# Weight Watchers



## ShelleyDickison (Jan 31, 2013)

So my husband and I (more I than him) have decided to join weight watchers to shed some extra bits. I now have to spend 60 minutes on a treadmill to make up for one glass of wine. How is that fair in the universe. I think their numbers are off. :-(


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## Runningwolf (Jan 31, 2013)

I think you need to quit drinking sweet wine. I never really thought about it before but when I started making up sample 750 ml bottles that were sweet and saw the pile of sugar I was putting in them...holy moly!


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## Rocky (Jan 31, 2013)

ShelleyDickison said:


> So my husband and I (more I than him) have decided to join weight watchers to shed some extra bits. I now have to spend 60 minutes on a treadmill to make up for one glass of wine. How is that fair in the universe. I think their numbers are off. :-(


 
Shelley, you don't have to spend near as much time on the treadmill if you turn it on. 

Seriously, though, a 4 oz. glass of dry wine is between 100 and 110 calories. I don't want to make any presumptions on weight but, as an example, a 150 pound person walking on level ground at the rate of 3 mph for 30 minutes will burn about 102 calories. See this calculator: http://walking.about.com/library/cal/uccalc2.htm

Increasing the incline of the treadmill increases the calories burned.


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## ShelleyDickison (Jan 31, 2013)

Runningwolf said:


> I think you need to quit drinking sweet wine. I never really thought about it before but when I started making up sample 750 ml bottles that were sweet and saw the pile of sugar I was putting in them...holy moly!



It doesn't list by sweet or dry, just red or white. When I try different types they all came up with 4 points, whether it was Merlot, Pinot Noir, Chard, Riesling or Moscato. I still don't know how they come up with it.


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## Julie (Jan 31, 2013)

That's the problem with Weight Watchers, they don't want to deal with calories, just points


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## JohnT (Feb 1, 2013)

I think that they feel that wine is wine. The calories can come from alcohol just the same as sugar. 

Given the choice, (60 minutes or cheating on weight-watchers), I would have to have a glass of wine and think about it!


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## millwright01 (Feb 1, 2013)

Yea, I lost 60 pounds last year. No matter what diet you go on, alcohol is a no-no. One great side effect of going on a diet for me was that because I couldn't drink wine, everything got to age for 9 months. I kept making the whole time and now all my wines are tasting real good and have some aging to them. Good luck!!


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## Rocky (Feb 1, 2013)

Fortunately, dieting has never been an issue with me. I have reached and maintain my "ideal weight." I am, however, having a harder time achieving my "ideal height."


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## winemaker_3352 (Feb 1, 2013)

I found that cutting out fast food and fried foods helped me more than anything.

I just stuck with a 2000 calorie or less diet and was able to lose w/o a treadmill.

I lost 70 pounds in 3-4 months this way - no program or anything - just watched my calorie intake - as you will burn calories all day long just being up and around.

I for one - sit in an office all day at the PC - and I was still able to lose that much - if I were on my feet all day - I probably would have had better results.


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## Boatboy24 (Feb 1, 2013)

Rocky said:


> Fortunately, dieting has never been an issue with me. I have reached and maintain my "ideal weight." I am, however, having a harder time achieving my "ideal height."



Great line from "Cheers":

"What are you up to, Norm?"

"My ideal weight, if I were eleven feet tall"


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## GEM (Feb 1, 2013)

I just looked at one calorie counter and it said 8 ounces of red wine has 170 calories.


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## bakervinyard (Feb 1, 2013)

I lost 55 pounds last year with drinking wine. Before my weight lose I would drink 2-3 large glasses of wine a night, now I have 2 small glasses a day. I eat alot of fruit, smaller portions for dinner and way healthier in general. I'm a baker so I don't stop moving all day long. That helps. I don't eat the pastry like iI did before but the warm bread kills me all the time. LOL. Bakervinyard


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## Jolly_Roger (Feb 1, 2013)

I do the weight watchers diet, try to stay just under my points, but when Iwant to drink I completely ignore the diet and drink what I want and still lose weight pretty quickly! It is more about fried greasy foods that I eat than drinking, I'm of the firm belief that if you take a bite of it and feel your arteries close about 1/2 way that it's delicious! 
Just by eating healthier I lose weight, I work on the road so a lot of fast food is the norm. try drinking what you want and I think you'll still lose, if not you may have to quit! ...........dieting, or drinking!


