Weight watchers-April 2011

[momtoonegirl]

Hi everyone,
I thought I would start an April thread, since one hadn't been started yet

I am a returning lifetime member rejoining as of today. I haven't been to a ww meeting since becoming pregnant with DD over 5 years ago. I am looking forward to losing (hopefully) the baby weight from DS and returning to pre-DD weight, my original goal weight set in 2002. I have 20 pounds to lose to meet that goal.

I was wondering, for those of you who joined before the new points system, what you like or dislike about it in comparison to the old system? Any specific challenges for sticking to the plan? Any tips you all have are appreciated.

I am glad to have a place to come here to check in and get motivated to get back in shape!

[Green_Tea]

Thanks for starting a new thread, and welcome!

I have lost 18 lbs on the new program since January 3. I have 6 more lbs to go to reach my goal.

I think the new program is OK - it definitely encourages healthy eating, but I house found the weight loss to be much slower. On the old program I lost about 2 lbs a week. On the new one, I have lost just slightly more than a lb a week on average, and the loss is slowing down week by week. I am getting a little frustrated, and I'm actually considering returning to the old program for a few weeks to see if I can make the 6 pound fall off a little faster.

Some people really love the new program, and I can't say I haven't been successful, just not as successful as I'd like for 3 months of dedication. I look forward to hearing what you think if it!

[fivi2]

Hi - I think I have been missing a couple of weeks. I have lost a small amount - 1.5 last week and 1 this week. That makes 12.5 total. Which is good, but I feel like it is taking forever! I don't think I will renew when my 3 month trial subscription is up - I think I will just track calories at a free site.

I have never done WW before so I have nothing to compare it to!

Good luck

[sarahsthreads]

I did the old program many years ago, so I'm not the best person to compare them, but I like this one much better. I lose weight faster and feel better on a lower refined carbs eating plan, which this one seems to encourage - or at least, I can eat within my points in a manner that makes me lose weight much more easily on this plan than on the old one. I also vastly prefer the online tools to going to meetings back then, but maybe I just had an uninspiring leader?

I am really, really excited and doing a major happy dance here! I exceeded my 10% goal this week, and I'm down a total of 21.2 pounds in the 11 weeks I've been following the program!

For the record, I have 54 pounds left to go to get to the top of my "healthy weight range", but that doesn't seem nearly as overwhelming as it was 21 pounds ago. I set my next goal for another 10 pounds, which I'll hopefully get to by the time my ILs visit towards the end of next month. They haven't seen me since Thanksgiving, so 30+ pounds lighter would be really dramatic, wouldn't it?

Sarah

[BabyBearsMom]

Down 2 lbs this week Down almost 15 lbs altogether since January.

I've done the last 4 weight watchers programs (This one, Momentum, Core and the plain old Points one). I have lost weight on all 4 program at approximately the same pace (1 to 2 lbs per week). I think that I like this plan the most because 1) it encourages you to eat healthfully and 2) I think it is the easiest to stick to long term. In my experience, losing the weight is the easy part, it is the maintenance that sucks. This time around, I feel like I am really learning to change my behavior. In the past, a 1 pt snack was a 1 pt snack, so I would go for the little cookies first. But with fruit being free, when I am hungry, I choose fruit first. I don't feel as deprived or like I am "dieting."

FWIW, I think 1 to 2 lbs is the only healthy sustainable weight loss. I lost 15 lbs in 2 weeks once on Atkins, but literally gained it back in less than 2 weeks when I started eating carbs again. Plus I was a beyotch the whole time I was on Atkins.

[sarahsthreads]

OK, so I went shopping in my closet today, and got really depressed. The current size jeans I wear, which are becoming ridiculously baggy, in most of the other jeans/pants I own, are too tight. The next size *up* are...wait for it...too tight. The next size down, of course, are also too tight.

All the capris and shorts I wore last summer, which were a little big then, are just barely wearable, bordering on too tight. (And I had only gained about 5 pounds from last summer to when I started WW in January, so I expected them to be really big and destined for the donate pile!) Luckily, we're probably another 6 weeks until actual shorts/capris weather, so they'll probably fit by then. But still...how is it that I've lost 21+ pounds and cannot fit into anything in my closet?!?

