Hi there - I've never done Weight Watchers, but I understand how their plans work. And that's the thing - they work! I think that Weight Watchers is designed for people who perhaps need a little more guideline.
By that, I am indicating no negativity. In fact, I think that (when I read a lot of posts) many people would be more fit to do a Weight Watchers - esque program.
You see, with this South Beach diet, it is imperative to construct it to yourself and your lifestyle. In saying that, if you want to (as people on here call it) 'cheat', then do it. But then it's not a cheat. It's how and what you wanted to consume that day. But when people post, "oh my goodness, I've cheated', then they are lacking self-discipline. Not because they ate the french fry, but instead because they think they have failed.
From my understanding, with Weight Watchers you can consume (anything/most things) in moderation. If they did that, then they wouldn't feel as though they have failed, because it was 'allowed'.
Anyway, I think that Weight Watchers is a really great thing. I have not done it, but I promote it highly, and have known many poeple who have maintained a healthy lifestyle from it.
Just my opinion.
I do not advocate any diet over anything else - healthy eating + exercise is all it takes. If you need a plan to maintain that - awesome.
anyway, BonnieSimz, good for you!
Diet Alternative- Proactol Plus (Ads)
| Home :: South Beach Diet |
Food List |
Recipes
|
Related Books and Grocery Shopping (Amazon)
Weight watchers skepticism
Moderators: Magna, Kimboroni, SBMike, RonniRoo, bethy
Weight Watchers
by momof6 » Wed Jan 18, 2006 7:10 pm
Hi I am new here. I have been doing WW for 3 years now. I have to disagree with allot of you who say WW dosen't work. I have lost 50 lbs then had a baby and lost 50 lbs. again. I have about 15 lbs I would like to lose and just wanted to try something different. I am like SB so far and I like WW too. I just needed something not so "normal" for me.
Thanks,
And good luck to you all.
Thanks,
And good luck to you all.
- momof6
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:37 pm
- Location: Arkansas
WW and SB are both good plans.
by Freshness » Thu Jan 19, 2006 6:20 pm
A big part of how successful a 'diet' or 'Way of Eating' is, is based on the individual.
WW works if you stick to it, even with all the refined carbs allowed. Some people can eat just 5 potato chips and then stop. I hate those people; -but they can stop eating chips when WW tells them too. I couldn't. I love chips. And I loved WW for letting me have them.... or at least letting me think I could have them.
The problem was I lied to myself and smashed more chips in my mouth, or said 'Fine, if I can't have more chips, I will have 400 pieces of high fiber wheat toast with 10 cans of fat free refried beans. And I still didn't really gain that much weight, even when I bent the WW rules. It's a good program and many people have lost many pounds on it. I was one of them, I won't lie.
But I did have big cravings and I did agonize over food everyday. That was my own problem. I can't control my lust for carbs and sugar very well. SB is a better fit for me because it addresses this issue better. WW let me have carbs and sugars from day one. That was a problem for me, they didn't know that. And at the time, I didn't know that either.
I am better off cutting them out entirely, recognizing my problem, and slowly adding back only the things I can handle. One thing at a time. That is why SB is great for me. It has made me recognize how certain foods effect me. Some foods make me want to eat more! Who knew certain foods could make you hungrier?
The problem was WW trusted me enough to be able to eat small amounts of bad carbs and sugars, write it down, and then stop. It's not their fault I am a maniac.
For people without major carb and sugar problems, WW is a great program. It promotes relatively good choices; writing down what you eat, portion control, and it is something many people can live with. Plus the group support is great. This forum is modeled after something WW started. You can't deny that. It's true. But for people like me, it didn't address and underlying carb dependency thus making it not an ideal fit for me.
In the end it is all about calories in vs. energy spent. How you wrap your head around that equation to work for you in the form of a diet different for everyone. And we should respect everyone and their individual choices. We are all in the same boat here; we all want to lose weight so there is no need to insult other people’s choice of diet.
– Maybe we can learn from each other? Like SB peeps can start writing everything down like the WW peeps do. And WW peeps may try adding a few good fats back in their diet, (like an egg yolk) and see if they feel fuller longer, like the SB peeps do. It could be so beautiful…. Sniff sniff…
Well anyway, cheers to my old WW peeps and Cheers to my new SB buddies. I have learned so much from all of you. May we all lose pounds and prosper.
WW works if you stick to it, even with all the refined carbs allowed. Some people can eat just 5 potato chips and then stop. I hate those people; -but they can stop eating chips when WW tells them too. I couldn't. I love chips. And I loved WW for letting me have them.... or at least letting me think I could have them.
