WW question/ Please help~!

They say you only are to realistically lose 1-2 pounds per week on weight watchers. I weigh 264 pounds. Is my loss still going to be this slow? It seems like its going to take forever at a loss of 1-2 pounds per week! Yeah I know I didn't gain it overnight too!! LOL
When you watch shows like the biggest loser, etc.. or you see people like in the People Magazine spread it seems like it didn't take that long. What do you guys think? Is it really unrealistic to expect more than 1-2 pounds a week? Thanks! Any advise is welcome. :)

Mon. Jun 4, 7:53pm

It is only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of FAT per week, not weight. Yes, if you go to extremes you can lose more, but it is much healthier for your body if you conserve muscle and do your best to lose only that which you can spare. If you have a lot of weight to lose the rules can be slightly different and you can initially loseweight at a faster rate until you get down to a certain point.

Now - you can change your SHAPE at the same time you're taking off weight either through weight training, pilates, cardio or preferably some of all. A consistent work out schedule, good posture and healthy eating will get you much faster, more visible results than any one of those things by itself. Do not underestimate the effects of turning fat to muscle. You may not weigh less but you will certainly look like you do because your body will have converted something bulky to something that takes up much less shape (compare a 10 pound bag of dog food to a 10 pound bar of metal for an example).

I won't go on about lifestyle and setting good short term goals because I'm sure that's covered at your weight watchers meetings, but you're right - you didn't gain it in a day and it's not gonna come off in a day. Patience and perseverance are things we all suck at, but they are your friends. Best wishes and we are all in this with you!

Monday, June 04, 2007, 8:51 PM

Kate who's the girl here from People just talked about this in her blog last week, I remember because I was worried about loose skin and it really helped me put it in perspective. She didn't lose the weight fast at all. Here, you can read it.

Link

Monday, June 04, 2007, 9:17 PM

1-2 pounds a week is great.

Last march I started the weight watchers program.

I've lost over 70 pounds since then, and I've not had any problems maintaining. I "stopped" the diet a couple times (stopped counting points) and I haven't put any of the weight back on. I even lost a couple pounds while not tracking, i guess because of some of the changes I made.

If you stick with the weight watchers, and learn how to change your eating habits, you'll keep the weight off for the rest of your life. That will be way longer than it took you to lose the weight. And since you're going to go about it in a healthy way, you'll keep it off.

The weight watcher's works best if you try to make healthy changes. I've learned so much about eating that I don't think I will ever put any of that weight back on. I've recently just started losing again, and in 10 weeks should be at my goal.

Monday, June 04, 2007, 9:27 PM

2 lbs a week is like 104 lbs a year! That's a feaking lot of weight!

Monday, June 04, 2007, 10:42 PM

If you are going from totally eating whatever you want, in any amount, whenever you want, to suddenly counting points (or calories), and you are a very "jiggly" 264 lbs, you will probably lose faster than 2lbs a week at first, but it will taper off pretty quickly to the healthy 1-2 lbs per week. If you already eat reasonably well, you will probably end up just losing 1-2 lbs per week.

If you look at it as "I want to learn how to eat and exercise healthily so that I can be healthy for life," if it takes an extra few months to reach your goal, no big deal. If you look at it as "I need to stay within my points for X months, to reach my goal, so I can be done with dieting," you'll gain all of the weight back at the end anyway, so, to an extent, why bother in the first place?

Don't think of it as a sprint, think of it as a marathon. Slow and steady. You'll get there!! Also, the less drastic the changes, the more likely you are to stick with it, and eventually get to your goal!

One great tip from many people on PT is to set mini goals for yourself, and reward yourself when you get to them. For example, set your first goal to reach 259 - in the 250's - and reward yourself with a manicure, or new bottle of nail polish, or something (the idea is, not food-related.) Then set your next goal for 249, and when you reach it, celebrate wtih something else - a massage? A day where you call in "sick" to work and spend it doing whatever you want to do? Make the next goal 239, and reward yourself then - a new hairdo? Some new pretty throw pillows? Next goal, 229 - some new clothes (after dropping 35lbs at this point, you'll be swimming in your clothes!)

At 1-2 lbs per week, you're reaching a new goal every month or two. And you're celebrating your accomplishments along the way. It's just extra motivation to get to the next step!

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 10:16 AM

Thread Starter...

I started WW 2 1/2 weeks ago. I've lost 8 so far. I started at 247. Now @ 239. I believe you can lose more than 2 pounds per week in the beginning. You are chaning your metabolism, increasing your fiber & you lose more % of fat or pounds lost in the beginning. you may plateau laster for a week or two...then lose the next week. Try not to lose too much too fast. You will only gain back. 2 pounds X 52 weeks = 104 pounds. If you are 264 - 104 = 160. It may take a year, but I assume it didn't take a year to put on. Join Weight Watchers - Palm Beach. I'm trying to lose 50 before my Nov 3rd wedding & 90 over all, but I'm not going to be pressured by Celeb Fit Club, WorkOUT, Biggest Loser, Info-Mercials & Commercial. I only use them as inspiration not intimidation. I wish you all the luck and strength in the world. Join the group. I promise to support you. - MsS2MrsB

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 10:19 AM

weight loss and Reality TV

They don't show you the food they eat, they also don't tell you/show you that they workout for 8 hours or more everyday. It's a fast loss, but as you saw on the Today show, the guy who won last season on the "biggest loser" didn't keep it off... long term. It's about facing your eating demons and learning to make healthy choices forever.

Weight Watchers is all about a lifestyle change, For Life!... Everyday for the rest of your life!... not just, "till I lose the weight and then go back to old habits." Weight loss is just a perk of keeping to the program. Keep at it and you will see results.

Tuesday, June 05, 2007, 1:59 PM

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