Hi Tay!  I don't post much in this group, but I do read it quite often.  
It's very inspirational to read about people's successes, and even more
inspirational to read about people's failures and how they just get up,
dust themselves off and keep on dieting even after a setback.  

245 is a lot to have to lose.  I have seen people lose that much with
ww, and, like you guessed, it took about 2 years.  I think it would be
easier to set yourself a smaller goal - say 10lbs.  Then celebrate that
loss as a success.  Then you can set another 10lb goal, etc.  

You seem to think that WW might be too slow for you, but what's the
worse that can happen if you give it a chance and follow through with
it?  Maybe you'll lose 20 lbs and then give up.  You'll still be 20lbs
lighter (and healthier) than you were before you started.  That's better
than where you are at now.  

As far as your DH goes, I wouldn't be nagging him about getting better
food in the house, etc.  Just buy it.  Put it in the fridge.  He can eat
it if he wants, or he can eat unhealthy stuff if he wants.  His body is
his body and your body is your body.  Neither one of you is responsible
for what goes in the mouth of the other.  You are only responsible for
what goes in YOUR mouth.  You will probably find it easier to lose
weight if you only have to worry about what *you* eat.  Maybe you could
suggest to him that he either eats healthy food with you or (his
choice), prepares other, less healthy, food for himself.  For me, just
touching the butter container is like reaching for kryptonite!  I can't
go near that thing, even to prepare food for others, without wanting it
for myself.

Anyway, welcome to the group and good luck!  I'm off to purchase some
new, accurate scales today, so I will at least know what I really weigh.

eggs.

Hi Tayra,

Welcome to the group. You have come to the right place for support. WW can
handle any amount of weight. You just have to be patient. After the first
few weeks your weight loss should average bwt .5 and 2 pounds per week. A
lot of your initial loss is water and not fat but it is a great start no
matter what.

There are a few in this group that have lost 100+ pounds. A couple have lost
200+. I've lost roughly 70 in almost 2 years. I have another 25-30 to go.
With 245 pounds to lose, it could take you 2 or 3 years depending on how
fast you lose. I lose slowly but I also know that losing the weight too fast
means that I could gain it back again. Learning new eating habits takes time
and so does losing weight. Being impatient can result in getting frustrated
and quiting. I'm in it for the long haul and hopefully so will you.

As for your goal, work on your first 10% and then on 5 pound increments
until you find the right weight for your height and age group. You get a
bookmark at 5 pounds, a magnet at 50 plus 5 pound stars for your bookmark
with each additional 5 pounds. Look in the Welcome booklet that you got at
your first meeting. Page 7 contains the WW weight ranges by height.

Plan your menus and food shopping list so that you don't have to nag your
husband. Get lots of fruits, veggies, lean meat and chicken to get you
started. I buy my own food for my breakfasts and lunches. He does dinner but
he has learned to include skinless chicken breasts, lean hamburger, lots of
steamed veggies and to practise portion control when serving my plate. I
bought a ww food scale and the WW measuring serving spoons. He knows to only
give me 1/2c of rice for example. They are trainable <g>. Enlist his support
in this effort of yours. He'll be happy to have you healthy again. He might
benefit from eating healthier too.

I understand how you feel.  I needed to lose just over half my body weight
when I started a year ago (Started March 15, 2004).  So far I have lost 70#.
and at times it has felt like I would NEVER get into smaller clothes, but it
did happen.  and I still eat Pizza.  as a matter of fact Pizza hut has a
light pizza that isn't to bad.  What is great about WW is you can still eat
"real" food.  you don't have to live on WW TV Dinners.  once your house is
stocked with foods that fit you lifestyle you will find it is lot easier for
the rest of your family to get along with it.  and after you start losing
your husband will be begging to take you to the meetings.  Trust me!  I was
worried about the cost of new clothes as I lose and one day my husband saw
me wearing jeans and the next day he came home with three new pairs of Jeans
for me cause he said I looked so hot.  and he keeps buying me diet soda and
WW Ice cream.

