

I tried the WW thing too and found myself starving each day. It was hard to eat 20 points a day. I would be screwed at dinner time if I had 10 or more points for BF and lunch combined. But ever since I started the calorie counting I find myself eating more and actually losing. I have lost 9 lbs so far and I enjoy knowing I can eat whatever I want throughout the day. I still keep some WW meals in the freezer. I enjoy having a Slim Fast shake in the morning which you can't have too many on the WW diet.