DIET TRY IT | A Dietitian's Honest Weight Watchers Review

[@gagirl5962]

I am on WW (blue plan) and so far I have lost 103.1 lbs. Yay!

[@victoriajohns4184]

Congrats!!

[@jessicab3796]

How long did it take you?

[@gagirl5962]

@@jessicab3796 just under 2 years, with another 50 to go.

[@jessicab3796]

@@gagirl5962 that's awesome!! I'm suppose to have gastric sleeve weight loss surgery this Friday but I'm wondering if I should try WW instead.

[@gagirl5962]

@@jessicab3796 Good luck with your decision. Keep me informed. Keep your diet history in mind while making your choice. Have you done WW before and or other diets?

[@RhiCycledCrafts]

I think this would have been helpful if you A. Learned about the program before filming at all. B. Weren’t already eating healthy and had a problem with portion control. As a dietician I think it is irresponsible to write off a program without understanding it & really getting in the mindset of the people who are using a program like this. The point system works for people who have been betrayed by “listening to their bodies”. It is for people who already have a poor relationship with food & need a loose guideline to stay in control of their meals.

[@GEKENILWORTH]

I don't think Ms. Christensen was saying WW doesn't work--she is simply giving a look into lots of different diet plans. I think she was speaking about why it would not work for her. As someone who first joined in 1969, and have been through many of the programs WW has created over the years, I can say that it does indeed work. But once I hit my goal weight (I lost about 40 pounds each time), I gained it all back. For me, being ultra strict with counting points, even after I reached my goal, was simply not sustainable. I know that this is not true for others, and they have great success with the program.

[@DeeDee56789]

Agreed. I believe if you exercise, you earn extra daily points. I would imagine a runner would have more points added to their daily allowance.

[@rozesarered54]

Many of us have destroyed the ability to listen to our body. Using WW has helped me to listen better.

[@fsmith2988]

GEKENILWORTH I agree. I always have success with ww, however, I never can seem to maintain. I’ve also lost approximately 40 lbs each time. I’m considering it again because I want to lose 30 to 40 lbs and it’s all I know basically.

[@Gumeluvr]

I often just feel like I just don't know what I am supposed to eat. I wasn't taught how to eat and cook "healthy" foods. I agree with what you are saying completely!

[@michellelee6306]

Intuitive eating is wonderful for some people; however, some people can't eat intuitively for many different reasons. I take antidepressants and have gained 80lbs because my hunger and fullness cues are nonexistent. WW has helped me to get my eating habits back to a healthy range. I am starting to actually lose the weight I gained. As much as I would love to give up diets for good, it's not a realistic for me and many other people.

[@valerieborovik3885]

Michelle, I agree wholeheartedly. I don't follow WW but I put on a lot of weight due to AD and have had to really monitor my food intake to lose weight. I think IE is not for everyone and it seems that some people use IE as a free for all to eat whatever they want.

[@FeedMeJuice]

What’s the difference from calorie counting and WW?

[@christinegfeller5623]

@@FeedMeJuice you don't count calories on WW. Foods are allocated "points" based on fat/carbs/calories/fiber. The website outlines which colour program has zero point foods. Those are "healthier" choices that will keep you fuller longer. I have done WW and it worked really well.

[@FeedMeJuice]

@@christinegfeller5623 I’m doing it now lol I got it the same day I asked the question and I’ve already lost 12 pounds whixh seems like way too much too fast

[@christinegfeller5623]

Exactly - if I "intuitively ate", I'd probably be even bigger than I already am. Her saying in other videos that "you can eat when you aren't hungry" is crap - that is exactly why a lot of us need and/or want to lose weight. I'll stick with the weight loss program I'm on (not WW though I have done it) and so far I'm doing really well with it. If you follow the program, it works. Her review isn't fair at all.

[@bdstairways]

Oh and with WW I was finally able to fix my binge eating and my night eating and I feel amazing!!!! I just love it!

[@RebeccaCoup86]

Me too! I love WW she did it for 1 day lmao and didn't do the research.... If you exercise you get points....she also could have used 0 point foods...also could have used her weeklies.... And carbs I eat bread 3 times a day.... Sara lee baby lol and I eat pasta 5 points for a hole blow of pasta... She should not be doing reviews and making videos if she's not going to do more research and before trying it more than 1 day...at least do it for 7 days.... I'm really upset!!!!did u see how much oatmeal and peanut butter I about died lol

[@juliehallonline]

I agree - so frustrating - she had her chosen foods and didn’t even think about working with the points. She just used her regular diet rather run modifying what she eats I see if she could feel good on it. I can eat loads on WW and feel great. And when you exercise you get loads of extra points each day. I’ve found that WW has really changed my whole relationship with food in a positive way. Totally unfair review.

[@angthebean]

Yes! Same here!

[@debraterrill5799]

When you mentioned the “you can be full with out being satisfied” just hit me so hard. Like I would eat a boat load of veggies then not be satisfied and eat a plate full of pasta and feel like I was going to explode.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Debra Terrill giiiiirl I can totally relate to that! Amazing what happens when you understand satisfaction!

[@LivReiners]

Same! The volumetric diet did this too me!!

[@EmThrives]

Yes! *cue Halo Top!

[@Atheria444]

Yep. The whole "it's all about the weight of food in your stomach" thing is SO wrong. That does nothing.

[@ukraine7249]

@@Atheria444 Weight watchers is a fraud. Weight loss is about controlling insulin. WW doesn’t help control insulin. Please research One meal a day diet, fasting and low carb diets. WW isn’t grounded in recent science. It’s a failure as people are constantly going back to it

[@lydiatheglimmermaid]

I love this so much! I tried a free trial of WW about a month ago, and it totally triggered my old restrictive eating habits (I don't even need to lose weight, I just wanted to eat more veggies and less processed foods). I love that you eat so many snacks like I do. This is so validating to me. I've really been trusting my body lately, and it's so great. I'm learning what feels good to eat. So different. I love that. Thanks for doing what you do!!!

[@Champ11Blue]

I feel completely the opposite! As a former fit person who used to track everything, I found WW so freeing and more aligned with intuitive eating than any other “diet”I have ever done. You cannot do WW for one week and give it a fair assessment

[@naturaldisaster2]

I agree with this

[@mkuti-childress3625]

Yeah, I really like that it’s flexible enough that you can do intermittent fasting, low carb, low glycemic, or any other type of eating and still follow the program successfully and fairly easily. And that you can eat literally anything you want.

[@timmyturtle2719]

as a former fit person, i recommand 6 beers per day... ;)

[@Suziwellbeingchannel]

week u can't tell it works for me and still doing it and got Commiutiy extra

[@Suziwellbeingchannel]

you have to look into it and follow it for a while I enjoy it x

[@jenlouket]

I’m a WW lifetime member 😊 WW isn’t perfect by any means, but I do want to point out that as a person already at a healthy weight, you would have been assigned more points than you ate that day. Also, you are able to add points for the running that you did - I did the math and with those two additions, your 36 points was probably spot on! 👍🏻

[@rozesarered54]

jennylkettler I agree. She would have the option of using the healthy eating feature which gives you five more points daily.

[@losingmypast]

Agreed. She also doesn’t point out that fit points can roll over and you can use them.

[@lovindatJoan]

Agreed

[@wifemomlife5606]

I agree!!!

[@angthebean]

Yes exactly!

