WW vs. Cathe's nutrition

[nspire]

I've been exercising since I was 18, now 42, and have maintained my weight pretty good. I'm 5'7 and usually stay around 145-150, however I look more toned at 138-140. My diet is pretty good, people call me a health nut, but the truth of the matter is I love sweets. Always have but I think this addiction is keeping me from the look I want to achieve(defined/cut).

I want to get a better handle on my eating habits and I'm really thinking about joining Cathe's nutrition plan or WW. I've heard WW has been beneficial to alot of people.

My question is: Are there any of you currently on WW? If so how do you like it? Would you consider to making the switch to Cathe? Cathe's nutrition site seems a little cheaper,but with the newness I'm not sure if it's worth it right now. Any suggestions

 

[Beavs]

I'm on neither but I can tell you a friend of mine does WW and enjoys the social aspect of getting out of the house and meeting with other like minded people. She has made some friends who check on one another and now go to the gym together. She has been steadily losing weight and feeling better about herself.

 

[Carol_is_fit]

I haven't checked out Cathe's nutrition program. My only issue with WW is that it's not truly "clean" eating. If you eat sweets, as long as you count it, it's considered okay. I lost a lot of weight on WW one time, but I don't feel I really learned anything about "clean" nutrition, and I gained the weight back because of that. Just my take on it, and it was about five years ago, so it's possible the program has changed since then. I'm only expressing my opinion, and I realize others out there may love the program and it works for them, and that's wonderful. I just feel there are better programs out there. And, I'm not saying sweets should be a complete no-no. I just didn't feel WW did the best job in helping people get control of that aspect. A lot of us (including me!!!) have emotional issues with sweets which blocks our progress on a nutrition program, unless we work hard to overcome them. Being on a program which basically tells me "eat whatever you want as long as your total points are in line" does not help me overcome what I consider a true "addiction" to sweets.

I'm following a program called Precision Nutrition, and I don't pay any monthly or yearly fees. I bought the program for $108. It's mine forever, and the forums and all the articles, info, etc. are free with the program. I'll never pay another penny for all that info and support. It teaches clean eating and a resultant healthy lifestyle. I also have access on there to countless articles from various sources, exercise programs from countless experts in the field, and the list goes on and on. I've been following it for nine weeks (coming up on ten), and I've lost 4 percent bodyfat (last measured at 8 weeks by calipers) - 0.5 % per week is considered good progress so I'm right on track - over 20 inches overall, two whole sizes in jeans, and 12 pounds on the scale. They recommend working out at least 5 hours a week, and of course strength training is favored for building muscle mass.

One of the reasons I am so excited about STS is because it will fit in perfectly with my goals, and will contribute in a great way (I'm certain!!) to my progress on this program. I'm currently alternating Gym Styles with Slow & Heavy for two weeks. I strength train three days a week, do cardio one day, HIIT one day, and kettlebells one day.

As I said, I haven't checked out Cathe's program, but I'm sure it's top notch. Given a choice of Cathe over WW, I'd pick Cathe. I mean just look at her and her crew!! Sure they workout, but nutrition is key as well, and I think most people on here would agree without attention to both, you don't get lean and cut like Cathe and her crew are. I can't imagine Cathe would put out a nutrition program that didn't emphasize clean eating and a healthy lifestyle overall. If I hadn't already bought the PN program, I would subscribe to Cathe's program.

Carol

 

[Carol_is_fit]

I'm on neither but I can tell you a friend of mine does WW and enjoys the social aspect of getting out of the house and meeting with other like minded people. She has made some friends who check on one another and now go to the gym together. She has been steadily losing weight and feeling better about herself.

That is an excellent point. The social aspect of WW is very important for some people, and joining an online program won't give you the same "social" aspect of a face to face meeting. For people who would do better in a "real life" social situation for support, I would agree WW fits the bill.

Carol

 

[fit44]

I'm going to second Carol's recommendation for Precision Nutrition.
I don't know a lot about WW. From what I've seen it is not clean eating, it's more calorie counting. That's ok if you're goals are to reach a certain weight on the scale. However, if your goal is to change your body composition, Precision Nutrition will help you get there.

