Weightwatchers

Ninebikes

Hi

I was 18st 10 in January and now 15st 3. I did this on weightwatchers points and cycling, but I didn't ride straight away, my first challenge was getting some wheels to hold my weight, factory built were no good. WW is very compatible with our sport, you can stack up on carbs for a ride and manage your diet accordingly.

By the way I had been on WW before and successfully lost weight, then put it on. I wasn't cycling though. This time has been significantly different and so are the foods I am eating. I subscribed on-line, no meetings. I don't believe I am eating anything different or less than a healthy person should.

Happy to help anyone looking at using WW and to provide my wealth of tips. To put something into perspective here, WW in my opinion is designed for low impact supplementary exercise. However I find myself riding 150 miles a week and still keeping within my point tolerance and never starving and never getting the knock.

I reckon there is still a lot for me to learn about my new diet and sure others have good tips too. Happy to share experiences.

Cheers

Ninebikes

Ditch Witch

I have so many issues with WW, I don't even know where to begin.


You, however, look like a spammer, so I guess everyone will be saved my rant

RockyHopperShow

I think I know where you are coming from DW. My Mother-in-law bangs on about WW and what she comes out with is mostly a load of tosh. Diets don't work - which is totally different to a healthy diet and more exercise, which do work.

nicklouse

Ditch Witch wrote:

I have so many issues with WW, I don't even know where to begin.


You, however, look like a spammer, so I guess everyone will be saved my rant

might not be

punctureboy

totally agree that ww is shite. my wife used to live on sweets and crisps, 90% of which were in the evening. she thought she was doing well and healthy because she was within her 'points'. we had many arguments!

SilverSenator

I tried WeightWatchers for about six months or so and they wouln't even advocate schemes such as the approved Walking for Health Initiative. One of the leaders was totally useless and couldn't give proper nutrional advice even though it was the kind of stuff a quick search on the internet would find!

WW? That equals Wantyer Wonga!

Eranu

Bloody hell so much hatred of WW.

I've lost close to 5 stone with weightwatchers and my wife has lost 3.5 stone we both find it really good. It's not a diet either, well I don't feel like I'm on a diet anyway, it makes you think about what your eating. Now you can eat what you like but if you can't work out for yourself that eating chocolate and crisps late a night isn't good for you then lets be honest thats not the fault of WW now is it.

I don't go to meetings so I can't comment about leaders etc but the website support is very clear about exercising and how it is an important part of weight loss and a heathier lifestyle. Before I did WW I ate pretty well, fresh fruit, veg, etc etc just too much of it and WW helped me and my wife lose alot of weight. I've still got a long way to go, another 4 stone to be precise and I think, that for me WW will get me there along with the cycling.

RockyHopperShow

The thing is Eranu, I feel that there is a wealth of free info, such as threads like this, where helpful people who have been there and done it will give you all the advice (usually better advice too) that you need rather than fill the coffers of WW. From what I've witnessed I wouldn't go near 'em but you seem quite happy so more power to your elbow.

-liam-

I lost loads of weight.

I didn't need to count points.;)

Eranu

The thing is all ww is, is a set of tools. They have done all the work for you in terms of calculating the points values of things and then adding a frame work around it. Now I am happy to pay for that and it works for me. If you have the time and the inclination to work it out yourself then great, I don't I have a demanding job, two kids, a wife etc etc so the less time I can spend worrying about fueling my body the better.

I sort of get your points but you can't knock ww, it does work and it works well without shakes, bars etc.

Ditch Witch

1. They tell you to only weigh yourself at meetings. Their reasoning? Well, your body weight can fluctuate by several pounds a day. Weighing yourself daily could mean that you become disheartened by the fluctuations. My argument: That is exactly the reason you SHOULD weigh yourself every day. Being super good all week then climbing on the scale to see a 2 lb gain is enough to make me want to clean out the fridge straight into my stomach. But if you know it's just a blip, then you'll move on. Weighing yourself daily teaches you about your body and how it reacts to different foods and exercises.

2. They only consider calories and fat on the points plan. Take coconut milk. A tin runs at 25 points due to being high in fat, yet it is, more and more, proving to be a super food, being anti viral, anti bacterial, anti-carcinogenic, lowers cholesterol, boosts immunity, etc, etc, They had the same opinion of avocados for years, too.

3. There are too many foods, like low fat dairy lea and those pasta'n'sauce things made with dehydrated sauces, that are given low points so people are encouraged to eat them. They are garbage and shouldn't be eaten. If you're going to have pasta, have the real thing made with a tomato based sauce. This and the fondness for artificially low fat foods when the world and their brother knows that if you remove the fat from something you have to put sugar in. If it's not sugar then it's artificial sweeteners. Also garbage. Basically, they care about weight, not health.

4. The Core plan: fine in theory, but encourages binge eating. You are forced to have 3 meals a day. There is too much literature in the athletic world that points to eating 5 or 6 small meals a day, yet, on the core plan, even core foods eaten outside of regular meal times have to be pointed. This means that taking prep and recovery foods before and after exercise costs you points.