The problem was I lied to myself and smashed more chips in my mouth, or said 'Fine, if I can't have more chips, I will have 400 pieces of high fiber wheat toast with 10 cans of fat free refried beans. And I still didn't really gain that much weight, even when I bent the WW rules. It's a good program and many people have lost many pounds on it. I was one of them, I won't lie.
But I did have big cravings and I did agonize over food everyday. That was my own problem. I can't control my lust for carbs and sugar very well. SB is a better fit for me because it addresses this issue better. WW let me have carbs and sugars from day one. That was a problem for me, they didn't know that. And at the time, I didn't know that either.
I am better off cutting them out entirely, recognizing my problem, and slowly adding back only the things I can handle. One thing at a time. That is why SB is great for me. It has made me recognize how certain foods effect me. Some foods make me want to eat more! Who knew certain foods could make you hungrier?
The problem was WW trusted me enough to be able to eat small amounts of bad carbs and sugars, write it down, and then stop. It's not their fault I am a maniac.
For people without major carb and sugar problems, WW is a great program. It promotes relatively good choices; writing down what you eat, portion control, and it is something many people can live with. Plus the group support is great. This forum is modeled after something WW started. You can't deny that. It's true. But for people like me, it didn't address and underlying carb dependency thus making it not an ideal fit for me.
In the end it is all about calories in vs. energy spent. How you wrap your head around that equation to work for you in the form of a diet different for everyone. And we should respect everyone and their individual choices. We are all in the same boat here; we all want to lose weight so there is no need to insult other people’s choice of diet.
– Maybe we can learn from each other? Like SB peeps can start writing everything down like the WW peeps do. And WW peeps may try adding a few good fats back in their diet, (like an egg yolk) and see if they feel fuller longer, like the SB peeps do. It could be so beautiful…. Sniff sniff…
Well anyway, cheers to my old WW peeps and Cheers to my new SB buddies. I have learned so much from all of you. May we all lose pounds and prosper.
It's never too late—in fiction or in life—to revise.
- Freshness
- Posts: 4
- Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2006 4:15 pm
by colliegirl » Thu Jan 19, 2006 11:37 pm
I can't control the carbs either, unless like someone suggested, save them for late in the day. If I eat oatmeal or toast in the morning, I crave carbs all day long and usually cave in to the cravings. I find I can do without carbs, period, but know that is bad for ones health, so try to keep them to a reasonable amount and of good quality.
- colliegirl
- Posts: 77
- Joined: Fri Jun 04, 2004 8:35 pm
by Christy335 » Fri Jan 20, 2006 5:46 pm
When you control for people sticking to a diet long term, WW has been historically proven as being the most effective weight loss and maintenance diet around. (Of course, SB hasn't been around near as long, so it may just be a matter of time before that title changes hands.)
The thing that I love about WW is that you have a support group and a weigh in on a weekly basis.
You also are encouraged to write down everything you eat, so at the end of the week if you went up or down you can review what went wrong and make corrections from there.
Also WW has the group leaders that are available to sit down with you, review your meals and make suggestions to improve them. At the meetings, the members can share recipes, tips, tricks, and road bumps. It is like this forum here, only in real time. And SB doesn't technically have the forum available to everyone. You have to 1) have internet access, and 2) be lucky enough to find this forum or be sent to it. It is not built into the program like it is in WW.
WW also encourages exercise by giving a points value to your exercise. And as an added bonus, WW gives you prizes whenever you hit one of their mini-goals. (10% of your begining weight lost, every 5 lbs you get a star, attendence for 16 weeks.) This incentive helps you recognize your own success and celebrate it as well.
A part of Weight Watchers that is not recognized by the critics of the diet is that it has its own set of "Good Health Guidelines." For those of you who think that WW promotes poor eating habits, here are the GHG that people on weight watchers are supposed to be following:
1)Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit each day.
2)Choose whole grain food whenever possible.
3)Include two servings of milk products (low fat [1%] or fat-free) each day.
4)Have some healthy oils (olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, flaxseed) each day.
5)Ensure that you are getting enough protein by choosing at least two servings of meat each day. (Includes, poultry, fish, eggs, dried beans, or soy products)
6)Limit added sugar and alcohol.
7)Drink at least 6 glasses of water each day.
Take a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement each day.
It is not a bad system. People who fail at it either aren't following it correctly, not using the GHG, or they just need a different type of diet for their particular body to respond.
SB, however, does not charge you $9 - $15 per week to follow basic good health. SB also teaches you HOW to eat, where as WW pretty much tells you HOW MUCH to eat. Both diets have their benefits.
The thing that I love about WW is that you have a support group and a weigh in on a weekly basis.
You also are encouraged to write down everything you eat, so at the end of the week if you went up or down you can review what went wrong and make corrections from there.
