Weight Watchers, that is. I realize that the high point of my attending meetings is getting on the scale and getting my little star sticker or whatever. I’m about 6 lbs away from my 10% goal AT WW (I already reached my at-home 10% and more) and for that I will get … a key ring!! OH BOY!!
The little “class” part of the meeting is not particularly inspiring me. I feel like I can get 100% better tips and ideas just by reading the blogs on my blogroll, and following people on Twitter. (my Tweet people are GREAT at inspiring!) And I’m feeling like probably 70% of the people at WW are SO not into it, are just coming back week after week because they don’t know what else to do. The level of conversation at these meetings feels like it is so dumbed-down that it’s frustrating.
I’m not counting points anymore. If anything, I’m counting carbs and watching my blood glucose meter, and I’m still losing weight. So that’s not particularly useful for me right now either.
Even at the discounted rate, it’s $9/week. Couldn’t I find something better to do with $36/month? I think so. Like – how about some new clothes?? 🙂
I’ll probably go to the meeting tomorrow (why? Because I’m anticipating reaching my 10-lb mark there and I want my sticker, dammit!). 🙂 But then I’m going to seriously consider stopping.
I’ve joined WW many times in the past before. And I’ve quit many times, too – because I’ve gained weight, given up and thrown in the towel. That isn’t what this is about this time – I’m not giving up on losing weight or my health in any way – I’m maybe giving up on something that I’m not sure has anything to offer me anymore.
Just thinkin’ on it right now.
foodfoodbodybody 
April 10, 2009 at 12:56 pm
have you looked at just keeping the online etools. I think it is like 16.95 per month.
If you are comfortable with quitting then maybe it isnt quitting. Maybe it is “you have to do what is best for you, what is working for you!”
Stay strong whatever your decision! You will have my support and encouragement because we are all in this together!!
❤ Jen
April 10, 2009 at 1:15 pm
Yeah, the online eTools are good, but I think the ones at Sparkpeople or Fitbody are just as good (and free!). So… I dunno.
April 11, 2009 at 12:37 pm
I hate meetings, but love e-tools. I find them different from some of the free tools that are out there, but that’s partly because I prefer counting points to counting calories, and I love WW’s recipe database and being able to “save favorites.” In fact, I feel really weird and vulnerable without those tools right now, but as long as I continue to maintain/gain as I’m supposed to while pregnant I won’t worry. 🙂
But I also agree that I prefer the online community–Twitter, blogs and elsewhere to anything I would get at a f2f meeting. Unless of course we all did a big huge WWtweetup at some point! Ha!
One of the things that @lolitaverny mentioned also was that etools is going to get a facelift in its community tools. I would love it if we could have a @wwtweets group within WW–I think Twitter is awesome, but for things like recipe swaps etc. a board would be fabulous.
April 10, 2009 at 2:02 pm
I know I might be hated for what I say but I agree with you on all the points you mentioned. I joined WW and latest about 3 weeks. I just felt that the meeting weren’t that informative and they gave out information that I already knew. For me too counting points led to a weight gain because of all the carbs I consumed. I know that it was too much but I needed them to get my points in, so I gained every week. I realize that I am carb sensitive and if I watch my carbs and exercise, I will lose weight. I can weigh myself at home so why not just do that and save , for me $12/week. I get all my accountability from you guys that set me straight and are what I have experience so much more supportive than the gals at WW. What it boils down to is what works for us. Thanks for bringing up that point and I am glad that I am not the only one that feels that way… Your awesome 🙂
April 10, 2009 at 5:09 pm
I’ve quit WW a few times and have finally realized it’s just not for me. I don’t think there’s any harm in quitting b/c you can always join again if you discover it wasn’t the right choice.
OTOH, if you want to stick with it, can you try a different meeting with a different leader? In my experience the leaders are very different.
April 10, 2009 at 9:19 pm
I say go buy those clothes, Snuz! Sounds like WW is enough already for now.
Wendy
April 11, 2009 at 3:13 pm
Interesting. I was hoping you’d do a post about WW as I have been considering joining. I know a lot of people who have had success, but I’m so not into meetings and all of that stuff.
April 11, 2009 at 4:54 pm
Annie, don’t take my experience as a reason not to join or at least check it out for a while. I think that WW can be really great for people who are just starting out on a weight loss journey – they are great at “reality checking” and accountability, and have tons of really good tips, recipes etc. It can be especially good if you have a wonderful leader. I have not found one this time around that really inspires me. But the online tools ARE really helpful and I wouldn’t rule it out at all. Did you have specific questions about WW that you wanted me to address, because I’d be happy to.
April 13, 2009 at 11:39 pm
I joined and quit WW so many times over the years. I finally quit for good when I found Sparkpeople. For some reason, for me, counting calories was a bit revolutionary after counting points for so many years. I’ve fallen off the Sparkpeople wagon for the moment, but I will go back, but I will never ever go back to WW. It doesn’t make sense to me to pay weekly for what I can get for free from Sparkpeople. I was getting nothing out of the meetings because it had all been said before and I was just going through the motions. It was time for something new, for me.