Weight Watcher's has designated fructose as a "Core Food" so those on the Core plan don't have to count points for it. There are no set limits, so technical one could eat fairly large amounts of the stuff. Additionally, fructose has been given a lower POINTS value than sugar, even though it contains more calories per serving. Interesting.

I understand that the old school of thought was that fructose was a good sweetener for diabetics since it didn't impact blood sugar as much as regular sucrose. However, more current research seems to suggest that fructose is metabolized in such a way that it may be contributing to the insulin resistance epidemic.

Is this an evil plot by WW to keep dieters forever fat lifetime members?

I can't help but notice the stats of the thousands of members on the WW message board. Most have been there for years, yet show only a few pounds lost in that time. Is this an accurate reflection of the relative success/failure of the WW diet?

Just curious, since I'm trying to find the perfect diet for me. Obviously, I want one that works over the long haul.

Thoughts? Opinions? Facts?

Personally, i'm an atkins girl. But i do know that in working in healthcare...i've found that quite a few of my "older" female patients...those women being over the age of 65...have been on weight watchers their entire life..much like those of us who have adopted lowcarb as our way of life...and they love it and they like the plan and how they feel on it and they like the portion sizes etc. I guess what it truly comes down to is that each person is different and that each plan is going to affect each of us differently..there isn't one plan that is going to work the same for all of us.

That's funny, but sad! I think you are right that if people regard it as a "free" food, one that doesn't add significantly to their intake they will be in trouble.

I think we also have to remember that there is a difference between fructose, and high fructose corn syrup.

Well, Absinthe62 - before you go on the "judging" bandwagon, remember, tehre are lots of US who have been lc'ing for years, and are up and down as well....weight watchers works for some, just as low carb works for others. It depends on each individual what they prefer, what they can live their lives with, and how they choose to work their plan.

Not sure how you came to the conclusion I was "judging" but thanks for NOT answering any of the posted questions. Have a lovely day.

I'm not exactly sure what the higher ups at WW think, but I do know that people who follow the plan tend to think only that plan will work. They can be very die-hard about it.

I think the "free food" aspect of WW is very decieving for those on the plan. I've seen friends gorge on free food and wonder why they aren't losing.

Considering WW has a large product line, maybe they do want people on it for life to keep up revenue. Who knows?

I know the Atkins products, though a nice once and awhile indulgence, tends to stall out low carbers...

Maybe all weight loss companies with a product line, in the end, kinda wanna keep you hooked...

IMO - accurate reflection of dietary success almost always lies with the dieter, not the plan. Reasonable approaches to weight loss (and even a few flaky ones) work, with short-term dedication and long-term committment. Many eating LC bounce around for eons with little to show for it, too. Are those stats an indication that LC doesn't work, or that we're not always working LC?

If there's anything sinister about WW's Core Plan - besides the profit motive - it may be that they're catering to people who want to diet without actually giving up anything. However, the same can be said for those overindulging in LC products. "Six of one, half dozen of the other" as my mother would say.

if i remember correctly, based on how my grandmother handled her diet (she was one of, if not THE, oldest living insulin-dependent diabetics in the world. she died at 92 with all of her limbs still intact), fructose had to be counted just as all sugars did. just because it came from fruit didn't mean it was a freebie.





my stepsister swore by weight watchers when she would balloon up after each of her kids, and she always lost the weight and was able to keep it off, or at least the last time i saw her, she had kept it off. i failed miserably on the points system because i found i was shorting myself points (if i was allowed 30 points, i'd try to only eat 20) and feeling deprived and hungry all day... even when i'd go nuts on the "free" salad foods. i've seen people on weight watchers before that say "oh i've been on this for YEARS!", and i just want to ask "um... is it working?" i'm not trying to be mean or anything, but they just never really looked GOOD to me.

I agree with the thought that not every plan is for every person. Some people have great success with Weight Watchers and of course they believe it to be best. Just as some people have great success with LC and feel it is the best.
I don't knock another person's plan even if it one that I don't do well with.
I have noticed the stats on most diet boards are pretty consistant. Some good, a lot not so good and most over a long period of time.
I would have to look into the fructose question as I am not sure what the Core Plan consists of.

