Exactly.

Thanks for the quick replies. So I earned activity points from walking and playing tennis? I can choose to eat them but you do not recommend doing that. Glad i don't have to run. Do you guys use those flex points?

Do you mean the weekly points? No, I don't use them though many do and still lose weight. I keep within my 30 pts/day and am doing very well.

I agree with Emory. Use them only if you have a special event to go to.

The idea really is that you are not supposed to exercise only so that you can eat more.

WW is trying to give you an incentive to exercise, but you need to use your judgement.

I am a lifetime member. I don't use the online site. How is everyone accountable. Do you have to go and physically weigh in at some point or is it all the honors system?

I try not to use my weekly points, but if I eat out, I log what I eat the best I can and figure if I underestimate, it will be covered by the weekly points.

I go to meetings to weigh in, so that is the accountability. I thought that lifetime members have to weigh in once/month to maintain lifetime--that's what my friend does (she's successfully kept her weight off for three years).

Weight watchers works. It is me who screws up sometime!

Yes, I go monthly, more if I need encouragement. When I joined, WW didn't have the online options. I was just wondering what online members do.

Emory, so you go weekly, but do things online?

Sure eld. I go to meetings once a week and between them often use the online tools. There are a ton of them and all good: connect, recipe builder, 24/7 chat, food scanners, etc. If you join only online I think you get all the same online tools but just can't attend meetings.

I enjoy the weekly meetings and find the accountability very helpful.

I became a lifetime member back in the 80s, IIRC, and even though I've lapsed in between, and gone back again several times, when I go back, I am exempt from paying new member fees.

With membership declining, I know here in Westchester County there are very few actual storefronts. I'm lucky that one is only 10 minutes away.

Seriously, I wouldn't mind paying as a lifetime member if it was between that and having yet another store close.

The meetings to me are so important. The camaraderie and accountability are key. I enjoy sharing tips and tricks from the other members.

If anyone is considering trying WW, it is so much improved over when I went decades ago. Before, it seemed to rely on a lot of artificial foods and processed foods and such and I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to eat the real foods I now enjoy.

But I find the point system is so flexible that, whatever diet you're on, be it gluten free, or lactose free, or vegetarian or whatever, this system will easily accommodate it.

So far, I've been pretty pleased.

I agree Annie. I think it is a great program and really does work. I find the Connect forum very inspiring.

I quit WW's years ago. I found that even though I lost the weight, I was VERY hungry all the time. What I found very odd was all the junk food at the counter when you walked in and all the "oh! This bar is only 2 points!". That bar is so unhealthy! I've since learned another free way to lose weight, but that's a whole new thread :) I too, am a life time member on WW, but stopped the meetings ages ago.

what does it cost to join?

I find the program very healthy. I eat a lot of protein, veggies, and fruit. No junk food at all. I agree that they sell a lot of over priced packaged stuff, but I've never once bought a WW product. Of course they want to make money with those convenient foods, but the leader of my meeting doesn't push them and honestly I think maybe only a couple people in the meetings I've gone to buy them. I get 30 smart points per day and I spend them wisely on healthy food that fills me up. There any many days I struggle to eat the full 30 points. If you are hungry, veggies, fruit, or lean protein are the key. The advice to fill up on these things is the same across many diet theories these days. I think a lot of people used to junk food, sweets, fatty foods, or high carb foods who stick with WW quickly find that these things use up points too quickly and they are hungry. By contrast healthy foods are very low in points so you can eat a whole lot of them for the daily 30 points, and thus are never hungry. At least that has been my experience.

The way the points work now, the higher the sugar or saturated fat, the higher the points. The lower higher the protein, the lower the points. It is very easy to eat healthy. No points for whole fruits or vegetables, so if you're hungry, you can always grab an apple or banana.