Why isn't Weight Watchers working for me?

Pretty_In_Pink · 05-05-2008, 04:15 PM

About four weeks ago I joined WW and was really excited to get going with it. Now, I feel really down, unmotivated and realize yet again that something is not working for me. I have been diligent about following my 27 point allotment, only using a few of the "bonus" 35 points maybe once per week. Even then, I have only dipped into them by about 5 points total. Outside of that, I'm getting about 17 activity points per week, but that is straight exercise and not counting other things like housework, gardening, etc. I should probably add those in, but I've always felt so weird about counting 2 hours of housework as exercise!

Either way, in the last few weeks of WW, I've GAINED three pounds. I simply don't know what to say. I have been so good about watching my diet and getting some sort of physical exercise five times per week, but once again I'm seeing nothing. The first two weeks I gained I figured it could just be an adjustment to the diet, but now it seems apparent something is just not going well.

I am so discouraged. I have tried so many things, and nothing seems to give me real results. I gained 90lbs in about four months thanks to stupid PCOS, and now six to seven years later, I still can't get this weight off. I'm 22 years old, 5'1 and a size 14. I guess I just don't get why nothing is giving me results.

WHAT should I do? I'm going to increase my exercise this week to see if that helps, making sure I get a solid 25-30 points. But what else? I feel like I have a failure of a body. Is it too much to ask to be a healthy size eight?!

toriamae · 05-05-2008, 05:02 PM

That sounds so frustrating!
Are using your activity points?
Do you drink enough water?
Are you weighing and measuring every bite?
About your exercise: do you incorporate strength training as part of your routine? What is your heart rate like when you exercise? How many minutes per day does it come out to?

I don't claim to be the expert by a long shot, but when my weight loss stalls/plateaus, these are the questions I ask myself to trouble shoot. Hope you find them helpful!

kirvygerl · 05-05-2008, 05:08 PM

I'm sorry you're discouraged. It's so frustrating to be following a program and not see results.

A couple of things came to mind when I was reading your post.

1. Are you IR or diabetic? If so, you may want to use your points for lower GI/carb options. I've noticed with WW that since there's a fiber component, starches/breads/carb products tend to be lower in points since the fiber reduces the overall point value.

2. Are you sure you're eating enough? The additional 35 points that are available to you each week aren't just necessarily "bonus" points. You may want to experiment with adding in a few of those 35 points each day in high quality, nutrient rich foods and see if that makes a difference.

3. Have you taken your measurments, or are your clothes fitting differently? If so, you may not see the scale move right away, but your measurments may be changing. Also, are you lifting weights? If you do, you may be gaining muscle mass (which is great for everyone, but especially important for those with IR)- which weighs more than fat.

4. What's your salt/sodium intake like? Are you eating a lot of canned/processed food? If so, you may be retaining water weight. Increasing your water intake and focusing on eating foods that are as close to their natural state as possible could help.

I wish you the best!

svaldez · 05-05-2008, 05:20 PM

I had the same exact problem with WW. I was doing it for abt 2 months (just recently stopped). I was following the program, staying in my points, using a few extra points out of the 35, but not every week, getting exercise all of my water, etc and I gained 5 pounds in those 2 months.

I just started seeing a nutritionist because I am in the lap band program and she told me it wasn't working for me because with the IR I need to eat different, as Kirvygerl said in the previous post.

Sharon

sarahgmac · 05-05-2008, 05:38 PM

I do not lose weight on regular WW. (I also gain weight on it) You can try switching to their CORE program as that is the better carbs. Or you can eat better carbs with your portions for WW.(whole grain breads, whole grain pastas, no white carbs) Also if you are IR, you might want to take cinnamon (the natural way to help with it) or go to the dr and get metformin (glucophage). It is super hard for me to lose weight without the glucophage because I am very insulin resistant.

marsalilass · 05-05-2008, 05:42 PM

Wow! I'm sorry you're so discouraged. WWers isn't for everyone, but there are some things to consider before giving up on the program completely. Try eating ALL your points and see what happens. You may not be eating enough. I tried not using my "extra" points at the begining and didn't lose, once I started eating every single point available to me (APs AND the "extras") I started losing better. I don't lose FAST, but I lose. My average loss has been less than 1/2 lb per week, but that's better than I've ever done before so I'll take it!

