PEERtrainer

"I'm allowed 28 Weight Watchers Points". Any tips?"

MB asked me the following question:

I am trying the new lifestyle change now.  What are some tips? I am allowed 28 points."

Here are my tips:

1.  Log, log, log your food.  You might think you are eating 28 points but you're only eating 20 and wondering why you're feeling hungry.  Or conversly, you could be eating 40 points and wondering why you're not losing weight!  The only way you really know what you're eating is to write down your food and it only takes a couple minutes a day.   (You can get a PEERtrainer log here). 

2. Two excellent 3 point snacks (click here for more weight watchers snack ideas):
- a pear and a tablespoon of peanut butter
- a quarter of avocado with salsa and black beans. 

3. One of the easiest ways I've seen to split up 28 points through the day:

- 7 for breakfast,
- 7 for lunch,
- 3 for a snack
- save the remaining 11 for dinner.

If you're on a 20 point track:

- 5 for breakfast
- 5 for lunch
- 2 for snack
- the remaining 8 are for dinner. 

If you're curious about how many points you personally get, take this personal assessment from Weight Watchers to see how it works.  

Jackie

Incorporating Weight Watchers and Dr. Fuhrman's Eat To Live and Eat For Health

This was the first email from the subscriber with specific feedback on the new WW program. It is very cool to read this, especially the idea of "Diet Fusion" that we have developed here. People are frustrated and tired of "failing" at dieting, and this new approach of focusing on gradually increasing fruits and vegetables appears to be working really well. Even NutriSystem is getting in on the act with their new "Select Program" where you can choose fresh frozen foods.

It is important to highlight these new approaches to dieting, because so many people have been losing and then regaining with low fat and low carb diets like Atkins or South Beach. The South Beach Diet has been the subject of a lot of debate on PT recently, with some people pointing out how for many the gains can be short term. And a couple MD's now have weighed in on the subject pointing out the dangers of these low-fat low-carb focused diets.

The most important part of diets like Momentum and Eat To Live and Eat For Health is that they are gradual things you can't really fail at. It is just work that you do or don't do. But it is not this frustrating thing where you start to eat carbs again after restricting them and you ballon back up. Which is something we see all the time.

"Hi Jackie,

I just wanted to drop you a line and thank you for all the PEERtrainer resources. I have been receiving your Tips of the Day for a couple months, and while it has taken a while for things to sink in, I am really coming to appreciate your approach. Specifically, the concept of 'diet fusion' has been very helpful, previously I was always looking for the 'perfect' system, that would make it easy. 

I recently rejoined Weight Watchers (I really like the new Momentum program), have read Eat to LIve and Eat for Health, and am working on incorporating much more plant foods into my diet. I'm a vegetarian who didn't eat much vegetables. :-)

I have listened to a couple of the boot camp calls, and Dr. Fuhrman's call last week. I don't currently use the site for logging, but have been using the principles of accountability and support via an 'accountability partner' that I meet with weekly. Your tips, and blog are relatable and helpful, and I truly appreciate that you share the resources at no cost. Again, Thanks!"

Thank you for sharing!

Changes To The Weight Watchers Program: Some Feedback On Momentum and New Points System

Another great email from a subscriber to our Tip Of The Day coaching program. We have been writing about Weight Watchers Momentum, and encouraging people to get restarted on the program if WW has been a fit for them in the past. We have also been blogging about how people can get motivated to go to Weight Watchers if they have signed up but are having a hard time showing up to the meetings.

I have asked specifically for people to tell me their successes with the new plan. The idea here is that this can motivate others to join or to make similar changes on their own.

"Hi Jackie, 

I have done Weight Watchers in the past, more times than I care to admit. :-) Some of the reasons I am feeling like it is a better fit for me now, are actually changes in me, not their program. Specifically; I'm not looking for the 'perfect program', just a tool to help me find what works for me, I am eating a LOT more fruit and veg, which makes points go much further, and I view the program as my choice rather than something I 'have to do' which tends to makes me rebel.

More specific to the Momentum program: I like not having to choose between the Flex and the Core programs - I always felt like the grass must be greener on the other plan! Also, the new formula for points gives me a few more points per day, which seems to be just enough that I don't feel deprived."

This is great to hear, and very interesting. One thing we talk a lot about on this blog, in the Tip of The Day emails, in our coaching programs is "Diet Fusion"- the idea that there is no magic bullet and you need to incorporate the proven elements of different diets together and discover what works for you. And this subscriber has successfully adopted that idea.

It is also interesting to hear that the emphasis on fruits and vegetables "makes points go much further." This is something we emphasize and is at the core of our relationship with Dr. Fuhrman. He shows us why we need to increase fruits and vegetables, not just that we need to. It is a very important distinction. Weight Watchers has moved in this direction, and their new Set Points System helps to provide some structure around this.

Dr. Fuhrman talks a lot about the relationship between fruits and vegetables and hunger- that when your body is getting the nutrients it needs, that helps to curb the hunger cravings. The micronutrients in plant based food are key to getting your body what it needs. Weight Watchers has made fruits and vegetables a greater focus of their program and it appears to be working. If you are interested in learning more about the relationship between food and hunger, and how to learn what "true hunger" really is, please get a copy of Eat For Health. You can learn more about the book by clicking here, and we also have a link to a PEERtrainer discount.

Embarrassed To Show Up To A Weight Watchers Meeting?

I had emailed one of our Tip Of The Day subscribers to see how their weekly Weight Watchers meeting went. I was interested to hear more feedback about the new Momentum Program. So I was a little dissappointed when I got the response:

 "I didn't go this week. I ate so much, I couldn't weigh in. I'm going Saturday morning. One thing you can do is make a comment about how people are eating so badly that they are ashamed to even show up and weigh in at weight watchers. There's a story in there somewhere.  And if it's happening to me, it's happening to the masses - you can count on that!"

This is interesting and I want to see what others think about this. I can relate to this, but am not sure what feedback I can give. I will ask Joshua Wayne and update the post. We are going to continue this discussion in the PEERtrainer community. There are some excellent comments below, one from someone who has experienced the same thing, and another who is a receptionist at Weight Watchers meetings and commented on how WW deals with this.