Absinthe62... I hope you find the best plan for you and that it works. Good luck!

Thanks for all the great responses.

I recently joined WW online and am struggling with some of the theory behind the Core program. It's "almost" a great plan for me, but for a few niggling details.

First, I don't agree with their whole fat-free mindset. There is no good reason to eat fat-free cheese, fat-free margarine, fat-free sour cream, etc. It barely qualifies as food.

Another concern was the fructose thing. WW claims to be up on all the latest science, yet they recommend this as a sweetener. The fact that it is a Core food, and the fact that they have given it a reduced points value says something.

Granted, I don't have to eat the things I don't agree with, but there are cult-like members who don't think twice about what they eat. If it's a "free" food, they eat with abandon thinking WW knows what is right.

I won't even discuss the "points" plan since it is pure starvation. I think I can tweak Core into something livable, but then it's not really WW anymore is it?

Yes, I do indeed think waaaaay too much.

High fructose corn syrup is the real evil! Fructose is not nearly as bad as high fructose corn syrup, although in the end it is still just a sweetener with no real benefits nutritionally.

Well, to me it sounds like they want you to lose some weight and that makes you think "Oh, it's working." then you just stall out, you may lose a slight amount of weight...I don't get it. Well, actually, yes I do. I think it is the whole mindset that there is "no money in the cure." idea. That is just my thought.

I baby sat for someone on WW, and I was looking at the menu and I was like "This doesn't even seem like food." That was before I started low carbing. It wasn't working for her I don't think, at least, not that I could see.

I saw her a year later at a party, she looked no different *I don't know if she was still on WW.* But she asked "What the hell did you do? You look fantastic." So I told her. Who knows if she took my word for it or looked into it, she would be much happier I think, if she did.

I don't know...I know how fruit sugar affects me, it's just like any sugar.

I guess I don't understand why that matters. If you're doing this online - not even directly interacting with "cult-like members" - why not just concentrate on your own eating style within WW's guidelines, if the WW designation is important to you? Of course, a higher carb diet needs to be balanced with low-fat eating in order to lose weight, which WW (and for that matter, South Beach) understands.

Regarding fructose: Not everyone agrees moderate amounts of sugar are bad for you, so it makes sense they'd allow some form of it for whatever reason. On the flip side, most LCers are anti-sugar, but not everyone agrees on the merits of soy, Splenda, even vegetables. Which just goes to show there's room for personal opinion and choice in most every plan. I hope you find your groove with one of the many options out there.

Hmmm, maybe this would be a question for WW? They are likely to have an email address on their website. It would be interesting to hear their theories behind this.

L

I would imagienthat everyone is aware that WW is a low fat (almost no fat) diet! If you start tweaking it, it won't be a WW anymore, more like SB diet, and requires different approach.


But this is what WW all about, again, why bother to pay for something that does not make sense to you


Fructose has a very low GI, about 30 or something, and is promoted by other diets, like Montignac plan. It is kown not to trigger insulin reposnse like sucrose does, but it is still sugar. I think as a sweetener it works differently than HFCS but I won't use it as a free food. They porbably cell some goodies made with fructose, hence they are promoting it. I think it's hard to overeat fructose, since it has tendency to make you feel sick to your stomach, even too much fresh fruit does. But our liver looooves fructose, so beware!


I know lady who does WW, she lost 8 pounds in 2 months, and cliams not to be deprived or hungry, and she likes it. So, I asked her what she had for BF, and here it goes: FF whole wheat tortilla, egg white omelet made with oil spray, a slice of FF cheese and tomatoe salsa, and a FF muffin. I am not sure if this constitutes as starvation, but it's waaaay too much carbs for me.
We also have WW station in our caffeteria, and I decided to try once since the entree was suitalbe for LC diet too. I got grilled hallibut with avocado/tomatoe salsa on a bed of spinach. The portion of fish was tiny, I think less than 3 ounces, a spoonfull of salsa and a cup of raw spiach. It was tasty but I was hungry in no time, the spinach was not even dressed.
Whatever works for ppl, some just blindly follow dietary and medical advice, while others (myself including) question everything. I don't think eating no fat is good for anyone. This is the reason I never even thought of joining WW or trying Jenny Craig or Nutrisystem.