Also, make sure you're following the healthy guidelines. Get all 5 svgs of fruits and veggies, 2 dairy servings, 2 oil servings, all of your water, eat whole grains and lean proteins etc. Do NOT rely on snack-type foods to fill your points.

One thing I also do because I know I'm IR, is to make sure I have a serving of protein at every meal. I also eat 5-6 small meals instead of 3 large ones.

I hope some of this helps.

August · 05-05-2008, 06:48 PM

I'm sorry to hear of your frustration!

Perhaps one week (or so) is not enough time to really tell if this is something that you might be successful with - or might be successful with with some modifications geared towards the problems of PCOS and Possibly IR. The three pounds on the scale could just be a short term weight fluctuation and not a true indication of how WW is working for you - I assume that you spent some money for the program for a certain period of time - it might be worth it to see what could be done to make WW work for you rather than just give up on it right away --- although I don't believe in sticking it out with a looser for too long so you might also be thinking in the back of your mind what will be your back up diet if you decide that WW is not for you.

May I ask are you doing a going to meetings program or an online program? This is just my opinion but I think that a lot of the value of weight watchers is in the meetings and the support. I think that there likely is something valuable to be gained from attending WW meetings.

I have the impression that with the "points system" that weight watchers has gone to that it is possiible (especially if you have a metabolic condition like PCOS or IR) to stay within your allotted points but still go astray nutritionally. The points system might be a good place to start but you might need to go further - as mentioned before the GI (gylcemic index) might be something that you need to pay more attention to. Here are some more thoughts - eat as low processed as you can, eat more of your allotted points/food in the form of non-starchy vegetables. Balance your carbs out with some lean protein and some healthy fats at each meal.snack - get more fiber, eat smaller meals/snacks but more often, drink lots of water, try wearing a pedometer - use some of the online WW resources to find women with PCOS who are having success with WW (and also search PCOS sites for info on making WW work well for someone with PCOS).

Quote:

I gained 90lbs in about four months thanks to stupid PCOS, and now six to seven years later, I still can't get this weight off. I'm 22 years old, 5'1 and a size 14. I guess I just don't get why nothing is giving me results.

Have you had a serious talk with your doctor about the sudden weight gain and the difficulty loosing? Do you have blood work done occasionally for things like thyroid and insulin and sex hormones? You might want to read "Women, Weight and Hormones" By Dr Vliet (she also has at least one PCOS book) - if you are not getting the response that you think you should from your doctor -she might even be one to consider - her website is www.herplace.com.

You might also want to read the Beck Diet - as an adjunct to any diet/eating plan that you choose to follow - it should be helpful in learing to deal with frustrations and set backs and helps it it helpful for staying on and stay on track with the diet of your choice.

KatCarney · 05-05-2008, 06:49 PM

Depending on 'when' you weigh, the numbers on the scale might not be telling the whole story - that's why it's not a bad idea to weigh in every day for at least a month, or two, so you can see the relationship between what you eat (high sodium foods), hydration levels, lower body workouts (which ALWAYS spike the scale the next day, pms, etc...

Quote:

I'm getting about 17 activity points per week

What does that mean in literal terms?

julia_sometimes · 05-06-2008, 12:24 PM

I had tried WW a couple of years ago with a friend and wasn't successful on it -- for me, it was too much work and didn't make sense for my lifestyle. And I think, somehow, within the system I was still making unhealthy choices, which led me to realize recently looking back on it that for me my problem was that I didn't have the right mindset to be successful (I wasn't ready to lose weight). Do you go to the meetings? Maybe the counselors might have some tips. but don't get discouraged! (and be sure to drink lotsa water

)You can totally reach your goals!

myselfsm · 05-06-2008, 03:50 PM

I did WW last year and I lost a few lbs. I found for me if I ate all my points and the extra 35 points I would gain weight. If I stayed within my points I might loose 1/2 lb or maintain. I was going to meetings and using their etools. After a year I was very discouraged and unhappy.