 

It may also be that you are not totally ready to commit to something like Weight Watchers. PEERtrainer has put together a short quiz to find out your odds of actually following through.

Weight Watchers Weight Loss Readiness Assessment Tool

Weight Watchers offers a weight loss readiness assessment that asks you a simple question: "are you ready to commit to losing weight?" This has proven to be a very popular tool. Not sure how new this is, but the new Weight Watchers Momentum program does have a much greater focus on the mental aspect of weight loss.

As part of their overall tool set to get you ready to lose weight, they also offer a BMI calculator and a health assessment. The idea is that by highlighting the health risk to one's weight, that can help give you the motivation to sustain long term weight loss. 

What is interesting is that the mental aspect of weight loss can be helped along by changes in your diet. It is a chicken and egg sort of situation, but when you "scratch the CD" of your patterns, it becomes easier to make any change you want.

In essence you need to manufacture your readiness. Which in turn will provide fuel for motivation. It is simple physics if you think about it. Objects are hard to get in motion, but once they are, they are easy to keep in motion.

The key is that you need a good jumpstart to get the object in motion. PEERtrainer has put together three tools that could help you get "in motion" as part of a free weight loss program. You don't need to do all three. Just take a look at the three options, see which one is a fit for you, and give it a try.

The key to readiness is to create it yourself!!!

Weight Watchers SETPoints: A Key Feature Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program

I saw this question of Weight Watcher SETPoints in the PEERtrainer community this morning. This is the first I have heard of it, but at first glance it seems to confirm what I have started to think- that the new Weight Watchers Momentum Program is a different and much better overall offering than before.

In the example the person gave in the community salmon was a certain points value with the regular Weight Watchers Point System and a lower value with the new SETPoint system. One is to conclude that this new system is incentivizing you to eat healthier foods.

If you are thinking about joining or rejoining Weight Watchers, you want to make sure you are really ready to follow through on their program. PEERtrainer has put together this weight loss readiness quiz that will help you ballpark how willing you are to lose weight and if is a true priority. This in turn helps you understand your "odds" of losing weight. Take a look at the quiz and really answer those questions as honestly as you can.

I checked out the Weight Watchers message boards and there was some discussion about this. Someone pointed out that if you are doing Weight Watchers Online you have the option of counting your points in either the old or new SETPoint system. If you go to meetings, the book you get will have these two different values as well.

In addition to this being a great overall move for them to make the best diet possible, they also make it harder to count points on your own. We have heard that the Weight Watchers recipes are great and that you have to sign up to get them. With this new SETPoint system, it makes doing Weight Watchers on your own pretty much impossible. They are forcing you to join. They do offer a great new free tool, the weight loss readiness assessment. There are options to save money when you join, and you have to go to their website to find exact pricing and details.

But overall we keep hearing good stuff from these guys. As we say in our coaching programs, you have to be open to the best tools out there and realize that you might be at a very different stage in your life then you once were.

Man Who Lost 80 Pounds Using Weight Watchers- Got Some Detail On His Experience

Ok- I mentioned a few days ago that a friend knew a guy who lost 80 pounds on Weight Watchers and that we were going to get his story. We got it and here are the questions we asked. I also have some thoughts, and they are not so PC and totally generalizing, but I think probably true. Questions in bold, answers short and sweet.

 

1) Did he do the meetings or just do ww online? -- went to meetings 

 

2) Who recommended the diet to him -- wife 

 

3) Did he find the online tools helpful -- somewhat, the tools were not conveniently available 

 

4) how did he perceive the cost vs the result -- I thought the cost was reasonable but that may be because the result was good 

 

5) How hard was it and how long did it take? -- not too hard; my eating habits were so poor that small changes made a big difference. it took about 8 months 

 

6) Has he made permanent changes in his diet and how hard is he finding it to keep it off? --Yes changes are permanent. I pay a lot of attention to what I eat and what is in what I eat. Never did that before. Keeping it off has not been difficult. But I still have more to lose.

 

So this really got me thinking on something totally controversial, but I have to say it. 

 

Controversial Comment #1--Men are from Mars, Women Are From Venus.  Men are more logical and women are more emotional. As you see in these comments there is no major drama in his story. It is very simple- he was overweight because his "habits were so poor." Weight Watchers said- ok, try these new habits. He did. Problem solved. 

 

This is brings me to Controversial Comment #2-- this guy had no excuses and took total responsibility. His weight was nobody's fault but his, it was not a result of some external force. There was no going on about he gained weight because of things being hard at work or really any excuse at all.

 

If you are a guy and need to lose weight, think about the controversial comments. Can you follow directions? Do you understand the concept that you are responsible for your actions? Can you follow through and persist with a plan?

 

You might be like the guy who could only lose weight on Nutrisystem, where they just sent you the food. No shame in that. Just think about what kind of person you are right now. As you become the person you want to be, then your diet will change. You will incorporate concepts of The Zone Diet. Lots of professional athletes do btw. You will get to know Joel Fuhrman and embark on a path of nutritional excellence.

Maybe you will even make so much progress that you will run a marathon.

But.....If you are a guy and you need to lose weight and you can follow directions, you'll find it easier than you think to lose weight. You need to make some distinctions and make some choices that seem hard at first, but will get easier. Frankly, most guys are used to making some hard choices.

At PEERtrainer we have created a very simple guide and system that helps you make some of these changes. It is called the "Cheat System" and it is something you download for free. 

Here is an email from a guy we were just sent. What is interesting is that he first downloaded it and dismissed the advice. Then he went back in, started to do it it and is having success:

"I looked at your system a few weeks ago when it first came out and the second I saw the left side column, I dismissed it. Even though I had already on my own been dramatically increasing the salad and vegetable intake. I was losing weight, it was very simple, but the daily diet was very rigid and had certain rules that if broken meant no weight loss for a day or two. This had worked once before very well but the boredom finally took its toll.