[@hollyoberhansly2303]

My mom talked me into joining Weight Watchers when I was 13 years, which was 1985, so there weren’t points then; and lost maybe 25 lbs. I joined again when I was 23, then their program was “fat & fiber” and I lose hardly any weight. I joined after I got married at 25, that was their first version of the points system, and I lost 55 lbs. I gained it all back and more, my mom told me it was because I baked a peach pie and eat too much of it. LOL. (No anger at my mom, she is just following the diet rules she has believed her enter life and her entire has a series of one diet after another). I have joined WW at least 5 more times since my 55 lbs, with little success. I like that WW is real food and encourages healthy foods. However what I realized is that on WW I constantly thought about food, worrying if it was good or bad, how many points did I have left and feeling guilty if I went over. I got depressed when I thought about having to do that for the my rest of my life. I have just barely started Intuitive Eating, but this what I have been looking for my entire life.

[@ColleenChristensen]

I know SO many people who started weight watchers with their moms when they were young. You're SO not alone!

[@heyhaleychannel8240]

Colleen, thank you for this review! This is EXACTLY what happened to me on WW! I had been on and off this program since high school... so almost 15 years; it was always my go-to for weight loss. When other diets would fail, I would go back to WW because it was effective in the short-term and I could eat a wide-ish variety of foods. Then, 2-3 weeks in, I would be so hungry I would binge like crazy and give up. Until I began exploring Intuitive Eating I always thought I failed because I was somehow deficient and had no willpower, not because the diet was not what my body needed. I have seen many WW success stories from people who lost large amounts of weight, and I can certainly see it being gentler and much easier to stick with if starting off with higher points values. No doubt, if you stay on the plan, you will lose weight. However, I "didn't have much weight to lose" and felt it was very restrictive from the get-go; I think it caused me more stress, tracking obsession, and mental harm than any physical "benefit".

[@Suziwellbeingchannel]

i kinda of agree x

[@dianaslade4228]

Thank you for this review. WW definitely damaged my relationship with food. But worse than that, I became malnourished on it because there was no way it allowed for me to eat enough for the heavy weightlifting I was doing, even though I ate every single point I was alloted. Once I talked to a nutritionist and started eating more intuitively, all the symptoms I had been having that I attributed to my age--brain fog, fatigue, extremely irregular and missing cycles--disappeared.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Diana Slade so glad those symptoms are gone!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@LissaxKristine]

I think the older WW plans definitely DID damage my relationship with food. The current plan, however (I'm on Green) actually has been a fairly useful tool. Having sugar "penalized" has helped me cut back on foods with added sugar. As a result, I'm aware of how too much sugar affects my mood/anxiety disorders. (That being said, I don't eat any sugar-free foods. I'm just selective when it comes to when I eat sugar because I know how it makes me feel. I definitely don't feel guilty about spending all my points on a slice of cake or pizza though. It just gives me pause. If I know a food is high in points because of sugar, it gives me a chance to pause and decide if it's worth it to me).

[@skysherlimit9778]

Wow! Perfect timing for me to find this video and your assessment is spot on. I just cancelled a WW membership yesterday because something felt very unnatural. I was looking at food as points and not food! I lost almost 10lbs and then hit a plateau and just felt like I was on a diet merry-go-round and it began messing with my head. Furthermore, WW members in connect seem to have done this WW thing for endless years (join, leave and join again). I actually can’t believe all the people that buy into this mentality. Thank you for doing this video.

[@Mo-bn2gy]

Agree

[@yahushahamashiachiswarlike]

Well... I'm currently on WW. The first time I joined my starting weight was 145 and I dropped down to 110. Then I became pregnant and stopped WW. After having my son I joined WW again and started at 170 lbs and dropped down to 112 lbs on WW. I then was going to school full time and my job situation changed and worked full time nights and going to school full time and stopped tracking altogether. WW worked for me. After some years I thought about it and rejoined 2 weeks ago at the staring weight of 165.4. Yesterday when I weighed myself I was 158.8. So sometimes life happens and people stop tracking what they eat for various reasons. The truth of the matter is no one wants restrictions and unless you are blessed genetically.... It will show up in/ on your body as proof of how well you are actually taking care of yourself; or not. And how disciplined a person truly is. We can't go to the gym for a week and expect abs... It's not gonna happen.

[@yahushahamashiachiswarlike]

I feel like WW is a great starting point in trying to lose weight if you need to lose at least 20 lbs+ in being conscious of better food choices until you learn more and discipline yourself to that point... Until then for me WW it is.

[@MelissaMabe]

I just started WW a week ago. I used to be Vegan, Paleo, Whole30, calorie counted, macros tracking, etc and tbh I've been LOVING WW. Like others have said, I think understanding the point system would have been super helpful vs eating your normal foods and just logging into the system. I've made a similar dinner (fajita bowls) and it was only 8 points!! It was SO good and satisfying! I've also had ice cream & cheese puffs this week LOL I would have LOVED to see a video of eating to the suggest plan vs just logging whatever you're eating in the day and see how you felt after following their points system. Like I said, I'm a week in and I'm loving it. I struggle with intuitive eating, portion control & binge eating so this has been VERY easy for me while having to confront my poor eating habits from before. I feel a lot of freedom since no food is off limits and if I want something I can have it, just as a smaller portion. The points do change based on your weight and goals, my points went down we I lost weight this week. ALSO, if your goal isn't to lose weight, then yes, this program isn't for you.

[@mysticalbee]

I started WW in Jan. of last year and was on it for about 6-7 months. After that I would constantly track my points and calories in my head and knew the calories of every food. I would eat mostly zero point or low point foods, and restrict myself. I wouldn’t eat things like pasta, rice, pizza, oil, candy, cookies, or chocolate. I only used fat free everything (cheese, sour cream, cream cheese, milk, yogurt, whipped cream) and ate powdered peanut butter. WW helped me lose about 50 pounds, but I am struggling with disordered eating now. I finally stopped counting calories back in late January 2020 and started intuitive eating, but it’s hard. Your Instagram posts and KZbin videos have really helped me though. Thank you for that.

[@ColleenChristensen]

So happy you're finding freedom, Brianna!!! XOXO Sending you hugs!

[@bdstairways]

I love WW. I never had any success with initiative eating. And to be honest I eat my carbs and lots of them. I think to each his own. I personally love it and was able to lose weight and lower my blood pressure.

[@nicolemariefit8421]

Hi! Im currently a nutrition & dietetics grad student! I think each way of eating is to each their own. I think eating styles will vary and thrive from person to person. I like WW, because a lot of people that have yo-yo dieted in the past and were originally told" They couldn't eat bread in order to lose weight, etc", and were so food restrictive, that they found a sense of food freedom that they could eat the foods they want to and still lose weight. I do see that some people in the WW community would rather choose a more processed food vs. a nutrient dense food due to the fact that points are lower, and that is a critique of the plan, but I find that the WW program as a whole emphasizes consuming whole foods and and consuming the foods that are more calorically dense in moderation. If any program is followed too strictly, I think it can create a toxic food relationship and habits, but I've seen WW help so many people who have struggled with portion control issues, intuitive eating, and just overall weight struggles and completely change their lives improve their health. WW also has multiple plans that can meet the needs of each individual and just doesn't focus on weight loss, but also on weight maintenance and weight gain as well. But again, to each their own, everyone needs to find a style of eating that best serves them physically and mentally. Not one way of eating works best for everyone, so it is interesting to hear other people reviews of each diet!

