I am a WW Lifetime Member. I was also a “turtle”, a very slow loser, when I was following that plan. I learned all the “tricks”. I have moved on to David’s Way because it is better for me and has enabled me to hone my fitness and overall health. These are the tools that I used to get to my WW goal, and a little more.

1-Realize that joining a group is not enough. You have to actually work the plan.

While this sounds ridiculous, when I first joined WW and every time I started a new “diet”, I felt like I would lose weight just because I was doing all of the superfluous stuff like buying the right books, buying the right food, buying the right workout clothes. I never truly believed that, but there is a feeling of accomplishment that comes with making that initial decision to make an effort to lose weight that creates a false euphoria. In this euphoric state it is easy to forget that we have to change our ways if we want a change. After joining any group or committing to any plan it is imperative to do the work. It’s not easy to change dietary habits that have been ingrained in us for a lifetime but the rewards are well worth it.

2-Commit to following your plan faithfully even when the scales, (or the barbell;-), don’t give you the results that you want.

We are committing to long term change, not a quick fix. Know that the plan works if and when you work the plan honestly. Our bodies respond to our actions and our actions are subject to variability. When you have done the right things enough times, long enough, you will get the results that you want.

3-Work the food plan honestly.

There is a temptation to take advantage of what seems like “too good to be true” details in some plans, WW being one of the most taken advantage of in this respect. If you don’t have to count calories and just acknowledge the points values of the 0 points foods and you overeat those foods, you will not lose weight. This is common sense. I was on an older plan and the first thing that I did was run out and buy massive amounts of fruit because we didn’t count fruit. I gained weight.

4-Apply honesty to your activity as well.

I have seen pictures of the app where a lady was awarded over 200 points for exercise. I never found a way that I could eat that many extra points on a regular basis and lose weight or maintain weight. It goes back to something that Davids says frequently, “You can’t out-exercise a bad diet.” This is the equivalent of eating about 4-5 brownies every day. That’s how we gain weight, not lose. Be realistic. Exercise is wonderful but if you exercise merely to eat more you will be disappointed.

5-Avoid alcohol.

Yep, I said it. Most of us are fooling ourselves if we think that we can have alcoholic beverages and lose weight or maintain a healthy weight because the sugar in alcohol creates cravings. The alcohol creates a social, party state of mind where we think that we’re entitled to eat something delectable and because the alcohol stimulates the appetite and lowers inhibitions, all of a sudden everything is delectable…and lots of it. If you are serious about being your very best version of you, just don’t.

6-DON’T FAST THE DAY YOU WEIGH IN!!!

When I first started going to meetings I would go all day with out eating or drinking anything just to see that magic number on the scale. I would be so hungry, coffee deprived and dehydrated after that meeting that I would just go crazy, eating everything in sight. It would take days to compensate for that binge. Go ahead and eat and hydrate normally. Again, this is for the long haul. One weigh-in really doesn’t matter very much.

7-Plan your meals and snacks.

This way you are never caught starved and hangry, yes, HANGRY, you know, that terrible feeling when you have gone too long without eating and you’re miserable and mad at the world. Hangry sets you up for a major dietary catastrophe. You will also have the food on hand that you need and will be able to reach for healthy meals and snacks on schedule. Your body will stay satisfied and your mind will be better able to turn away from cravings and social pressure to eat too much. Be prepared.

8-Associate with like minded people.

The people that we associate with is critical to our overall health. If we hang out with people who want to eat poorly at every opportunity, we will follow their lead. More than likely, we are not going to influence them for the better. Instead, we will abandon our ideals under social pressure. Choose your comrades wisely. There is power in support groups such as David’s Way. We have common goals.

9-Be ready to upgrade.

When whatever plan you are on is not giving you the results that you want, move on. I was at my goal and had been for a couple of years when I began to notice things about my health that were disturbing. I was on three medications, had anxiety, insomnia and high blood pressure and was beginning to lose muscle. At 61, these were critical issues. Muscle is necessary to good health. I asked David to help me and he graciously obliged on one condition, I would follow his plan to the letter. He told me to lose twenty pounds. I was stunned momentarily but readily agreed because I was not happy with my then state of health. I followed his idea of high protein- low carbohydrate eating and completely removed all added sugar from my diet. In no time at all, I dropped those twenty pounds. I also began lifting weights and decreasing the stress in my life. The combination has given me the best health that I have ever had. I am 5’6″ tall, weigh 140# and wear a small or medium. I have managed to keep my curves and I am very strong, quite often the strongest person in the room. I take no medications.

10-Adapt to maintain.

Realize that this is NOT a diet, it is truly a lifestyle. Study and learn all you can about how to get what you want for your health. Be pro-active. Never just accept that ill health is your destiny. Regardless of how long it takes you to see a number on a scale or do what we do at David’s Way, arrive at a desired body fat percentage, always remember that this is your CHOSEN lifestyle and treat it as such. Work it. Work it to your advantage. Dig in and make it yours. We’re here for you. ;-*