With much respect for Peertrainer, I took another look and realized everything I was doing already fit the cheat system, just not the best choices, so I took a leap of faith. It took 3 or 4 days to educate myself and turn my wife's kitchen into a farmer's market (which I though was very cool). I also learned how to chop, use a rice cooker (quinoa), craft salads from lots of fun green stuff, steam vegetables, use all those funny little cans of spices in addition to salt and pepper, etc.

I'm having a great time... never knew who bought all that stuff in the vegetable department except apples and oranges. Finally, I put it all together and now feel like I know what I'm doing. Weight loss is back on track. 

I am so glad I decided to download the Peertrainer Cheat system and glad I was able to get beyond my traditional thinking.

Good luck and thanks for doing what you're doing.

P.S. I was recently in the San Francisco Bay area and needed to go to the store and not knowing the area wound up in a large Asian market. I knew it was different because half the store was devoted to greens and vegetables. The customers, mostly Asian, were all thin-active looking people and most were buying greens. Now I understand why."

Why This Email Is So Interesting

One thing that this email shows is that this guy thought he was doing the right thing. When he opened up his mind to a new idea, he found some success. At PEERtrainer over the years, we have observed that when people are more flexible in general, good things happen. If you are doing the same thing and not getting a different result, obviously you need to do something differently.

The second interesting thing is that he cites oranges and apples as the produce he was familiar with, and is now familiar with the full range of vegetables. After you sign up for the Cheat System, we also follow up with some awesome recipes from time to time. A recent one is "Asian Fusion Chicken Salad." Delicious!

Finally, what an interesting comment about the visit to the Asian market. As part of our "PC" culture we are sort of taught to not acknowledge our differences. Or at least not actively point out ways in which we are different. (It seems like comedians are the only ones who are "allowed" to talk about this.)

 

I have also created a video for this:

 

Doing South Beach And Weight Watchers Together- What A Doctor Often Recommends

I wrote about a conversation I had with a doctor friend recently and started to think about how different diets could work together. I wanted to find out what diets were best for short term as well as the long term.

I knew Laurie tends to recommend Weight Watchers, South Beach and now Eat For Health. So I asked her what she thought about this question and what she has done in her practice:

"I have found that South Beach diet is as successful as any other diet...if it is followed it is very successful. However, most people have difficulty sticking to any diet for very long. I often recommend doing South Beach and Weight Watchers together. I like South Beach for the types of foods that everyone should be eating and Weight Watchers for helping teach portion control. 

Even w/South Beach diet, it is possible to overinduldge in "good" or "healthy" foods. If one would go from South Beach to Weight Watchers then the food choices open up to include almost anything on the planet...just in smaller quantities. I like that South Beach keeps food choices to healthful ones. It is a particularly good diet for those with metabolic syndrome."

The first key point that is made in the comment above is that the combination of portion control and a high nutrient diet is the correct and effective one.

For those of you doing the new PEERtrainer Cheat System, you'll see that this is exactly what you are guided toward in the PDF you downloaded. The "Cheats" are the portion control, and your incentives really help ensure your nutrient quality is high. This combination is the reason people are having success.

Especially those who have been through the traditional programs, and know the basics of portion control.

The second key point made is that most people have a hard time sticking to traditional diets. For those of you who are big Dr. Fuhrman fans, you'll know that his ideas has really helped to change this. A high nutrient diet, once you get up to speed on it, will help to reduce the traditional food craving cycle that throws most people off traditional diets.

One drawback that we have seen is that many people have a hard time going "full Fuhrman" out of the gate. We designed the Cheat System almost as a "gateway" where we teach people the basics of nutrient density, which will then put them in a position to take the next, often more aggressive step in their eating overhaul.

It does look like in addressing some of the past weaknesses of their program they get a side benefit of better competitive position vs South Beach. Given the perception of South Beach as something that is hard to stick to, it would be interesting if WW was able to essentially make a SB type diet doable for the long term. We will keep you posted!

 

And if you have any experience with doing these two diets together- or any other combination of diets, let us know in this discussion thread. I am also interested in learning more about the South Beach Diet being especially good for metabolic syndrome. This is not the first time I have heard that.

Joining Weight Watchers Online: Should You Join, 5 Reasons This Could Work

One thing I love about our Tip Of The Day coaching program is that we really work to help people discover what works for them, to think about what has worked. We talk about an approach we call "Diet Fusion" where we show you some things that have worked for other people and get you to start thinking about what is right for you.

 

This is a great email I got yesterday from someone who just joined a week ago and is really grappling with this question of finding what has worked for them and what they think will work for them at this stage of their life:

Dear Jackie, 

I am so completely overwhelmed, About 12 years ago I weighed in at 303 lbs at 5'4". I was about 36 years old. I went to my doctor hoping at that time that fen-fen would be the miracle drug that saved me. I ended up hearing that it was not what I was hoping for and, for the first time, sat sobbing in his exam room. 

He was so kind and recommended that I start a very strict regimen of a slim-fast in the morning and lunch and a lean cuisine in the evening. I could add a yogurt but he would like for me to stay under 800 calories a day. I could start walking, if I liked but take it easy. 

That worked for me. Almost. I got to 176 within a year and was so excited. I was walking 2 miles a day with the best of them and fit into a size 14 to 16...then the divorce hit. I maintained for a long time and in the last year have had some health issues. The weight has come back on, mainly because of a frozen shoulder and the fact that most movement at all caused extreme pain.

I'm remarried and very happy...but I am up to 253 and terrified. I'm going to be 50 in 3 months. My cholesterol and blood pressure are up and I want to start but I've also figured out that slim-fast now has an adverse reaction with my body...constipation. I also know that I want to do this the right way. I don't really want the quick fix that worked for me in the past. 

I've signed up for Weight Watchers Online and I'm excited to start tomorrow. Exercise is something I hate but I'm a teacher and we have a track at school...and my kids love walking with me so I'm going to enjoy that time with them. Well...that's what worked for me in a nutshell. thanks for listening. I didn't mean to write a book...I'm just so scared of not getting this weight off and what that means for my health.

Respectfully,

Name Withheldd

 

This is so interesting. This approach of using Weight Watchers as a next step might be a good one. Here are some good reasons to join Weight Watchers Online:

1) She is completely overwhelmed. From my talking with my mom about her  feedback of the new Momentum Program, it seems that Weight Watchers is taking a concerted effort to pace people, to help with this exact issue. 