Here are the basics of PN.
http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/7habits.htm

 

[ColoradoSooner]

Most doctors will tell you that WW has one of the best programs out there. I did the points system and dropped 30 pounds. Then I switched over to Core and dropped the last 10 without even trying. I was already at goal and just wanted to make the switch to healthier eating.

With the Core program, it really is all about clean eating. You can have as much as you want, until you're full, as long as you eat foods that are on the Core list. Not surprisingly, sweets aren't on there.

If you have trouble with portion control, I would start with the points system to figure out what a true serving size is, then switch over to Core. I honestly don't think the points system is something that most people can do for the rest of their lives. But the Core/clean eating definitely is. I was hungry a lot on points, but now I feel satisfied during the day and that has made a huge difference in my life.

I don't know enough about Cathe's nutrition plan to comment on it but that's my scoop on WW.

Good luck!

 

[marianimal]

I have been on WW and dropped 20 pounds. Sadly I am a repeat offender and have gained back about 10, but working on that now.
Anyway, the reason I am going to keep my WW membership is because I like having the points calculated for me on the website. The less I have to do the better.
I try to eat clean but I am not heavily into it. I know it would give me great results and I would lose weight and look more lean and toned but I would rather have a piece of chocolate or cookies or cake or ....sorry I digress, when I want. That's my lifestyle and that's me...not telling anyone else what to do.

I am still looking over Cathe's nutrition software and may switch to it later, but for now WW is better for me.

 

[farrahalex]

I use to go to WW and loved it. I still follow the Core plan. It was to expensive for membership and driving to the meetings once a week. On Core you can eat clean but you have I think 28 points for foods that are not Core, those help me not go over board on my cheat day.

Farrah

 

[Jaffas]

I am a lifetime member of WW. I lost over 40 lbs and have maintained it for over 2 years. I still weigh in every month and attend meetings if I feel the need but no longer have to pay any fees as long as I stay at or below my goal weight. I still follow the points system, mostly because I hate non-fat dairy and refuse to ruin my morning coffee with non-fat milk. However most everything else I eat is core (veggies, fruits, whole grains and lean meats) so if I undercount or forget to track something it's not such a big deal. I also rarely eat out and have the good fortune to work at home. Even if I'm going to be out and about all day I pack a lunch. I agree with some of the critics of WW. It might not be enough for those who have really bad eating habits. I felt sorry for some of the people at meetings who were trying to work fast food and soda into their points allowance. I am by no means a fanatic about clean eating. I have more of an Anthony Bourdain outlook towards food. (How does he stay so thin?) I eat well and I enjoy it. I grew up in Italy so food is basically my religion.
I have a few theories about why weight watchers worked of me and here they are. First I obviously needed help. I had tried and even succeeded on my own only to gain all the weight plus some back. When I joined WW I did everything I was told to. I never missed a meeting even though I generally hate stuff like that. I'm just not the "ra ra" type. I believe that, like anything, if you want to make a change the most important thing is to change your way of thinking. The meetings help with that. Second it taught me to look at food kind of like money, while I can have whatever I want (just like you could charge just about anything) I always ask myself "Is it worth it?" and most often it is not.
I'm tempted to sign up for Cathe's nutrition program. My main concern is that it might not have the foods (my recipes) that I eat. I have this problem with most programs. That's why I love WW site. I can add all the weird things I eat.
Sorry this was so long. Gotta go. DH wants laptop and I have to prepare my lunch!

 

[marianimal]

Carol and/or Cynthia-

I looked at the PN website and kinda wanted to get a better idea of typical day. Is it all chicken breast and grilled veggies? I mean if I want a Lean Cuisine pizza am I sunk?
Also, is it difficult for you to follow? Weird foods or anything?

 

[fit44]

Anything packaged like Lean Cuisine would be considered processed and not 100% on target. You could probably find a healthy pizza recipe in the gourmet cookbook I know JB likes his pizza.

OR you can count the Lean Cuisine as one of your non- compliant foods.

PN is not about elliminating good or bad foods. You can have a piece of pie, chocolate, cake, fries, whatever. It's about eating foods that supply your body with good nutrition.
You only have to be 90% compliant to be completely on target.
But that's not to say you're doomed. If you want to be 80% compliant, you'll still get results. You get pretty much what you put in. If it's 50% non processed foods and you're current diet is 100% processed, you are making improvements.

