# Anyone tried Weight Watchers?



## tummyache1 (Sep 2, 2004)

Hi! I was just wondering if anyone had tried Weight Watchers and if it had affected their IBS-D? I'm starting it tonight for weight reasons but was curious if it might help/hurt my IBS-D? Anyone know?


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## ebbie (May 4, 2004)

i'm not sure about how it affects ibs-d, i'm sure with the balance system that they use - you might find some trigger foods or maybe it will be great!keep us posted and good luck on weight loss!


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## bonniei (Jan 25, 2001)

I have tried the frozen Weight Watcher's meals and they are ok for my IBS D. But veggies are with minimal pointts and when I added all kinds of veggies to the Beef stew I made to make it filling,and drank tomato juice - I think 1/2 a glass had zero points, it gave me the big D because I am fructose intolerant. So if you are not fructose intolerant, it is a great plan.


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## knothappy (Jul 31, 1999)

I am trying Weight Watchers and find the fiber is a little too much for me ... all fiber gives me massive D.. and the diet favors veggies!! Also fresh fruit kills me, sometime I can tolerate canned fruit, Iwas rinse off the syrup.


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## tummyache1 (Sep 2, 2004)

It's a lose-lose situation. Stay fat...protect my tummy. Spend 1/2 of my life on the toilet....lose weight.I guess you have to pick your battles. Honestly...I'd rather be thin and have stomach aches.


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## donnawannabe (Sep 4, 2004)

oooh, I don't know. The stomach thing and the Blazin' D is really, really bad stuff. Weight Watchers is soooo flexible - you can eat around your trigger foods. If you eat something that causes you a problem - you'll certainly have a record of it because in WW - if you bite it, you write it! If a food you recorded in your food diary gave you a fit - just flag it to add to your no-no list.I encourage you to do WW. Its an excellent program - balance is in the meals - you are taking back control. and thats a good thing.


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## jezabel_007 (Mar 7, 2004)

My IBS-D has gotten SO MUCH BETTER since I joined Weight Watchers. I joined January 2003 and lost 40 pounds. It's true, the plan is very flexible and you can eat around your trigger foods. Plus it encourages you to eat healthier and eat smaller/ larger portions of certain things.Give it a try. There's some new plan out called the Core Plan and I'm sticking with what I know best, but I haven't heard too much positive feedback about the plan.


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## Guest (Apr 29, 2007)

i was on weight watchers for months, lost weight but back then i didnt realise i had ibs i got told and was tested for dairy and lactose intolerance.im stuck at the moment,


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## 14048 (Mar 1, 2007)

I was doing the core plan on WW when I was diagnosed with IBSd. Stay away from the core plan and do the flex. The basis of the core plan is lots of fresh fruits and veggies and they are my triggers. I do eat the WW frozen meals, Healthy Choice and Lean Cuisine frozen meals. Right now, I need to find enough soluble fiber foods that fit into the WW plan. I know there are others on this site that have lost big with WW and I also know there are members on the WW message boards that have IBS. Now that the calcuim and my meds are keeping me under control, I am going to actively do WW again. Good luck, I am sure you will find you can fit the plan into your routine. GadJett


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

I used the points and my eating what I can to protect my system and yes it is possible.. Because there isn't anything that you can't have as long as you count the points.. I tailored it to my eating plan.. not me to it.. and dropped 80 pounds


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## 15308 (Apr 17, 2007)

I am in total awe of this message board. I have been trying to decide about going onto Weight Watchers and here is a discussion on it. I would have never known (until learning the hard way) about which plan would be better for someone w/IBS. I too want to loose the weight (which is always funny considering I suffer w/IBS shouldn't be overweight)







wow and Prudy loosing 80 lbs gives me hope. how long have you been able to maintain?


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

I had my worst bout of IBS D back in December of 2005... I started watching what I was eating at that time.. At that time.. I wasn't measuring anything.. I was just eating and finding my trigger foods.. which I now avoid.. most of the time.. Around Feb of last year.. I saw that by doing this I was dropping pounds.. by just making those changes.. Then I decided to start measuring everything and doing the point system.. so for well over a year now.. and I still keep to the basic things I can eat.. and just watch how much I eat.. I have been stable for about 6 months now.. just staying where I am at.. I would still like to go down another 50.. but I think I have done really well for myself just at where I am..So I am in no rush..I did forego many foods.. I don't eat red meats.. no cured meats of any kind.. no bacon..sausage etc.. I cut fats to just light margarine and sugar to one tsp with my decaf tea in the morning... I TRY to stay away from sweets.. if I do have something.. it is usually vanilla.. I don't do caffeine.. or chocolate.. soda is just ginger ale.. and Schwepts as this has the least amount of sugar .. I don't do artificial sweetners.. nor do I eat foods with additives or packaged foods.. About the only thing packaged I eat is Italian Wedding Soup.. and pretzels.. or Fat Free Saltines.. I make all my foods fresh or frozen.. I have white meats of turkey, chicken.. pork.. I eat most kinds of fish.. Lots of plain pasta and rice.. potatoes ...seasoned with salt, a little pepper and my light margarine.. all my fruits and veggies are cooked to break down the fiber.. pears once in awhile.. or applesauce bananas I can eat as is no problems. I can only eat certain veggies.. broccoli, carrots, sweet potatoes.. see no lettuces.. tomaotes.. and salad greens of any kind.. they cause me grief.. I don't eat eggs, only milk product I eat is one yogurt daily.. So you see compared to what WW allows my foods are pretty limited compared.. but I did do it and lost on an average of 2-3 lbs a week.. which was as is should be.. nice and slow.. I felt and feel great... better than I have in years.. except for today.. I am having an episode of IBS.. due to some stupid eating I did on Saturday.. now I have to let my system calm down.. See.. I ate a trigger food.. a known trigger.. despite my telling my self not too.. but in a moment of weakness I did.... and now must pay the price of riding the course and letting it calm down and heal.. Do we ever learn??? oh boy...