2) Added structure and support will be helpful. I remember being at a conference when we first launched PEERtrainer, and some people from Weight Watchers came over to our booth and asked what we were doing. We mentioned the peer support focus, and their response was something like "congratulations, you nailed it, it is all about support." Get all the support you can.

3) She needs to get her overall numbers down, and we see that a great way to do this is to increase the amounts of plant based foods in the diet over a long period of time. This is at the core of the work that Dr Fuhrman has done with Eat To Live and Eat For Health, and Weight Watchers has moved in this direction with their new momentum program. She might want to get a copy of Eat For Health in particular to help further refine the food choices that she will make with Momentum.

 

4) She has successfully followed a program or regimen in the past. The odds of following the recommendations of Weight Watchers Online might be pretty good. 

 

5) Weight Watchers has a new focus on the psychology of weight loss, and will help to reinforce some good long term habits. They place particular focus on "readiness", meaning if you are not truly ready to lose weight, you need to do some work on getting there. Weight Watchers has a "weight loss readiness assessment" on their site, which is free.

I have asked her to keep me updated on here progress, and I will do so. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Joining Weight Watchers Online:

Will doing Weight Watchers Online Make It Easier To Stay On The Points System?

It really depends. Some people are "online" people and some are not. A key benefit of Weight Watchers Online is not having to go to meetings. For many, Weight Watchers meetings can be a time consuming, embarrasing hassle. Others thrive on them.

How Hard Is The Weight Watchers Points System To Follow?

We find that people are either "counters" or not. If you think you might want to follow the Weight Watchers System Online, try a free lightweight system for staying accountable first. This link takes you to a free tool that PEERtrainer has developed. If you find this easy, you'll likely find Weight Watchers easy to do.

http://blog.peertrainer.com/tip_of_the_day/2011/02/the-peertrainer-cheat-system.html

Eat To Live Diet, Eat For Health: Review, Observations, Success, Doing It With Weight Watchers

Tip Of The Day readers know that I talk about Dr Joel Fuhrman a ton. We met him a couple years ago and really saw first hand his passion for promoting proper nutrition as a tool to lose weight, and also improve your health. In his words "Nutrition Is The Prescription." He showed us, and continues to show us, how certain foods can help you lose a lot of weight but also improve your health. He promotes nutritional excellence as another tool, alongside drugs, to help people regain their health.

 

Eat To Live

So it was great to see Alanis Morisette publicly credit Joel and his book Eat To Live as helping her lose 20 pounds, get more energy and feel better physically. The diet of my family- my husband, and two kids- was permanently changed after meeting him. We incorporate his ideas in every aspect of what we write on PEERtrainer. We also show how adopting his focus along side diets like the new Weight Watchers Momentum program can make their good diet a ton better.

When Joel came out with this book, he really was attacked by the medical community. I remember showing the book to a very senior doctor/ healthcare executive in New York City. His response to Joel's work was to literally question his medical credentials.

This man (let's call him Ben) started to surf the internet to find out if Dr Fuhrman really was a doctor, if he really graduated from medical school. What Joel was saying in Eat To Live ran so counter to what the medical establishment was saying that he was branded a quack by many. For Joel to focus on the role of nutrition in health, not just drugs was heresy. And we know from history that heretics get burnt at the stake.

But Mehmet Oz did not think Joel was a quack, and has publicly backed him every step of the way. Joel gave us a copy of his book for feeding children "Disease Proof Your Child"- it is on my desk and the very first quote of "praise" on the back cover is from Mehmet Oz. Here is the quote:

"Dr. Fuhrman reveals the success to long-term, sustainable health using diet choices for growing up smart and growing old happy. Take your doctor a copy!"

It is very important to note that these words written by Dr. Oz challenge the assumptions most of us have. We assume that diets can't work in the long run, and we assume getting fat and sick is part of aging. Dr. Fuhrman is begging us to reconsider those assumptions.

Eat For Health

In April of this year we were sent a copy of Eat For Health, which is Joel's new book that is a bit easier to follow than Eat To Live, is not a strict vegetarian diet, and introduces MANDI points system. This system assigns point values to foods in terms of their nutrient density. It is a very important tool and we immediately had a way of quantifying the level of health promoting foods in our diet. I now use this in combination with portion control in an approach I call "diet fusion." We have developed a simple way to do diet fusion, which we call the PEERtrainer Cheat System.

But what was interesting and important is that the entire first chapter of the book is Joel defending himself from the medical community. He has found some excellent and very well respected voices in the community to vouch for him and he does an excellent job in his defense. 

He has incredible success stories from people who he has helped improve their entire cardiovascular profile, cure lupus, prevent having to undergo dialysis, help asthma, migranes, high blood pressure, sarcoidosis, psoriasis etc etc.

We actually lent our copy to a doctor friend of ours, someone who recommends diets to her patients. Here is what she had to say about "Eat For Health":

"Last month, my friends lent me Dr. Joel Fuhrman's book, Eat for Health. Dr Fuhrman has it 100% right. Let me say that again - he has it exactly right. We are all trying to figure out a way to not do what is right, how to get around it. We think that we want to keep eating the over-processed, high calorie, nutrient poor food. He says stop eating the garbage. Eat the good stuff. You will lose weight, get healthier and feel better. 

Dr Fuhrman Makes Optimal Eating Easy To Implement

He comes out and says what we all know is true, but don't say or do. He states the obvious: eat more vegetables and fruits. Eat more fiber. Eat less animal products. The result is that you will be healthier and lose weight. He gives easy to implement strategies for how to do this. Why didn't someone think of this sooner and why isn't it a national phenomena?"

Weight Watchers Now Moving In Joel's Direction

It is really important to point out the struggle Joel has had with the medical community and really highlight his leadership role in bringing them around to a greater focus on nutritious foods. So I was extremely interested in the last couple weeks learning the details of Weight Watchers new momentum program.

