Tips for a WW newbie?

Hey y'all!

If anyone has any tips, food ideas, suggestions, personal experiences etc for someone just starting out this (with not too much time until the wedding!) that would be great! I know there may be another thread like this but I didn't see anything recent so I thought I would try a new one

Did you join online or the meetings? I found it worked to start going to the meetings first and then continue online. At the meetings you weigh in and it seemed to make me more accountable. The first week is tough but once you see a loss it's worth it and you get used to eating less. I used the online site a lot and planned meals/days in advance so I wouldn't be looking something high points to eat. Also check out Dotti's Weight Loss Zone for points values before you eat out.

Food tips:

Frozen grapes are a great snack

No-pudge brownie mix with FF Cool Whip is heaven

Make sure you are measuring your portions correctly.

I think the journaling is the hardest and most effective part. I rarely write it all down, but when I do, those weeks are much better!

i bring my lunch to work w/ me every day. on sundays, i go grocery shopping and lay out all of my food for the week. i measure everything and put salad and cold cuts in 5 tupperwares, cut up fruits and veggies, measure cottage cheese or yogurt, etc. my fridge is filled w/ tupperware, but in the morning, i just grab and go - rather than grabbing a can of fattening/high sodium soup or some microwave meal.

hummus is also a saviour!

i agree with lauren -- and i tend to buy 4 lean cuisine meals and then leave myself one day where i can pick what i eat outside of that for lunch. when i bring my lunch everyday, i am much more likely to eat healthy. i have a great recipe for homemade hummus too, if anyone is interested! i looooove hummus and carrots as my afternoon snack.

So I officially did it today! I actually, finally, went in and signed up! Yay me!!!!

Hmmm... best tips for WW. There's so many! This is what I think the best way to go about it:

1. Substitution: Find substitutes for stuff you like to eat for example:

- Western Bagel Alternative Bagel 1pt

- Weight Watchers Cream Cheese 1pt.

- Laughing Cow light cheese wedges - 1pt.

- Skinny Cow ice-creams

(read through some of the other WW threads for more ideas)

2. Plan. Know what you are going to eat - or at the least allocate how many points you are going to eat per meal.

3. Track, track, track! I think this is really the most important (assuming you are doing Flex and not Core).

4. Find a meeting you like and go every week - even (and especially) when you've gained... this is harder than it sounds!

5. Find your favorite (or least objectionable) exercises and then set a goal for how many bonus exercise points you want to earn that week.

6. Avoidance. For right now it's probably a good idea to avoid the places where you have traditonally eaten in an out of control manner. For some of us that means Mexican restaurants (i.e. me) or it could be ice cream shops, starbucks, whatever. Just don't set yourself up for failure by putting yourself in tempting and difficult situations.

7. Accept that there may be weeks that you stay the same, weeks that you lose a lot, some where you gain - it's all on the path to your final goal weight.

8. Check out our and WW receipe threads. Think about how you can adapt recipes to reduce points (i.e. cut out oil and use cooking spray; reduce fatty ingredients, increase vegetables to increase portion sizes)

good luck!