So best wishes to those wanting to use WW it is the best out there I think..


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## 14048 (Mar 1, 2007)

Sorry to hear that you are having a flare up. It is bad when we eat a trigger food as we know we are going to pay for it. You have done so well and I am going to do more of cooking my own foods instead of doing the frozen WW type meals. They are just more convenient for me right now. You are an inspiration to us all. That is what I love about these boards. Now I need to get back on my treadmill and work out to my Eagles CD. Linda's calcium is wonderful and has made me a different person. Thanks... GadJett


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

Thanks G.. my own fault.. I ate chicken tenders and fries from Wendy's... bad.. bad... bad.. all the way around.. Then I added a donut to it.. bad again.. so now I pay the price... Boy.. are these lessons sure hard to learn.. but never again.. I only planned on eating a few of them... and before I knew it.. all were gone.. and I tried to rationalize that I could do it once in awhile... NOT>>>>>If you plan ahead.. and have a good sized freezer.. you can get those little freezer meal containers and take one day and cook and package meals for a few days ... that is what I do for nights I have to work late and take my supper to work.. I freeze leftovers from Sunday and Monday.. All I have to do at work is nuke them..To be honest... my meal prep doesn't take much time.. I can have a meal ready to eat in 15- 20 minutes ... And that is cooking from scratch.. I walk in the door put the pots of water on to start boiling.. I like to steam scallops or shrimp.. steam my broccoli.. cook my pasta to aldenti... and I am done.. toss with a little light margarine.. dust my pasta with aged Romano Cheese.. toast my Italian bread... and I can eat a good meal.. in no time.. It's plain.. and good..On week ends.. I may roast a chicken or turkey breast or a pork roast.. or make homemade chicken soup.. Week days that I am off work at 4.. I want to eat soon and fast.. I also...prepare turkey burgers and freeze the patties.. I can and do eat French Fries baked in the oven.. so when I feel like burger and fries.. it's all ready to go from freezer to oven ... I may nuke the burger a little to start to thaw so they cook quicker in the oven..another 20 min or less meal..


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## 19327 (Oct 15, 2005)

I was on W.W., and a few months after I started I developed I.B.S. I never had this before I joined, I can't blame the program, but I have a feeling it had something to do with it. They tell you to "eat whatever you want" in limitation, so basically all I was eating was small portions of bad foods, which is my fault, but I thought wow! I can eat anything I want and lose weight. Shortly after I lost some weight I got severe bloating/constipation. Now it's 3 years later and I am suffering, but now it's chronic, back then, it would happen once a month or so.


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## 14048 (Mar 1, 2007)

Thanks Prudy, those are some good ideas. Tonight I cooked a big salmon filet and that is enough for about three meals. When you do your french fries, do you make them fresh or buy them frozen? I have been wanting to find some sweet potato fries but not in my small town. Basically, I just nuke the sweet potatoes or regular potatoes. I also have a turkey breast already roasted and will freeze it in serving sizes. I always have turkey burgers frozen and ready, they are my favorite. I would love to have a salad again but I am not ready to try it yet. I gave up essentially everything that you did and the only thing is miss is the salad. Activa yogurt is the only dairy I eat and I eat them twice a day. Thanks for the suggestions. GadJett


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## Prudy (Jan 21, 2006)

I so my FF both ways.. fresh.. and I also use frozen.. I have seen the Sweet Potato Fries.. both with regular frozen foods.. and also with the organic foods.. I haven't tried them yet.. cause I don't know if they have the skin on them.. if so... I can do them... skin kills me.. You and me both on miss salads... especially now with the growing season coming up.. fresh everything to make them.. Or just to make a tomato salad with olive oil and seasoning.. and dip chunks of Italian bread into it.. I know I can never do that again.. only by some miracle that this IBS is removed from me... will that ever happen.. Esp since this little episode this week... I am still not up to par from my bad decisions... It never fails.. I will think long and hard before I submit to my urges like that again.. too high a price to pay..


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