The problem with processed food is that it is usually stripped of nutrients, or has added unnatural ingredients that will make you crave more.
Whole food is more satisfying. Look at the calories in an Apple. It's the same as what you would find in one small cookie. The apple will fill your stomach and feed your body in a way the cookie won't.

I think this is one of John's best articles.
http://johnberardi.com/articles/nutrition/dietary_1.htm

 

[fit44]

Here is a typical day for me.

Breakfast, egg white, havarti cheese, tomato and spinach omelet with sliced kiwi, broccoli.

mid morning post workout, oatmeal & whey protein shake

Lunch, chicken/or beef, nectarine, almonds

Mid afternoon, Frozen strawberry protein smoothie 1/2 tbsp peanut butter

Dinner, turkey/chicken/beef/ bison, spinach salad with tomatoes, cucumbers, broccoli and 1/2 tsp olive oil/balsamic vinegar dressing.

bedtime...fage yogurt with 1/3 scoop chocolate protein powder.

6grams of fish oil daily

4 small cheats a week/ or one full cheat meal a week

Here's a picture of my perfect omelet!!!

 

[Carol_is_fit]

Carol and/or Cynthia-

I looked at the PN website and kinda wanted to get a better idea of typical day. Is it all chicken breast and grilled veggies? I mean if I want a Lean Cuisine pizza am I sunk?
Also, is it difficult for you to follow? Weird foods or anything?

Oh goodness no.

1) Lean protein at each meal - 20 to 30 grams for a female, 40 to 60 for a male. Meaning lean cuts of animal protein or a protein sub that a vegetarian would choose; also, eggs, eggbeaters, cottage cheese, nonfat plain yogurt, etc. The idea is to eat whole foods as opposed to processed.

2) Veggies. Lots of veggies. Two to three servings (1/2 cup cooked = one serving) per meal.

3) Eat every two to three hours while awake. It's not as much as it sounds. My total cals per day average 1700 to 1900.

4) Good fats - keep them approximately 30% of your overal intake per day.

5) Fruits can be substituted for veggies, but they suggest keeping the veggies to fruits servings ratio 4:1.

6) Five hours of exercise per week is recommended. Strength training is highly recommended to build mass.

7) Water or green tea. No other beverages are recommended.

8) Protein powder is used as supplementation, but they recommend keeping the liquid meals to one a day. People usually use a protein shake as their pre/during workout drink.

9) Fish oil is highly recommended not only for fat loss, but to obtain essential fatty acids.

10) If you're going for fat loss, keep the starchy carbs to post-workout only until you begin to lean out and can better tolerate them throughout the day. The main source of your carbs for fat loss are fruits and veggies.

Here's a typical daily menu for me:

Pre/during AM workout:
protein powder (1 scoop = 20 grams) shake with
flax meal
1 cup berries

2nd meal:
fish oil capsules (I take two with each meal)
eggbeaters
1 whole egg
oatmeal
three servings of veggies

3rd meal:
fish oil
3 oz lean sirloin
1 piece string cheese
three servings of veggies

4th meal:
fish oil
4 oz chicken
1 tomato
1/4 of an avocado
light ranch dressing (about 1/2 TBSP)
string cheese

5th meal:
fish oil
lowfat cottage cheese
3 servings of veggies

6th meal:
fish oil
1 scoop protein powder
1 cup nonfat plain yogurt
flax meal
1 cup berries
By the way .. this tastes AMAZING and is a complete PN-compliant meal.

This is just a sample. I eat other protein sources as well. Fish (salmon is GREAT for the omega-3's!!), tuna in water, and lean pork, for example. I cook my food twice a week and put it in Ziploc containers so I can pack a Coleman portable cooler and away I go to work!
As for veggies, I buy frozen and vary them so I'm never bored. I buy the berries frozen too - they taste great in the blender with the shake in the morning!!

HTH!!

Carol

 

[Miss Lee]

I just signed up for the PN System. I want it for my DH as well as for myself. I've really been towing the line with exercise but it's time to get serious with diet. I chose PN because I've been reading JB's articles for years and he makes a lot of sense to me. He has a Ph.D. so surely he must know something about it, right!?

Cynthia, your omlet is gorgeous. My DH makes omelets every weekend and I'm required to ooh and ah over them -- lol!

