Does Weight Watchers work for you

[Anonymous]

HI. Not sure I am in the correct forum. I am 56 years old..well past menopause. I picked up about 30 pounds since marriage and want to lose it. I don't look terrible because I am tall and carry around almost 170 pounds, but well, a size 10 sure would be a nice size to wear again.

Anyway, I began Weight Watchers two weeks ago. Have only lost 3 pounds. I exercise 4 days per week and don't even use up all of my fit points and extra points.

Am I not losing because of menopause? Is it just really, really tough to lose weight when you are menopausal??

I feel like an anomaly- weight watchers doesn't even seem to work for me!

[Anonymous]

3 pounds in two weeks is working! The weight may not be falling off like a piece of lead, but if you can consistently lose 1.5-2 pounds a week you are doing well.

You want sustainable weight loss. If you lose it all at once, you can easily gain it back all at once.

[Anonymous]

Three pounds in two weeks isn't bad - it's working so just keep at it.

I would make sure to use all my fit points though.

[Anonymous]

I used to love WW when the original points program first came out. I liked it so much that I went to work for WW after losing 30 lbs. (I no longer work for them) I hate their new program. It's too low in fat for me. I was starving all the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:3 pounds in two weeks is working! The weight may not be falling off like a piece of lead, but if you can consistently lose 1.5-2 pounds a week you are doing well.

You want sustainable weight loss. If you lose it all at once, you can easily gain it back all at once.

Plus, it is harder for post-menopausal women to lose weight. I have been trying hard -eating 1000 calories fewer than what Fitbit and My Fitness Pal tell me I can eat to maintain and I am losing one pound a week (they are off by about 500 calories a day and there is no way to change it). Twelve weeks in and I am down about 12 pounds. I am much more active, average about 12,500 steps, and am doing some core strengthening. My goal is 30-50 pounds.

You need to be prepared for the long haul- not just a quick fix.

[Anonymous]

Instead of counting calories like WW's does, eat more of a whole diet - fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, a little bit of high quality meat - and eliminate sugar, bread, pasta, alcohol. I know it's easier said then done, but it works.

[Anonymous]

I wish they had a more personal accountability program, when I attend meetings it seems focused on the most vocal members attending and I lose interest. I would pay for one on one.

[Anonymous]

Keep in mind too that you didn't put it on in a few months, and it won't come off that way. 3 pounds in two weeks is really, really good!

What kind of time frame were you hoping for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I used to love WW when the original points program first came out. I liked it so much that I went to work for WW after losing 30 lbs. (I no longer work for them) I hate their new program. It's too low in fat for me. I was starving all the time.

PP here. FWIW, what I use now is the myfitnesspal app (free version) connected to my fitbit. I try to eat whole, unprocessed food. I do have a sweet tooth which is why I need to monitor my eating. With the myfitnesspal/fitbit set up, I can work in some of those foods (in moderation) without weight gain.

[Anonymous]

If you can lose a pound a week without starving yourself and can stick with it you will be in great shape a must a few months. Stay with it.

[Anonymous]

WW worked for me once but it was too much work for me to sustain and I started to rebounded after about 1 year. Next time I resolved to lose weight 10 years down the road, I couldn't stand the thought of slow and steady so I did Ideal Protein and lost 10 lbs a month. So far it has been easier to maintain and I don't feel deprived. Long way to say, once I found the right program for me, the fact that I am now past menopause did not mean it was harder to lose weight.

[Anonymous]

It's worked for my mom in terms of losing weight. She no longer eats cow, and eats at weird times of day and then acts like everyone who eats three meals a day is weird, but she lost about 100 pounds doing Weight Watchers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's worked for my mom in terms of losing weight. She no longer eats cow, and eats at weird times of day and then acts like everyone who eats three meals a day is weird, but she lost about 100 pounds doing Weight Watchers.

I just want to add she started WW after she had gone through menopause.

[Anonymous]

It worked from the calories counting perspective and learned how many calories were in restaurant food. On the minus side, it pushed eating dairy and I doubled my intake. Lost twenty pounds but swelled so badly you could not tell, turned out I am allergic to milk protein. Lost 40 pounds cutting out dairy, gluten and sugar.

[Anonymous]

I'm 57. I've lost 32 lbs since September 2016. I exercise a lot but have had some slips here and there. But I haven't been hungry and as long as it keeps trending downward I'm happy. I'd like to lose another 23 lbs.