Weight Watchers Online

[surgtech1956]

I'm thinking about doing Weight Watchers Online. I've done WW in the past, just did it on my own and never went to any meetings. Has anyone done the online and would you recommend it?

[bambu101]

I have done both meetings and the online version, and although I lost 34 pounds 9 years ago, I have not been so successful with the online tracking or the current at work session that is just wrapping up. I am tired of tracking points, and the leaders can only offer so much advice to someone who follows the program and works out a lot, like myself, but doesn't lose a whole lot. Eat the activity points, don't eat them, eat more points, etc.

The online program has a lot of reference materila, but it is very tedious to enter it all in every day.

Just my 2 cents.....

[azfiddle]

Hi there

I've used both the meetings and online weightwatchers programs. I prefer the online program because it's cheaper and takes less time than going to a meeting. Also, I think that journaling your food intake is pretty much integral to making WW work, and this way, everything gets calculated automatically.

I've had mixed success with the program- it completely seems to depend on my internal motivation. Right now, it's working really well for me- I have lost almost 29 lbs since January. Part of that is absolutely due to taking up cycling in August. I lost 13 pounds with a pretty meager exercise program in the spring, then got to a plateau for almost 7 weeks. Once I started cycling and got up to riding 50-100 miles a week, I have been losing steadily- between 1/2 and 1 lb per week. I'm past 50, so it goes slower than it did when I was younger.

If you really like encouragement and support, and having face-to-face communication to get information, the meetings are better. If you are independent, have access to a reliable scale and just want to get it done, I think the online program works fine. There is also a friendly discussion group for cyclists on the weightwatcher's forums if you are interested.

There are at least two other free online programs that are similar to weightwatchers in some ways- sparkpeople.com and the daily plate. I am just used to WW so I haven't spent the time to use either one, but they do have some advantages over WW in giving more nutritional data for you to track.

Good luck!

[Susan Otcenas]

I dropped 35+ pounds on WW online. Have been in maintenance successfully for 6 months.

Like any weight loss program, it only works if you are strictly dedicated to it. If you finding tracking tedious, you won't like the online version, but frankly, if you won't track, you probably won't lose a whole lot either. People routinely underestimate how much they eat and over estimate how much they exercise.

Now that I'm in maintenance, I'm lax about tracking on weekends, but still really good about tracking during the workweek. On weekends I tend to eat more "non-standard" foods, eat out, etc., so it's harder to record accurately. During the week, I mostly eat at home and cook for myself, so tracking is simpler and more accurate.

Susan

[IFjane]

Pretty much what Susan said!

I used WW online beginning in August '08 and lost about 32 lb. by January or February of this year. I have been on maintenance since then.

I needed the accountability of tracking everything I ate so it worked well for me. I also have to work out daily in order to take any weight off so along with WW I cycled, ran/walked (started power walking and progressed to running) and did upper body weight work. The pounds seemed to melt off.

Once I started losing weight last fall I set a personal goal for Summer '09 (Triple Bypass, July 11). Having the goal to work toward helped immensely!

Now the challenge is maintaining because I injured my hip in Sept. and it is not healing as quickly as I would like. I cannot run right now & the weather has been crummy for riding outside so I am pretty much stuck on the trainer. I am sure I don't have to remind you how much fun that is!

The only other thing I will add is that I, too, had to be in the right place mentally in order to stick with it. Once motivated internally it was not so hard but until then it seemed nothing worked.

Whatever you try, good luck! You can do it!

[Bike Chick]

Surgtech, I'm right there with you. I went to the website the other day and looked around but just didn't know about signing up. Thanks for posting this thread and thanks, ladies, for your input.

I put 25 pounds on when I quit smoking 5 years ago.......that's when I started biking. I thought the weight would come off on it's own but I was wrong. Just because I'm exercising doesn't mean I can eat whatever I want and it's taken me this long to realize that. Sure, I lose 10 pounds in the summer when I'm riding a lot but I put it right back on in the winter.

You've convinced me, ladies. I'm signing up.