Carol, what brand and dosage of fish oil are you taking? With the exception of an occasional can of tuna, I have an absolute aversion to fish and seafood so I need to use a supplement. TIA!

 

[Carol_is_fit]

I just signed up for the PN System. I want it for my DH as well as for myself. I've really been towing the line with exercise but it's time to get serious with diet. I chose PN because I've been reading JB's articles for years and he makes a lot of sense to me. He has a Ph.D. so surely he must know something about it, right!?

Cynthia, your omlet is gorgeous. My DH makes omletes every weekend and he always require me to ooh and ah over them -- lol1

Carol, what brand and dosage of fish oil are you taking? With the exception of an ocasional can of tuna, I have an absolute aversion to fish and seafood so I need to use a supplement. TIA!

I'm using a cheapie WalMart brand ... S-H-H-H-H don't tell JB!! I take two of them per meal, so I'm getting roughly 10 per day. I don't have the bottle with me so I can't tell you the ratio, but I'll look it up this evening and let you know.

JB formulated one of the fish oil and protein powder supplements as part of his PhD, and you'll see them used a lot on the PN site, but you don't have to use those particular brands to get results. There are so many articles over there you won't have time to read them all - LOL!!

If you have any questions, please just ask!!

Carol

 

[Miss Lee]

Thank you Carol! I'm excited to get my books and get started!!

Someone was asking about Lean Cuisine pizza. It's so darn easy to make a healthy, single serving pizza -- I make them at least once a week. I use WW pita bread for the crust and I top it with either my own homemade tomato sauce or one from a jar (just be sure to read the label), and whatever toppings I'm in the mood for; roasted veggies, turkey pepperoni -- whatever you like. I bake them in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They're really pretty good and so EASY!

 

[Carol_is_fit]

Thank you Carol! I'm excited to get my books and get started!!

Someone was asking about Lean Cuisine pizza. It's so darn easy to make a healthy, single serving pizza -- I make them at least once a week. I use WW pita bread for the crust and I top it with either my own homemade tomato sauce or one from a jar (just be sure to read the label), and whatever toppings I'm in the mood for; roasted veggies, turkey pepperoni -- whatever you like. I bake them in a 425 degree oven for about 10 minutes. They're really pretty good and so EASY!

You'll find on PN though that will be out for a while, if fat loss is your goal, unless you're eating it post workout. Even then, the tomato sauce in a jar contains preservatives you'll be advised to avoid. The whole idea of PN is to eat truly "clean", and that means whole foods. It means avoiding (as much as possible) anything processed and full of preservatives. As for starchy carbs, you'll want to stick to things with a lot of bang for the buck, since you'll probably only be eating them once a day. Steel cut oats, whole grains, etc. When you receive your binder there will be LONG lists of proteins, good fats, and the best carb choices to help guide you.

Carol

 

[fit44]

Cynthia, your omlet is gorgeous. My DH makes omelets every weekend and I'm required to ooh and ah over them -- lol!

Why thank you very much Michelle I can totally understand where you're coming from in regards to DH! Mine is the same way. Men are such characters! LOL

I was kind of sad to find out that the new PN program doesn't come with DVD's. I learned to make these egg white omelets from JB in the kitchen. You can view it online, but I really like my dvd's!

JB recommends Genuine Health O3megas
http://shop.genuinehealth.com/ProductList.aspx?CategoryID=66

I use his brand and Flameout from T-nation, which is a fish and cla combination. I also use his Metabolic Drive Protein powder. I love the chocolate and strawberry flavors.

I like that he is not a supplement pusher. He recommends fish oil, greens+, protein powder. I'm not popping supplements all day long- I hate that!


The great thing about PN is that he gives you a one size fits all type of program, and then guides you on how to individualize it for yourself. You don't have to be perfect all the time.

 

[Miss Lee]

I haven't even gotten my books yet and already I'm planning my cheat meals.

ETA thanks Cynthia! Boy, I sure would love to have the DVD's. I'm going to check out the videos, and I'll look at the fish oil, too.

Carol and Cynthia, I'll probably have more questions once I get my books. I'll try not to annoy you -- lol!!

 

[fit44]

Oh yeah, I forgot I have a half of banana with my bedtime yogurt