Conference rocks::weight_control

    I guess I'll be the 1st one to reply to my own topic.
    
    I'm on Weight Watchers.
    I have been on it for approx. 3 months and after many bouts of ups
    and downs, I have lost about 11 lbs.
    
    Virginia

    I belong to Overeaters Anonymous and have lost 55 pounds since
    January.  I lost 20 lbs the first month. I am still losing at a
    rate of 2 - 3 lbs per week.   I had tried the following lost weight
    but never kept it off as I didn't learn the reason for my emotional
    eating and binging.
    
    Weight Loss Clinic, Physician Weight Loss Clinic, Weight Watchers (6
    times) nutri-system, Diet Workshop, Diet Center, hypnosis, special
    weight loss physcian and with shots and all, slim fast, cambridge diet,
    and all in between (all the diet books, etc.
    
    I have learned for the first time how to stop eating compulsively over
    disappointment, depression, anger, etc etc and even joy. ( "Lets go
    out to eat and celebrate"   sound familiar??!)
    
    The network of support from fellow members is something you do not see
    in other groups.   Now I understand how Alcoholics stop drinking.  We
    follow the same program only substitute the word alcohol for food.
    
    I can hardly believe this is happening to me.  I don't cound calories
    or even talk about them. I do weight and measure the meals I eat as
    I would eat twice as much if I didn't slow down and do this.  I has
    become a way of life and that is the key to losing and weight and
    *keeping* it off!
    
    Some people only go to one meeting and don't like what they hear so
    they never go back.  We are told to go to at least 6 meetings
    (different ones are helpful) before you decide if it's what you want.
    There are meetings 7 days a week, holidays included.  You can always
    find a meeting to attend day or night all over.  I live in NH but
    attend  2 different meetings in Lowell and Dracut.  I attend one in
    Hudson NH too.   The people you meet are terrific. 
    
    Well, I have gone on long enough, I am so enthusiastic about this
    program that I get all wound up!
    
    Try it, you'll like it!
    
    Barbara
     

I've been a WW member since January 1988 and have lost as much as 30.5
pounds.  My goal is still about 15 pounds away.  I have backslid by
as much as 20 pounds but have kept going because this is the very last
time I will ever do this.  I plan to remain a member for life.  

In the past, I have tried the liquid protein diets which were popular
about 10-12 years ago, and I have tried Nutri System about 5 years
ago.  I was successful with both, but didn't learn how to eat as I
have done with WW.  I also didn't really learn much about nutrition
and "food value" (i.e., how many grams of fat are in various foods,
etc.).

    I was on some pills given by my doctor. 3 pills a day, containing
    some thyroid extracts and something to slow down the appetite.
    
    They were vey effective and had - apparently - no after effects.
    I took them from 16 March to early July and lost 26 pounds painlessly.
    I then decided to stop the pills, though the doctor would have liked
    me to continue. I am now at 131 pounds, but I am fairly short, so
    I am still about 10-15 pounds overweight - if we go by the charts.
    
    However, I am very reluctant to take any type of medicine over a
    long time, and decided to stop the medication and continue by myself.
    I have not been able to lose extra weight, but I have not gained
    one pound of the 26 I lost for two months now. I like myself at
    the weight I am now, so I have no great motivation to go down any
    further, though I'd still like to shed a few pounds to give myself
    some leeway.
    
    I know weight control is going to be a problem FOREVER, and the
    basic difference with the previous diets I went through is that
    I have now accepted this fact. I think this is going to help me main-
    tain myself "around" this weight. 
                                                                      
    I have been able to eat a lot of fruit, and one of my big worries
    is the oncoming onslaught of winter, were there is much less choice
    in the fruit available - apples are sooo boring!
    
    Regards,
    Joana
    

    I lost 38 pounds in 10 weeks at Weight Watchers (247 -> 209) without
    any intermediate weight gains. My largest weekly loss was 10 and
    my smallest 1/2 lb. I didn't always stay on program but I also never
    actually ignored the program. I'm going to stick with it. I'm leaving
    my ultimate goal fuzzy so I won't get discouraged. My imediate goal
    is to stay on program.
    
    						Regards ... Brian

    	I was on Weight Watchers (had the program guide only) for
    about 6 months.
    
    	That, along with walking 30-40 minutes 5 days a week, and I
    went from 194 to 170 in about 6 months.
    
    	I also went from 29% body fat to 14% body fat.

    	Now I exercise more heavily and eat large quantities of good
    food (no fat).  My weight has stabilized, but body fat is dropping
    about 1% every few months.
    
    -mike z

    I was on a protein-sparing modified fast for about 3.5 months. 
    I was allowed 12-13 oz of protein and up to 2 cups of selected
    vegetables.  I lost 39 pounds.  I was starting to cheat every weekend;
    it just got too long with too little variety for me, so I switched
    yesterday to a low calorie diet.  I'm still going to the same dietician
    and doctor and staying on calcium supplements, but I'm now able
    to stop the potassium supplements.  

    Weight Watchers since Feb 12 (three 10-week At Work sessions).
    I've lost 42 lbs so far.
    
                   I lost 20 lbs the first 10 weeks,
                   only 2 lbs the second 10 weeks,
                   and 20 lbs in the third 10 weeks.
    
    WW At Work starts a new session at LKG next week, BTW.
    
    Karen

    I go to the Health Management Resource program at Emerson Hospital
    and have lost 45 pounds in 16 weeks.  Most of that time I was on
    a medically supervised fast.  Now I am getting ready to graduate
    to the weight management part of the program.
    
    Carol