Jules & Dej, I joined the online WW program, too. I love the online tools it has and I can keep track of what I eat so easily this way. I think this will help me keep on my "clean" eating plan and also keep me honest about what I'm consuming each day. I love being able to go back and review what I've had.

I found the city WW meeting group is open on Fridays during the day so you can wander in, buy stuff, tools, books, or food and not pay shipping! wahoo! so I will go peek on Friday. A girl I know wanted to get me in the meeting, but if I pay for ONE meeting (registration is free right now) I will have to pay $12 for that meeting. NOPE! not gonna happen. I have my online set up and got 3 months free, only had to pay the reg fee. so, not paying twice. Anyway, Im off to see the toys, and books on Friday.

I wont eat pre packaged foods. no HFCS or aspertame for me. no MSG or such in my diet. I eat whole, organice healthy home grown foods. So, WW is perfect for me.

Years ago, I sorta went on a short self imposed WW diet. I purchased a weeks worth of WW frozen Dinners, to try it. The dinners were lousey..UGH..hic.. It lasted less than a week..

Making your own is probably a better idea, unless their TV dinners have improved, greatly.

I also did The Nutri Systems diet for a month and a half. Some of the food was dang good, but it was just too much food and time consuming. I had to eat too many times a day and it interferred with my naptime!! I can see where it could work for a lot of people though.

Much luck, Dej.

i find most pre packaged meals are blistering with salt, and are bland even tho they have enough salt to start their own desert. overly spiced, tiny portions, and that weird after taste! what is that?!

I had a cup of pasta with home made sauce, and stringed cheese across it. a spinach salad with fresh beets, and broccoli from the freezer from last years garden. 8 points. not bad. I find MY sauce is much lower in sodium, sugars, and other nonsense than the store brand stuff. mine just has tomato, garlic, basil, orageno, and water with a pinch of sea salt. YUM! it counts as free if I put in the ingredients one by one, but if I say "pasta sauce 1/2 cup its 4 points. how come that works that way? I guess they expect the store stuff to be full of salt. So, I have enough points left for a glass of milk and some pecan sandies for dessert. YUM!

Amy's frozen organic foods are pretty good. Their cheese pizza and their spinach pizza is good. I haven't tried the entrees yet. Usually they're too pricy. I can get by with pasta and black beans I make myself.

Some days I only eat fruits and veggies. I can do without meat most of the time. If I get the craving for a burger I'll have a turkey burger that I make here at home.

I get Lean Cuisine for my work lunches and keep a week's worth in the freezer. My problem is my odd hours and sometimes I eat at 9 or 10 pm then sit before going to bed.

I love Stoffers Lean Cousine.

I have made pre prepped foods. I have lasagna and have it portioned out in the freezer. I made beef stew and have it portioned out in the freezer. Same for some meatloaf, mac and cheese with ham in it, brachiole, and other favs. Just like having a frozen dinner, I just have to reach in the fridge and pull out what I want for today. I ate the last of the Ziti with 3 cheeses from the freezer last night. Last beef stew is tonight...saturday I will restart a new meal plan and fill the freezer for the weeks meals. They are all in glass, so I dont have to transfer them out to microwave or worry about BPA.

Again, I left points on the table last night. I could down a glass of milk or eat cookies to put me over the edge, but when im done, im done. Im being told that leaving points on the table is why I got fat. They expect me to eat all the food set out, so my metabolism will rise. perhaps I should consider the milk option. Its yummy, good for you, and will boost my score.

I wont weight myself till Sunday. its been hard to resist the scale, so I put it in DHs bathroom.

I have a great deal of empathy for all who have posted on this serious subject. The resulting psychological challenges dealing with weight are devastating alone. I see my wife deal with her weight in every imaginable way possible and is now very involved with WW online and a specific meeting because of the counselor.

On the other hand I too have a weight problem which I totally attribute to the fact of being unable to perform any exercise and the numerous meds and side effects. Too many meds with weight gain as a major side effect. Since I can no longer taste but four or so things, and I am extremely sensitive to the texture of different foods, not eating has not resulted in any lost weight.

In following this thread, which has been very revealing in confirming what we all know, the greatest battles in the world occur within the seven inches between our ears. There in is where the war is won or lost. In the end, we are all totally responsible for our own situations, albeit with extenuating circumstances due to our chronic illness.

Allow me to recommend a very enlightening book expressing a simple but powerful concept of life, health and success. "The Slight Edge," by Jeff Olson is an excellent fast reading paperback. Through it the simple things in life which compounded get us all in trouble are revealed with crystal clarity. I have no answers, but can tell you a size 52 inch waist can not defy the laws of physics and be contained in a pair of blue jeans with a waist of 44 inches.

went for a ride with DH and of course we got very lost, turned around and tempers started to rise because he was hungry! I was hungry! he skipped his morning snack and I dont normally eat a snack, but I had an orange in the car that we couldnt find. We passed many wonderful places to eat, but he couldnt figure out if those places were allowed on his diet. So as the time passed along with the miles away from home and safe food, guess where he pulled into?? yep a HOT DOG Stand! OMG! are you kidding me?! Fearing that if I didnt take what I could get, I would starve till dinner, so i got a turkey dog, no bun, water and a half cup of hamburger chili that was so spicey it made my nose run. DH got 2 keilbasa dogs, with all the trimmings, and crabbed about how he blew his diet all the way home. Sigh. ... I guess we need more practice eating out, yes? once you hit the IM HUNGRY! phase, its too late to save it.

We were only supposed to be gone long enough to drop off a few big bags at salvation army, but DH has been so sick with cabin fever lately I let him talk me into trying to find the job lot store in Peterborough. BIG mistake! There were TONS of choices we could have stopped at and worked out on the ride home after we gave up, but by then hunger, anxiety and crabbiness were our constant companions. I still didnt blow past my normal points for lunch. Im proud that even at a hot dog stand I kept my cool. DH on the other hand needs a nap.