Weight Watchers Freestyle Program- PLEASE SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE

[Anonymous]

The thing I notice with Freestyle is maintenance is much easier for me. Maintenance has always been my Waterloo. But it's a lot easier now that I can throw some eggs in a pan, have some yogurt and fruit when I'm hungry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DP here who just started Freestyle: I just had my first session with a coach and was pressing her a bit on whether people actually lose on Freestyle, because it absolutely is possible to overeat the zero points foods. The coach did not articulate the behavior change theory that PP did (which is fascinating) but I could tell the coach did not love Freestyle and did not have a lot of weight loss success stories to share. I feel like it works if your habits are really bad to start, but I don't know if it will work for me.

I would say 60% of my current (overweight) diet is zero points foods -- I eat pretty well, I just eat too much. And, my current habits leave me a lot of points for chocolate and wine. The coach said I really need to focus on whether I feel full ... but I don't need WW to do that so I am skeptical. I paid for a month of coaching and I see coaching as the real value here (vs the plan) so I will give it an honest try.

I’m the behavior change specialist PP. I eat pretty well, too, but (so far) am finding Freestyle is working for me, I think because I was eating a lot of olive oil and dairy fat and grass fed beef. So this is a change, and I think sometimes it’s just changing SOMETHING helps. If you were already eating what Freestyle encourages I can see how you’d have no progress. What I’ve found is that all those free foods are ones we normally eat with fats or sugars. That chicken is usually sautéed with oil, and the roasted Brussels sprouts are cooked with oil, and fat-free plain yogurt really wants some honey. If you remove the fats and sugars the foods lose their hyper palatability and you are less likely to over eat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP here who just started Freestyle: I just had my first session with a coach and was pressing her a bit on whether people actually lose on Freestyle, because it absolutely is possible to overeat the zero points foods. The coach did not articulate the behavior change theory that PP did (which is fascinating) but I could tell the coach did not love Freestyle and did not have a lot of weight loss success stories to share. I feel like it works if your habits are really bad to start, but I don't know if it will work for me.

I would say 60% of my current (overweight) diet is zero points foods -- I eat pretty well, I just eat too much. And, my current habits leave me a lot of points for chocolate and wine. The coach said I really need to focus on whether I feel full ... but I don't need WW to do that so I am skeptical. I paid for a month of coaching and I see coaching as the real value here (vs the plan) so I will give it an honest try.

Yes, this was my problem, too. I can and do overeat "healthy" foods, including the zero point foods. I gained on this program, and quickly. I'm glad it's working for others, but I wish that WW gave you the option of staying with previous programs that focused as much on portion control.

I'm thinking of joining but I have a real problem with portion control. I am new vegan (formerly a vegetarian born and raised) and I can easily overdo it on rice, eggs when I was vegetarian, etc. But I like WW a lot (have lost weight before about 30 pounds before kids) so I'm trying to talk myself into joining again. I suppose one could self-regulate with zero-point foods even though the program doesn't ask you to? Is anyone doing this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DP here who just started Freestyle: I just had my first session with a coach and was pressing her a bit on whether people actually lose on Freestyle, because it absolutely is possible to overeat the zero points foods. The coach did not articulate the behavior change theory that PP did (which is fascinating) but I could tell the coach did not love Freestyle and did not have a lot of weight loss success stories to share. I feel like it works if your habits are really bad to start, but I don't know if it will work for me.

I would say 60% of my current (overweight) diet is zero points foods -- I eat pretty well, I just eat too much. And, my current habits leave me a lot of points for chocolate and wine. The coach said I really need to focus on whether I feel full ... but I don't need WW to do that so I am skeptical. I paid for a month of coaching and I see coaching as the real value here (vs the plan) so I will give it an honest try.

Yes, this was my problem, too. I can and do overeat "healthy" foods, including the zero point foods. I gained on this program, and quickly. I'm glad it's working for others, but I wish that WW gave you the option of staying with previous programs that focused as much on portion control.

I'm thinking of joining but I have a real problem with portion control. I am new vegan (formerly a vegetarian born and raised) and I can easily overdo it on rice, eggs when I was vegetarian, etc. But I like WW a lot (have lost weight before about 30 pounds before kids) so I'm trying to talk myself into joining again. I suppose one could self-regulate with zero-point foods even though the program doesn't ask you to? Is anyone doing this?

The freestyle 0-point foods are ONLY fruit, veg, and pure protein. So unless you're going to truly gorge on apples, plain lettuce, beans with no fat, and hard boiled eggs, I think you might do ok!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:


I'm thinking of joining but I have a real problem with portion control. I am new vegan (formerly a vegetarian born and raised) and I can easily overdo it on rice, eggs when I was vegetarian, etc. But I like WW a lot (have lost weight before about 30 pounds before kids) so I'm trying to talk myself into joining again. I suppose one could self-regulate with zero-point foods even though the program doesn't ask you to? Is anyone doing this?

Zero does not mean free. I’ve heard the advice of zero for one reasonable serving like two eggs or 1 banana, not 3 and if you want to eat more than one serving count points for the other.

Join our vegetarian/vegan group on Facebook and read the advice there. I’ve found it more helpful than other groups. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1403320953071699/

I’m down 80+ pounds so far.

[Anonymous]

I’m 6 weeks in and down just over 10 lbs. I’d like to lose 25-30 more. I am not exercising and I don’t find the eating restrictive or difficult. I’m following the plan as-is and not changing anything until it stops working- like I’m not counting 0 pt foods in any amount, I’m also fasting, etc. I have found it really helpful for meal planning to think ahead and so far I’m pleased.
I did the 3 month digital only commitment and so far I’m very happy.

[Anonymous]

10 lb PP here, here’s a typical day for me:
Breakfast: large iced coffee with 1/2 a premier protein drink and 3 tbsp sugar free vanilla creamer- 2 pts. (I used to do sugar free creamer and milk pre-WW)
Lunch: I cook on Sunday night for the whole week of work lunches and pack them up in Tupperware. I’m a teacher. I do a cauliflower rice stir fry like fried rice with scrambled egg, chicken breast, broccoli, snow peas, green peas, cabbage, a few cloves of garlic and a total of 1 tbsp oil and some low salt soy sauce. That’s 1 pt per serving and I add 4 Trader Joe’s chicken cilantro wontons for another 1 pt. Then I have fruit on the side, either berries, watermelon, 2 clementines, grapes, etc. so my lunch is 2 pts.
When I get gone I am hungry so I have a half turkey sandwich for 2 pts, using 647 bread, a laughing cow light cheese, and 0 pt deli turkey.
So until dinner I’ve had 6 pts out of my 23 for the day.
Dinner is usually a lean protein (0 pts) with maybe some added oil 1-3 pts, and a veggie side (1 pt for oil to roast or sauté) and some fruit.so depending dinner can be about 8 pts if I also have some starch or spaghetti sauce or whatever. I have a family so I try to modify what I normally make for them.
I always have an enlightened yogurt bar for dessert for 3 pts, and I usually roll over 2-4 pts to my weekly bank. I save my weeklies until Saturday and eat a meal that I want to then.