Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
If you don't want to track your food then Weight Watchers is not for you. You have to enter meals into the app/website just like with My Fitness Pal and Sparkpeople. Honestly, without the meetings, I don't see much value in Weight Watchers.
I personally hate tracking, so I've switched to programs that don't require that. I'd rather not eat certain foods than have to write down everything I eat. That's me though.
If you don't want to track your food then Weight Watchers is not for you. You have to enter meals into the app/website just like with My Fitness Pal and Sparkpeople. Honestly, without the meetings, I don't see much value in Weight Watchers.
I personally hate tracking, so I've switched to programs that don't require that. I'd rather not eat certain foods than have to write down everything I eat. That's me though.
Do you also manage your personal finances the same way?
I mean, I don't love tracking my food, but it's the best way for me to know how much I've consumed and adjust accordingly.
Why is eating fewer calories a problem for you? I mean, that's how you're going to lose weight, there's no real alternative short of cutting off body parts.
I'm a 5'11" male and maintained a 1,200 calorie per day budget for nearly five months without issue. And that was while also getting 15k-20k steps per day and working out rigorously 3-4 days per week. It wasn't very hard to find smart food choices which filled me up but kept the calories low.
Losing weight is a state of mind. Some people are not ready, or will never be ready. They want the easiest path with little or no sacrifice.
Losing weight is also HARD. But the hardest part of it is getting your brain to wrap around what you need to do in order to succeed. Once that clicks in its smooth sailing. I lost weight on WW and it came down to me logging my food and eating at a calorie deficit. I went to the meetings because they weigh you in - that was a HUGE carrot for me. And there was a lot of support.
I dont know how the OP is going to be successful if she is unwilling to do what it takes.
WW is ok for people who seem to need the structure. You just may be one of those people. Keeping in track of Point is not easier than entering data in MFP. I found that I was always hungry with WW, especially once you lose weight. Then you get even fewer points. WW doesn't tell you that 18 pts is really only 1200 calories, and 23 is basically 1350. If you're having a hard time with calorie restriction without the points system, I'm not sure if it will be easier for you with it.
I notice that WW has moved to "Freestyle". I've been freestyling it on my own from the beginning. I eat lightly throughout the week and treat myself to a cheat meal once a week.
Here's a few important questions for you from me. Is it hard to go through the week? And how long have you been doing this, and how do you feel about it, in other words, have you lost much weight? I need to lose at least 30 pounds, and really more if I want to be the so-called ideal weight. I wish I could just eat and eat, mainly pretzels and stuff, but that isn't possible if I must lose weight.
Losing weight is a state of mind. Some people are not ready, or will never be ready. They want the easiest path with little or no sacrifice.
Losing weight is also HARD. But the hardest part of it is getting your brain to wrap around what you need to do in order to succeed. Once that clicks in its smooth sailing. I lost weight on WW and it came down to me logging my food and eating at a calorie deficit. I went to the meetings because they weigh you in - that was a HUGE carrot for me. And there was a lot of support.
I dont know how the OP is going to be successful if she is unwilling to do what it takes.
Me either. I am at the beginning now, and I have lost weight in the past but didn't keep it off. I am not gorging myself now so that is good. I really believe that after I try the WW online with my friend, I will not be happy, because I will either be hungry or not satisfied. But who knows? Maybe it will work, especially if I can compare notes with her. So far I'm doing "ok," but am not happy with the prospect that times like now, when I wish I had a bag of pretzels or potato chips by my side and could eat until I cannot eat any more, I cannot do that. So that is one reason why I want to hear how other people manage that desire, or craving. Yes -- it does not make me feel happy that I must resist, desist, for the rest of my few years left. But I know I should and I am trying. :-( To lose weight. It's hard.