[@toriismakeup]

If I ate all that I think I would definitely gain weight. WW is for losing and you have to try and make a lifestyle change for it to work, not just do what you were already doing. I appreciate this but dont find it totally helpful. It’s true carbs are good for you but you can’t eat a lot of them if you are trying to lose weight which is not really what you are doing with this diet you had! If you like eating more carbs you should mention you can switch plans that allow for more points and different 0 calorie foods!

[@Mikkixox9]

I agree with you to an extent. As someone who has been heavily overweight since I was a child ( the first time I started Weight Watchers I was 12 and 200lbs) following hunger ques is easily said then done. And I am very envious to those who are able to just read their body and know their hunger ques, but I can't do that, at least not yet. Although WW may not be perfect and I've had my own battles with binge eating due to a negative cicle I started on WW when I was too young to realize it wasn't healthy. But WW has changed a lot since I was 12 (13 years ago) and does focus on overall wellness more. The three plans give you the option to choose what works best for you based on what you enjoy (if you enjoy oatmeal, pasta, etc. go with purple, if you want more point go with green). Also, if you are at goal (you aren't trying to lose weight) you get more points and you can also count fitness points to your day, which you did neither of those things. You also didn't really do any research into what the app has to offer and only did it for one day. It seems like you already have an opinion on tracking and dieting culture (first video I've watched of yours) and I don't disagree with you. But I feel like if you were going to do a video on WW know that you are counting points that you should have given it a bit more of a fair shot and actually done some research on it. I'll be checking out more of you videos, as you seem like a nice person with good inentions, I just don't know if you understand the struggle of someone stuck in the mud and how frustrating it can be to hear 'just eat when your hungry and stop when you full', if I could do that I wouldn't be fat.

[@Klutzy17]

See, I've had a really positive experience with WW. I'm on the purple plan, so I get 23 points a day, and whole grains are zero points, in addition to fruits, veggies, lean protein, etc.. It actually helped me break one of my food rules around pasta, because I LOVE whole grain and chickpea pasta, but always considered it a "bad" food. Now I have pasta at least once a week, whenever I feel like it. I never really dealt with feeling hungry, but I have health issues that cause loss of appetite, so being reminded to not skip meals or eat way under my points is helpful. I do intuitive eating as well--if I go over points, no big deal. And I've always found I'm very satisfied eating a lot of the "healthy" type foods for the most part, so satisfaction hasn't been an issue for me. And some weeks, I skip tracking all together. Sometimes I get bored or too stressed by other life things, so I just don't track. And that's cool too!

[@ColleenChristensen]

Veronica Hill so glad you’ve got that flexibility mindset- so important ❤️ everyone has the right to do as they please!!!!

[@brittanymellet640]

I feel like more research on the programs would have been helpful. You didn’t seek an understanding each plan and what daily/weekly points are, and only tried it for a few days. IMO not an informed review.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Thanks for the comment!

[@christinegfeller5623]

She only did it for ONE DAY! Not a fair review at all and I'm really upset. Intuitive eating sure wouldn't work for me - if I tried it, I would probably be worse off than I am now. I've done WW and lost a lot of weight on it.

[@BookishMandy]

Agreed.

[@lazarus623]

I lost 90 pounds & I’ve been a Lifetime member of WW for 10 years now. So when you say it “doesn’t work” - that’s not true. It does work. I’m not a minority. There are many others like me. I absolutely love WW, and it has added SO much positivity to my life. You are missing A LOT of what WW actually is & all it encompasses. You tracked your food for ONE day. Aside from not actually understanding the food portion of the program, you are totally missing out on everything else that is WW. I could go on, but I digress.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Thanks for the comment!

[@SarahSmith-xp9fz]

Once your at your goal weight or healthy weight, do you continue to count points to stay at that weight? How does that work?

[@lazarus623]

Yes, but you get more points for maintenance.

[@brendawoodside5176]

I can tell you that you are absolutely in the minority if you are lifetime. Most people (the majority) aren't. And won't be. And the proof is how many other lifetime members there are. It is a small number.

[@angelasteed156]

In order to maintain "lifetime" how often do you need to return to meetings to weigh in? How much is your weight allowed to fluctuate as a lifetime member?

[@karenvanoss900]

I agree! I did weight watchers at just 16 and then off and on until 22ish... It DESTROYED my relationship with food. It wasn't until mid 2019 that I began to follow you and others with a similar message and began to finally heal. I'm by no means perfect but I finally feel basically "normal" again around food. It's amazing for my marriage because we can keep all sorts of junk for him in the house and I don't have issues with binging it anymore! Now that I'm allowed to have it, it's not really that appealing.

[@joyinthejourney2686]

Thank you for your honest review. However by only doing the plan for one day, you may have missed some of the ideas and tools the my WW plan brings to the table.Full disclosure, I have been on WW and have lost over 120 lbs. One thing I have learned is that WW is not a diet. I feel I have learned how to eat healthier for the long haul. If you look at the zero point food list you will see they are made up of lean proteins, fruits, vegges, beans and some whole grains. There is more to WW than just points. They also stress you mindset and how our attitudes effect out outcome. They also encourage exercise. In fact, you also earn extra points by being active. So even though you ate more than 23 points the day you tracked, you probably earned several "fit points" that same day. My guess is that what you tracked was probably very in line with what your daily points, plus your fir points would have been for that day. I do agree with what you say about being satisfied. That is very important too. I just wanted to let you and your viewers know there is a bit more to the program that what you experienced in your one day trial.

[@christyreintsma]

For me personally, My WW has been a positive experience. And thanks to your hunger scale video, I have been practicing that daily as well. I was really hungry the first few days I did weight watchers, but I attribute that to the fact that I was always eating beyond an 8 on the hunger scale before. I really needed a wake up call with portion sizes because I eat so fast, that i am stuffed before my tummy has time to tell me so. Paying attention to portions, and hunger and fullness have been things I have needed to get in check for years. So between yourself and My WW, I am feeling successful and that I’m not dieting as much as I am paying better attention to what I’m doing. I really enjoy your videos and reviews. I was assigned 23 points too, and the weekly points you can divide up however you want during the week. So, you used 13 of your weekly points (you had 35 to begin with) leaving you 22 points for the rest of the week. I call them “wiggle room” points. I end up spacing them out evenly through the week, so I add 5 onto my 23 and eat around 28 points per day, which has been perfect for me.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Christy Mouat everyone is totally able to do what they feel best doing! Love that you’re working towards understanding hunger and fullness as well, that’s so important!!

