Any other WeightWatchers?

[Regulator]

In an attempt to actually shift some of the 3-4 stone of extra weight I am carrying, I've joined WeightWatchers - and I'm the only man in my group 

I chose Weightwatchers as they are the groups generally recommended by the medical profession and they have a good success rate.

Anyone else taken the plunge?  Can we share our success stories / tips / recipes?

[gordon taylor]

I've joined them three different times. I lost 50lbs the second time and have the certificate too!  If you get on well at the group and with the group leaders, it is a very effective way to lose weight.

When I was successful I was working in an office with a couple of women who also did Weightwatchers, but at different groups. The friendly rivalry and the mutual check on day-time snacks worked for all three of us.

I've since put half my weight-loss back on, but am on another diet right now.

For me, the most effective diet method is just to write down everything I eat or drink. If I do that honestly, the weight falls off - but only temporarily - 'cos I'm a fat bastard at heart.

Weightwatchers works brilliantly if you have other things going well at the time.

[Elleigh]

I did ww a few years ago - it was the 18 points a day diet.  I have a few nice 0 point recipes if ww still do the the point stuff.

[Regulator]

I did ww a few years ago - it was the 18 points a day diet.  I have a few nice 0 point recipes if ww still do the the point stuff.

They do - but I get an allowance of 34 points a day...    - plus I keep earning additional points by cycling (an extra 3 points just for the commute to and from work).

My problem is that I've not managed to use all 34 points in a day - never mind the extras.

[Elleigh]

I never used to count my cycling points.  I was told to use full fat milk and yoghurts.  It's a healthier way of using up the points rather than eating chocolate (which I thought would be a good idea!)

[Wowbagger]

I was discussing calorie consumption with my nephew, who is a doctor.

Based on an online calorie counter I found (I can't find the same one now), we calculated that in 2007 I burned almost 600000 extra calories through cycling 7800 miles. I think that figure is way too high. Even I'm not that greedy...

Looking at different websites gives varying results. This one claims "And even at a recreational pace of 15 MPH, 1 hour a day of riding will burn almost 4000 Calories per week (the equivalent of a pound of fat) in addition to your normal activities. " I can't maintain 15 mph no matter what. Correction - I managed it on one ride last year for 20 miles. Once I got to 20 miles I relaxed a bit and my final average for the ride was about 13 mph.

This one reckons 908 calories an hour for a 108 kg lardarse like me riding at 12 mph.

[Sergeant Pluck]

If you are thrashing around the hills of Malta, you will need extra on top of the basic 2,200, maybe as much as an extra 2,000

I can reassure you all that there was no risk of a serious calorie deficit among the four of us in Malta 

Mind you I did lose weight that week which has stayed off.

[Valiant]

I lost a bit of weight too, but I assume t'was just water retention lol.

I was thinking about joining a weightwatchers typre programme, how much are they?

[woollypigs]

I didn't bother with diet or ww I just ...

1/ cut my junk in take from 3-4 times a week to 1-2 a month
2/ cut away the "snacks" e.g. didn't eat the crips, cakes, candy and biscuit
3/ stopped using the car started to cycle 14miles every working day
4/ started to eat at regular time and less at meal times *)
5/ cut my beer in take too **)

2 years later I'm 5 stones + lighter EDIT I'm now just under the 15 stone.

*) instead of eating at random times and also a massive plate and then seconds
**) which was hard at first but what helped was that I was so utterly knackered after cycling and a days work that I just went to sleep and didn't get to drink at all. I was 20stone+ and haven't done anything other than walking to the next pub for over 4 years.

[Eccentrica Gallumbits]

I was discussing calorie consumption with my nephew, who is a doctor.

Based on an online calorie counter I found (I can't find the same one now), we calculated that in 2007 I burned almost 600000 extra calories through cycling 7800 miles. I think that figure is way too high. Even I'm not that greedy...

Looking at different websites gives varying results. This one claims "And even at a recreational pace of 15 MPH, 1 hour a day of riding will burn almost 4000 Calories per week (the equivalent of a pound of fat) in addition to your normal activities. " I can't maintain 15 mph no matter what. Correction - I managed it on one ride last year for 20 miles. Once I got to 20 miles I relaxed a bit and my final average for the ride was about 13 mph.

This one reckons 908 calories an hour for a 108 kg lardarse like me riding at 12 mph.

I did 254 miles in April and put a stone on! In a month! My trousers are looser round the waist and tighter round the arse - I think I'm losing a bit of fat, developing a bit more muscle and the flab in my arse is higher up.

[Regulator]

I went for my weigh in yesterday...


and I had lost 7½ lbs in the first week 

I was 'Loser of the Week'  in my group.

[woollypigs]

I was 'Loser of the Week'  in my group.

haha Loser, naa well done you

[SteveC]

My wife joined WW five years ago, just after we got married (the wedding photos are NOT on public display).  She didn't do the meetings, but the 'at home' option.  As I was doing all the shopping and cooking at the time, I was going to have to be involved if it was going to work.  We then bought some scales.  17 stone 

Before the end of the year I was down to around 11 stone (never below that and usually about 11-7).
I'm now just under 12 stone.  We didn't usually feel hungry during the experience (obviously there were one or two occasions which were difficult, but usually no problem).

Suggestion -- budget the treats FIRST!  (in my case a beer allowance).

Obviously worked for us.  My only cycling during that period was the 2.85 miles each way to work, four days a week.  I also swam once or maybe twice a week.

Losing that much weight had some problems -- several old friends have failed to recognise me!  But over all I'd recommend WW (and trying to be a sensible weight)

[Butterfly]

I've been to weightwatchers in the past and I'm going to Rosemary Conley classes at the moment. the thing that I find most helpful, apart from writing down what I eat is to make sure I eat something every 3 hours or so. I aim to have regular meals and in between I have an apple or other piece of fruit or a yoghurt. That way you don't have big dips in energy which make you eat things that are less suitable. I try to avoid refined sugar as that also burns up too fast. 

[Regulator]

Wahey!  Another 3 lbs down this week  - despite the cooked breakfast, beer and large ice-cream over the weekend.   

[Regulator]

I got weighed last week and I seemed to have put on 3 pounds - cancelling out the good work of the week before.    However, when I was weighed last night, I was supposedly down 8 lbs on last week - which is a hell of a weight loss when I've been pigging out a bit.

I think the discrepancy may have arisen becuase I wasn't weighed on the usual machine at my regular meeting (I was in Manchester last week) so we've agreed to call it a 5 lb weight loss over 2 weeks.

However, it does mean that I've lost 15½ lbs in 4 weeks!   


Only another 3 stone to go... 

[mattc]

However, it does mean that I've lost 15½ lbs in 4 weeks!   

Careful Reg - you're way over the 2lb/week limit. I know it feels nice now dropping the weight so fast, but you may pay for it later.

(Maybe have a 'rest week' - healthy food but lots of it?)

Still, well done on the progress - must be very satisfying.

[Regulator]

Men tend to lose quicker than women.  My GP says a loss of 4-5 lbs a week is OK but I know that it will slow down after the first month or so.  I expect this week's loss to be in the region of 2-3 lbs.

[SteveC]

Careful Reg - you're way over the 2lb/week limit. I know it feels nice now dropping the weight so fast, but you may pay for it later.

I managed to lose 3lb a week for about six months a few years ago.  Dead straight line on the graph apart from two 'silly' weekends and a holiday (and I didn't put weight on even then).

I will admit I'm now about a stone heavier than the minumum and would like to lose a few pounds, but that still makes me 5 stone lighter than when I started.  So it is possible to keep it off.

S