I read on their site and in other places that they were adjusting their points system to focus not just on fiber but also in the water content of food. Which means a lot more plants. Now they don't seen to be focused on his MANDI points idea yet which promotes massive greens as part of the daily diet. But they are going in the right direction.

And I was able to get confirmation of this from my mom, who is now on the new Momentum Program. She was able to give me some feedback of their program and did confirm that they have moved away from dairy and low calorie nutrient poor foods towards plant based nutrition. I cannot say for sure that Joel was responsible for this, but I am sure he was a strong influence.

Stronger Diet Recommendations- Some Books, DVD, Free Tools

We pretty much insist you own a copy of either Eat To Live or Eat For Health. (Click on the titles for the exact amazon links.) We do find that people want a "baby step" approach to eating a nutrient dense diet, which is why we created the Cheat System.

March 2011 Update

It is important to note that if you are extremely overweight, or if you have reached a disease state, you need the nutritional intervention that Dr. Fuhrman outlines. The Cheat System will help, but if you are reading this and are scared about where you are, we STRONGLY recommend that you not only read Fuhrman's books, but that you spend a few weeks in his member center.

This is an online forum, which costs about $14 a month to access. You can ask any question you have about your particular situation. There is a deep database of answers to questions, Dr. Fuhrman directly answers questions and you will also get support from others who are using nutrition as part of their plan to get healthy, thin, energized.

We have now known Dr. Fuhrman for 4 years, and we have seen the results in the PEERtrainer community of everything we have outlined in this article. We want to reiterate that if you are sick, please visit the member center. It may be the cheapest and most effective medical care that you'll find.

If you are reading this part of the article and paying close attention to what we are writing here, know that we know what you are going through. You have been to many doctors, and have explored lots of options. You are likely scared and frustrated. In addition to what you are already doing, deeply explore Fuhrman's advice. If you are in the Northeast you can even visit his office and get some one on one. It can be a wait to get an appointment. We have referred people we know to him, and if it is super urgent, mention PEERtrainer, and you might be able to get in quicker. No promises, but we have been able to get people in more quickly.

What Is Unresolved In The Nutrient Dense Diet?

One unresolved issue from our perspective in the nutrient dense diet is the role of organic food.  We remember sitting in on a conversation between Joel's marketing team and a senior statesman in the health care industry. This gentleman was enthusiastic about the focus on nutrient density, and dramatically reducing the levels of animal protein in the diet. As a Phd level scientist he also thought that the protein in milk, casein, was wreaking particular havoc among people and might be a contributing factor to breast cancer. 

This is a big debate right now and there is a lot to figure out. But some influential people have some strong opinions on this subject, and it will be interesting to see how this debate evolves. Even Weight Watchers seems to be tiptoeing away from a heavy dairy emphasis, emphasizing foods like avocado and hummus instead of lowfat cheese. This is based on feedback we are getting from people in their new program.

The other big thing the senior statesman said was the importance of organic food. This man has a masters in Physical Chemistry in addition to having done Phd work in Nuclear Physics and run several health companies. A unique perspective. And he was adamant about eating organic food, going on in detail about the organic garden he had set up in his country house. Given that this was the man who introduced us to Joel, we listened carefully and took what he said very seriously.

Continue This Discussion in the PEERtrainer Community....

Video of My Experience With Eat To Live and Eat For Health 

How Hard Is The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program To Do?

One thing we focus on a lot in our Tip Of The Day coaching newsletter is to work at not being overwhelmed, and finding ways to prevent getting overwhelmed in the first place. Someone emailed me in response to my post about early reviews of the new Weight Watchers Momentum program and said that it sounded like a lot of work.

They pointed out how the new plan was described as being a "big program" and you have to "learn a whole new pattern." So I emailed my mom to ask her about this question or concern. Here was her response: 

"There's a set pattern to Weight Watchers.  They unfold the program in a way that doesn't put too much on your plate at one time.  They don't disclose core options until you're solidly in the plan.  The reason for this is that if you get too much information to memorize too early, you get discouraged and give up.  Also, it gives you a chance to learn the points to all the foods you normally eat. "

This makes a lot of sense, pacing the program in this way. And this is also very consistent with what you see on the Weight Watchers site itself. Many people start the program, figure out the best way to get started, or decide if it is for them at all by doing their free online assessment. They have three of them to do to calculate your BMI, assess your health.

The most interesting of these three tools is a "readiness" assessment, where they ask you a series of questions that scores how successful you are going to be on the program. The reality is many people are just not ready to lose weight, make the commitment. Weight Watchers understands this whole process, and really helps to maximize your odds of success.

I also asked her about energy- because she always mixes in elements of The Zone Diet to feel healthy. I will address that in a different blog post, because I am getting some questions about good diets for athletes. It used to be the case that Weight Watchers was really geared towards people just losing weight, and if you were active and only needed to lose 10 pounds you needed to mix in elements of other diets. This is really how I started to develop the whole idea of "Diet Fusion"- watching her mix and match these diet approaches in an almost scientific manner.

This is also how I realized that the ideal diet for someone is something totally personal. We work with people in our Tip Of The Day email coaching program to help trigger questions so that they themselves can find out what diet works for them. That program is free so please sign up! And a great place to start in this whole process is with the tools on the WW site. Especially the readiness quiz- that is really cool.

Discussion of this post continues in the PEERtrainer Community!

Feedback And Review Of The New Weight Watchers Momentum Plan: Great Recipes, Lots Of Choices Make For A Great Reason To Join Or Rejoin

 

Our new Tip Of The Day email coaching program has opened up a great feedback loop with our subscribers and members. I have been blogging about the big changes at Weight Watchers, and now am getting some great feedback. One bit of feedback surprisingly was from my own mom!

My mom has been a Weight Watchers member for most of her life. In fact, it was watching her measure her food and count her points growing up that helped me come up with the idea for PEERtrainer almost 5 years ago now. I knew that accounting for your food, writing it down, and getting support was one of those things you just had to do to lose weight.

So we were talking and I mentioned to her that we had been interested in the new Weight Watchers Momentum system and we were in the process of getting feedback from our users. She said to me "I will give you some feedback- because I re-joined one month ago!"