[@hustlenmuscles9420]

Great review! I am working with a couple of clients now who were on WW before and this helped me understand where they’ve gotten some of their fears of certain foods and the binge cycles

[@aliciasb1907]

I did WW years ago and I was always walking around with my calculator in the grocery store trying to figure out how I could make it work with what I wanted to eat and what I was allotted to eat. I'm a taller than average woman so I probably got more points, but I'd still have a lot of times where I was still hungry. Every grocery trip and day of eating was a game of Tetris. I also disliked how they were pro-artificially sweetened food because it had less calories yet real foods were "bad." I did it for a few months and gave it an honest try and it never did much for me. This was before the app so I carried my book around with me everywhere and had the cookbooks, products, etc. I was thinking of food in terms of points and that's not how I wanted to look at food and I was frustrated because I was looking for something to help me break bad food habits/addictions and this program amplified it. I'm happy that it has worked for some people, unfortunately I wasn't one. I think the people that love WW and what it did for them are missing the overall point of this video. From reading the comments a lot of you say that she missed all the extra ins and outs of the app and the different systems that would have justified her point consumption (exercise), however the point was that eating shouldn't be that complicated and you shouldn't have to feel bad or that your borrowing food from tomorrow to feel satisfied today. She's very clear that this is her opinion and encouraging everyone to do what feels right for themselves. If WW is working for you, that's awesome, but it doesn't work for everyone and that's okay too. We don't all have to like the same thing. We are all trying to find what is right for ourselves :)

[@christalcavanaugh]

I was anorexic as a teen and did the same thing with MyFitnessPal. I counted the calories of chewing gum and rocking in a rocking chair as well as if I had one m&m. That wasn’t the app’s fault, I was just sick. Now I use the same app to loosely track my fitness and what types of foods I was eating, and it’s an invaluable tool for my health. Two experiences, one person the only difference is my mental state

[@Sarah-uf1bz]

The thing with WW for me was I found myself cutting out a lot of foods that I loved, just because they were high in points. The big one was peanut butter! I would always say to myself "ugh, I can't even eat this because it's so high in points." and I love peanut butter. It was weird being obsessed with points rather then what was actually going into my body. Thank you for this review!! It made me feel better about quitting WW.

[@ColleenChristensen]

So glad you enjoyed it, Sarah!

[@rosewilson7612]

But you could have peanut butter you just needed to count it

[@Sarah-uf1bz]

@@rosewilson7612 Not the point I was trying to make. The point was that it's too high in points when it shouldn't be that high.

[@GEKENILWORTH]

I've been on and off Weight Watchers since 1969! (Yes, I'm THAT old lol!). In the old days, the diet was very strict and not always tasty. (You could make fake cookies using your powdered milk allotment for the day and shaved apple--blechh! ). Throughout the years, I'd be on WW, lose weight, hit my goal, then eventually gain it all back (and more). I really did start thinking of points more than nutrition. Also, WW kept changing their programs and point system, which was frustrating to me. My last WW experience was a few years ago. I lost 40 pounds, and yes, gained it back. It was like a massive craving for "bad foods" came roaring back as soon as I hit my goal weight. I'm trying now to stay away from any sort of counting, because I know that if I "go over" my daily limit, I'll just think, "What the heck, I've already blown it, I might as well eat whatever I want."

[@LissaxKristine]

I'm going to comment as I watch because I know I have a LOT to say about this as someone who is on WW (Green plan). (I tend to write "novels" in here, this will probably be a long one). WW actually discourages the use of the term "free" foods because it implies that the food is a "free-for-all." Instead, they say the foods are "zero points". These are supposed to be the BASE of your diet. My WW leader says that they're there- not to encourage you to eat more of them, but to eat them MORE. In the OLD plan that I started with in 2009, a banana and 100 calorie pack of cookies would each cost me 2 points. Now, the cookies might cost me 4 while the banana is 0. I am free to eat whatever I want, but the hope is that most of the time, people will reach for the banana over the cookies. The 0 point food list consists of foods that are generally less likely to be abused and have protein, fiber, and/or other micronutrients that should help keep you satiated. On Green, that means that my 0 point food list includes most fruits and vegetables. For dinner tonight, I'm planning on having chicken or pork with air fried vegetables. I'll probably spend about 6 points on my meat, a point on olive oil for a bit of fat on the vegetables, and the vegetables (which will take up the majority of the plate) will clock in at 0. Green 0 Point Food List: Fruits and vegetables (excluding peas, corn, potatoes, parsnips, plantains, avocado, and olives) Blue 0 Point Food List: Above plus peas, corn, beans/legumes, chicken/turkey breast, seafood, eggs, fat-free plain yogurt. Purple 0 Point Food list: Above plus potatoes, whole grain pasta, bean/lentil pastas, brown rice, quinoa, farro, oats etc. So, a dinner of chicken breast, brown rice, steamed broccoli, and butter might cost 7/30 points on Green (counting everything except the broccoli); 5/23 on Blue (not counting broccoli and chicken), and 2/16 on Purple (not counting broccoli, chicken, or rice; only counting butter). I generally don't eat low-fat foods. If I need to, I have my weekly allowance. The 23 points you got is generally the base amount you need for the day, but if you're eating a lot of chicken, eggs, beans, etc you're probably ok if you don't hit that target. The weekly allowance can be used if you're feeling a little hungrier or if you just need the points for a little something extra. The weekly allowance is built into the plan (you have 35 based on your weight, age, height, and gender). Weeklies are there to be used if you need them. (You can also swap out FitPoints if it works for you; some people discourage it. Personally, I will allow it if I use all of my weeklies). If you don't eat all of your daily points, you can roll over up to 4 per day. I actually really like that part of the plan. If I know I have an event on Saturday, I can eat a little lighter a few days before. Over the course of the week, things end up balancing out. Those rollovers are ADDED to the weekly allowance. The weeklies and rollovers combined are WW's way of acknowledging that some days you might need to eat more or less than others. Between workouts, events, hormones, being sick, being busy, or just being more/less hungry one day, it's not realistic to eat 23 points every single day. Some days, you might need to eat more. Other days, you might need to eat less It does take time to adjust to learning the plan. During the first few days or even first couple of weeks, it's more about learning what foods work for you, etc. Obviously, you have every right to your opinion, but I can't help wondering if you already had a bit of a bias coming into this as someone who is strongly believes in no food rules and anti-diet culture andand simply not fully understanding all of the aspects of the program (I'm happy to answer any questions if you still want to understand more. I have been petty successful on the plan even while eating things like avocado, peanut butter, full-fat dairy, olives, etc on a regular basis).

[@ColleenChristensen]

Thanks for the comment!

[@brittanymellet640]

Very well said!!

[@alissamiller4786]

Yes! I thought the same thing. Based on her original diet, I automatically thought if she was on Purple plan than she might have a different outcome.

[@calisongbird]

@@ColleenChristensen I’ve noticed that your only reply to people who leave very substantial and fact-based comments like this is “Thanks for the comment!” which comes across as rather dismissive. You’re not engaging with your viewers at all that way. And you’re certainly not admitting that perhaps your approach to evaluating the WW program was faulty - considering you only gave it one day. Very disappointing.

[@Samella29]

Thank you for posting this. For so long I felt WW was the only way. In the last couple months I have been trying to focus on intuitive eating and stopping myself from having food rules. I loved what you said about being full vs being satisfied. I was so tired of being in the cycle of being on WW and getting off and binge eating. I felt there has to be more to life. I was missing out on going out with friends (when we could actually leave the house) because I needed to save points for a different event later in the week. I will finally be able to not stress out about an unplanned meal out. Please keep the videos coming.

[@Benouille1988]

Hi Colleen 👋 I completely understand and respect your opinion I would just like to share my experience : for me doing WW as a young adult had taught me to try more veggies that I now love, try more recipes and showed me that i love cooking and explained that I used to get hungry because I had stopped eating carbs and encouraged me to eat a bit of everything. The difference is I learned all of that within groups or with the coaches. I don't think the online app is the way to go. Though I completely agree with you, the point system is not a good way of thinking and can be triggering (hello binging my old friend). I actually cancelled my subscription a few days ago after following you and other intuitive eating RDNs for while because I want to stop that diet mentality and start trusting my body with IE. I'm still thankful for the things I've learned about myself with WW and now I can move on. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and for everything ❤️

[@tanyasites4890]

Seven years ago, I tried WW (I bought a 3-month plan). I only wanted to lose about 10-15 pounds. I was hungry *all* the time on it and didn't lose a single pound.