Depressing.

But I did pull out a pile of pants that, even if they did fit, I'm not likely to wear (no longer/never were my style) and decided it was OK to donate those and let my closet lose some weight too.

Maybe in another 10 pounds I'll try again. Or not. Maybe I'll just wear baggy clown jeans for the rest of my natural life.

Sarah

[weech]

OK, so I went shopping in my closet today, and got really depressed. The current size jeans I wear, which are becoming ridiculously baggy, in most of the other jeans/pants I own, are too tight. The next size *up* are...wait for it...too tight. The next size down, of course, are also too tight.

All the capris and shorts I wore last summer, which were a little big then, are just barely wearable, bordering on too tight. (And I had only gained about 5 pounds from last summer to when I started WW in January, so I expected them to be really big and destined for the donate pile!) Luckily, we're probably another 6 weeks until actual shorts/capris weather, so they'll probably fit by then. But still...how is it that I've lost 21+ pounds and cannot fit into anything in my closet?!?

Depressing.

But I did pull out a pile of pants that, even if they did fit, I'm not likely to wear (no longer/never were my style) and decided it was OK to donate those and let my closet lose some weight too.

Maybe in another 10 pounds I'll try again. Or not. Maybe I'll just wear baggy clown jeans for the rest of my natural life.

Sarah

Oh, I'm SO with you on this one. My current jeans are super baggy and my MIL makes it a point to tell me that my pants are falling off... but the next size down is suffocating. This has been going on since last summer (well, different sizes, but same process).

Dressing myself is absolutely the most difficult thing about losing weight. When nothing fits I get really discouraged (even if it's a great thing that nothing fits!).

[BabyBearsMom]

Sarah & Weech - I think that even though your weight might be lower, the fit on some clothes will never be right. I am now down to about 5 lbs from my pre-baby weight, but still nothing in my closet fits. I just had to come to terms with the fact that my body is a different shape now. The good news is that it is a good excuse to go shopping for yourself. I just broke down and bought 2 new suits for work since my old ones made me feel like a sausage crammed into a casing. They are actually a size smaller than the suits in my closet! Just a different brand and a different cut that works for my current body. I am a big believer in rewarding yourself for weight loss by buying a couple of great, not terribly expensive, pieces that make you feel good about yourself rather than saying that I won't buy anything until I hit goal.

[sarahsthreads]

BabyBearsMom, I know you're right. And I was complaining about it to an IRL friend this morning, and she said that she can see that I've lost weight more in my face and top half than around the middle and thighs (which of course is where I'd *prefer* to lose it) so it makes sense that I can't switch pant sizes just yet - even if my current ones are baggy. I'm considering buying a casual knit dress or two (I *never* wear dresses!) and maybe some leggings (if they even make them in my size) to wear for Easter and then to get me through these weird transitional sizes - if there's no defined waistband, it won't matter if it's a little loose around the middle!

The problem is finding child-free time to go shopping for myself. I work a couple of evenings and on Saturday, and I hate to take more time away from family time, kwim?

Sarah

[weech]

Sarah & Weech - I think that even though your weight might be lower, the fit on some clothes will never be right. I am now down to about 5 lbs from my pre-baby weight, but still nothing in my closet fits. I just had to come to terms with the fact that my body is a different shape now. The good news is that it is a good excuse to go shopping for yourself. I just broke down and bought 2 new suits for work since my old ones made me feel like a sausage crammed into a casing. They are actually a size smaller than the suits in my closet! Just a different brand and a different cut that works for my current body. I am a big believer in rewarding yourself for weight loss by buying a couple of great, not terribly expensive, pieces that make you feel good about yourself rather than saying that I won't buy anything until I hit goal.

I hear ya - my body shape is definitely changing. I'm fine with that, it's just unnerving to have a body that is completely in-flux for almost a year. As soon as I wear something a few times, it starts to look frumpy. I've spent a boatload of money buying new clothes (mostly for work) because I've gone down 3-4 sizes. I'm just ready to be done with it!