5. They regularly espouse drinking 3 litres of water a day based on the fitness media misunderstanding of an oft misquoted study. What they neglect to mention is that this study says that most of the 1.5 litres of water you need comes from food. I guess they've never actually read it themselves. Scary.

6. By developing points, they're not teaching people about the true value of foods. You have to stay on WW for life.

7. They GROSSLY cut your calories. I once worked out that the 22 daily points I had worked out to about 1500 calories of ZERO FAT food. Add in any fat and the calories allowed dropped. I basically put into my little calculator how many points 1500 calories with no fat was and that's the figure I got. That is way too few calories. No wonder people lose 3 or 4 pounds in their first week then plateau shortly after.

8. If you exercise hard, like mountain biking or training for sprint triathlons, you're not allowed enough points from exercise. They set a maximum on the number of exercise points you're allowed to eat. Why?

All in all, too many problems for me.

Eranu

1. I do the same as you, but like I said I don't go to the meetings.

2. I would imagine drinking a can of coconut milk everyday would kind of defeat the object of trying losing weight. There are plenty of other "super foods" with low points values.

3. I agree to an extent with you here, but surely people can think/chose for themselves? Just because it's low in points doesn't mean you have to eat it.

4. No idea about the core plan, I don't do it.

5. Wrong.

6. Again people need to think for themsleves about what they are eating.

7. There are two ways to lose weight, 1. cut what your putting in 2. exercise of course they cut your calorie in take how else are going to lose weight?

8. Again wrong you can eat/bank ALL exercise points.

Eranu

BTW Ditch I'm not having a pop at you in my reply. I just don't agree with everything you say about WW. Everyone has different experiences, not everyone will get on with it and you seem to be doing well without it anyway.

Eranu

BTW Ditch I'm not having a pop at you in my reply. I just don't agree with everything you say about WW. Everyone has different experiences, not everyone will get on with it and you seem to be doing well without it anyway.

Eranu

BTW Ditch I'm not having a pop at you in my reply. I just don't agree with everything you say about WW. Everyone has different experiences, not everyone will get on with it and you seem to be doing well without it anyway.

Eranu

BTW Ditch I'm not having a pop at you in my reply. I just don't agree with everything you say about WW. Everyone has different experiences, not everyone will get on with it and you seem to be doing well without it anyway.

Eranu

BTW Ditch I'm not having a pop at you in my reply. I just don't agree with everything you say about WW. Everyone has different experiences, not everyone will get on with it and you seem to be doing well without it anyway.

Ditch Witch

I'm not going to get into an argument about this with you. Either be rational or don't talk about it.

1. You actually get told off by meeting leaders if you admit to weighing yourself daily. As you don't GO to meetings, you wouldn't know that.

2. I never said to have one a day. What did you hope to gain by saying that? You know what my point is yet choose to ignore it and make ridiculous statements instead.

3. They DON'T choose for themselves. It's low in points and tasty, so they eat it. Spend a few days on the WW boards and see for yourself.

5. Very helpful response. Sadly, you've not given any counter argument so I can't respond because I have no idea what you're disagreeing with and I'm not going to guess.

6. See point 3

7. You have heard of eating too little, haven't you? 1500 calories is too little for someone of 15 stone to be eating. That's almost 1000 calorie a day deficit.

8. No, you can't, unless they've changed it in the last 12 months. If so, then it's about bloody time.



I'm done with this conversation.

Eranu

nngh, Dell laptops!

Ditch Witch

Eranu wrote:

BTW Ditch I'm not having a pop at you in my reply. I just don't agree with everything you say about WW. Everyone has different experiences, not everyone will get on with it and you seem to be doing well without it anyway.

Fine, but try being a little less hostile in your responses.

Eranu

1. Yeah I like to do my own thing, I'm not one for being told what I can and can't do.

2. I sort of did but also said there were other options no examples I'll grant you but we all know what they are blueberrys, oats etc

3.That's not the fault of ww though is it unless your saying those food shouldn't be in there or should have penalty points values for being crap? People need to stop being sheep, think for themsleves, look at alternatives and prepare food from scratch. If I have pasta I make my own sauces from tomatoes as you said, there's nothing to stop others doing that apart from being lazy.

5. It's changed to 1.2 litres per day which to be fair most people probably drink anyway through tea/coffee etc.

7. I see your point but it has to be better, especially combined with exercise, than the Cambridge diet for example.

8. I assure you can do it and it must have changed since you were last on WW. One thing I find is that I'm never sure how accurate their points calculations for excerise are..

Ditch Witch

1. Me too

2. Sure, but i have the same argument about avocados and eggs. To not eat them purely because of fat content is like throwing the baby out with the bath water. They're all superfoods and people would do well to include them in their diets, but often don't because they mistakenly focus purely on fat content. Health HAS to take preference over size.