I tend to listen to her about stuff like this. She gave me strong encouragement to start PEERtrainer and has given me very honest and pointed feedback throughout the process. The first thing she said was that when she rejoined Weight Watchers she was "shocked at how good the recipes are."

She made a comment to the effect of "they must have actually hired good people and paid them well because the recipes used to be so bad." She said that now there are hundreds of recipes to choose from that look good and that she wants to make.

Recipes To Help You Lose Weight

I asked her what made her go back to the meetings. She mentioned that she went out of control for the last 6 months and needed the extra push to have to go in person to the meeting. She knew she needed to have to get on the scale and to have to sit through a "boring" lecture from the Weight Watchers leader because she knew it would just work for her. She was trying to assess the damage she had done using some tools on their website, and that triggered her decision to make the trek back to her local meeting in the DC area.

 

Feedback and Review Of The New Momentum Program

She also mentioned that she thought Momentum was really exciting - gave you lots of choices and ideas

for making healthy foods taste good. She said she was "excited" about the way Weight Watchers has "grown" and changed. 

What I found interesting from her comments and feedback was that it was consistent with what Weight Watchers was saying about their new program on their website.

Another Review Of Momentum Plan 

I also got an email from a Tip Of The Day subscriber and a long time PEERtrainer user and member. It is a big email and I am adding some headers to help people read it better. Here it is:

"It's almost like magic, it's like a commitment I have history with ww.  I've been successful.  for me, just the humiliation of having to walk back in and listen to someone who was good or bad or whatever she is, the leader, I'm stuck listening to her stuff. Something about it, RIGHT NOW, I'm reversing the pattern.  Something has changed.

The biggest thing I love about rejoining and going back is it's a big program.  Physicial program.  Learn the whole new pattern.  Everything about the new points, study the books.  I like the fact that I'm taking my life into control now.

Big Focus On Recipes To Start You Off

First of all,they give you a bunch of recipes in the starter book.  They give you two or three of their best - right now, you know, I could do this, this looks good.  The leader pointed out the best one so you can

make a good dinner right away.  

 

Healthy Recipes That Fill You Up

People Who Rejoin Weight Watchers Need To Sit In For An Extra 1/2 Hour Class

 

As a new returner, you have to sit in for an extra 1/2 hour class because there is a new system. There's always a new system, because they're always learning new things and refining their system.  

Keeping The Points System And Merging Flex and Core Into Momentum

This time they merged core and flex into the new system momentum. No one ever wants to give up points, because points are such a comfortable system because you can eat anything, you can have pizza, you can have liquor, any damn thing you want as long as you count points. 

Not only do you get a lot of points on weight watchers, you get 35 extra points for the week.  People love extra points because extra points means splurging, cookies, cake, an extra glass of wine, some butter on their vegetables or butter on their eggs, so you love your splurge points and you have 35 of them! 

Some Point Values Have Changed And Different Foods Are Now Emphasized 

You want to learn the new points of every food because you forget the points when you're going back and sometimes the points changes, and sometimes they just invent new things that you can have, like last time maybe they thought avocado was ridiculous, but this time they're kind of pushing avocado.

You can't wait to learn all the new points because you're designing your three meals a day.  You're designing your day. You're designing how filling your day can be.  LIke I do 5, 5 and 10.  5, break, 5 lunch, 10 for dinner.  Right away, you get your points, your book and you're designing your filling breakfast.  

New Program Helps You Eat A Lot Of Food And Not Feel Hungry

So right away you can see you're going to be able to eat a lot of food, so you're very happy, up and optimistic. Because basically, you want to eat a lot of food and now you know you can. Oh, I can do, this, this is wonderful.  You always forget how great weight watchers is, because you forget how much food you get.  Because as time goes on, you want to stay thin, and you eat less and less to maintain

and you start to. 

Very surprised to see this time how little I need to change my diet, because basically, I am always doing the weight watchers diet but when it comes down to it, I was eating all the extras. What happens is, just because you've made the commitment, you're suddenly not going to have all the extras, because you're thinking 5, 5, 10.

Helping Her Stay On Track Because She Doesn't Feel The Need To Snack On The Extras Anymore

Now, you're on the program, you're in the right direction, and you don't seem to need the extras anymore.  It's kind of strange, I don't even know why.  And let me tell you, I ate like an idiot last night, but it's ok, because I'm on weight watchers, and I know I'm on it.  It's psychological. Once you're on it, you know your weight is going down.

Looked at the points, and realized, wow, what I've been eating, oatmeal and blueberries is only 3 points, so I was kind of starving myself and didn't know it.  I can have a whole cup of blueberries and still stay under 3 points.  And now, I get two more points at lunch.

Getting Comfortable With Points Helps To Feel Comfortable With Choices

But what's interesting, when I have egg and avocado for breakfast, that turns out to be exactly 5 points, which is what I've always done, and now I find out that it is 5 points.  Because I actually know the points value, I feel comfortable with my choices.

The difference is, when you're on WW, because you have to count the points, you just stop eating the extras.

They Give You This Great Little Slider At The Meetings To Count Points

One of the things I love is the fact that you have that little weight watchers slider, you can take anything you eat and put the fiber,fat and calories and figure out right away how to figure out your day.  For

instance, I found out a luna bar, on the spot was 3 points so I could have a huge apple and that you can eat so much hummus!  

Really Great New Approach To Dieting

When you're counting points, you can eat so much more than when you're not counting and on the program.  You tend to starve yourself when you're not on the program because you're not really counting.  You always think you're overeating.  What it does is starves your body and your body hangs

on to the weight.  When you're eating the right amount, it boosts your metabolism and you start losing the weight."

Conclusion And Ways To Get Started On The New Weight Watchers Momentum Program

I will keep posting feedback like this. One thing that really seems to have changed is the focus on recipes and tailoring them to your tastes. This makes for a better product and is also smart from a business standpoint. It is no longer just about counting some points which you can really do on your own. You really now need to pay your $40 or whatever it is to get started and learn their new stuff.