I've since been to a nutritionist and she recommended watching my carbs. This has made a big difference for me.

I like WW and if I wasn't IR I'm sure it would work. You may want to try doing their Core program instead of the Flex program.

JosieFB · 05-06-2008, 04:38 PM

WW used to say if you are having trouble losing weight on their program or have plateaued, try eliminating foods that contain refined sugar. Even their own WW desserts have sugar in them, so you should avoid those too. You don't necessarily have to give it up forever, but to jumpstart your weight loss. I lost weight on WW a long time ago before they started the points program. Back then it was like the diabetic diet - 2 dairy, 2-3 starches, 6 oz protein, 2-3 fruits, 2-3 fats, unlimited non-starchy veggies but at least 2 cups a day, 64 oz water. I was very young and working out like crazy, so I'm sure that helped. These days, that diet would be too high in carbs and too low in protein for me.

Jilconmom · 05-06-2008, 05:06 PM

I'm on the core program and love it. I've done both, points and core, but I find that the points (flex) allows me too much leeway in the amount I eat in carbs. Core makes you more accountable. You can have the occasional sweet or bread, but you have to take it out of your 35 weekly points. I'm forced to eat more protein, veggies and fruit, rather than loading up on, for instance, birthday cake and eating nothing but salad for the rest of the day. I was scared of Core for a long time, but now I don't think I'll ever go back to flex.

I also think you may not be eating enough. If you're not eating your 35 and then working out and earning another 17 activity points on top of that, your body may be going into starvation mode or something.

KatCarney · 05-06-2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jilconmom

...your body may be going into starvation mode or something.

Articles about starvation mode:

WEIGHT WATCHERS ARTICLE: There is no such thing as starvation mode!

ARTICLE: Starvation Mode and Weight Loss.....Myth or Fact?

lovinlifetc · 05-07-2008, 11:15 AM

Dear Pretty in Pink,

I don't have any suggestions because I am going through the exact same thing right now. I actually came on today to post about it and ask if anyone else felt the same way. I started ww about two months ago. Intially I lost 10 pounds, but haven't lost any in the past three weeks! And I have made a huge effort the past couple of weeks to eat my fruits and veggies. I am totally discouraged, especially when my mom is on it and she loses 2-3 lbs per week. I am like what the...UGH...because I am 27 I should be able to lose just as much as her! I dont use any of my extra points at all. I know I could lose quicker if I counted calories 1000 per day, but I wanted to do WW because only eating that many calories is really hard and I can't last long on it and gain the weight back, so I figured WW was something I can live with.

What is really discouraging to me is I see all these good decisions I am making, like saying no to things and choosing better foods when out, and I am still not loosing.

I am at the point that now I don't know what to do, so I decided to cut back my points from 26 to 23. I figured maybe since I have pcos I have to eat less then others to get results. So thats what I am trying. Who knows? Keep in touch with me....I am so overwhelmed.....I actually could cry about it! I had a baby seven months ago and have lost that weight but the clothes that fit me at this exact weight before dont fit me now cause my body is shaped differently, I have no money, and I have like 3 things that fit. I want the weight gone!!! So depressing..................

Goodluck, let me know how your doing.

KatCarney · 05-07-2008, 05:40 PM

Lovelifetc, how many calories are you actually eating?

Do you literally weigh and measure your portion sizes? Years ago, WW used to have people weigh their food. They got away from it (because people didn't like to do it), but I HIGHLY recommend getting a food scale, if you're doing a DIY program like WW.

Target sells digital food scales for around $30. You put the food on it, type in the code for that particular food, and then the scale tells you how many calories, fat grams, etc...

A food scale can also help you save money, by measuring out single portions of meats and other foods. It's also very eye opening to really 'see' what a single portion is.

I'd also highly recommend measuring out things like salad dressing, too. Even cream added to coffee... It all adds up!