3. Well, it sort of is because they openly advocate eating these foods. I believe that any company that tells people how to eat has an obligation to advocate healthy eating, not just low fat eating. People DO need to stop being sheep which, in my experience, WW encourages people to be. Please don't take that as a cheap shot. It's not intended as a dig to you. It's based on my experience of the forums and meetings.

5. Well that's good to hear. It used to drive me potty on the forums with people going without food so they could fit in their 3 bloody litres of water a day. They'd get really down on the themselves for not being able to drink it all and THEN adding sugar free cordial (dear GOD) to it in order to be able to stomach it. The sooner that myth is dispelled, the better.

7. No, I don't agree. It is not safe nor healthy to eat too little. I've waxed lyrical in here many a time about the shocking things that happens to your body when you eat below your BMR. Your body starts to shut down "superfluous" processes, like skin and hair growth, AND begins to consume lean muscle tissue in order to keep your brain, heart and other vital organs working. To advocate a 1000 calorie a day deficit even before exercise is taken into consideration is, in my opinion, criminal and designed purely to show big losses early on then keep you feeling crap about yourself when you plateau quickly. Again, I think you're wise not to go to meetings because that is exactly what happens. It's so sad.

8. Again, good news and well overdue. It used to be a max of something like 35 points a week or something. For too long, exercise was considered an optional extra and I firmly believe that one cannot successfully maintain long term weight loss without exercise.


Basically, I've watched WW fail too many people. It's awesome while you lose weight in the early days but after that it all seems to fall apart. I don't think it's a lifestyle change that most people can live by. It's a business and they make money by people coming back.


Basically, imho opinion, there is no better way of losing weight than just getting out there and just doing stuff.

Eranu

Basically, imho opinion, there is no better way of losing weight than just getting out there and just doing stuff.

Absolutely, which is why I’m just about to chuck my bike in the car and go out for a couple of hours I felt I needed more than that to help me, I was over 22 stone and doing both has really helped me get my weight down. Still a long way to go but I feel sooo much better than I did.

Ditch Witch

It's incredible how much difference it makes, isn't it? Go have fun

RockyHopperShow

(pops head over parapet) DW....enlighten me, what's wrong with mixing low-sugar/sugar-free cordial into water? I drink Robinsons Lemon or Lemon Barley Water all the time. Am I really doing something daft. I thought it made sense....a bit. :oops:

hoponbaby

if you have the time to write numerous posts on bike radar then you have the time to look up other websites to gather the correct free nutritional advice..then maybe the money you give to ww can be spent on your family..i work in a factory with a load of women and a lot of them are on the ww diet..yeah they have lost weight but they could knock me out with their bingo wings!!! they all sit their cereal bars that they think is healthy because it says low fat on the wrapper and if a big company says its healthy then it must be..and then they scoff at me as i munch my way through chicken wholegrain past and peppers..sayin your muscle will turn to fat when you stop training haha!!!

cant think of a reason i'd recommend ww to anyone!! god all this typing has got me hungry i'm away for a protein shake and i think i'll have a scoop of peanut butter with it to slow down how quickly it absorbs in my stomach therefor stopping my insulin levels from spiking to far..yummy

tyax

My OH has so far successfully lost 44% of her bodyweight over a period of 2 years doing WW. She can't "just get out there and do stuff" thanks to chronic neuromuscular illness that has left her disabled, so from that evidence I have seen first hand that for some people it most definitely can work, provided you have the willpower to stick by it. And no she doesn't go hungry, and she eats a healthy diet with lots of fruit and veg. And yes she eats eggs

As people have mentioned, a combination of eating well and exercise is the way forward, but it has to be a sustained change in lifestyle. If you do any kind of diet thinking "yay, in three months I can eat chips, chocolate, crisps and cheese again...." then you are doing it wrong :P

However as DW stated it IS a business, and some WW Leaders are more ruthless that others in pointing their charges to WW branded foods. My OH's isn't like that at all, she always points out the supermarket own brand alternatives to WW stuff, and encourages people to look at fat/calorie content for themselves, instead of relying on points being displayed on the packaging. As long as you're cynical enough, it could work for you. I accept that WW alone isn't a complete solution for most people, my OH is the exception to the rule

Incidentally I think the Core Plan has been binned, probably for some of the reasons DW stated.

Anyone seen the LighterLife diet? Now that's pretty scary/dangerous stuff :shock: A friends OH tried it despite the protests of her GP who told her it was basically crazy. She did lose weight successfully, but had to take time off work sick as she was so weak :roll:

andyonwight

I did WW last year on thier points based system. Managed to lose 1st in the 1st six weeks. After that nothing at the time I was also in the gym, swimming, playing badminton and cycling about 5 miles a day.

I was actually eating more than I would have normally before starting it (supposed to eat around 32 points worth of food) Kept at it for nearly 2 months before getting really dispondant. Now I just eat sensibily and exercise, the weight is still the same at the moment but I feel happy with myself.

rhyko7

why pay someone to watch your weight?
use common sense, eat fatty high calorie food and without regular exercise, dont be surprised if you get fat. nuf said