Weight Watchers with the Band?

WorkingMom · 02-11-2009, 10:03 AM

Just wondering if anyone has joined weight watchers with the band?

Weight Watchers always worked for me, but it was slow and usually by the 8th week, I'd get distracted and stop going to meetings and gain back what I lost.

I do like the structure and I do like the idea of getting weighed in once a week.

I am wondering if anyone here has joined WW post banding, and if you had to explain rapid weight loss, or if there were issues?

My thought is to not tell them I am banded.

Thoughts? Experiences? Concerns?

bigmons23 · 02-11-2009, 11:23 AM

I am currently doing WW post band. I love it!! I like the E-tools function in terms of tracking both food and activity. I love being weighed once a week. I like hearing the victories and challenges of other members. I've been able to use it as a quasi support group that meets once a week.

I pulled the instructor aside the very first meeting and explained to her that I have had the band done. She said that some there people like it and others do not. That's fine with me. I have never brought it up in a meeting for discussion. I also said that rapid weight loss can be expected and please don't single me out. WE have an understanding

I need all the help I can get. I got banded at 397 lost over 60 lbs gained back 85 and am nearly back to pre-surgery weight again. I have been a poster child of WHAT NOT TO DO with this tool. I feel as though GOD has been keeping his hand on me. I had abused my band,pouch,and body to the point that my fill doc said it normally would have failed.

Thanking God and on the right path with no questions!!!

Tim

SuzanneG · 02-11-2009, 03:46 PM

I joined last Saturday. Of course they knew me there from years of trying and quitting. I told them up front that I had LAP-BAND®, had lost 76 pounds and am currently STUCK. I said doc told me if I wanted to go lower, I'd have to diet it off, so here I am. They were very nice about it.

My daughter, on the other hand, gave me a hard time and said I was going to get hazed for showing up at a WW meeting in a size 8 pant. I'll admit I was a little worried, but there were several there my size and one lady was smaller. No one seemed to notice.

I can't wait until Saturday to see if I can finally break this plateau. So far, no luck on the home scale I'm the same. I also just started doing the Couch to 5k and met a lady at the WW meeting who was looking for someone to run a 5k with her! She's going to run Race for the Cure with me and I'm going to run Marine Corps one with her. They are back to back weekends! Egads!

scgirlafm · 02-12-2009, 12:34 PM

suzanneg:
I was so glad to see your post. I have been considering doing weight watchers online lately. I was banded in June of 07. I had lost down to 164, but have gained back about 6-8 pounds. I feel like I am at a good restriction level, so I don't need a fill. I just feel like I need to get a little better structure to what I eat. I need some rules to stick to and am hoping that weight watchers will help me find the structure that I need. I would love love love to lose what I gained and then lose the next 30 pounds that I need to lose. I look forward to seeing how you do.

SuzanneG · 02-12-2009, 02:05 PM

Ashley, that's exactly why I did it. I also wanted to know exactly how much they thought I should be eating. I thought maybe I had lost my perspective. I've stuck to the program all week and ran M-W-F (tomorrow) and so far NOTHING. I'm frustrated. I remember from when I did WW before though, sometimes it would wait and come off on weigh in day, so I'm still holding out hope.

DH joined with me and has already lost 4 pounds, even though he has enough points to have a KLONDIK bar every night. WTH?

I'll let you know how my weigh in goes on Saturday.

kiz · 02-12-2009, 02:15 PM

Hey Suzanne, since we go to the same doctor, I'm kind of curious of how the WW plan meshes with the 1/2 cup per meal plus snack under Dr. B's recommendation. I did WW in the past, and I'll bet many banders have given it a whirl or two (or three or four times) in the past, but I'm sure I ate more quantity of food w/ WW than I am with the band.

PS - Grrr to men and their weight losing ways. lol

SuzanneG · 02-12-2009, 02:36 PM

I'm going to talk to Erin about it tomorrow. I'm going for a slight unfill.

Right now, I only get 20 points which isn't a whole lot of food, but I've been having 3 meals and 3 snacks. One after breakfast, one before I go home, and one before I run. Usually 1-3 points and very small.

Brengman basically cut me lose and said he considered me a success story and the only way I was going to lose any more was probably going to have to be with diet, so I figured I'd just mix it up a little and try something different. As long as I don't go over my points, it shouldn't hurt anything....I hope.