Hi Tayra:

I am new here to.  I have 187 lbs to loose and I can only do it one pound at
a time.  I know that the program will work if I work it.  I to have been
over weight all my life and have tried all kinds of diets.  I know that if I
want to live I have to do this for myself and no one else.  I need to keep
positive and I need to tell my self when having a negative thought "That is
not true and say a true thought to myself".  It seems to help me.

Lorna

Hi and welcome!
It doesn't matter how long it takes, as long as it comes off. I can only
agree with your leader. It took me 2,5 years to lose 100 pounds, so what ?
They 're gone :-) At least I didn't lose too much too quickly, it 's
unfortunately easy to regain just as fast. And in those 2,5 years my eating
habits have changed, I do not worry or nag about healthy food, it is part of
my life. Don't forget this is not a real diet but a change of your way of
living and way of eating. When' you' re at goal you 'll have to continue
eating healthy food in normal portions. I know I 'm at it forever.
I wish you hte best of luck!

Why is that too much?  Here over this side, in Ireland, a lad lost
294lbs/21 stone following WW.  He still weighs 224lbs/16 stone, but as
he's 6'5" tall, he looks fantastic.  He was in the magazine recently.

You need to get your head round the idea that this isn't a diet.  It's a
way of eating healthily for the rest of your life.  Once you are on the
plan, you need to stay with it.  If you don't, the weight piles back on,
which isn't surprising, as those old bad habits are what got you this
way to start with.

I got round it by cooking the same food for EVERYONE in the house!
Hubby and son (aged 10) both eat stuff cooked with WW recipes.  This
suits my 10 YO as he's a large lad, eating adult portions, and he loves
vegetables, salads, chunks of lean meat - and occasional treats like
bags of chips, blueberry muffins and slabs of Cadbury's chocolate!  But
they ARE treats - as they should be.  It suits DH too, as he's an
insulin dependent diabetic who'd much rather eat home cooked food than
glop out of a packet!

If you have time, get some WW  cookbooks and plan weekly menues using
their recipes.  Don't tell your hubby this is WW - just tell him it's an
experiment!  Or a new recipe...  If he wants snacks, get things he likes
but you aren't keen on, and make sure there is plenty of fresh fruit and
vegetables for you to pick at.  Veggies and salsa dips are low point
things that are great for nibbly moments.  I always do plates of things
like this when we have friends in, and the veggies and dips go faster
than the chips and sweet stuff!

Break it down into smaller lots, too.  Aim for the first 10 or 20
gone...  Then the next... and the next...  Time isn't an issue.  After
all, if you don't lose it all by 2008, they aren't going to chop a leg
off, are they?  ;)  You have already taken a very big step in the right
direction, but if you go on thinking 'this is too long, I can't do this
forever', you are setting yourself a goal of failure.  You CAN do it:
and how long it takes doesn't matter.  Every pound off is a pound healthier.

And get rid of those smaller clothes!  By the time you CAN get into
them, you won't want to!  They'll be out of date and won't suit your new
tastes...  The only thing I have kept that I grew out of on the way up
to my top weight is my wedding dress.  I'm aiming to be back in that for
my Silver Wedding in 2006.  You may also be a totally different shape -
especially if kids have happened in the meantime!  Though the clothes
may be your 'size', they may no longer fit the way they did, won't hang
the same way, and anyway making or buying new ones as you slim down is
an important right of passage as you lose.

Yes it is: it's an affirmation that it works.  Look at the small folk in
your meeting: that's how they got small - slowly!  :)

I have taken two and a half years to lose 50 lbs.  Losing slowly hasn't
stopped me!  OK, so I have been ill, and exercise can be a problem due
to Fibromyalgia, but slow is good.  Weight that comes off at an AVERAGE
of 1-2 lbs a week is much more likely to STAY off than if you drop
rapidly.  AVERAGE means that you lose more rapidly to start with, it
slows up a lot towards the end (the last 10 lbs are always more
difficult to lose than the first!), and there are lumps, bumps, gains,
and losses larger than average along the way.