Me either. I am at the beginning now, and I have lost weight in the past but didn't keep it off. I am not gorging myself now so that is good. I really believe that after I try the WW online with my friend, I will not be happy, because I will either be hungry or not satisfied. But who knows? Maybe it will work, especially if I can compare notes with her. So far I'm doing "ok," but am not happy with the prospect that times like now, when I wish I had a bag of pretzels or potato chips by my side and could eat until I cannot eat any more, I cannot do that. So that is one reason why I want to hear how other people manage that desire, or craving. Yes -- it does not make me feel happy that I must resist, desist, for the rest of my few years left. But I know I should and I am trying. :-( To lose weight. It's hard.
Cindi,
It's hard to say what the "secret" is. It's surely a mental thing for me. I've been thin all my life. My weight has only started to be a problem in the 40s. Since I entered by 50s, even worse. Over the past 2 years, I've done two "rodeos" with MyFitnessPal. I've never need to lose a lot. That's a good thing, but it's also tough because I never get that big drop of weight at first that people who are really overweight get. So I restrict, restrict, restrict and then 2 weeks later, I might see some movement. I'm always generally needing a 10-15 lb weight loss.
My problem is staying on it or what they call maintenance. I was doing REALLY well up through December of last year. Eating about 1500 calories, maintaining my loss. But the holidays came and bad habits (JUNK FOOD) started creeping back in. The homemade holiday treats which are delicious and you only get once a year were too hard to back up. Another coworker made me 2 dozen lemon ricotta cookies for my birthday. I say I'm only going to eat a few but they are so delicious and such a rare treat, I can assure you I ate all 2 dozen. By the time New Year's came, I was fully off the wagon like an alcoholic. In 3 months time I have put back on all 12 lbs that I lost. Right now I am desperately trying to get back to it but I have not been able to mentally get there. So I'm reading these boards and others, hoping to get some inspiration.
Me either. I am at the beginning now, and I have lost weight in the past but didn't keep it off. I am not gorging myself now so that is good. I really believe that after I try the WW online with my friend, I will not be happy, because I will either be hungry or not satisfied. But who knows? Maybe it will work, especially if I can compare notes with her. So far I'm doing "ok," but am not happy with the prospect that times like now, when I wish I had a bag of pretzels or potato chips by my side and could eat until I cannot eat any more, I cannot do that. So that is one reason why I want to hear how other people manage that desire, or craving. Yes -- it does not make me feel happy that I must resist, desist, for the rest of my few years left. But I know I should and I am trying. :-( To lose weight. It's hard.
Back over the Christmas holiday, while being off for the last 10 days of the year, I hit a jag where I just needed/wanted to snack. A sliced up a cucumber, cracked open a jar of salsa and went absolutely nuts. When it was all over, I had consumed a fairly large amount of both, and when I tallied up the calorie count, it came in at under 200 calories. Plus, I was stuffed silly and couldn't eat anything else for hours afterwards.
Find a replacement for the pretzels/potato chips and you'll find success in losing weight.
Also, if eating bad food is connected to psychological motivators, don't bother trying to lose weight until you address that issue, you're wasting your time.
Here's a few important questions for you from me. Is it hard to go through the week? And how long have you been doing this, and how do you feel about it, in other words, have you lost much weight? I need to lose at least 30 pounds, and really more if I want to be the so-called ideal weight. I wish I could just eat and eat, mainly pretzels and stuff, but that isn't possible if I must lose weight.
First thing's first, set small goals and then meet those. When I was over 220, my first goal was to get to 200. Ultimately, I had to lose 60 to be in the "healthy BMI" range, but that number seemed mentally daunting. It was easier to set a goal that seemed attainable in the near future than setting a goal that seemed impossible. (At the time, sixty pounds seemed impossible)
Maybe your first goal should be (before calorie restriction or anything): I will try and make healthier choices today. At first, DO NOT COUNT CALORIES. DO NOT ALLOW YOURSELF TO GET OVERLY HUNGRY. Just focus on making better food choices. Instead of pretzels and largely filler, empty calories, replace with something healthier. Incorporate more veggies into your diet. Make your carbs be "healthy carbs". Eat fruit if you desire something sweet.
The more you do this, the more eating healthy will become innate for you and you'll just eat that way naturally. Right now your body isn't happy with you and will fight you because you're implementing change.
