I'm new to this forum, although not new to WW. I tried the program unsuccessfully 2-3 times over the years, and it seems the new program (Points Plus is what it's called here in the States) has been what I needed. (Actually, I think it's a combination of: 1.) the new program being well-suited to my needs, 2.) my feeling completely desperate now so that I'm willing to do the work I didn't do before, and 3.) the fact that I'm finally old enough to have gained the wisdom to make the plan work for *me* as opposed to me simply trying to fit myself into someone else's plan. If that makes any sense at all! 
)
I started doing the Online program back at the end of April, but decided I'd benefit from going to meetings, so switched to that, with the addition of the online materials/tracking. It's not so much that I need the meetings for accountability (because I'm really holding myself accountable without any help) but that I feel like I want the "we're in this together" feeling you can get by sitting and chatting with people who're fighting the same fight. Plus, I've been fairly isolated for the past year due to health/mobility issues, and I think the social aspect of the WW meetings will be a big boost.
I have no idea what my weight was/is in stones. My starting weight was 250.4 pounds. Today, I'm at 237.4, so I'm down 13 pounds in 7 weeks. This puts me past both the 10 pound mark and the 5% mark -- woohoo! This is is fairly slow compared to many people who start at that weight, but I'm pleased with any loss. I'm on prednisone and methotrexate for some rheumatic autoimmune illnesses called Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis, as well as being on thyroid meds (still trying to get the dose right on that) and having type 2 diabetes, *and* I'm going through menopause. With all that nonsense, it feels like a flippin' miracle I'm managing to lose any weight at all, so even small losses are cheerfully accepted.
It absolutely amazes me how much difference even 13 pounds has made in how I feel, physically *and* emotionally. Less than 2 months ago, I was in a lot of pain and was having trouble with edema and pain and stiffness due to the PMR/GCA. A decrease in the prednisone and methotrexate helped somewhat, but I was still having trouble simply walking, going upstairs to my bedroom, doing dishes, bending down to feed the cats, etc... The dratted ailments were and are a problem, but the *weight* (or, to be blunt, the FAT) exacerbated the effects of the illness and caused some serious issues in its own right. Now, after such a small loss (in comparison to the amount I have to lose overall), I feel remarkably improved. I still have the aches and stiffness associated with the rheumatic crap, but they're miles easier to deal with, and the simple tasks of walking and standing and climbing stairs are far, far easier. I'm gobsmacked by what a change such a small loss has made, and can't wait to feel the changes that will come with losing more of this blubber. As my prednisone dose decreases, I hope to see the "moon face" go away, along with the weight I'm losing via WW.
When I started WW this time, I decided I need to work *with* my strengths, and try to figure out ways to handle my weaknesses. Some of my strengths (or advantages) are that I actually enjoy cooking and trying to come up with recipes using whatever foods I have on hand, being lucky enough to have hubby and grown son who will happily eat whatever I make so I don't have to feel forced to prepare separate foods for myself, very rarely feeling tempted to go out to eat or to get carry-out food, and very rarely feeling the desire to snack outside of meals. I know how lucky I am in this respect, because those things can all be really tricky when you're trying to change your diet! One of my disadvantages is that my mobility is still somewhat limited, so aside from the day I go to WW, I usually have to rely on hubby or son to pick up the groceries. This means I need to provide them with a comprehensive list, and that can screw me up when I'm trying to plan out meals for the week. Also, I'm not able to take advantage of activity points yet, because I'm still in lousy enough shape physically that I don't get much decent exercise. (I somehow doubt my knitting counts for much. Heh.)
Well, this is a long and rambling post. I apologize! I try to control my mouth, but sometimes I do tend to jabber mindlessly. Feel free to tell me to stop chattering like a fool if I do it again -- I won't take offense!
)I started doing the Online program back at the end of April, but decided I'd benefit from going to meetings, so switched to that, with the addition of the online materials/tracking. It's not so much that I need the meetings for accountability (because I'm really holding myself accountable without any help) but that I feel like I want the "we're in this together" feeling you can get by sitting and chatting with people who're fighting the same fight. Plus, I've been fairly isolated for the past year due to health/mobility issues, and I think the social aspect of the WW meetings will be a big boost.
I have no idea what my weight was/is in stones. My starting weight was 250.4 pounds. Today, I'm at 237.4, so I'm down 13 pounds in 7 weeks. This puts me past both the 10 pound mark and the 5% mark -- woohoo! This is is fairly slow compared to many people who start at that weight, but I'm pleased with any loss. I'm on prednisone and methotrexate for some rheumatic autoimmune illnesses called Polymyalgia Rheumatica and Giant Cell Arteritis, as well as being on thyroid meds (still trying to get the dose right on that) and having type 2 diabetes, *and* I'm going through menopause. With all that nonsense, it feels like a flippin' miracle I'm managing to lose any weight at all, so even small losses are cheerfully accepted.
It absolutely amazes me how much difference even 13 pounds has made in how I feel, physically *and* emotionally. Less than 2 months ago, I was in a lot of pain and was having trouble with edema and pain and stiffness due to the PMR/GCA. A decrease in the prednisone and methotrexate helped somewhat, but I was still having trouble simply walking, going upstairs to my bedroom, doing dishes, bending down to feed the cats, etc... The dratted ailments were and are a problem, but the *weight* (or, to be blunt, the FAT) exacerbated the effects of the illness and caused some serious issues in its own right. Now, after such a small loss (in comparison to the amount I have to lose overall), I feel remarkably improved. I still have the aches and stiffness associated with the rheumatic crap, but they're miles easier to deal with, and the simple tasks of walking and standing and climbing stairs are far, far easier. I'm gobsmacked by what a change such a small loss has made, and can't wait to feel the changes that will come with losing more of this blubber.
As my prednisone dose decreases, I hope to see the "moon face" go away, along with the weight I'm losing via WW.When I started WW this time, I decided I need to work *with* my strengths, and try to figure out ways to handle my weaknesses. Some of my strengths (or advantages) are that I actually enjoy cooking and trying to come up with recipes using whatever foods I have on hand, being lucky enough to have hubby and grown son who will happily eat whatever I make so I don't have to feel forced to prepare separate foods for myself, very rarely feeling tempted to go out to eat or to get carry-out food, and very rarely feeling the desire to snack outside of meals. I know how lucky I am in this respect, because those things can all be really tricky when you're trying to change your diet! One of my disadvantages is that my mobility is still somewhat limited, so aside from the day I go to WW, I usually have to rely on hubby or son to pick up the groceries. This means I need to provide them with a comprehensive list, and that can screw me up when I'm trying to plan out meals for the week. Also, I'm not able to take advantage of activity points yet, because I'm still in lousy enough shape physically that I don't get much decent exercise. (I somehow doubt my knitting counts for much. Heh.)
Well, this is a long and rambling post. I apologize! I try to control my mouth, but sometimes I do tend to jabber mindlessly. Feel free to tell me to stop chattering like a fool if I do it again -- I won't take offense!