Also WW has the group leaders that are available to sit down with you, review your meals and make suggestions to improve them. At the meetings, the members can share recipes, tips, tricks, and road bumps. It is like this forum here, only in real time. And SB doesn't technically have the forum available to everyone. You have to 1) have internet access, and 2) be lucky enough to find this forum or be sent to it. It is not built into the program like it is in WW.
WW also encourages exercise by giving a points value to your exercise. And as an added bonus, WW gives you prizes whenever you hit one of their mini-goals. (10% of your begining weight lost, every 5 lbs you get a star, attendence for 16 weeks.) This incentive helps you recognize your own success and celebrate it as well.
A part of Weight Watchers that is not recognized by the critics of the diet is that it has its own set of "Good Health Guidelines." For those of you who think that WW promotes poor eating habits, here are the GHG that people on weight watchers are supposed to be following:
1)Eat at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruit each day.
2)Choose whole grain food whenever possible.
3)Include two servings of milk products (low fat [1%] or fat-free) each day.
4)Have some healthy oils (olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, flaxseed) each day.
5)Ensure that you are getting enough protein by choosing at least two servings of meat each day. (Includes, poultry, fish, eggs, dried beans, or soy products)
6)Limit added sugar and alcohol.
7)Drink at least 6 glasses of water each day.
Take a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement each day.
It is not a bad system. People who fail at it either aren't following it correctly, not using the GHG, or they just need a different type of diet for their particular body to respond.
SB, however, does not charge you $9 - $15 per week to follow basic good health. SB also teaches you HOW to eat, where as WW pretty much tells you HOW MUCH to eat. Both diets have their benefits.
-
Christy335 - Posts: 76
- Joined: Thu Jan 12, 2006 7:38 pm
- Location: Houston, Tx
by boulderbliss » Thu Jan 26, 2006 4:01 pm
I lost 10lbs in my first week of WW last year. Problem was, being somewhat of a binge-eater, some days I ate about 8 WW bars in a row and then not much else. Wasn't a very healthy diet for me because it allowed sugar and high fructose corn syrup foods and those are major triggers for me. Plus, the meetings tended to focus too much on food where everyone was screaming about their latest low WW's point finds. To me, it felt like it was still encouraging my food and sweets obsession. But, a lot of people do have success with WW. Just wasn't the food plan for me.
Last edited by boulderbliss on Fri Jan 27, 2006 2:32 pm, edited 1 time in total.
- boulderbliss
- Posts: 7
- Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 8:44 pm
by lorka150 » Fri Jan 27, 2006 5:50 am
Christy335 wrote:
Right, but these two ways of eating are technically uncomparable, for Weight Watchers is a company, and this South Beach Diet is a money-making idea.
When you control for people sticking to a diet long term, WW has been historically proven as being the most effective weight loss and maintenance diet around. (Of course, SB hasn't been around near as long, so it may just be a matter of time before that title changes hands.)
Right, but these two ways of eating are technically uncomparable, for Weight Watchers is a company, and this South Beach Diet is a money-making idea.
for delicious, healthy recipes, click here.
- lorka150
- Posts: 6578
- Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 1:42 pm
- Location: Canada
by CCmom » Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:56 am
well, Im coming out of the shadows to say I began WW last week. I am combining it with SB guidelines and avoiding processed foods, but I feel terrific. I've lost 3 lbs this week, but more importantly, I am enjoying "everything in moderation".
Unfortunately, so many people on this board bash anything that they're not currently embracing. Why not just be happy for people??
Lorka- thanks for your kind words in support of WW
Unfortunately, so many people on this board bash anything that they're not currently embracing. Why not just be happy for people??
Lorka- thanks for your kind words in support of WW
- CCmom
- Posts: 78
- Joined: Mon Aug 22, 2005 2:35 pm
by lorka150 » Sat Jan 28, 2006 12:57 am
CCmom - you're welcome. Good for you! I'm proud of your accomplishment. Anyone who feels as though there is a be all and end all plan is purely mistaken, and needs to adapt everything to THEIR life.
for delicious, healthy recipes, click here.
- lorka150
- Posts: 6578
- Joined: Thu Jun 09, 2005 1:42 pm
- Location: Canada
I agree
by SMARTIEPANTS » Mon Jan 30, 2006 11:25 pm
Wow Anne, you sound just like me. I was with WW too. I could lose but I felt like I was starving to do it. I just wasn't satisfied with WW. I felt like I didn't want to have to count points my whole life. I found myself bored with it. And all I wanted to do was eat all evening long. Cravings Cravings Cravings. Then I come to my senses and started SB. What a difference in my life. I finally feel like I have control of my bad eating habits. I have been on SB for 5 days now and I have totally lost all of my cravings. Such a switch. Good Luck to all.