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## Rocky (Feb 2, 2013)

Boatboy24 said:


> Great line from "Cheers":
> 
> "What are you up to, Norm?"
> 
> "My ideal weight, if I were eleven feet tall"


 
That was a great show and I looked forward to Norm's comments. My favorite was, "It's a dog eat dog world and I'm wearing Milk-bone underwear."


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## tfries (Feb 2, 2013)

Over the last 2 years I was able to drop 70 lbs. While I did go 3 month at the beginning with no alcohol, after that, I did notice that I did better with wine than I did with beer, weight wise. Either way, lots of exercise was a key.


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## shoebiedoo (Feb 6, 2013)

I've been on weight watchers for 5 months and so far have dropped 25 pound never once giving up my wine. I did try to keep each meal around 10 points (of course I weigh 210) that usually left enough points for a couple glasses of wine. I took to walking longer (for more wine). In fact i ate lunch at my desk then walked for 45 minutes durring lunch. Chalk up another glass!!!!!! I love weigh watchers!!!!! It's all about choices


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## GreginND (Feb 6, 2013)

I want to say CONGRATULATIONS to all of you who have managed to lose weight. It's pretty clear we have a bunch of great folks here who are trying to get healthy and still enjoy wine! I have been riding on the weight rollercoaster my whole life too. Keep up the good fight!


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## Rocky (Feb 6, 2013)

I hear you, Greg. I have lost abouit 5000 pounds in my lifetime. Unfortunately, I have gained about 5235. I choose not to think of myself as "overweight." I consider that I am "under tall" or "gravitationally gifted."


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## ShelleyDickison (Feb 6, 2013)

1st week lose of only 1 1/2 pounds.


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## wineforfun (Feb 6, 2013)

ShelleyDickison said:


> 1st week lose of only 1 1/2 pounds.



While I am not going to go on a tangent of eating properly, hydrating, exercising, etc., your 1 1/2lbs. is a great start. You should only be losing between 2-3lbs. per week. 
These ridiculous shows like biggest loser show people losing 10-15lbs. per week. This is not normal or healthy. The other problem is they never show the people how to maintain their goal weight or how to achieve a healthy lifestyle from here on out. It is all about losing X amount of weight. Anyone can lose X amount of weight, it is keeping it off that is the idea.
Ok, small tangent. I have been working out and eating clean most of my life so I get a little wound up about these things.

In the end, consistency is the key to anything, whether it be exercising, dieting, work, etc.


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## Rocky (Feb 6, 2013)

ShelleyDickison said:


> 1st week lose of only 1 1/2 pounds.


 
"A journey of a thousand miles began with a single step." _Lao Tzu_


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## ckassotis (Feb 7, 2013)

I normally wouldn't post in a thread like this, but I think it's important to not see weight watchers as a diet. Diets don't work. Sure, you may see results in the short term, but when you stop with the diet, you will revert to the same unhealthy habits that got you there to begin with. Rather, use WW to help you develop a plan that you can live with for good. Include alcohol. Include sweets. Moderation is key. I've lost/maintained 140 pounds now for 5 years, and still trimming a bit more. Definitely I found it to be all about learning what portion sizes actually are so you can judge what you're actually eating, the quality of what you're eating, and how to account for your calories without having to write it all out on a daily basis.


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## ckassotis (Feb 7, 2013)

Not that exercise isn't important also! I grew from thinking runners might be the stupidest people on earth to having run 6 half marathons now. Find something that you can enjoy and play your heart out!


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## GreginND (Feb 7, 2013)

Chris, you're right! It's a lifestyle, not a diet.

10 years ago I was over 300 pounds and could not walk around the block. In 2005 I was watching the inaugural Fargo Marathon runners shaking my head thinking how crazy one must be to run like that. Well, the next year I was 80 pounds lighter completing my first half marathon. And last winter I was training for my 10th full marathon. I didn't make it as I slipped on the ice last winter and broke a couple of ribs. It put an immediate halt to my running and my gym workouts. I was in pain for over 3 months. That was last January. One year later and 30 pounds heavier (I kept eating like I was running) I am trying to get my motivation back to run again. I have started with paying attention to my calorie balance and have already lost over 10 pounds. 

Eat for health and move your body. That is my mantra.


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## ckassotis (Feb 7, 2013)

Which raises another good point: you will not lose every week. You'll have bad weeks, and likely bad months from time to time. Life happens. Reassess whether there is anything that you can do about it and try to make healthier diet choices if you can't exercise for some reason. Greg, congrats on that! 10 marathons. Jeez. I trained for my first last year... NYC... which Hurricane Sandy made sure that I didn't run.  So I deferred to this year, and we'll hope there isn't another freak hurricane to sideline me!


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