Besides CAD (Carbohydrate Addict’s Diet), Weight Watchers gave me my best weight loss.  The first time I was on it I got down to a size 4 pants.  I started with a tight size 12.  One of my girlfriends hadn’t seen me in a while and she exclaimed, “You lost your ass!”  I am pear shaped and petite so size 12 pants were not good looking.  With The Wendie Plan and exercising I completely reformed my physique.

The Wendie Plan

My introduction to the Weight Watchers program was via The Wendie Plan.  I will write another post about it.  Basically, it was the Flex Plan but with a specific amount of points to eat each day, allowing for low point days, medium point days and a high point day.  This plan, along with a vigorous exercise plan, brought me to the lowest weight I had been in years, and I was in my late 40′s.  I felt great and kept at it for about 1 1/2 – 2 years, and kept most of it off for another year after.

I did it all online and didn’t pay a penny.  I downloaded free Xcel spreadsheets to journal what I ate and the points.  There was even a free program where you could add ingredients for a recipe and it would calculate points.  I was a member of The Wendie Plan forum and Bootcamp Buddies.

The reason I quit was because I could not continue to journal everything.  I was sick of it.  I reached goal and lost even more and figured I knew how to eat well and could maintain on my own.

Weight Watchers Meetings

My next attempt was going to the meetings and there was one close to my house.  I kept trying different time slots with different trainers, but I wasn’t really happy with any of them.  One woman was obese!  She said she had a medical condition but I think they should have removed her.  How could I look at this obese woman telling me what to do when she obviously couldn’t follow her own advice?

Another trainer appeared to be at the high end of her weight to me but I guess she was in her healthy weight range.  I liked her the best but I wasn’t in love with these meetings.  Another trainer was svelte but I felt like a kid in school with her and I didn’t like that.  I just didn’t like the meetings.  I ended up going in just to get weighed and would leave.

This time around I paid my dues and purchased the calculator and some WW products.  I bought the package with the journal and cookbooks and stuff.  I just found it the other day while going through some boxes in storage.

I was less successful even when money was on the line.  I did lose weight and reached my current goal weight of 129.  My goal back then was 125, which I might attempt this time around.  But then I tried The Core Plan.

The Core Plan

No weighing food, no counting points, just eat the allotted foods.  Unfortunately, all of us on forums figured out how to bake goodies using these allowed Core foods.  Those of us who couldn’t control our eating started binging on these allowed foods.  I got lost and couldn’t get back on The Flex Plan with the journaling and counting points.

WW Online

I think before my surgery in March I had started the WW online program.  I was amazed at the new and improved program.  Most fruits and veggies were zero points?!  Brilliant.  I had started the program and then got the news about my cancer diagnosis.  Losing weight was no longer my main concern.  Now the cancer should be gone (surgery followed by radiation) and I lost some weight during that time.  But I’m not at goal weight and I wanted to give the new WW plan a try for this month.

After being on CAD for a month, eating the WW way is a breath of fresh air and I’m really enjoying it.