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I started weight watchers in May of last year. Started out at 258 and they gave me 49 points a day. That was very easy to do. Started riding the bike around August so I could earn some activity points. Still riding almost daily and down to 195 as of today. My daily points are now at 35 a day and I really need to pay attention to meet that goal. I tend not to use many of the weekly extra points and none of the activity points. I've been losing weight steadily since I started, gave up drinking soda, eating eggs, sausage and home fries for breakfast (still do every once in a great while), and living a more healthy lifestyle. Good luck with it, it does work if you stick to it! My goal weight is 185, so I've got 10 more to lose. They are coming off slower now, but I'll get there. You will too!

caphits

I don't use WW, but I like how they don't use some sort of "magic bullet" for weight loss. They simply help you eat healthier. No pills, no lying to you. It seems like people have great success with it too. I know a couple of people in my town who have used it, and really did great.

PS tractorlegs, Your 1985 Trek 520 is a freakin sexy bike. You should totally "restore" it.

jrouse

Newbie to the forum, newbie to cycling in general, but a WW member since Aug. 2009. I am online and also attend meetings, and personally for me, the meetings are key. When I attend them consistently, I lose. Those stretches of weeks and months I didn't attend meetings, I have gained. To each his own and I know many people have had success doing it online only, which is why I think WW is great--it's structured, but it's structured to what you feel you personally need. I hope we can share successes and tips in this thread as the best weight loss tips I have heard have come from other WW members! And, I'm hoping to gain some insight as to how you use cycling to help you in your weight loss efforts...lord knows I need to make a change!

chefisaac

I would agree jrouse.... meetings, for me, are key too. Sometimes I do just one a week, sometimes two or three just depends on how the week shakes out plus I like to find who can REALLY teach well. I love finding those few who really bring it. Found some here in Jersey but the best was when I was traveling in Ohio the other week. She was a retired English teacher. Awesome WW teacher.

I have 69 points... I started with 70. Yup... a lot of points. Havent had any trouble needing more . I use the weekly points rarely and never the activity points. I cook every night. Love it.

Can you start commuting to work at all to get some miles in? That has been key for me and I might think for Tractor too (I know this bc he commutes to work). Commuting to work has been fun to boot.

Mark Stone

Oh yeah, the commuting is key. Between mid-August 2011 and when I went on WW a week ago, using the bike for commuting changed everything. I'm much more mobile, always in a better mood, get up and down stairs easier, went from XXXL to XXL shirts. I didn't own a scale so I don't know how much weight I lost, but it had to have been a few pounds. Now I've joined WW (and purchased a scale!) to bring my eating under control. However, I consider WW to be an add-on to Bicycling, rather than bicycling being part of the WW program - yeah, listen to Isaac the commuting is very helpful!

Neil_B

I agree the 1985 Trek 520 is beautiful. Please restore it.

Mark Stone

I think I will. Fortunately, not that much needs to be done to bring it back to riding condition. It needs new tires/tubes, a good cleaning/lube job and it will be ready to ride.After it's ride worthy, I can also replace the handlebar tape, replace the dated frame pump, and add a computer. I have a lot of lights already (look at The Rig) that I can put on it for night riding. The drivetrain (Rings, Chain, Cassette) has about 1000 miles on it so it's pretty fresh. Oh yeah, the ol' 520 will be back on the road shortly!

jrouse

chefisaac and tractorlegs, thanks for the tip, I'm currently a grad student and I have to take public transportation in since it's pretty far from where I live (and insanely congested). However, my schedule is pretty flexible, and I do have time to ride during the day! Once I do have a full time job, I see cycling in to be a great way to go, and in fact I did sometimes (probably not often enough) ride my bike to work before I decided to go back to school full time!

chefisaac

This book: "The End of Overeating" has been amazing. I just finished it and reading it a second time. Makes you think twice at food.

https://www.amazon.com/End-Overeating...7928830&sr=8-1

rec3036

I have found that the hardest thing for me to do is actually eat all my points for the day... if you are doing it online, as I did for almost 6 months and was on the verge of giving up, when my wife who attends meetings at one of our local centers recommended me coming to get weighed in. and it really made something click... Down 7 pounds this year, weigh in tonight to see if I continue the trend (fingers crossed) but there has to be accountability in my life... and weighing in at the center is providing it for me. Be Honest and track your points, eat all your points, even the plus points!!!!

