Conference rocks::weight_control

    I assume you are talking about Fast Start. It is a two week plan
    (repeatable) to lose up to four pounds or so a week.
    
    It is essentially the new level one (of three) plans. (the older WW
    Plan was "two" on the new three plan system). The difference is that
    all the meals are listed for you with two variations: using WW products
    or not-using WW products.
    
    It is the "women's" version of level one, meaning that men who wish to
    try it can 300 cal or so.
    
    -Neil
    

    I've been away from the program for a while and debating on going back
    I'm still not clear what you mean by the levels.  Is it calorie
    counting or protein/carbohydrates or just the fact of what you can and
    cannot have.  Give me an example of a basic day.  
    
    Do you mean that a plan is only 300 cal?
    
    

    Is WW running any kind of special at this time to entice 
    people into the program?
    
    Linda
    

  The "Personal Choice" program that WW introduced several months back has
three levels, depending on your level of motivation, and the challenges that
you expect to face in the upcoming week.  You can do different levels
each week, as long as you do the level you choose for an entire week.

  Level 2 is the level that most people choose.  For women, it include:

	2 Milks
	4 Proteins
	3 Vegetables
	2 Fats
	3 Breads
	2 Fruits

as a minimum each day.  Plus, you can have 14-21 "floating exchanges" that
you can use any time during the week.  And, you can have up to 700 optional
calories - these can be anything at all.

  Level 1 has fewer floaters and optional calories.

  Level 3 has more minimal selections than level 2, and the same floaters
and optional calories.

  Is that the kind of information you're looking for?

  I did Level 1 for 4 weeks, and then Level 2 for 10 weeks, and lost 28 pounds.
I'll become a "lifetime member" of WW today, as a matter of fact!

--Sharon

    Sharon, yes, thanks for the info.  I think it can help me get motivated
    and get the kick start I need.
    
    Linda, I've been hearing Florine, baby, advertise to join WW for $12
    (then add to that the weekly fee which I think is $10.  Am I right
    fellow members?)
    
    Sharon, good luck on becoming a Life time member.  I have that
    membership and it's great to go back.  Into program especially if
    you've been away for a while.  It has really helped me over the years. 
    I just lost motivation and am working on getting it back.
    
    

    Yes JP and Linda, $12 is the WW fee to join (plus the $10 for
    each week).  So if you go to WW and sign up, you need $22.
    
    WW is having all kinds of specials now too.  They are giving
    out "coupon books".  Every time you attend a meeting, you get
    this book stamped and (for example) if you attend 4 consecutive
    meetings you get $2 off the regular $10 weekly fee, or if you
    attend 6 consecutive meetings you get a free WW t-shirt, etc.
    
    Our WW Leader said they are offering all these little "specials"
    because in the summertime, people stop going to WW. So by offering
    all these little goodies, they hope to keep participation up.
    
    Hope this helps!
    Linda

    Thanks, Mary and Linda.  I may check it out Thursday night at the
    Leominster meeting.  Linda, which one do you go to?  I'm inspired by
    your losses...it gives a whole new twist to the old saying "Your loss
    is my gain!"  :-) :-)
    
    Linda
    

    The funny thing is that even though the adds say join for $12, when I
    went to sign up they only charged me the $10 weekly fee.  They were
    running a special special I guess.  So it really depends on the
    location you attend your meeting at.  THis is in West Boylston Ma.

    Yes, it's true.  I got a card from WW in the mail yesterday advertising
    a special that runs until June 29th.  Join now and save the
    registration fee -- all you pay is the weekly fee (10.00 in this area).
    
    Also, at the bottom of the card, it says:  
    
    "P.S.:  be sure to ask about our *new* Fast Start (tm) Option --
    the fast and easy way to get in control from day one!"
    
    What I love about this phrasing is that they don't promise you fast
    weight loss -- just a way to get in control.
    
    Linda 

    Linda, you should stop in to see Marsha in Health Services.  We have a
    very active (started last Nov and still going) WW At Lunch Program that
    meets every Friday in AKO1.  She was going to check with the leader
    about Summer Specials and its convenient too.
    
    Chris (who lost 23 lbs and is still maintaining) Thorp
    

    Linda (RE: 670.7)
    
    I go to WW in Chelmsford, MA (right near Marshalls).  It's
    convenient for me because it's only 5 minutes from my house.
    
    Good luck in your weight loss efforts.  YOU CAN DO IT!
    
    Linda

    I asked last night at my meeting....
    WW in West Boylston, Ma is offering free registration thru the end of 
    June.  This also means if you miss a week, you still only pay for one
    week because the cost to rejoin ($10) is less than the cost of the 
    weeks you missed ($10 a meeting).

  Here's my opening to relate my weight loss experience.

    I have been following the WW program since Jan 1.