[@rebeccadargue8578]

Ive just quit weight watchers after being on it for a couple of months and I feel like you summed up my experience of it perfectly I get how it can work for some people but I do feel it needs better safeguarding for disordered eating. While I was consistently losing weight on it, my body image and relationship with food had never been worse. (Think crying my eyes out because I binged on a tub of halotop and used too much of my weeklies - despite still being under 1400 calories that day) Also they market it as a lifestyle change but do you really want to point everything you ever eat and weigh yourself weekly for the rest of your life? I would just advise anyone considering it to be careful. You don't have to have an active eating disorder to have a bad experience with ww

[@rheafortune6356]

OMG! WW is all about learning how to eat differently. It is not a diet culture problem. WW taught me the value of food, what was healthy (low cal, low fat, higher in protein, low in sat fat, etc). I don’t use WW anymore but lost 80+ lbs 5 years ago and have kept it off because I learned about food through WW. YOU need to do your research. I’m “heated now to you guys” 😂😂

[@Attabasca]

I did WW and it is exactly as you said, you start seeing food as points and not nourishment that should be satisfying as well. It made me think how much WW would've poo-pooed (giving it way high points) my breakfast of overnight oats, my lunch of whole grain toast with avocado, feta and tomatoes and chicken orzo soup. It probably would've "liked" my dinner (a bowl of quinoa, roasted beets and acorn squash, spinach, feta and chickpeas) but blown me out of the water for the carrot-ginger almond butter dressing. And yet all of it was so good and satisfying but the WW points would've had me second guessing everything!

[@amberkeenan1329]

Thank you for sharing this!! I started weight watchers in April 2016, and I truly believe that is what started my binge eating disorder from all of the restrictions.

[@michelletownsend9660]

From the moment my eyes opened in the morning I would become obsessed with my points. I would do weird diet calculus and bargain with myself on what I would allow myself to eat. Even though WW tries to encourage you to eat more healthy, my addictive brain would convince me to eat lower point junk.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Can totally relate to that obsessiveness. Sending you hugs!

[@clanausse]

Same

[@masdec77]

I did weight watchers. I lost 80 lbs in 8 months. I left weight watchers and stopped paying attention to what I ate and gained it all back. I'm trying for something long lasting this time. Love your videos! They are really helping me.

[@angelasteed156]

I did weight watchers a few years ago, my aunt has been a leader for 15+ years. It was one of the older programs, and I couldn't get around some of the "free" foods, like diet sodas, which you could have as many as you wanted because they had zero calories. There were other things, like corn had a ton of points, but cool whip and jello had basically none. It didn't make sense to me, and your description of "tetris-ing" foods was accurate. I did lose 40 pounds, but a lot of that was because I also joined a high intensity boot camp, and I skipped meals regularly (single mom of 2 at the time), and I gained it back plus more over the next few years.

[@MustardSeedish]

I had a successful weight loss in the 80's and again after having my second child on WW. I've slowly gained 40 pounds over time from getting older and it's really messed with my head. Ever since I've been practicing intuitive eating, my obsession with food ceased. I would be on food sites all the time pinning recipes. Now I pin pretty pictures. After being on WW's on and off for decades I believe they set it up that you return due to regaining in order to profit because nobody can do that regime for the rest of their lives.

[@beanahyslop9005]

I'm on the WW green plan. I love it. The hardest part for me was the first day. I had no idea how to eat or what I could eat so I went waayy over my points my first day 🤣. I've lost about 20 pounds. Now that I know how to eat, it's so much easier. I get in the app and look up recipes and that's how I buy my groceries. It works for me, but my mom really struggled with it.

[@appleblossom345]

You can turn on fitpoints so you can "eat" your worked out points. For someone maintaining instead of losing that's probably the ideal choice.

[@chickade4eva]

I love this concept. I just signed up for WW last week and I did purple because it seemed more whole foods focused and that's how I like to eat. So far it's been great. I'm breaking out of some unhealthy thought patterns around food and calorie counting. I think they did a good job of working three plans for a lot of different lifestyles. It was well thought out in my opinion.

[@maggielyall811]

Good luck Jordon I've been doing blue for several months and have lost almost 20% of my body weight don't listen to this review point don't make you binge they make you make healthier choices - you can still snack and eat healthily. She has not given the WW plan a good go before being all judgy.

[@chelleliz9348]

I feel like WW has given me gudelines to make better food choices and exercise more. Without really doing the math, I think if you would've had just had less peanut butter and logged your run on the app (fit points), you would've been very close to the daily points. The average person starts WW with really bad eating and exercise habits, it takes time to form new ones and it's never easy at first.

[@beanahyslop9005]

Agreed. When I first started I really struggled with going over. Once you get used to it, it's so much easier

[@paulapratt9903]

I have recently just cancelled my WW subscription. I was on it two years. I did lose 60lbs. But this past year my weight has been yo-yoing. I was starting to binge. "Let me have all the chocolate" I've been trying to follow the intuitive eating but to be honest, I'm scared. I've gained weight and sorry to say....I care. I want a healthy relationship with food but I also don't want to be where I was ...

[@karennihoniho4562]

Colleen, thank you so much for making this video. I just started WW personal points 4 days ago and just yesterday I felt ravenous in the evening. You are so right..I have begun to think of foods as points. I've become obsessed with points and even resorted to purging when I ate 15 points over my daily budget. I got into a bad habit of doing for several months. I'm not a binge eater but feel bad when I go over 1500 calories a day. I'm currently receiving counselling for this. I have subscribed to your channel to learn how to listen to my body etc. I am on medication that increases my appetite and there is no other medication I can take that will keep me mentally stable. That is why I have been obese for the past 20 years. I have a BMI of 36 and am very unhappy with my body. I just hope I can learn enough from your videos to get down to a healthy weight again. Right now it feels absolutely impossible. It's taken me 10 months to lose 4kg and keep it off.

[@lindywalsh2187]

Hi! I was just talking to a friend who doesn’t like WW, for me it’s helped a ton with my binge eating and gave me a better relationship with food (: but when we actually started talking she does really good with intuitive eating where I do not. Intuitive eating sends me into a bad spiral. I also know that if I’m having a strong craving I will just eat it, so for me it gave me a healthier approach to food. I lost over 50 lbs (:

[@aimeemaurer4862]

You can’t spend that many points in a day and make it through the week. Also, that was a lot of food. Plus I’m surprised, on blue there are zero point foods that you did not eat.

[@AshleyLynn197]

I think a lot of people rely on the zero points foods to “feel full” (fruits, veggies, eggs chicken breast)

[@christalcavanaugh]

It’s seems like that’s the point, right? You eat more healthy foods to fuel your body and use your extra points to eat some chips or dessert or whatever as opposed to staying within a caloric goal but eating all junk food

[@laineywright2696]

By the way, I loved that you used your usual foods, THEN calculated the points. I knew from looking at your bowl of oatmeal; it would be 9 to 10 points, and I was right.

[@mskinetik]

REVIEW FAIL,, Sorry but you weren't using the app right! Your review was WAAAY off because you weren't aware of a very important point tool called the ACTIVITY TRACKER which gives you additional points for exercising since people have different levels of activity.You didn't spend adequate time to become familiar with the app so you didn't know about it. WW So let's say you run 3 miles per day, you would have a lot more points each day. To do a fair review, it might have been better to do it for at least 3 days and take time to really understand the app. By then you would have learned about the activity tracker and bonus exercise points. Since you weren't aware of the activity points, you're review wasn't really accurate.