So far, 5 days into WW -- NOTHING ON THE SCALE! Grrrrrrr!

If I don't make some progress by next Saturday, the 21st, I'm going to stop dieting, go back to my old way of eating and focus solely on RUNNING!

Also, I've been eating slider foods because I am too tight and sometimes I can't eat anything and other times, I can eat more than a cup. I'm sick of being too tight. Getting a partial unfill tomorrow.

kiz · 02-12-2009, 02:40 PM

Thanks, Suzanne.

I hope you the scale moves for you too! I know it's incredibly frustrating when you're doing all the right things and the darn scale doesn't cooperate.

beachszq · 02-16-2009, 10:13 AM

HI BIGMONS23, what a great idea to pull the leader aside and let them know you were banded. I too wanted to join WW since I've been really successful in the past losing but haven't been able to keep it off. I thought it was being deceitful to the other members. But as long as they don't call attention to your weight loss and praise you in front of the group it seems like a perfect solution. I like the accountability and being weighed once a week. I'm definatley reenacting my membership after reading your entry. THANKS!!

hockeyson · 02-16-2009, 10:32 AM

[quote=SuzanneG;1145601]I'm going to talk to Erin about it tomorrow. I'm going for a slight unfill.

Right now, I only get 20 points which isn't a whole lot of food, but I've been having 3 meals and 3 snacks. One after breakfast, one before I go home, and one before I run. Usually 1-3 points and very small.

Suzanne,
Are you adding extra points for your running? I remember back in the day we were to add extra points for exercise. When I didn't add back in a few of those points, I didn't lose as much...Just a thoughts
Are you doing the points or core? Guess they still have both plans...it's been a while. I made life time in 1980. Stayed within 4-8lbs until I got pregnant in late '89. I was never able to lose on the plan after that. I'd get within 25lbs then get bored.
Let me know how you did with your weigh in. I'm thinking of going back after I'm down at least 50lbs.
Right now I can't eat bread...even Weight Watchers bread toasted. I tried a very small piece this morning and it got stuck. I know I'm not too tight because everything else goes down ok. I haven't tried pasta or rice yet. They are true red light foods for me and I'm afraid if I CAN eat them...I won't stop!

SuzanneG · 02-17-2009, 09:57 AM

hockey - I was down 3.2 on Sat at WW! Only thing is, I'm still up a pound from my lowest (I don't update my ticker until it's good news. - LOL).

I'm hoping to edit the ticker by next week. I was 151 this morning.

hockeyson · 02-17-2009, 03:40 PM

[quote=SuzanneG;1149818]hockey - I was down 3.2 on Sat at WW! Only thing is, I'm still up a pound from my lowest (I don't update my ticker until it's good news. - LOL).

Suzanne,
That's great news!! Have you been eating all of your points? Has the program changed a lot?
Your stats are great. Keep up the good work!!

Beth

kiz · 02-17-2009, 04:24 PM

Wow, Suzanne, that is fabulous news!!

SuzanneG · 02-18-2009, 08:46 AM

I eat every single point, every single day. I only get 20 so it's really not that hard. This is the first time I've done WW with so few points. LOL

They did away with the Core Plan, which is the one I wanted to do and "combined" it, but mostly just looks like the old points system to me. Supposedly they add in flexibility in later weeks. I'll let you know.

Kiz, I showed Erin what I was eating and was pointing out how I can't stay in the "white" zone on my WW tracker. They have you track how hungry you feel throughout the day and connect the dots to create a graph of your hunger for the day. Erin liked it so much, she took it to show Brengman and they made a copy of it, so I guess they're happy with the WW.

Also, I only use my activity points if I need them to cover my preworkout protien bar. WW says use them or don't use them, either is fine. I have hypoglycemia so I always need something immediately before I run and don't always have the extra points for it.

Got an extra .1cc taken out at that visit and feel MUCH better.

So far so good with WW and C25K. Now if I could just see 14? on the scale again!

SuzanneG · 02-18-2009, 08:51 AM

I decided to come clean on the ticker and post my first gain.

I've been up since Dec 8, immediately after my lowest weight of 149.5 on Dec 7th.

So here it is, the real weight and hopefully I'll be changing it again next week.