    I have lost 60 lbs! 5 lbs beyond the goal set by my doctor.


    I have done all the gimicky, fad diet things (ie slimfast, bahamian,
   rotation, cabbage soup, you name it).

     WW was the easiest and most effective. Two things were different for
   me this time. First I started by mentally preparing myself to diet,
   getting used to the concept that I *would* go on a diet. Second I created
   a mental image of how I wanted to look (washboard stomach 'cause I've
   never had one). Whenever I felt like cheating I remembered how important
   my goal was. *Nothing* is/was going to prevent me from reaching my goal!

     Another change in this diet was that I did not rely on exercise. In my
   case I remembered the 'I'll just exercise more' excuse when I cheated.
   Without exercise I had nothing to make up for being 'bad'. In the last
   two months I have been walking for exercise but when I felt like it
   not because I had to. Also started a series of abdominal exercises to 
   get to 'washboard'.

 
     If you want to do something bad enough, you can! I know because I've 
   done it.

     Caution: I've lost the weight but I haven't cured my tendency to want 
   to over-eat. I'm hoping that the 'new' me will forget the old me (over-
   eating tendency).

     
       The challenge continues,

               Bob
    

    May I offer a couple of suggestions Bob?  
    
    First off get rid of all your old clothes or have the ones you can
    altered.  Keep 1 old shirt or old pair of pants but get rid of the
    rest.  This helps because if you gain 10 lbs you'll have to buy the
    next size so that will force you to watch your weight when you feel
    uncomfortable in your clothes, it's an automatic incentive to watch
    what you are eating.  This worked for me when I lost 83 lbs.  I kept it
    off for quite a few years. -- I gained 20 back 25 over 15 years then I
    gave up smoking and by putting down one compulsion I picked up the
    eating one.  Any way after putting on 35 more lbs I have lost 1/2 my
    weight and on the way to loosing the rest.
    
    The other suggestion is to eat your 3 balanced meals no matter what
    and you force yourself to eat healthy and you are less apt to go for
    the old eating habits.  If you eat healthy m-f then allow yourself
    your extras on sat and sun.  That may help as long as you stay within
    your plan.
    
    Stay with a support group.  They understand where you are coming from. 
    You might now work on the issues and figure out the times when you
    tended to overeat.  Food is not the issue. We use it to cover up our
    feelings - we eat when we are sad, bored, depressed, happy, relieved
    or whatever we don't need a reason to eat!!
    
    Best of luck.
    

    Hi,
    
    I am looking for information on the new WW program that they
    are advertising on TV (new for 1992 I believe).
    
    It isn't the Personal Choice program...
    
    I am a lifetime member of WW and am thinking of going back
    for help to lose this 10 lbs that keeps finding me  8-)
    
    Please!  If anyone can tell me how the new program is different
    from Personal Choice, I'd appreciate it!
    
    thanks!
    Linda

    I picked up the new program at the beginning of the month, but haven't
    read through the materials.  (I'm life, and maintaining with the old
    program.  Anyway.  They still have the Personal Choice Program, as well
    as a Quick Control Option, with prepared menues for quick loss.  I
    guess the major change is that they are pushing complex carbohydrates. 
    The exchange allowances have changed.  Level 2 for women is now 2M,
    3FA, 4P, 3V, 4B, 2FR, 1Vitamin.  Weekly floaters are 14 and Opt Cal
    700.  They've increased B and FA and reduced floaters and OC.
    
    They've also changed some food exchanges, ie; reduced cal pudding was
    equal to 1M, now its a combo food, 1/2M and 30 OC.
    
    It would be worth it to pick up the new books.  You can continue to
    loose and maintain on the old program (we did it before) but if this is
    healthier for us, why not give it a try.
    
    Chris
    

For anyone who enjoys a decadent treat you MUST try the new WW chocolate
eclairs!  One is worth 1/2 fat, 1/2 bread, and 1/2 floater.  I'll admit
to having 2 for breakfast this morning!

Liz

    I follow a WW meal plan, but I am not in WW, therefore I don't have
    their updated literature.  I have the stuff that was in use when I did
    WW a couple years ago.
    
    I am getting close to my goal weight.  I never made it there when I was
    in WW, so I never got the literature for maintainance.
    
    Can someone tell me what WW does around maintainance, or when someone
    reaches goal?  Do they add one exchange, see if you gain weight, add
    another, etc?
    
    Thanks,
    Diana

    I was doing level 2 when I got to goal.  The instructions for me were:
    
    	Do level 3 this week, but watch the floaters.
    
    Level 3 (Personal Choice) gives you 1 more fat, 1 more bread, 1 more
    protein, and 1 more fruit.  Then, you still get 14-21 floaters.
    