People ask the best way to get started and I always come back to the readiness part of it. They have some tools on their site which help you with that. Here are some ways to get started:

1.  If you are thinking about joining Weight Watchers, do what my mom did and start with their online tools. You can measure your BMI, find out how much health damage you have done with your weight and also take an interesting quiz to gauge your psychological readiness to lose weight.

2.  If you want to find out pricing or just want to see if there is a meeting near you and the schedule you can look it up on their website by entering in your zip. There are a TON of meetings out there. And if you have feedback or experience on any diet, please let me know!

3.  If you are a guy maybe you have some questions about Weight Watchers overall- we are covering in another post titled Weight Watchers Momentum For Men- How This Compares To Atkins or South Beach.

Next: Recipe To Help You Lose Weight: Warm Applewood Bacon Soup



 

Weight Watchers Momentum Program

There are 3 major improvements to Weight Watchers with the introduction of the new "Momentum Program." The changes are based in some good fundamentals. Here are three of the most important ones:

1) There is a greater focus on healthy food choices, which is shown to be the best path to long term weight loss. There is a lot of focus on their "Filling Foods" list, which are foods that keep you from being hungry. There is a reason they have that little furry hungry monster on their ads!

A List Of Healthy Foods and Foods To Move Away From

2) Weight Watchers is getting solid reviews of their new recipes. There are a lot of them and they are very good from what we are hearing. When you join you get to choose from a wide array of choices, tailored to your tastes, and we think you get a Momentum Recipe book.

Healthy Recipes To Help You Lose Weight

3) The third area of focus and improvement is on the psychology of weight loss. Most of us know what to do, but have a hard time following through. PEERtrainer has put together this quiz to help you find out your odds of success on something like the Momentum program. As good as it is, you will only be successful on it if you are ready and motivated to do so. Some find it helpful to take the quiz and then keep reading this page.

 

 

Can I Do Weight Watchers Momentum Program On My Own?

 

The company now sells a series of comprehensive kits on Amazon that give you books on the new recipes, a calculator for the new points system, instructional dvd's, a basic training guide and more. There are two kits available--the deluxe has more books and guides, along with a Momentum cookbook.

 

2009 Weight Watchers Momentum Starter Kit

Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook

 

Tip Of The Day subscribers and participants in our Point Of No Return Coaching Program know that we make sure people understand how to count Weight Watcher points, because it is such a great tool when you are outside your comfort zone. But one of the key criticisms we've seen of Weight Watchers overall was this idea that you could do the diet in an unhealthy way. 

But now Weight Watchers has made a real turnaround in this area and this Momentum program seems to tackle this weakness head on. Specifically, they are focusing on the idea of "Filling Foods" that are high in fiber and high in water content. Which means a diet high in plant-based foods which are excellent for long term health. This is really a change of focus.

In the words of Gail Gedan Spencer of Examiner.com, "Thirty points of nacho cheese rice cakes is not the same as 30 points of healthy, filling, nutritious foods."  We say in our coaching calls and newsletters, "learn the points system" and it may be that the Momentum program joins that.

 

Will Men Like The New Momentum Program?

 

It may be that men particular think will want to strongly consider the program. If you are a man you might want to read this post of ours. It is feedback from a man who lost 80 pounds in the last year from the old program. Weight Watchers for Men has been a relatively new area of focus and seems to be improving with time.

The Points System- What Is It, Has Anything Changed With Momentum?

The Weight Watchers Points System assigns point values to foods, and with Momentum there is now more focus on healthy foods when you do count points. 

Even if Weight Watchers is not a long term fit for you, you will find great value learning their approach to portion control, group support and focus on healthy filling foods. If your diet is not giving you the results you want, you need to address those three areas. This article of ours takes you through how the Points system works and how you can learn to gauge points easily. Points are still a very core part of their new diet approach. The only thing that appears to have changed is the new focus on healthy, filling foods.

What About The Flex And Core Programs?

 

From what we are hearing, the Flex and Core Systems or Programs have been rolled into the new Momentum Program. So when you show up at your local Weight Watchers meeting place, expect to now have one choice. According to one PEERtrainer member:

 

"From what I've heard, it's making core and flex one plan. The core foods are now filling foods. Basically, it's teaching you more of the basics of what foods are good for you but if you slip, you still have your points as a backup. I guess it's also to make things easier, you now only have one choice. Unless I'm wrong, it's not like there are three choices now, when you sign up for weight watchers, you're signing up for the one program, the momentum program."

 

But Doesn't It Make Sense To Reward Exercise Like They Did With Flex?

 

This is something I need to find out, because it makes sense to be rewarded for exercising with a few points here and there. But it was always pretty hard to earn points with exercise and I think pointed to the fact that diet is really the dominant component of weight loss.

 

"Filling Foods" Replaces Core Foods List

 

The Weight Watchers Momentum Program now features a "Filling Foods List" which takes into account the actual space that the food takes up in your stomach. People who have read Eat to Live or Eat For Health by Joel Fuhrman understand that volume is one of the four dimensions of hunger. Nutrients, calories and addictions are the other three. Weight Watchers has adopted this focus on the importance of volume. And they really ought to give credit to the pioneers in this space, but at the end of the day they are good marketers and will be rewarded for that.

Weight Watchers Momentum does not seem to totally embrace the idea of nutrient density yet, but the fact is they are throwing a lot at people with this new program, and it appears to be vastly more comprehensive than their previous programs where you could choose to do Flex or Core or whatever.

Recipes To Help You Feel Full

Examples From The Filling Foods List- (From Their Public Website)

 

3 Point Sauteed Shrimp Recipe- This is an example of how you can cook large peeled shrimp quickly with some nice flavorings. Note the following very healthy recommendation for what to serve the shrimp over:

 

"Fresh lemon juice and dried seasonings provide simple yet wonderful flavor for this easy sauté. Serve the shrimp over brown rice with a side of roasted vegetables for a complete, nutritious meal."

0 Point Roasted Vegetable Recipe- This gives you a nice example of the new approach to dieting in the Momentum Program. They do not seem to be penalizing vegetables at all, even with the small amount of olive oil. Dr Fuhrman has written extensively about the high nutrient values in vegetables and the very important role they play in helping you feel full. Weight Watchers seems to have adopted this philosophy, which we see work.

