Weight Watchers - Los Angeles,CA

It TOTALLY works. I lost a TON of baby weight after my 1st child and totally recommend it. The key to this program is to follow the point system. It does take some discipline, but you can truly make the program what you want it to be. I did the online version and loved it. I could look up specific foods and recipes online and found it to be very useful. Hope it works well for you.

Hi, to answer your questions: 1) points are different from calories because they are calculated based on fat, fiber, protein, and carb content. Points are easier (at least for me) to count than calories. 2) When you do WW online, you have access to all features of the website, including tracking, recipe building, points calculator, etc. This is very helpful if, like me, you don't like writing everything down and prefer the ease of using the computer. 3) Yes, WW works, for me and everyone else I've talked to who commits to it and sticks with it! It is not a diet, and it is not quick weight loss. The average weight loss is a steady 1-2 pounds a week if you follow the plan. The best thing about it is that you don't have to buy their food - rather, it teaches you how to make healthier choices and substitutions for the foods you already eat. It stresses eating less and moving more, which I think most would agree is the only proven way to lose weight and keep it off. I go to the meetings because I enjoy the support from real live people - and a side benefit is that I have met some great people there and actually look forward to going every week! I have been on it just over a year now, have reached my goal, and am now trying to maintain (which I think is actually harder than losing!). I would highly recommend it. Good luck :)

Another website is www.myfitnesspal.com which is free. I tried WW online for a couple of months and wasted my money. This is much easier and free to boot.

I lost 70 pounds in 9 months using this site. I did get pregnant but now I have lost all the pregnancy weight in 1 year going back to this site. It does take a lot of determination but there are groups you can join to hold yourself accountable in the chat section.

go to www.sparkpeople.com. like weight watchers but its free. i paid for online WW and after a few days i switched to sparkpeople. they have great weightloss stories and great blogs and recipes.

I love Weight Watchers. I used the on line program to calculate points, diary food, track progress, get recipes. Once you've used it for awhile, you pretty much know the points in something. Like any other diet program, even calorie counting, you have to spend your points (or calories) wisely which means little bags of cookies that are 100 calories are not going to help you at all because you will be hungry again in 15 minutes. I think Weight Watchers gives you a better basis for understanding nutrition and healthy eating than many other commercial weight loss programs, though. Good luck!

1. Its different than counting calories, its a formula of things designed to work. If something is very high in fiber, its ok if its higher in calories. So, just counting calories makes you HUNGRY and hard to stick to.

2. I have never bought any ww foods, ever. I eat my own food. I have never gone to a meeting. WW teaches you how to eat your own food, and you even know what to order at a restaurant so you can still go out to eat. Yes, you will be paying $17.95 for their online tools, which the information you can get online is endless, trust me its worth it. It calculates your points for you, and keeps track of what your eating.

3. It DOES work. With my last baby, I gained 45 lbs, I lost it all and then some on WW. I lost it all within 4-6 months (cant remember how long it took). I just had a baby 3 weeks ago. The first week I lost 25 lbs on my own (water weight probably). But in the last two weeks on WW I have lost about 9 lbs.

P.S. Let me know if you have any questions.

I haven't read the other responses so I may be repeating but Weight Watchers is great! It is the only thing that works for me. Counting points is different from counting calories because it takes into consideration the amount of fat, fiber, protein and carbohydrates in everything you eat. You can have 2 things with the same calories but one is healthy and one is completely bad for you. WW teachers you to make healthy choices and eat in moderation but they allow for eating anything you want. Writing everything down helps keep you in check. You can eat more healthy food and you can lose weight but they give you extra points each week of you want to have some cake or cookies or if you're going to a party and you want to eat whatever you want for that day. If you can find a meeting somewhere in your area I recommend going. The meetings help you keep motivated and they give you tips for the best way to use your points. If you do it on line you are paying for the tools. However, I was told that some insurance companies have a deal with Weight Watchers and you can get a discount for Weight Watchers on line if your insurance company participates. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Try sparkpeople.com instead. It's FREE.
You can count those calories online or with an app on your phone and there are lots of recipes, articles, support groups and more and it's all FREE - so you don't have to pay for it.
And even better it encourages healthy eating - so you can track the fat, protein, carbs - and anything else that concerns you - sugar, cholesterol, etc.
I LOVE it!!!!

My sis has had success on WW. She's lost 22 lbs (she's been a member less than a year, but not sure how long) and uses the online tracking tools with her ipad or something. She has told me that the best part for her has been making herself aware of what she is eating and her diet being more balanced than before, and also that she eats more than she used to, just the "right" stuff. She did note that a lot of the support group options are for people who eat to deal with stress or have sugar addictions and that she doesn't see herself in those categories.

It never worked for me. Doing yoga for an hour a day slimmed me down. I gave up on dieting years ago because it is such a yo-yo take it off/ put it back.
Weight watchers was a waste of time and because I eat organic food their food isn't what I want.

Hello! I work part-time for weight watchers. Lost my weight....twice, cause I fell off the wagon so to speak. Those meetings are designed to accountability. It's much easier to stick with it if you're getting on a scale and posting your weight each week. The reason I had to lose the weight, twice, was because I stopped going to the meetings. It's a lifestyle change and once it's become a lifestyle, the weight is easy to keep off. Just habits, like everything else. Counting points is easier for me. Once you learn what you can eat, it's a no-brainer. Once you've lost the weight, you become a lifetime member and there is no monthly fee. It's free as long as you show up once a month to weigh and maintain your goal weight. And yes, it works, it is healthy eating too. You learn to eat real food, be accountable and how to deal with day-to-day challenges. Best of luck to you!!

Love it and works great. I can't think of anything else then the point system. Counting calories , I have heard, does work too......but maybe you get less of the goodies you crave ? idk. I think each type of thing works different for others. I did not do well online because I needed a jump start of accountability of someone weighing me and the meetings were good at first to get the inside scoop of all the things that you could find in the grocery store, like the type of bread, cheese, tort, chips, crackers that are low in points to help your fix of salt or whatever. But each their own. I think it is a great program, I have done it twice in my life and was very successful and really trying to stay on track for the goal and be in it for all time now..... It was the easiest thing I could do and a lifestyle change for me.

I am a personal trainer. What I don't like about this system is that you can eat anything as long as it doesn't put you over your points. That's fine if you don't care about your health.
It is much better to eat the right foods. When you eat for health, weight control comes naturally.
Eliminate meat, dairy, white flour, and sugar. Eat 6-9 servings of fruits and veggies per day. You won't have to count calories.

I cannot answer all of your questions because I do not directly participate in the program, however I can give you a testimonial.
1. Not sure about the difference in points vs calories except the program is trying to teach you how to pick power foods and fruits and vegetables which are often "free or zero" points. If you were counting calories you often have to add numbers for even these power foods.
2. My mom does the online version but also attends meetings. She likes the combo of both because going to the meetings makes her even a little more accountable and she likes the interpersonal relationships she develops.
3. Yes! It definitely works :) She has lost 20 pounds in a relatively short amount of time and is looking and feeling better than ever. As a result of her doing the program I have totally changed my eating habits too. I often cook up weight watchers recipes I find online and my mom and I share recipes too. I was not actively trying to lose weight but have lost 8 pounds just by changing my eating habits.

I love the websites: http://www.laaloosh.com and http://www.skinnytaste.com

Like Deland, I use www.sparkpeople.com. It's totally free & I lost 31 lbs using it. You choose how you want to use it, like any other diet program. If you follow it you will do good, if you don't, you won't. Good luck!