As for the meetings...  You don't stop going when you get to goal!  The
most successful losers and those who STAY within goal range are those
who keep going to the meetings - for life!  There are wonderfully slim
fit ladies at my meeting who have been coming for 10 or more years, and
who have been at goal for six or more of those years...  What stops them
going back to the bad old habits?  Coming to meetings every week.

Stop being a speed merchant and you will do fine!  ;) Impatience is fine
in some areas, but this is one where slow and steady wins waaaaay more
often!  Welcome to one of the most supportive and encouraging groups on
the net.  And I bet you are still with us, saying all these things to
new folks 10 years from now!  :D

Relax - you can do it.  And have some ((((((CYBERHUGS)))))) to help you
on the way.  Nice thing about them is they go all round no matter how
big you are!  Then they shrink to fit as you do!  You are doing a brave
thing telling us all you have in your posts, but it is very useful for
us to understand the extent of the problem and to tailor our responses
to your needs.  It sounds like educating that hubby of yours is going to
take some sneaky shopping and a bunch of stealth tactics, as well as a
Healthy Options Fuss Creation Scheme in the local grocery stores!

Hi Tayra and welcome to the group.  It may seem like a long road ahead of
you, but you're doing a great job of breaking it down into manageable
chunks.  I only had 40lbs to lose, but it took me about a year and a half to
do it.  I'm still at goal a year and a half later though, so it must have
stuck :)

It *will* get easier.  For me now it's jsut the way I live my life.  The
thought of cake and coke for afternoon tea now makes me a little sick, and I
get twitchy without my daily fruit.  You will start noticing that you just
feel better when you eat well, so you'll want to keep doing it - regardless
of the weight loss.

Anyway, I look forward to hearing about your progress.  Here's our
"official" welcome notice to get you started in the group.

Welcome to this great newsgroup where you'll receive lots of support,
advice, and encouragement. Once a week on Sundays, I post a list of links
that newcomers to asdww might find useful. You may want to look for that
later in the week, or do a backwards search for last Sunday's post.

In the meantime, here's our FAQ:
http://www.didian.com/asdww/
our welcome notice:
http://www.geocities.com/welcomenotice/index.html

Frequently seen acronyms on this NG:
NSV = Non-Scale Victory
WOE = Way of Eating
WOL = Way of Life (Living)
OP = on Points or On Program
DH = Dear or Darling Husband
DS/DD/DGD/etc = Dear or Darling Son, Daughter, Granddaughter, etc
WI = Weigh-in

Amberle3's Challenges:

Totally Groovy exercise challenge:
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/travelgirl/tg.htm

Choose to Lose weight loss challenge:
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/travelgirl/ctl.htm

Weight Loss Challenge Summary:
http://www.angelfire.com/me4/travelgirl/summary.htm

Other acronyms:
http://www.wwlissa.com/dwlz100+/100+acronyms.htm

Here's a short synopsis of the USA Flexpoints program by Joyce -

How many points you can eat is only based on your current weight, as you
lose weight those points allowed will decrease (logic is that your body will
need less to operate).   At 183 pounds and based on the new US flexpoints
system, you will have a set point target of 24.  In addition to this you are
allowed 35 flexpoints to be used throughout the week ... as well as any
activity points you earn on a particular day.  When your weight drops to
175, your target drops to 22 points ... weight reaches 150, target once
again drop to 20 points.  3 servings of dairy of recommended per day, 5
servings of fruit and veggies, minimum of 6 glasses of water.

The basic plan is easy.  Eat at least your minimum daily number of points.
Points do not carry over from day to day.  You are allotted 35 weekly
flexpoints to be used at your discretion ... can divide them up and use
daily (would be an additional 5 points per day) or save them and use them
for a special occassion during the week.  Activity points are earned based
when exercising, but can ONLY be used on the day they are earned.

Joyce
WW starting weight: 228.8 - 2/5/02
current weight:  133.3
Lifetime: 4/4/03

And here's an explanation of Core/No-count by Laura -

It is a great plan. You DO however need to make sure that you are eating at
your normal Flex plan target number of points. This can be difficult for
some and you WILL stop losing.

