Just Started Weight Watchers but on My Own

Hi M.,

Just wanted to second what Tracey said, especially the part about filling up on protein rather than carbs...I also snack on (small amounts of) nuts.

Also wanted to congratulate you and wish you well on becoming healthier--you can absolutely do this, even without joining something or spending money. You are going to feel GREAT.

As far as starting to exercise, I would just start walking a little right after dinner, when you feel full...Gradually increase the distance and you will find that walking alone is great for losing weight. You don't have to run a marathon ; ) right?

Have fun and happy spring!

M., I just use the etools, I didnt sign up for the meetings and such because I would never go to one.
I pay $18 a month for ww etools and it is WELL worth it.

When I have more time I will come back and answer all of your questions, but long story short I have lost all my baby weight from WW. 3 kids = a total of 150 lb weight loss, not all at once, 50 lbs each kid. :) I know, Im awesome.....

You can do it! And it happens FAST. Thats what keeps me so motivated. It really works. Not just being skinny, just overall being healthy. Now, if I could stop my other bad habits I would be doing pretty good!

You will be really hungry for the first week, and then your stomach will start to shrink and will get filled up much faster. Protein is your friend!

I had the same problem last year when I did it myself. Meetings really are not for me and do not motivate me. What I found is having the normal meals within my range and then a small snack in between-like an apple, yogurt or low calorie snack bar. I also did not deprive myself. I looked for a sweet that would fit in. I cannot remember which one but I found a cookie that I could have 2 or 3 and still stay within my points--and not use the extra. YAY.

This is what I have learned about my body. Eating carbs makes me hungry. It's a vicious cycle. I eat something carbilicious and am full and satisfied. The next thing you know, I'm craving more carbs. I've literally left a fast food place full and had fast food places catch my eye on the way home!

I figured this out when I went on a low carb diet. The 1st thing I noticed on day 2 of eating no processed carbs, was I was not hungry at all. What a relief that is!

I have noticed that eating protien and fiber keeps me full. When I cheat and have some bad carbs, immediately afterword I start craving more and I'm so hungry the next day. So, one cheat turns into 3. You may be differant. I've of course figured all this out by paying close attention to my body. Now, I realize that for me, I have to strictly limit bad carbs and eat alot of fiber and protien.

This is what my typical day looks like and I've lost 15 lbs fairly easily.

breakfast - egg, cheese, and veggie omelet. really good with a slice of ham cut up in it. Sometimes I switch it up and add salsa and jalapenos.
snack - handful of almonds or mixed nuts
lunch - giant salad of mixed baby greens or baby spinach greens with a grilled chicken breast sliced on top.
snack - a sliced avaocado and tomatoe with salt and pepper
dinner, I make lean meat and veggies. Salmon or tilapia filet with string beens or baked or grilled chicken or stir fry. I just don't put any of the rice or noodles on my plate that I make for the fam.
When I want a sweet drink I have green tea or regular iced tea sweetened with Sweet n Low
for cravings - I have sugar free candy - the peppermint patties and turtles are wonderful! That's the only food I have been eating that is processed besides a llittle processed sandwhich meat.

I'm never hungry or feeling deprived. I don't even really cut my portions down on purpose. I'm full alot quicker.

Try it for a couple days. Don't eat anything fried, boxed, pre-pakaged, nothing with sugar in it. Check all labels for carbs. I wouldn't worry about naturally occuring carbs in fruit and vegetables. Just the bad sugar and starch. Still do the points thing, but get your points from protien and fiber no sugar or starch. I bet you will be much less hungry within a few days.

I have lost 17 lbs since mid January and wear a size 4 or 6. I don't count calories and I eat when I am hungry. I have never felt as full and satisfied as I do now. I did it by primarly cutting simple carbs. I cut all junk food out of my diet (no chips, cake, cookies, ice cream etc.). I increased my protein and fat. (I even eat bacon). I do eat quite a bit of fruit and nuts too. I also eat high fat salad dressing. I am not saying eating bacon is the healthiest thing to do but in the absence of sugar in my diet the weight fell off me. I also started exercising a lot which I am sure helped.
Counting calories and keeping track of points is not for me but I have friends that have been successful doing this. Good luck!!!

M.,
Congrats. I have done WW on my own a few times, but someone who had participated in the program had given me all the tools like the points guide, calculator, etc. If you have never done it before, I would suggest trying the online version.
Anyway, anytime I start watching what I eat, it takes about 1-2 weeks for that hungry feeling to fade. That is why it is always so hard, but once you get over that hump, you are golden :) Well, pretty much.
Fruits and veggies are great, but like others mentioned, you need protein. I always eat protein with my breakfast and that way I am not hungry until lunch time (otherwise I just get snacky all day). Eggs, chicken, shrimp, red meat even, peanut butter, almonds will all do the trick. You could try an apple, celery or banana with a tbs or 2 of peanut butter, a hard boiled egg, a salad with sunflower seeds and some light dressing or balsamic vinegar on it.
One meal/treat I love is an oatmeal shake, and I have been amazed at how much energy I have and how long it keeps me full. I frozen banana, 1 cup frozen berries (you can get a big bag of mixed berries from Costco for under 10.00 and it lasts forever), 1/2 cup cooked oatmeal, 1 cup milk, 1 cup water. You could sub almond milk to make it lower calorie. Blend up in blender. This makes a fairly large amount so I usually drink half of it and give my kids some too.

When I went down to 1400 it took me two weeks until my hunger levels subsided some. I kept a journal and listed my hunger levels before each meal on a grade of 1-5. I listed 4's and 5's the first two weeks and then 3's and 4's after that. Cooincidentally I dropped 6 lbs the fist two weeks and then only lost between .5 and 1 lbs per week after that (but had less than 20 to loose).

You said you are eating something "small" every 2 hours, but are you still eating breakfast, lunch and dinner? Trust me, I'm no expert but I think your body still needs to feel "full" so you need to have meals. I know if you eat protien, that really helps. And if you are on facebook and search "be my diet buddy" and join the group, we are on there to keep encouraging each other on our weight loss journeys. Good luck!!!!

How long have you been on this program? It sounds like you just started. If that's the case, I would hang on for another day or 2, though it may seem really rough, and you will find that your appetite will diminish dramatically and it will get easier.

I took a furlough from counting calories for a few months and am back on track as of Monday. Today I have been really hungry, but I know it will pass and get a little easier. I also find that the more time I have invested in a diet, the more likely I am to stick with it.

I'm calorie counting with MyFitnessPal and trying to exercise at least 20 minutes a day. I need to lose 15 pounds.

Best of luck!

Hang in there! It gets better and like everyone else said protein is key. And you figure out what works for you, what keeps you from feeling hunger pains even if you're not "full". I like the 100calorie almond packs, yogurt, and eggs to help. What also worked for me was carrots, celery and hummus, and bananas fill me up even though they are not protein. I really try to focus on proteins, fruits and veggies with little carbs. I found that some of my husbands Atkins bars were only 4-5 points but they satisfied my sweet cravings and filled me up. For me, I actually gain weight the first week even when I follow it strictly, then slowly lose until weeks 3-5. It's all about your own body's metabolism. And that step 2 of exercising will help too!