If you feel the urge to eat and eat, for now, let the things you "eat and eat" be healthy, lower calorie things.
Your other goal needs to be resisting the urge to "eat and eat". Are you eating because you are actually hungry or is it because you're a) bored, b) it's there, so why not?, c) you're starving and gorging.
If you are truly hungry, then by all means EAT. But eat just enough to make the hunger go away, which, when you really think about it, can be done with a small portion.
If the desire is due to food simply being present, then make the food not as readily accessible until you're able to have more control. Get the pretzels out of sight. I'd suggest maybe putting one serving of pretzels into individual baggies and leaving maybe two or three of them out if that urge surfaces. But absolutely do not have the large bag sitting there.
If the desire is there due to boredom, find activities that will keep you occupied so that you're not so obsessed with eating. Do other things. For example, the urge to mindlessly eat for me comes when I am hungry and waiting for my food to heat up. I would grab some snack (usually the quick and easy refined carb snacks). That easily adds on extra calories for no real reason.
Another goal to set is: I shall learn to eat (most of the time) when I am hungry. Not because I am bored, tired, "just because", etc.
I lost over 70 pounds when it was said and done. I finally made the decision to lose weight when I was forty years old. By that time, I had been overweight/obese for almost ten years. I did not use any program such as weight watchers, nutrisystem, or jenny craig. My past dieting failures helped me to realize formal dieting programs just didn't work for me. Weight Watchers made me constantly hungry. Maybe the "freestyle" method rectifies that problem, but when I had tried it using their "Points/Smartpoints" system, I found myself always hungry, always thinking about food. Ultimately, it was just another 1200-1400 calorie diet, just using a proprietary label ("Points"). It is a good program though for people who really need structure.
No diet, however, will truly address the behavior shift that needs to happen in order to keep the weight off.
I lost weight by modifying my existing diet, exercise, and overcoming the mental obstacles. A big part of weight loss was overcoming the mental hurdles. Once you do, you'll find that the other, more physical aspects of weight loss, will fall into place.
Do you also manage your personal finances the same way?
I mean, I don't love tracking my food, but it's the best way for me to know how much I've consumed and adjust accordingly.
Good for you?
The OP said she doesn't want to track. Tracking is the cornerstone of Weight Watchers. There's no point in paying money for a program that the OP won't use. There are other ways to lose weight. If tracking is the only thing that works for you, then that's fine. I've found another plan that does work for me.
And, yeah, I track my finances. What's that go to do with anything? We all have to do things we don't love doing, but we can also all choose what those things are. I don't want to track my food, so I don't. That's the beauty of being an adult with free will.
Me either. I am at the beginning now, and I have lost weight in the past but didn't keep it off. I am not gorging myself now so that is good. I really believe that after I try the WW online with my friend, I will not be happy, because I will either be hungry or not satisfied. But who knows? Maybe it will work, especially if I can compare notes with her. So far I'm doing "ok," but am not happy with the prospect that times like now, when I wish I had a bag of pretzels or potato chips by my side and could eat until I cannot eat any more, I cannot do that. So that is one reason why I want to hear how other people manage that desire, or craving. Yes -- it does not make me feel happy that I must resist, desist, for the rest of my few years left. But I know I should and I am trying. :-( To lose weight. It's hard.
It sounds to me like you might not be mentally ready. That is ok!
Losing weight is mindset, at least it is for me. It has taken me years to get where I am now, to where I am more concerned about my health than I am about when I can have another donut (answer? probably never). If you can get in the right head space the it doesn't feel like a white knuckling struggle. But, if you aren't there yet, yeah, losing weight is miserable and even worse, it's always temporary.
I really love Jason Seib's book. It helped me get into the right head space and also helped me realize when I just was not there yet. I've always said I wanted to lose weight and at various points in my life I've honestly tortured myself enough to lose a few pounds but it was never sustainable. Right now I am losing weight, but really slowly, and for the first time ever, the slow pace is okay with me. The only difference this time is the mindset I've gone into it with.
Anyway, his book is free and definitely worth reading:
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