Here is the summary of the plan: http://ahwww.home.comcast.net/summary.htm
Here is the detail list of foods:
http://ahwww.home.comcast.net/wwcoreplan.htm

Basic rules:
1. Eat as much of the core foods as you need to feel "satisfied" (not full).
2. If you want to eat foods that are not on the core foods list use you 35
weekly points allowance (WPA).
Note: use these points on healthy foods and not junk.
3. Activity points are used to supplement the 35 WPA for Non-core food items
only. They must be used on the day they are earned.
Note: most people find that they will increase the amount of core foods
because they are hungrier due to exercising.
4. 2 teaspoons of heathy oil daily is required.

~Laura

Please note that if you live in onther countries (UK, Australia, NZ,
Europe), the Points plans are different.  The UK and Australia/NZ calculate
points based on saturated fat and total kilojoules.  Most of Europe
calculates based on total fat and total kilojoules.  The desktop calculator
above can handle all of these programs.

Disclaimer: As an unmoderated Usenet newsgroup, asdww is unusual in that
most of the people who participate are respectful, considerate folks who
freely share their experience with and knowledge of WW, weight loss, and
maintenance. Yet occasionally, spammers, trolls, and flamers show up to post
advertising, false information, insults, and the like. Nearly all of the
time, people like this are just trying to yank someone's chain. Most of the
regulars on this newsgroup offer their experience as a suggestion to try if
you're stuck, but are quick to advise that each person has to find what
works for him/herself. If someone posts something that doesn't sound right
to you, ask the newsgroup, ask your WW leader, or ask your health
professional.

Much success on your weight loss journey! WW works!

The biggest issue any of us have to deal with starts in our own minds.
Negative thinking and negative talk are your worst enemies. Nobody can
tell you that you will lose all your weight in 6 months, or a year, or
even two years. Nobody can tell you that it will stay gone for good.
The only thing we can tell you is that if you follow the program you
will lose weight and if you stick to the program it will stay off. We
all hit roadblocks. The trick is to get past them and move on. Don't
dwell on mistakes. It would be a help if your husband was with you -
but since he doesn't seem to be you're going to have to find a way to
not let him get to you. Dominos and frozen dinners are always easier
and faster than planning and making good choices - but nobody said
this would be easy.

You'll get lots of support here and there are many folk who have been
exactly where you are now and have made the transition to a healthier
lifestyle.

Good Luck!!

Lynne
Highest Weight - 308
WW Start Weight this time around Dec 29/04 - 222.4
Weight this week - 210.6 Goal - 150 (Subject to change)
"Change doesn't happen while you're sitting around."

Tay
I was the same.  I was overweight as a child.  I went to WW for the first
time when I was around 12.  It was a killer for me.  I've always had a hard
time admitting that i'm fat.  I always lived like I wasn't.  I look in the
mirror and I don't see myself as big as I am, but don't ever take a picture
of me.  That's the killer that is where I see what everyone else sees.  I
didn't admit I was fat until a few years ago I had to go to a specialist for
some testing.  His letter came back indicating that my problem wasn't what I
thought and that my problem was that I was OBESE.  Oh my....  that was the
scariest word of my life.  I knew I was overweight and fat, but Obese
brought it to a whole new level and put me in a great depression.  It took
me some time to learn to deal with that.

I started WW 4 1/2 weeks ago at 303.6 pounds, and i've lots 6.4 pounds.  I
joined mostly for health reasons than to lose weight.  I know I will lose as
long as I stick to it.  I joined because I'm 33 years old and I want to live
past 40.  I want the pain in my ankles, knees, hips and back to stop.  I'm
scared of having a heart attack.  I don't want to know what that feels like.
I'm scared of becoming diabetic....  I don't want to have to shoot insulin
into my body to survive.  This took me a long time to understand these are
the reasons that I want and need to lose weight.  It took me a long time to
get the nerve to join.  I was scared I was going to go in and be the biggest
person there.  And in my group...  I am the biggest person there....  but
its ok, because we are all there for the same thing.  Too me its no longer
about having the tight a.s and great body.  I spent too much of my life
wasted looking for that.... and having unrealistic dreams.  Joining gyms and
quitting, join diet programs and quitting.  I know this is going to take a
long time.  I still haven't decided what I want for a final goal.  I have
set a lot of goals to happen in this journey.  First I lost enough to go
under 300 lbs.  That was an incredible feeling for me.  It only took a few
pounds to do it.  But it was the best few pounds I've ever lost.  I lost my
first 5 lbs!!!  Woohoo....  My new goal is for 10.  I hope I can do this
forever.  I hope I will always believe in myself enough to keep going.  I
have also given myself the goal of going to WW for at least 3 months.  I
can't quit before that.  1 month is done and I'm still going strong.

