weight watchers

[HilaryInRC 116]

My question is, and I need help understanding, I get my band in March, so I am learning, if you get banded and go by what your Doctor say's, why do you need to pay more money to join some find of diet program? For me diets got me in to this mess to start with. So can you help?

Hi Mytimenow53,

Congratulations on taking the steps to get the band. I know you must be very excited!

1) I think there are certain people for whom the band makes them feel a lot different than pre-band. These people just naturally do well eating less with the band.

2) Other people find that they need to track and count their nutrition to be successful. For these people the band is simply one tool in their toolbox for weight loss. Following a specific diet plan is another tool in their toolbox.

3) Then, there are people like me who will overeat the band. For me this is because I have a habit of eating when I'm not hungry (grazing) or eating too much, albeit slowly. I haven't been perfect at following the band rules (not since the first year anyway). For me, re-learning to follow the band rules and being accountable for exactly what goes into my mouth is absolutely necessary for success. If I'm not counting/recording, I'm gaining.

There are a lot of people who have had great success on this website. And, I know that Mis73 is really well respected on here. She's probably a good resource for you as she seems to have a really good perspective on what the band is all about.

Best wishes and again congratulations!

Best,

Hilary

[hely88 883]

Thanks Hilary. Sounds like you know what you are doing andi did really post out of concern. We all do need to find our right paths. Hopefully this will be the best for you. I wish you tons of success. Best of luck on your journey"

[PattyGirl66 1,243]

Exactly, and for everyone who is banded or not banded, etc... You need to listen to your body, what it wants/needs. You are the only person in the world that can make yourself a weight loss success story. NO one can tell you what to do or how to do it, ONLY YOU!

I have listened and read from my peers on here, that is the beauty of this site we have, however at the end of the day it is about YOU and how YOU make it work!

I have a motto, what works for YOU does NOT neccessarily mean it is gonna work for ME. I do respect my fellow bandsters opinions, and believe me they have some pretty darn great advice to offer. We learn from experiencing, through trials and tribulations. I myself have found my nitch in weight loss by following the same experience with one of my besties on here. I then took my experience and made it my very own, that works for me.... (you see my weight loss) that is hard work "I" put in, not magic)

Do what works for you...

[♕ajtexas♕ 3,771]

WW is a great program. One of the things that makes it successful is it's support meetings.

In my opinion having support makes success much easier. Support can come from family, friends, doctors, support groups and diet programs.

As Patty said do what works for you. Everyone has to fine their own way in this journey.

[PattyGirl66 1,243]

WW is a great program. One of the things that makes it successful is it's support meetings.

In my opinion having support makes success much easier. Support can come from family, friends, doctors, support groups and diet programs.

As Patty said do what works for you. Everyone has to fine their own way in this journey.

I love your sparkly valentines day gif art.... I have to find a sparkly one now, LOL

[HilaryInRC 116]

I went to my first Weight Watchers meeting today. I am happy to say that my meeting leader is awesome! I had a really good time with the ladies at the meeting and my leader. I even saw an old friend there.

One thing that I was really impressed with is that they have a device called ActiveLink. Basically, it is a fancy USB drive that you wear close to your body (clipped on your bra, belt etc). It spends 7 days collecting data on your activity level. Each day, you put it in the USB port on your computer and it puts that data into their system. Then, the ActiveLink program sets up a 12 week activity goal for you. You will put on your ActiveLink every day and wear it. Green lights on the ActiveLink light up as you are moving around doing your daily routines. The goal is to get the green lights to light up to the 100% mark or more. At the end of each day, you plug your ActiveLink into the computer and it downloads activity points that can be used on food (if you so wish) into your Weight Watchers account. By using ActiveLink, there is no way you will over-estimate your activity and sabotage your progress in that way. Also, similar to a pedometer, it gives you a goal to work toward (getting to that 100% light).

[HilaryInRC 116]

Does anyone do weight watchers? This site used to have a great weight watchers group but it fizzled out.

Hi lcoughlin,

Haven't heard from you since you started this topic. How is your WW experience going?

-Hilary

[txdiva 13]

Hi lcoughlin,

Haven't heard from you since you started this topic. How is your WW experience going?

-Hilary

I am doing great! I have lost 4 lbs. this week. I feel better and have more energy. It's also easier to get out of bed in the mornings.

[HilaryInRC 116]

I am doing great! I have lost 4 lbs. this week. I feel better and have more energy. It's also easier to get out of bed in the mornings.

Whoa! Four pounds! That's awesome!