ENJOY THE LORD
- SMARTIEPANTS
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2006 2:42 pm
by Megan2006 » Wed Feb 22, 2006 8:55 pm
I've joined WW three different times, first time I lost around 16 pounds, stopped going to the meetings and gained it all back.. second time I lost 30 pounds, but the minute I started eating beyond my point limit (even by just a little), I gained all the weight, PLUS some.. the third time was just a waste.. All in all, I've gained a total of 60 pounds since I've stopped WW. The new point system is stupid. They allow you to eat ANYTHING, I mean ANYTHING, as long as you keep within range. One WW point equals approx. 54 calories.. so my range was between 22-24 points daily, but if I really wanted, I could eat ice cream all day long, as long as I didn't go over my point.. personally I think it's stupid..
I'm on my third day of SBD, and find this diet way better than anything I've ever tried.. just my two cents..
sorry if this information is repetitive from other posts, i'm just at work so i had to make it quick!
I'm on my third day of SBD, and find this diet way better than anything I've ever tried.. just my two cents..
sorry if this information is repetitive from other posts, i'm just at work so i had to make it quick!
- Megan2006
- Posts: 3
- Joined: Thu Feb 16, 2006 5:41 pm
by elizabeth702 » Sat Feb 25, 2006 1:15 am
Weight Watchers isn't bad for you. It's how people interpret the program that's bad. I was on it for 8 months and I lost 35 of my original 45 desired pounds before hitting the worst plateau in the world.
WW has guidelines like every diet. 2tsp of healthy oil daily. 2 lean meats. 6 fruits and veggies. Etc. But, most people decide hmmmm... a lowfat yogurt is 2 points, but so is a pack of 100 calorie Oreos! Oreos it is!
The thing I really like about SBD is the detox. I start phase 1 on Monday and I already know that it may be hard, but it is going to be so beneficial.
WW has guidelines like every diet. 2tsp of healthy oil daily. 2 lean meats. 6 fruits and veggies. Etc. But, most people decide hmmmm... a lowfat yogurt is 2 points, but so is a pack of 100 calorie Oreos! Oreos it is!
The thing I really like about SBD is the detox. I start phase 1 on Monday and I already know that it may be hard, but it is going to be so beneficial.
-
elizabeth702 - Posts: 427
- Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2006 4:12 am
- Location: las vegas, nv
by skichik79 » Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:29 pm
I just joined SB today after plateauing for over 12 months at 152 give or take 1 lb and I have to say weight watchers was good to maintain my weight but now im beyond frustrated ... i've gotten use to my weight loss and now am ready to lose more so i can reach my goal .. i refuse to accept that my body is comfortable a this weight ... im still chubby and maybe I look better then i did but i need to see results ... after 12 months of plateau im ready to try something else .. i think I was beyond patient with this ! Weight watchers does concentrate on portions and healthy eating .. it just lets you eat what you like in moderation ... if you choose to eat chocolate everyday then maybe you'll stick to your points but you wont necessarily get results ...
im ready to try this and am very excited !
im ready to try this and am very excited !
pw: 165.5 lbs
cw: 153 lbs
gw: 140 lbs
cw: 153 lbs
gw: 140 lbs
- skichik79
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Tue Mar 14, 2006 3:24 pm
- Location: Canada
by blo » Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:27 pm
Hi! I did WW many years ago when you checked off the blocks/units of food that you were suppose to eat. Then I tried WW several years ago when they had the point system. It was just too confusing for me to use the point system. I just didn't have time to be worried with counting points or calories. Besides I always felt hungry. CRNP, (certified registered nurse practiotioner), ask me to go on the SBD on Feb 4, 2006. We were trying to find out if I was IR. I dropped from 207 to 183.5 pounds, blood pressure went from 140/96 to 104/66. And the sugar dropped from 103 to 93. This is without exercising. This is the first time in a long, long time that I have lost weight and not feel hungry eating this way. I have only had 1 1/2 slices of bread, multigrain since I started. I do eat oatmeal, and brown rice; plus at least 3/4 fruits a day; a big salad w/evo; and lean meats. So....I really need to be down to about 140/150. I will continue to eat this way for quite a while. I don't have the desire to eat any other way now. I am not knocking WW; and it does work for many people but it just didn't work for me. I wished I had known years ago about IR and eating like I do now. I am working hard at avoiding pre-diabetes as it runs in my family. Hope this helps others. blo
liveforever
- blo
- Posts: 76
- Joined: Mon Mar 13, 2006 8:25 pm
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 0 guests
All brand names, product names, image or logo used on this website are trademarks, trade names, service marks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.