[@meganbarton8954]

I would have liked to see her review while doing the WW purple plan instead of blue. Since there are so many more 0 point foods on purple, like yogurt, oatmeal, pasta, rice, chicken, popcorn, etc. I think those foods were a lot of the foods that made her go over her points target. I think that would have been a better plan for her eating habits and maybe she would have not had such a negative relationship with it. Also, she didn't have a good understanding of weekly points and how they are designed to be eaten within your plan as well as the activity points you earn.

[@rainbowflower8388]

I lost 20lbs on it. I did my worst binge on Easter 2017 and quit. Every weekend my husband and I would save up our points and workout harder so we could binge on the weekend. We would go to a corner store and buy at least $20-30 in snacks and just eat them in one serving. I was the only one in my family to lose weight. My husband couldn't eat 60 points worth of food so he never lost weight. I was at my sickest during weight watchers. I ended up gaining all the weight back and gaining half before my wedding day, which was the reason why I lost the weight. I tried it again a couple times after I quit and my mindset was still there. Counting anything was super triggering and now everyone loses weight on this. I don't recommend at all! 4 people quit and 3 only lost 5lbs in the span of 5 months.

[@bjyoung11616]

Taco salad looked amazing! I did WW 20 years ago with my mom and I thought the program was a lot more simple. We really liked it back then. I really like your input about listening to your body. Thank you so much!!

[@kerrywm]

Have made my goal weight twice on WW. Have never felt better than when I am following points. For me, the trouble is staying with it. For me, once I “fall off the wagon” I fall hard and the weight comes back and then some. That’s the part that I can’t get “right” for the long term. I can’t seem to stay with it for longer than a few years at a go....

[@ColleenChristensen]

Kerry Wang can totally relate ❤️ it def takes time and a lot of experimenting to re:learn your body VS points or counting calories/macros/etc but it’s SO possible girlfriend!

[@kerrywm]

Colleen Christensen All the reasons you pointed out in the video are things i have experienced. It has messed with my weight but especially with my brain!

[@jennysizemore9241]

Was debating going back to WW as I did lose alot on it in the past but what I'm concerned about it long term maintenance. I don't see myself tracking for the rest of my life. As a nutritionist, is it ok to do it on your own? Would you say that's more sustainable? Thanks!

[@abbywhite4735]

I’ve watched a few videos of yours like this and you seem to only be a fan of intuitive eating and nothing else is a good option. Also if you’re going to review a program it might be a good idea to learn more about the program and try it for more then one day before judging it. I think to each their own but some people need some guidelines. I sure hope if someone asks your advice (as you say people do) on this or any other program that you’d be careful to provide your thoughts on such limited information and trying it for only one day...that would not be very responsible. Clearly these programs bring up eating issues in your past but that doesn’t mean everyone is in that same boat.

[@carolineclark9929]

I loved this style of video, taking us on a journey was really fun! It was so interesting hearing your take on the diet and I loved how real you were! As you were taken back to those days that you overcame in reviewing this diet, I think let's not do too many of these for your sake. But, I think maybe a video of how not to get into food ruts would be really helpful ❤️

[@ColleenChristensen]

So glad you love it! You're so sweet for caring about me! I'll always take care of my mental health!

[@crepassc]

WW definitely had some positive impacts but I know that I was for sure starting to slip into these negative behaviors. For example, I reach for healthier snacks more often (snacks that would be considered “0 points”) on the plan, but more so because I feel better eating that way. But I don’t feel bad for adding some peanut butter to my apple anymore. You were so correct on not getting enough fuel to exercise. I quit WW after having to lay on my floor in the middle of a workout a couple of weeks ago and realizing I was just not getting enough fuel.

[@ColleenChristensen]

So sorry to hear that Carli! Hope you're getting the fuel you need!

[@kwadwosboo]

Just started last week and I already see a significant difference in my eating habits. I don’t think about the points much because I know they give me weekly points as a buffer. I love it! To each his own but I think it has the opposite effect of what you are saying. I understand everyone has different experiences but doing a review on something like this needs more than one or two days of experiment. The first few days are always the hardest. I’m glad I watched this video after I signed up because I would have been discouraged by this before signing up!

[@Lou-gt7lx]

I have a friend who has gone from a size 18 to a size 12 through weight watchers and she sings praise about them non stop: HOWEVER, she has been following the WW plans for a year and has recently been discussing the obsession she has had with losing weight, as the constant check-ins and praise they get for losing is extremely gratifying. She recently ate nowhere near enough calories because she was so focussed on losing more weight and passed out while doing general daily activities, and recognised that it was due to her wanting to lose more weight. As someone who suffered with anorexia for 3 years I am super not into any schemes where there are "weigh ins" and gratification in the form of groups gratifying you when you lose weight, it seems really damaging and I feel like it isn't so much mindful thinking as it is just micro management on your diet. I'm super happy for her because she feels so much better and looks so much happier, but I would still never touch that sort of thing myself. I feel like they can lead to disordered eating behaviours.

[@inkyminky184]

I don’t usually comment on these things, but this review really bothered me. This review was presented as something being fair and I don’t think it was. I see what you’re saying as to how this program can negatively impact a person’s relationship with food, but I think that’s true with any food plan that you’re on (I’ve been on lots) if you don’t have a good mindset going in. Points are not the entirety of WW. Points are part of a system to help teach you how to eat. WW does talk about satiety and choosing foods that satisfy, combined with talking about exercise, mental health, sleep habits, and the importance of community support when you’re struggling. By focusing on one aspect and then immediately deciding you didn’t like it, without investigating reasoning behind why this plan is this way throws out the baby with the bath water.

[@lisaburton8703]

I've done ww a couple times. I was able to lose weight for my wedding but I knew it wasn't going to work long term. I became obsessive about having to count and measure everything. And I was NEVER happy because I was hungry all the time! And EVERY food choice I made was to stay in line with my point allowance. I know it was not mentally healthy for me.

[@Sranney2]

I agree! I think WW is great for some. It focuses you on healthy food. But for me, it makes me obsess about food, which is never good

[@mkpharmd2372]

Thank you for the review. I am so glad I found your channel. This was my story on weight watchers

[@stacylee7798]

I always look forward to and enjoy your videos. No food rules still seems too good to be true. Especially when sugar addiction is at play

[@ColleenChristensen]

So glad you love them, Stacy, that means a lot! I know, it's SO crazy it DOES seem too good to be true. But myself and the girlfriends inside my membership, The SociEATy, are living proof it's not!

