re: Weight Watchers works

Just finished my first full week with WW. Lost 4 lbs so far.

Basically stayed at my 23 points a day and didn’t track at all one day (I know bad).

So far I like the program. I’ve tracked calories before with MFP but would still enjoy treats if they were not too bad calorie wise. Now....when I see that a small fun size snickers is 4 points.....I’m not so inclined to grab it.

So what would you have me do?

Fasting for several hours, only eating one meal a day or some stupid shite like that, or doing very restrictive diets that are not sustainable long term?

F that. I want to lose weight and keep it off. Not gain it all back and then some the moment I eat some bread or eat like a normal human.

It's not like I'm going under some really low calorie count for the day. I would guess I'm staying around 1200 calories. Adequate for a woman like me with PCOS.

Don't let metabolism slowing scare you. There are ways to combat it, and it's not permanent. Instead of decreasing calories/points, increase exercise, particularly LISS. When you've had to drop your calories to a point that you're uncomfortable, you can do what's called "reverse dieting" to get back to your original maintenance calories. Basically, slowly increase caloric intake by maybe 50 calories per week until you get back to your maintenance. You then simply lose weight in 12 or 18 week cycles.

I don't know if any of that is possible on weight watchers, but just an FYI.

The best diet is one you can stick to. All of the dietary health benefits that people argue about for weight loss is the last 10%. 90% is the weight loss itself.

Not if you get jittery and headache then no. You make your own dietary choices. Hulk is right in that you can always just eat more calories for a few weeks and go back up then cut down again. But that's still tracking more than points. If it works keep it up. But data shows that calorie restriction isn't sustainable either. Good luck.

I think everyone has their biases towards what has worked for them. I agree with you that there are many ways to lose weight. Sustainablility depends on the individual and over time, there is not one single dietary strategy that has worked consistently for scale. Counting calories/points is just as unsustainable as low carb over time for most people. That’s why diet needs to be very individualized so that it aligns with a person’s preferences. It seems like you have found something that works for you, so go for it. But I wouldn’t throw stones as WW is also what I would consider a fad diet. The followers are just not pushy in general.

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If I go more than say 5 hours while I'm awake without eating something...I start getting horrible headaches, start getting light headed, jittery, and irritable. My hands physically start shaking. I can't concentrate for shite either. If I know I'm not gonna have time to eat...I will pack protein bars or granola bars...something small so I don't have hypoglycemic symptoms.

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Good on you for losing weight, but this isn’t hypoglycemia. What you’re experiencing is a combination of withdrawal and psychosomatic symptoms. The only people who will consistently develop symptomatic hypoglycemia with fasting are those with diabetes on certain medications, advanced liver disease or very advanced age. Relatively young people with healthy livers maintain glycemic homeostasis via gluconeogenesis remarkably well. Especially with your PCOS, it is essentially physiologically impossible for you to be developing symptomatic hypoglycemia unless you have diabetes in which case it’s a product of too intensive an insulin/oral regimen.

Most patients hate hearing this, but the reality is that people who develop these common symptoms with fasting are usually experiencing psychological withdrawal from the endorphins eating produces. It’s literally withdrawal due to food addiction.

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So by your own admission you haven’t done Keto, but you can assuredly say it’s not for you.

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Yeah I can. I know myself, what I like and don't like. I just said I want a diet that I can sustain long term. I know that I cannot reasonably sustain keto for a long period of time. I have no desire to restrict myself so much just to lose weight. I like carbs way too much.


Carbs aren't evil...just need to be in moderation. You can still reasonably enjoy carbs in moderation(even bread) and lose weight.

And you...you are one of the reasons why I wouldn't want to even try keto. Your fanatical posts about how keto is the only way...massive total turn off. You come into any other threads about weight loss on this board and act like if the person isn't doing keto to lose weight...that they suck at life in general.

The best way to lose weight...is what the person can sustain long term. Everyone is different.

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And you...you are one of the reasons why I wouldn't want to even try keto. Your fanatical posts about how keto is the only way...massive total turn off. You come into any other threads about weight loss on this board and act like if the person isn't doing keto to lose weight...that they suck at life in general.

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You’re the zealot who won’t even try Keto, but spout all kinds of nonsense out how it’s not sustainable. Laughable coming from someone who’s never tried it.

Also have fun with an RMR that will bottom out here shortly from chronic calorie restriction. You won’t even consider IF which again is absolutely laughable and shows the absolute black hole of nutritional knowledge in your brain.

Keto has it's benefits and risks as well. It's certainly preferable to the average western diet high in simple/processed sugars, but many use "steak and butter" interchangeably with keto. A ketogenic diet based in polyunsaturated fats is really what one should be going for if that is the dietary route they've chosen. Diets high in saturated fats, particularly those high in red meat, aren't doing anyone any favors. Processed red meat is a class 1 carcinogen, pro-inflammatory and contrary to almost universal belief actually increases insulin resistance. Diabetics who do nothing but cut red meat out of their diet will generally lower their fasting glucose and A1c by 20-30%.

The mounting body of evidence continues to suggest that whole food, plant based diets are the most conducive to minimizing chronic disease and extending life expectancy. I have yet to adopt such a lifestyle but over the last 5 years have removed essentially all processed sugar from my diet and eat red meat only about once a week. Everything about my health, endurance and overall fitness level has improved with hardly any changes to my workout routine.