I ate a lot of points today. I went to a very good friend's house for a small dinner party. I was really really hungry when I got there. I ignored my soft stop and ate more than I should have. I considered stopping, but felt like I should finish the food on my plate and not waste since I was a guest at someone else's house. Plus it just tasted so good. She made Breakfast for dinner. Cheesy egg cassarole, sausage, bacon, biscuits, the works! The only thing resembling a fruit or veggie was orange juice. While it was delicious, the meal came to a whopping 32 points! That is more than I get for a whole day! Jeesh!!! So, I ended up using some of those extra weekly points, which I really didn't want to do. Luckily my lunch was pretty small. Just coffee, a banana, and a few bites of left over chicken stir fry.

So, tomorrow I'm focusing on chicken, veggies, and fruit. And, no ignoring the soft stop! Next time I should just ask to borrow a tupperware to put the rest of my plate in, or be sure to serve myself less. I knew it was going to be a lot of points, but I had no idea it was going to be that many!!!

[Bos123 221]

So being that we eat less calories initially how do you guys work your points? Or do you just go with their recommendation?

[txdiva 13]

So being that we eat less calories initially how do you guys work your points? Or do you just go with their recommendation?

I can't eat all my points. Since I have the band it would be really hard to do so. I follow the WW healthy guidelines and adjust my points to how much I can eat.

[txdiva 13]

Would anyone be interested in starting WW support forum for those of us that are doing WW with the band?

[Sleeved12/29 2]

Whoa! Four pounds! That's awesome!

I ate a lot of points today. I went to a very good friend's house for a small dinner party. I was really really hungry when I got there. I ignored my soft stop and ate more than I should have. I considered stopping, but felt like I should finish the food on my plate and not waste since I was a guest at someone else's house. Plus it just tasted so good. She made Breakfast for dinner. Cheesy egg cassarole, sausage, bacon, biscuits, the works! The only thing resembling a fruit or veggie was orange juice. While it was delicious, the meal came to a whopping 32 points! That is more than I get for a whole day! Jeesh!!! So, I ended up using some of those extra weekly points, which I really didn't want to do. Luckily my lunch was pretty small. Just coffee, a banana, and a few bites of left over chicken stir fry.

So, tomorrow I'm focusing on chicken, veggies, and fruit. And, no ignoring the soft stop! Next time I should just ask to borrow a tupperware to put the rest of my plate in, or be sure to serve myself less. I knew it was going to be a lot of points, but I had no idea it was going to be that many!!!

Hillary, I see where we were both banded in 2008. I was banded 11/19/08.

After several fills/unfills, my surgeon and I came to the conclusion I had reached my sweet spot. My band lets me know she has had enough by either making me sneeze or hiccup....at that point, one more bite and I am in big trouble :wub: . I chance my entire meal coming back up. Even after 4 years I still try to eat like an unbanded person (large portions) and my band reminds me that is a big taboo.

I rejoined WW to help me in the final leg of my journey. I am able to eat more "slider" foods and want to eat healthier so I can finally lose the last 30 or 40lbs.

I know what I have been doing wrong...I don't exercise and I don't put lean Protein first. For those who think the band will solve all their weight problems, it doesn't. It is a tool on my journey. With this tool I am off all diabetic and asthma medicine. I have more energy and feel so much better about myself.

I look at WW as the "little helper" for my band. WW will keep me on track to eating better and will help me get to my final goal.

[Sleeved12/29 2]

So being that we eat less calories initially how do you guys work your points? Or do you just go with their recommendation?

Would anyone be interested in starting WW support forum for those of us that are doing WW with the band?

Sounds like a great idea. Count me in. I signed up for WW Online this week. I have been a WW lifer since 1982 but just got tired of counting points and too many food choices. Now I just want to track what goes in my mouth and eat healthy with my band. I have been banded for 4 years. Have kept off the weight I've lost but have been struggling as of late. I've had several fills/unfills and my surgeon told me on the last unfill that he believes I've hit my sweet spot and need to exercise (which I must admit I stopped doing) and really track what goes into my mouth.

So far, so good. I've lost 2 lbs this week and use a lot of my points eating lean Proteins like 2% cheese, cottage cheese, small servings of Wendy's chili things like that. I get 26 points a day and I am supposed to eat 50 or more grams of Protein a day. I try to incorporate my band rules protein first, veggies second and if still hungry...then fruits.

[Kristen802 4]

I've always been a big WW supporter, but I'm not sure I would get anything from the meetings anymore since their members face a different set of challenges than we do. I wish they would start a meeting for weight loss surgery patients. I know it's against their motto, but I think it would do really well.