[@toochaotic7752]

Colleen, I have watched many of your videos and found them to be interesting and educational even when I didn't agree with some of your suggestions. However, this video was the first that made me question whether I will view any more. To avoid a long and wordy post I will tell you why in dot points: - You didn't even research the WW program basics. Your lack of understanding about the Weekly Smart Points attests to that. - You didn't appear to track your exercise. Your morning jog would have given you extra points to use, had you tracked it. - You tested WW by (partially) following its rules for 1 day. Do you honestly believe that any eating program can be fairly evaluated after just 1 day? Would you feel happy for someone to give their assessment of your intuitive eating approach as a failure and dangerous, after just a 1 day trial? I don't think so. - You didn't acknowledge that, on the Blue Plan there are zero point meats, fish, eggs, dairy and even legumes (carbs). - You followed your normal eating patterns then counted the points for that. So you didn't actually try to apply the program, but focused on the part that you disagree with: the tracking. A setup for failure. - The level of anger that you displayed suggests to me that you are still not "over" your previous issues of obsessive calorie tracking so, clearly, this type of program was not going to suit you or viewers with the same issues. - I would argue that you have replaced your previous obsessive habit (counting calories for 900 days) with new obsessive habits: food planning for the week (boring) and examining the Aldi specials on a weekly basis (super boring). You described this in one of your other videos. - Of course my assessment of your behaviour/motivations is based on a purely superficial basis, much like what did with your examination of WW. - The WW program is clearly NOT DESIGNED for a very slender young woman who exercises every day. - Likewise, I would argue that the intuitive eating approach is not designed for a woman that has 50kg or more to lose. - I think that, for any woman that has NOT HAD an eating disorder in the past (other than just simply eating too much) and has a substantial amount to lose, WW can be very effective. It will guide them toward better food habits through the emphasis of vegetables and healthy carbs and proteins. Then having achieved the goal weight or close to it, and having had their healthier food choices ingrained and having lost the desire to demolish a packets of chocolate biscuits at one sitting, they could start to incorporate, or experiment with, an intuitive eating approach. - So, while it's great that you responded to viewer requests to trial the WW program, you should have planned for it on the Saturday when you drew up your weekly shopping list, should have researched it more, should have given it a week rather than just a day and should have given a disclaimer that you have no weight to lose and have issues with tracking because of your past history. [Full disclosure: I went on WW 18 years ago and lost 15 kg easily by tracking my food and 2 gym sessions per week. I continued to lose weight for 3 months after that. Over the last 18 years the weight has crept so I'm giving it a second go. This past week I have been successfully tracking and making good choices as well as having regular treats that fit within the point budget. Feeling satiated? Yes. Feeling satisfied? Yes. Feeling deprived? No.]

[@abbisalter2086]

WW is a great program for those who struggle with portion control and healthy choices. WW taught me how to make decisions and control how much I consumed during the day. A great guideline in my opinion.

[@danastrickland8811]

I have been overweight my whole life. My first time with WW was as a kid. It was never successful for me. As an adult I did like the points because I could eat normal foods, but if I wanted something complicated I couldn't be bothered to figure out the points. I always wanted spaghetti, but I had to figure out the meat, the noodles, the sauce...that I never would eat it because it was too hard to figure out. I'm still new in the intuitive eating but I think it makes the most sense....

[@niccimorrida6373]

WW was great for me at first after I had my youngest. It taught me that I wasn't eating a balanced diet and it was great to help me focus on adding in more nutritious foods. Well the anxious, perfectionist that I am slipped back into my disordered eating. I cut out so many foods and each day it was how much less could I eat to get my blue dot and how much more exercise could I do to work off those points. I lost my cycle (still trying to get it back) and got way too thin. I've been off WW for over a year and I'm still struggling. I was doing so well before all of this stuff happened, now I've spiraled down again. Working to give up some food rules that I've turned to again. All in all WW was a disaster to me. The point system is so bogus. Lots of food shame (like you mentioned about rethinking your choices). I will never ever recommend it to anyone.

[@ColleenChristensen]

So sorry you've been through that! Sending you hugs!

[@wonderfullymade4645]

I am on my WW blue, I’ve lost 15lbs in 2 months, it’s taught me how to tackle my unhealthy addiction to food & completely help me gain a new mindset on what I eat & how much.... You can insert your active moments & water intake to gain more points I believe. Some of us cannot control the “portion intake” and that’s where WW helps at, considering you already eat a perfectly healthy lifestyle, you obviously were given less points bc of the foods you eat. Idk, I just this review didn’t sit well with me, it wasn’t fair.... you should’ve given it a full 30 days.

[@SarahSmith-xp9fz]

My question is what happens when you reach your goal weight with WW? Are you forever continuously counting points in your head? Because that doesn’t sound appealing.

[@ImaTChure]

You get assigned more points due to maintenance, but yup...you still count points!

[@linfun1]

Yes, it’s a lifelong lifestyle. I lost 75lbs and it took me 3yrs. I’ve been at goal almost 4yrs now. I am still an active member and attend my meetings every week and track my food. Because I attend meetings I am considered a Lifetime member and as long as I don’t go more then 2lbs over my goal my membership is free. If I stop tracking and following the plan I will backslide and regain all the weight back.

[@chocolatechipbanana]

I'm on the purple plan. I love it. I'm losing 2-3 pounds a week since mid January. I'm Vegetarian so the purple plan gives me 300 zero point foods (but I would say about a quarter of them are meat or fish) but because I have so many 0pts I only get 16 points per day, but I can have a whole salad and only count points for the dressing. Potatoes and whole grain pasta are zero points as well so the idea is make the body of your meals with zero point foods and adding point to meals with flavors. I noticed she didnt use the barcode scanner. Helps a lot add food quickly. She also used pb which is high in points but pb2 (the dried pb) is 1pt per serving.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Everyone has the right to do as they wish! This is simply my opinion =]

[@lifeinmyemptynest]

This is a good review, I have done WW before and I've lost 25 lbs, but I felt the same way as you. It's not for me, I'd rather eat whole foods, mostly veggies.

[@ameliegagnon7443]

Thanks for the review! It helps to have another point of view. I've been doing WW for a few months and it has helped me with some things, but didn't with others. I have to monitor and listen to myself. In my opinion, a WW is just a tool, and it's to each person to use it as they feel fitted. You still have to work on yourself outside of the app. So, again thanks for the review and for the tips along the way 💕

[@StefaniasJourney]

I do not think a day is sufficient enough for a formal opinion. I am a strong believer that you have to do what works for you during the time your going thru. I do think that there are other options with points, there are roll overs, fit points, other colored plans, having more zero point foods, staying within your healthy eating zone as well as weekly points. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I am having trouble with weight watchers at the moment and am going to try a different route.

[@graphita588]

I lost about 135lbs with WW a couple of years ago. Even became a coach and worked for ww for about 2 years. Sucked all my energy out. but thats just a sidenote. :D I kept the weight off for about 2,5 years before starting to gain again. And in the end I gained almost everything back. WW is a diet. No matter what they call it.

[@dianeheyman6149]

Love her comment about the difference of full & satisfied. Completely true

[@lindakennedy4616]

Very interesting review! I follow ww, on maintenance mode, and eat very similarly to you. I generally stay within the points for maintaining weight. I do measure my peanut butter, and on occasion, weigh foods to reacquaint myself with a healthy portion size, but otherwise eat mindfully and intuitively. The biggest change for me was kicking my nighttime sugar habit. Also I’m weighing myself weekly now instead of daily multiple times. I love my virtual ww workshop, and I actually like tracking. Nevertheless, I value your comments! So interesting that you feel so differently than I do about ww.

[@m.esp444]

I would love to see a review on keto. It really messed with me and I want to hear your opinion on the good, bad and ugly of keto.

[@Danimeows]

I have failed at weight watchers consistently since my mom put me on the diet age 10. Each time I gained a ton. And a very damaged eating cycle. Since my therapist recommend intuitive eating I'm doing much better.

[@Danimeows]

Forgot to add it actually made me hate veggies for awhile.

[@michaelmckeich]

Been on WW for 2 months...Love the app! It has taught me to make better decisions on food choices. I have lost weight every week since starting the program.