Good luck to everyone on the program!!! I know I need it!

EDIT: 02/02/12... weighed in at the Center on Monday 1/30/12... lost a pound... not what i wanted to lose , but it is still a loss!

chefisaac

I am waiting for the weight to come off to make hills a little easier on me!

I love the meetings. I am not sure if I could it it online and not go to the meetings. Sometimes I will hit one meeting, sometimes two and even sometimes three during the week to see how other people present the topic. You learn so much. I also found that since I travel a lot for work, I can find a meeting to go to.

ponzini

I just started reading this. Just the first few chapters have been an eye-opener. Thanks for the tip.

chefisaac

ponz: I enjoyed it a lot. I will read it again and again. Just makes you think more and more about what passes your lips.

CraigB

Yes, it is eye-opening. I didn't think it was particularly well-written, and I found the author's lovingly detailed descriptions of the various restaurants' dishes sometimes bordered on food pornography, to the extent that I'm sure if he had to he could get a second job writing menus. It often made me wonder if he was deliberately trying to induce food lust in his readers, or if he's just an enthusiastic eater himself. But at the very least it will make me forever suspicious of any food sold in American corporate restaurants.

Mark Stone

I haven't read the book, but what would you be suspicious about? Or are ya gonna make me go buy the book lol?

CraigB

No need to buy it - just take a look at the editorial and reader reviews on its Amazon page. That'll tell you all you need to know about the whole premise of the book.

chefisaac

As a chef, for me, my opinion, it is wonderful. I found nothing wrong with it (I love you tons Craig). After I read it, we had to do some work for one of the restaurants they mentioned and I got to speak with some of the menu marketers. It was amazing to see what words they can use to pump the menu up. The author of the book is right, that is a selling point to all fast food restaurants. Think about, it has to be.

ponzini

I was discussing the book with my wife and she asked me if I was trying to tell her that we couldn't go to restaurants any more. LOL. Not the case at all. It's just nice to be more aware. BTW, we dined out that night. LOL

Mark Stone

First two weeks on WW: 6 pounds lost (3 per week), it's working so far! Not that hard either, although I can see how my attitude could make it hard if I wanted to.

imacflyr3

That's a great start! Keep at it!

chefisaac

Great job tractor. I was down 7 pounds last week but that is coming off a real bad week with travel and being sick. We will see how this week looks. Weigh in is Tuesdays. I am very close to my 5% goal.

Mark Stone

Thanks for the encouragement imacflyr3 and Chef -

Rock31

Official weigh ins at work start this week, been on the plan for a few weeks now

For the heavier guys 300+ are any of you having trouble eating your daily allotted points?

I remember from the old program that they wanted you to eat your points per day but now that I am being careful what I eat...I am not coming close to the 71 I am given daily....except for today...that 71 will be gone by halftime.

rec3036

I am in the 62-63 range and have trouble eating healthy and getting all my points in... I can only imagine trying to get an additional 10-12 points in on top of what I eat... Already pack a large "Playmate" cooler with my breakfast and lunch in it for work everyday... also remember if you get activity points for riding use them up as well as you plus points every week... it really starts to come off! I was skeptical eat more and loose more??? week one was 2 lbs , week 2 3.5 lbs, week 3 using all my points including plus points and 25 activity points 7 lbs!!!! week 4 using just my points 1 pound.... hmmm... seems like it makes a difference for me...

Mark Stone

I'm only in my third week, but I feel a little self-conscious about the amount of food I need to eat to make my 52 points plus the 49 extra per week plus the activity points. But I thought through an average day of eating before I went on the plan, and typed in the food into the online tracker. I realized that before I was probably eating twice as much as I am on the WW plan, so thinking about it that way makes me feel better. On WW first week, lost 3 lbs; 2nd week, 3 more.