I'm glad you've come into this group, your emails sound like you need the
support.  I wish your husband would support you more.  My guy is happy with
whatever I feed him, he knows he needs to lose a few pounds too.  So if I
cook a nice meal with chicken and baked potatoes he thinks that's great.  He
puts butter on his potato I put sour cream.  I think the part I like is that
I know I can put butter on it if I want.  I just like the sour cream
better....  We both still have take out....  just a lot less.  It used to be
3-4 nights a week.  Now its down to pretty much 1 unless we are in a rush
then I usually will get a wrap from Subway.  But I've still had pizza and
burgers.  It's ok.  Just don't over do it.  Use it as a treat (i'm still
working on that one)...  Fast food was my easy way of life.  I'm not forcing
my DH to eat anything healthy, that's his choice, but I'm trying to make him
more concious of what he eats.  Maybe you can find a buddy to go to meetings
with.  If not that's fine the important thing is that you are going.  Be
there for yourself and make yourself number one.  If your man doesn't like
what you are making for dinner then he can make his own...  right?  If he is
making dinner for you then he needs to understand that you need more care
and thought put into the meal.  Years ago when I was going to WW I would go
shopping and come home and weigh all the meat and freeze it in the size that
I needed.  I would chop all my carrots and celery right away.  I would
prepare ahead of time to make it easier.

Well I just noticed how long this post is.  I'm really sorry for rambling.
I hope there is something in there that can help you.  Please feel free to
email me off the list if you want.

Theresa

303.6/297.2/293.6

I started with nearly 100 pounds to lose and quite frankly I didn't
think I would do it. If I lost a stone I would have been pleased. But
three years later I'm around my target.

You can probably lose a bit faster than I did:)

At first you could lose quite rapidly, and you'll probably find huge
improvements quite quickly, but so long as the weight is going down
thats all that is important. How long it takes isn't.

losing 245 at 2 pounds a week may sound like a long time, but at that
rate you'll have lost 100 pounds this time next year. If you don't do
WW you'll have lost 0 this time next year.

Take pictures of yourself now and every month or so, and keep some big
clothes too

Your concern about paying WW is very reasonable. Why not keep going
for a few weeks till you know how it works, then "do it yourself" for
a while, following the guidelines you've learned and using this group
for support. If things start going wrong you can always go back for
more help. There are lots of people who do it this way.

Ray

Hey Group this is Donna, I am at a friend's house so its  going to say
my friends name Sara instead of me......
      Tay , I know it's hard when you have to struggle with DH about
food situations........you can eat anything you want on WW, just count
your points.....if you know he's gona want pizza for supper, just count
the points, and you can eat with him......I started Feb 10th , I weighed
in at 350 pounds, Ihave lost 20pounds & inches........I love this WW
plan........About the eating with your husband if you can fix meals
before he comes in from work.......fix meals that would be good for both
of you and he likes but is low point wise...........or eat light point
wise and save your big amount of points to eat with him even if its
something you normally wouldnt eat to save points.  I hope Ihave helped
some......your in my prayers....Donna

''greater love than this when a man lay's down his life for a friend !''

the point here is it doesn't matter how long, I am on week 131 and as long
as I don't have a permanent gain I am fine paying WW for the rest of my
life, it would be a small price to keep off what I have off so far, Lee,
wishing you the best of luck