[@breannaferenzi2621]

I would’ve loved to have seen you use your free points. Your plan was specifically lower points with more zero point foods. You could eat fruit or chicken for free, you could’ve also logged your running for more points. I honestly feel as if there wasn’t a great understanding of the program. I also think saying”I need to look into that more” constantly isn’t what you should be saying. Ppl that are actually seeking out the program do a lot of research to understand it, so I honestly feel like you should’ve done the same before reviewing. Just some criticism going forward as I feel not understanding a program completely and ALL of its features and then reviewing it isn’t super fair.

[@amyhon2000]

I love WW - I have been successful with it in the past, I am on green (30 points per day). I had to say that I make my oatmeal in a similar way: 1/3 cup oatmilk, plain instant oatmeal, 1 tsp sugar free sunbutter (am allergic to nuts) and about 1/2 cup blueberries - but I never thought to add coconut! I'm going to try that tomorrow morning. :)

[@jenallen5202]

I m sorry I disagree with you. One day when you don't understand the program is in no way a good review. I have not only lost 60 lbs I have kept it off for almost a year. so far. Roll over point are if you only use 20 of 23 you can use those 3 points on another day as long as it's in the same week. Also you didn't know to go in and track your run to get the activity points for the day. No it did not give you a clear opinion because you didn't know what you were doing. I not only have lost the weight because I eat less processed stuff I feel better.

[@raetheveg]

You didn’t do your research before forming a very strong opinion. WW is the only realistic weight loss lifestyle plan. If you did your research, you would see that when you went for a run, you would eat activity points which you can use for more food. You would also know that once you are a healthy weight, or at your goal weight, you increase points for maintenance. Show me how you have lost 70,80,90 or more pounds in a healthy way. This is very irresponsible and not really something that resonates with people who have weight to lose.

[@thedesertdancer]

Could you please tell us how to lose weight if you don’t recommend Weight Watchers or Optavia? I’m assuming that Nutrisystem is also not recommended? I’ve been a runner since I was in high school. So, it’s easy to maintain a healthy weight if one can run long distance. I was never the type to eat what I want and I rarely ate sweets and I only ate a small about of bread, rice, pasta and starchy vegetables which was normally 2 or 3 times a week. I gained weight when I could no longer run or do the exercises I was used to doing. It is easy for you to be slim because you go running but many people cannot go running so what you recommend? I had 2 accidents a couple of years apart so I could barely walk and received 6 months of acupuncture for my knees, back and neck. Even when I started walking and doing light exercises, I could not lose the weight. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like I can ever go back to running or the lifestyle I enjoyed with aerobics and running. I just learned I also need knee surgery since I have a torn meniscus. My knees pop and my back pops but I still try to do sit-ups, walking and biking. What do you recommend if one cannot go running and has back, neck and knee issues? I can walk 2 hours a day and I don’t see results like I did with running.

[@rosiesanchez8048]

You know, I felt the same way you were feeling. I am trying to stop counting my calories and it makes it so hard for me because I still want to lose a few pounds. But I am so tired of restriction and binge eating. I need some help. Thank you for this video btw. I enjoyed it

[@ColleenChristensen]

Xoxoxo!!

[@oliviafagin293]

I think Weight Watcher's might be a good way to transition from strict calorie counting to intuitive eating, but I don't think it should be the goal or a lifelong way of eating.

[@bigphilly7345]

What’s your opinion on keto? It worked for me at first then I fell off the wagon. What do you recommend for type 2 diabetics?

[@whattheflimflam]

I laughed so hard at "Bloobs" and the flute music 🤣Great video!

[@mariaespichan8524]

I personally don’t think anyone who’s had an unhealthy relationship (specifically with not eating enough) with food do any type of calorie counting, i guess unless it’s for health reasons. You look healthy and active and not trying to lose weight, most people who are on weight watchers are overweight, therefore have to be in a calorie deficit to achieve a healthier weight for there size, I’d say weight watchers makes that easier for those people. I personally don’t think anyone should be in a calorie deficit/tracking everything for more than 30 days, for a mental break and to give your body a rest. I’m 5’2 and naturally curvy, Im at a healthy weight for my frame and don’t really calorie count unless I’m trying to look good for a vacation or notice some weight gain (and i don’t think there is anything wrong that) but I’ve learned so much from calorie counting an different apps! when I gained weight in my early twenties because i could no longer eat whatever i wanted without gaining weight, and sure one, two even five pounds is no biggie (to me personally) but 10-15 pounds, about 145 pounds for a 5’2 woman doesn’t just lower your confidence because jeans won’t fit anymore but it’s considered overweight and unhealthy, I respect your opinion, and I see where you are coming from, but at the same time, I don’t think you can fully give an honest opinion if you’re not trying to lose weight.

[@annarienstra3689]

Love this! I so relate to everything Colleen said. Anytime I've tracked calories, macros, points, etc. it has eventually led to a binge or "out of control" eating. It's no surprise that listening to your body ALWAYS beats out counting food intake.

[@ColleenChristensen]

Anna Rienstra yes girlfriend!! ❤️❤️❤️

[@jordandreiling888]

I have been off WW for many years, but until discovering the book Intuitive Eating, was still thinking in terms of points. I felt massively guilty for eating anything I knew would be high in points. I even lost my appetite for “zero point” foods - even though I previously enjoyed fruits and veggies. It’s like I craved anything that the plan considered high points...like my body was rebelling or something? The first time I went on WW it really worked for me, but now I realize it put me on a path of 10+ years of disordered eating.

[@jessicaburgess6883]

I’m on WW and love it so so so much! It really gave me a good base and taught me new habits!

[@Courageous321]

When I’m over hungry and I have little to no points left, I eat a big bowl of fruit and try to go with fruit considered lower on the glycemic index. This works well for me snd is healthy. Occasionally, I’ll even have a vegetable with a few sprays of butter. All zero points.

[@pandapower3369]

You are 100% correct! I cannot eat 23 points and do my day. I work 2 jobs and exercise everyday. This is such a low fuel plan. It also ruined my relationship with food. I constantly feel guilty every time I eat a fun food. Horrible plan

[@davidparker219]

On my hubby you tube acct, and my question would be what do you suggest for a overweight women who is 50, who craves sugar and doesn’t eat a balance diet. If I listen to my body I would eat ice cream all day! How do you think someone like me should lose weight??

[@DLG868]

I did WW maybe 5 or 6 times and was always successful at losing weight but not keeping it off. The last time I did it, I lost a lot of weight and was emaciated. I obsessively exercised and felt such guilt when I didn't or couldn't. To get my steps in I would walk in my living room while watching TV at night. My doctor was so worried but secretly the smaller I got the happier I was. I went to a therapist and she got me to stop meal prepping, tracking my food and counting points. Fast forward 7 years later and I am obese again and am drawn back to WW. I can't make myself do it. Some of the comments here made me want to try WW again. Now ai just eat anything I want but not for hunger. For fear it will all go away when I start WW again! HELP!!!

[@machalespencer690]

You did not actually do the diet you just tracked yours. It may be different if you tried to find options that fit. In reality most people that start weight watchers have a bad diet already and it teaches them to make healthier better choices and if you exercise like you then you get more points. I have only tried it for one day but I did do it for real instead of trying to make my regular plans fit into it. That might give you a different perspective.

[@machalespencer690]

Additionally it does not say that you can’t eat you just need to eat more free options so that you were not hungry not just whatever you want. There are going to be instances where healthy things may not show up as low points but in general it helps people make those healthier choices that wouldn’t normally