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Click to view julieruns15's profile Pro
julieruns15
120 posts since
Dec 14, 2007

Oct 18, 2007 3:54 PM

Question about weight watchers

Hoping someone can help with this....

Almost 3 years ago I lost ~25lbs through diet and exercise. This was about the time in my life when I started running regularly. I managed to keep the weight off until this summer. Now I have gained ~15 lbs and I can't seem to shake it.

I am pretty careful/aware about what I eat...I just think I've developed some bad habits (snacking, portions). Mostly, my problem is I'll eat "good" all day until I come home from the gym and then all bets are off until dinner. I won't really eat "bad" foods, but I'll eat a lot b/c I'm super hungry after the gym.

I run a LOT. I'm at around 50-55 miles per week now. I also lift weights 2 or 3 times per week. I know I've put on some muscle mass but not 15 lbs worth! I was injured after my last marathon (March) and it took until the end of June (hip tendonitis) to fully recover and get back to running. I think I started putting weight on during that time.

I think I am still within a healthy weight range for my height, although it's now towards the upper limit instead of the lower limit. Basically I'm always hungry...due to the relatively high mileage and previously with the high mileage, I never had a problem with weight gain. Apparently that's changed now and I'm not quite sure why.

Is weight watchers the answer? Will it help me? FYI, I'm 27 years old, female, and 5'2''. I had an eating disorder in high school, so I'm pretty sensitive about weight...which is why it's so frustrating to have gained more than 10lbs in the past few months....

Please help!
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1. Oct 18, 2007 4:01 PM in response to: julieruns15
I'm a WW lifetimer, so I can tell you that the program works, if you work it. It's not a quick fix to get off a few unwanted pounds though, it's a lifelong committment to eat right.

If you have an eating disorder, I would recommend giving weight watchers a try. It's all about healthy living, not deprivation.
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jamid018
59 posts since
Jan 15, 2007
2. Oct 18, 2007 7:32 PM in response to: julieruns15
I'm also a WW lifetimer. I lost 40 pounds about 5 years ago. I did not run until after I lost the weight. WW does work if you follow the program.

I did both the online program and the community meetings. I liked weighing in at the community meetings better than the online program, because I felt like I had someone to answer to.

Give it a try and I wish you the best.

jami
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tklep
94 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
3. Oct 19, 2007 10:45 AM in response to: julieruns15
I think there is a weight watchers "group" that posts in either the newbie forum or basic training. I don't remember which. One complaint I have heard about WW is that it is not designed for high activity people, which I think you definitely fall into. So ask the other runners in that group how they feel about it and if it works for people with a lot of activity. (I did WW for a very brief amount of time and found it did not work for me, too few calories, it literally made me sick....but that was just MY experience, I know plenty of others who work out and do WW and have been fine.)
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4. Oct 19, 2007 10:53 AM in response to: julieruns15
It sounds to me that you know enough about diet on your own.
I recommend lkearning how to count caolries and logging what you eat all day. You'll be surprised how the calories add up.
Once you see in writing how many calories you're consuming, you'll be able to lose weight by cutting back.
On the other hand, WW is a great program for those who nee help with diet.
Good luck!

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Click to view jamid018's profile Expert
jamid018
59 posts since
Jan 15, 2007
5. Oct 19, 2007 11:36 AM in response to: julieruns15
Another poster stated that WW is tough for high activity people. Well, that is true. When I lost my weight and became a lifetimer, I was only walking. After I lost weight I started running. Last Fall I trained for a marathon and gained about 10 pounds. After the race I tried going back to WW, and found that I was hungry all the time. I made sure that I counted all my activity points and ate those calories as well. Right now I am just trying to log every thing I eat, so I can eat less and ultimately lost a few more pounds. My husband has no problem following WW, and running however. I guess it depends on the individual.
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Click to view TCO087's profile Expert
TCO087
50 posts since
Dec 14, 2007
6. Oct 24, 2007 2:17 PM in response to: julieruns15
WW has recently re-worked the way you calculate your daily point allowance. It is based on more than just weight. It factors in age, gender, activity level, etc. I was in a situation before the change where any time I would start I would end up starving all day long. It was recommended to add 4 points per day until that situation relieved itself. Before I took that step, they came out with the new points calculation and now the hunger issue has been resolved for me(I currently average earning 8 AP's per day).

If you start to "starve" when you are doing a high level of exercise (marathon training for example), you may want to consider doubling the amount of activity points you earn when you add that to your daily allotment.

The way AP's are calculated replaces half of the calories you burn while doing the exercise. If you double the amount, you are replacing all of the calories you are burning therefore not going into huge calorie deficits while training.

Also, since you have a prior history of ED, you may want to consider talking with a nutritionist or therapist or whatever expert there is on ED so that you do not fall back into that illness in the pursuit of achieving your weight goal.

Good luck.
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