    Then, you're supposed to go back next week, and see what the scale
    says.  You're not supposed to gain (but who really does the program
    accurately on their first week of "maintenance", anyway :-)  If you
    lose, you add more floaters - 7 per week - and 100 more optional
    calories.  And, you see what happens.
    
    Women don't typically get far beyond a level 3, though.  That's 
    called a fantasy :-)
    
    --Sharon
    

    Re:  .15
    
    I think you might be referring to a new program called PCFO - Personal
    Cuisine Food Option.  My WW group leader talked a bit about it last
    week, and promised to give us more info this week.
    
    It seems that WW wants to start offering a Jenny Craig, NutriSystem,
    etc. option.  Currently the closest distribution center is in Vernon,
    CT.  
    
    Basically you arrive at the WW SuperCenter for your weekly meeting and
    fill out a 7-day meal form, then go off to your meeting.  After the
    meeting you go back to the counter and pick up all your meals, snacks,
    etc for the following week, adding salads, fresh fruit, etc. during the
    week.  All your shopping's been done for you - no choices
    (temptations), controlled portions, etc.
    
    She stressed that this is simply another option available to WW
    members.  I guess the success of Jenny and NutriSystem indicates that
    there are plenty of people who don't have time or interest to shop or
    cook.
    
    Interesting, huh?  If she shares any other info on Saturday I'll post
    it.
    
    

    Since I first posted this note a few weeks ago, I have
    returned to WW meetings.
    
    -.1 is correct, there is a personal cuisine choice coming
    to the New England area.  My leader mentioned that the 
    Weight Watchers Super Centers are inching there way up the
    East Coast now.  I believe there will be one in Framingham
    eventually.  I got the impression that you didn't have to
    go to the meetings there, you could still go to the meetings
    at your current locations, but the WW Super Center would be
    like a stop to do your "grocery shopping"  <fill out the list,
    receive 5 days worth of food for $49.95 and be on your way>
    
    She mentioned that WW would only give out 5 days worth of food
    and the other 2 days members were expected to follow one of 
    the WW food plans.  This in keeping with their goal for people
    to learn how to incorporate the WW way of "living" into
    their lifestyles.
    
    The other program I was referring to <and couldn't remember the name>
    was the Quick Control Program.  What I found out is that you can
    choose to follow either the Personal Choice or Quick Control programs
    each week.  Quick Control program gives you a list of menus to follow
    each day with the exchanges written out for you.  It's the equivelent
    of week 1 on P.Choice.  You can interchange days/meals since each
    breakfast for the week has the same amount of exchanges everyday,
    as does each lunch and dinner.  
    
    I started using this plan, but switched to Personal Choice
    because it better suited my needs (having to cook for hubby and baby
    too).  Lost 3.5 lbs the first week!  6.5 more to go to get back to
    goal...and another 4 after that would be nice too!
    
    I hope this helps others that might be curious about what WW has
    to offer this year.
    
    Linda

    I've been thinking about this, and it all boils down to a two
    ideas that spell successful weight loss.

    1. Reduce the amount of fat you eat.  This means you have to
       learn how to cook low-fat meals, and how to select low-fat
       menu options when you buy food prepared.

    2. Increase the amount of exercise you get.

    This is what weight watchers does that makes it better than
    NutriSystem and SlimFast and all the other get-slim-fast products
    out there.

    They teach you how to cook and how to choose properly, and they
    stress the importance of regular exercise.  The rest just show you
    how to buy their foods.

    Especially have regard to 2) exercise more. ANy exercise that lasts for
    more than 40 minutes (even walking) is burning longterm fat.
    
    	- andy

    That bears repeating, Andy.

    Walking is an _excellent_ aerobic (yes it IS aerobic) exercise
    and low level exercise is fueled primarily by fat stores, not
    glucose and glycogen.

    A brisk 30-45 minute walk at lunchtime is a good way to lose an
    extra half pound of fat every week.  Over the course of a 6 month
    program, those walks will take an extra 13 pounds of fat off your
    body.

    It also helps you wake up after eating and gives you a reason
    to only eat for 15 minutes or so.

    Is it a good idea to walk right after eating? I've always been taught
    that you should allow some time to digest your food before
    exercising...is that an old wive's tale (so to speak?)
    
    D!

    A very old tale. If the meal was that heavy, you probably ate too much!

    Diana, if you're going to be doing vigorous, bouncing exercising
    (eg: running or aerobics), never do it on a full stomach.  If you're
    going to be walking or jogging slowly, it doesn't matter.

    Personally, I like a piece or two of bread and a couple of glasses
    of lukewarm water before exercising, especially if I've been more than
    5 hours since my last meal.

    Water is important if you're in a warm climate. But as far as walking
    is concerned, dehydration is seldom a problem unless in the very
    warmest of climes.