 

4 spray(s) olive oil cooking spray, divided

2 medium sweet red pepper(s), cut into 8 thick strips

1 medium green pepper(s), cut into 8 thick strips

1 medium summer squash, cut thickly on the diagonal

1 medium zucchini, cut thickly on the diagonal

1 medium red onion(s), cut into large wedges

12 oz canned artichoke hearts, without oil, drained and halved

1 tbsp thyme, fresh, minced

1/2 tsp table salt, or to taste

1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground, or to taste

 

Examples of snack ideas on the filling foods list include cherries and guacamole. That is particularly interesting because people commonly assume avocado is not a diet food because of the fat. In my experience it really takes the edge off and is yet another great example of their new approach to dieting with Momentum.

 

You'll need to join to get access to a list customized to you or you can purchase the new Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook on amazon. 

 

I Want To Try Before I Buy....

It might be that you are apprehensive about going to an in-person meeting, so they offer an online version of the Weight Watchers Momentum Program. If cost is an issue but you still want some level of help, PEERtrainer offers a daily weight loss coaching newsletter that guides you through some key fundamentals. We also offer a series of free weight loss coaching calls that will also give you some practical tools and rules. They are both free and you can get started right away.

Weight Watchers Helpful Habits

This is another new aspect of Weight Watchers Momentum that appears to take a page out of the work done by Judith Beck of The Beck Diet Solution. This replaces their old "Tools For Living" but starts them on the path to a small level of ideas promoted by prominent psychotherapists.

 

These rapid adjustments appear to be pretty smart, and we need to see how people actually respond. Since many people are members of PEERtrainer and Weight Watchers simultaneously, we will be able to provide a great feedback loop.

 

Weight Watchers Seems To Be More Accommodating To Vegetarians

 

One thing that always struck me in supermarkets were nutrient-poor yet low point foods that were marketed aggressively. When PEERtrainer won the 2007 Web 2.0 awards in the Health category, one thing that Habib pointed to was a concern that the dominant diets were not making people healthy.

 

In fact, he made a very pointed comment about the diet industry overall:

 

"With Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig etc. shoving processed, low calorie, junk food down peoples' throats, there is a lot to do to get the industry focused on new approaches. These kinds of foods are not improving peoples’ health. In fact, the opposite may well be true. The medical and health care community agrees and is now working with us to help reset the agenda."

 

That might not have been a totally fair assertion, but in retrospect was not too far off the mark. It is really great to see WW take this new focus, where they really cannot be accused of that any more. There will be a business benefit for them- hopefully. But there also may well be a societal benefit, which is why it is so important to really explore this program. 

 

This new program places much more focused on real foods vs processed foods. As a result, people who are into healthy diets will find a more welcome home. And if you think about this for a second, Weight Watchers is a great marketing tool for the food industry. So you may well see many of the companies who had in the past been teaming up with WW to deliver low point processed food, now change focus.

 

How great would it be to see Weight Watchers and Whole Foods team up??

 

Food Tracking And Journaling

 

Weight Watchers is also placing a heavy emphasis on tracking your foods, noting that it is highly effective. We realized this 4 years ago when we built PEERtrainer, and have a very easy to use, free form food journal that is built into every support group and team on the site.

 

Journaling your foods each day works, plain and simple. Just do it. Does not matter where.

Should I Sign Up For The Weight Watchers Momentum Program?

 

From our perspective, weight loss is incredibly hard to accomplish and maintain. So you really need all the help you can get. It is that important. PEERtrainer is focused heavily on the online, email and phone based approaches to losing weight. If you need an in-person, face to face thing, there is really no alternative. Even if you only join for a month and don't want to go to the meetings, you will find real value and what appears to be a growing set of very practical and proven tools.

 

I Am Thinking About Doing Nutrisystem Instead of Weight Watchers Momentum...

 

You need to find what works for you and what stage you are in the weight loss process. The two offerings are very different. One thing we have seen is that some men have had success with NutriSystem because they simply were not able to get started any other way. Other men have done great going to the Weight Watchers meetings. And it may be that you start WW after a couple months on NutriSystem. You have to find what works for you.

Does PEERtrainer Have An Opinion On The New Weight Watchers Program?

Their focus on identifying healthier foods may well boost their overall success rate. We base any views on what we see among our members, so our view will evolve. But we have a strong gut about what they are now doing. Again, weight loss is so hard for so many that you want to get all the help that you can.

We now have an affiliate relationship with them, and we feel good about pointing people to this new program. Many of you know that we highly recommend you own a copy of Eat For Health no matter what weight you are. If you are overweight and not making progress you probably would do very well to do Momentum. And if you join the program via this orange banner below, you help support PEERtrainer and the work we are doing with our free Tip Of The Day coaching program.

We tend to cover Weight Watchers quite a bit and if you want to read more of what we have written, please click on the link. One of the things we are interested in particularly is helping make sure you integrate all these proven tools into a way that really works for you.

 

We have also started a new thread over in the community on the new Weight Watchers Momentum Program. Please chime in there, here in the comments section or send me an email.

 

1/1/09 Update- We are now getting some great feedback on the new Momentum Plan and it seems like this system is really helping people have success. One user helped to explain that this new program is really different in the area of recipes, and that the new recipes are really really good.

It is funny because the new comments we are getting is helping to bolster my initial gut about the changes. They are very real and for the first time you really have to go to a meeting or join to get the best information.

1/5/09 Update- We just posted a note about a doctor having recommended doing Weight Watchers and The South Beach diet together. Her point was that Weight Watchers was great for portion control but that you needed to also do South Beach to add quality foods. Based on the reviews of the diet and recipes, it seems that WW has added the quality food aspect. Interesting.

We also got a great note from one of our weight loss coaching newsletter subscribers who said they just signed up for Momentum Online. She is 50 and weighs 250 pounds. We will be monitoring her progress with WW online over time.

7/14/2010 Update: PEERtrainer has just created a series of videos that will give you some immediate support, right now. 

 Click here to watch Video 1.   

Click here to watch Video 2.

 

Momentum, not momemtum!