As a lifetime Weight Watcher member I am entitled to attend meetings without paying as long as I stay no more than 2 pounds over my goal weight. It never ceases to amaze me how that number can sneak up on me in what seems like overnight, though, actually, it was January 30th and I hadn’t “weighed in” since before Christmas. The rules state that lifetime members need to weigh in once per month, on the first meeting of the month they attend. After that they can come to a weekly meeting and weigh in only if they feel like it, collect the handouts, participate, etc., and not be required to step on the scale until the following month. I weighed in on January 31st for the month of January. Hmm.
So to members who have said to me they love the program I say God bless them. To those who are struggling I say go back to what you were doing before. Food didn’t change molecularly because Weight Watchers gave it a new point value.
I had good intentions, and even though I made sure to exercise and save my splurges strategically over the holidays I think the trip to Montreal did me in. The unexpected snowfall made it close to impossible to do the walking I’d intended while we were there, and Montreal smoked meat, croissants, great meals and desserts and even the anniversary tequila shots were hard to resist. So there was no surprise when I stepped on my bathroom scale and realized a trip to Weight Watchers was going to cost me money. I diligently went back to my old standards – the vegetable soup for lunch, hard-boiled egg for breakfast, salads for dinner – until I was once again below goal (or under the wire) and could weigh in without my credit card. It’s only $15, but it’s the principle of the thing.
Truth be told, I’d like to weigh less than my goal weight, and I should be more motivated but this time of year I really just want to get back under the blankets with a snack and binge watch TV. I was hoping the “NEW IMPROVED” Weight Watchers program was going to jump-start my new year, but my analytical mind called bullshit early on. Weight Watchers changed the points allocations of a bunch of foods, increased the allowed points a person can have per day, and took away “Activity Points”, or extra points members could put toward food as a reward for exercise. The theory is that processed foods aren’t good for you, so they’ve been allocated extra points to try to dissuade us from eating them. Lean protein is better, so its points declined. I’m ok with that. And they feel we should all be exercising anyway, so, what? We shouldn’t be rewarded for doing what’s good for us? I don’t know about everybody else but I like rewards. So in taking a closer look I realized that nothing really has changed but an artificial allocation and a perceived mindset. Oprah is laughing all the way to the bank (now that she own 10% of WW’s shares).
The discussions in the meetings are sometimes comical. Those who don’t like the new program have called Oprah some interesting names, as though she did the research and revamped the program herself. People who are following the program are losing weight, just like they did before the program morphed. Are they losing at a faster rate? And are they less satisfied than they were before, when their processed “snacks” had fewer points? When a person has a significant amount of weight to lose their lifelines are crucial. Sometimes the only way someone is going to get through the week is knowing they can have a light ice cream sandwich after dinner and maybe some pretzels as a snack. They might look forward to it all day. The point count on both of those went up. Perhaps 4 ounces of turkey (at a quarter of the points of the ice cream) is not really gonna do it. So perhaps losing slower but being more satisfied over the long haul is a better option. Each member has to decide that for themselves; it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
So to members who have said to me they love the program I say God bless them. To those who are struggling I say go back to what you were doing before. Food didn’t change molecularly because Weight Watchers gave it a new point value. If it was working don’t fix it. And the bottom line is still that the successful Weight Watchers members go to meetings and are held accountable for their choices. It IS really all about, as our leader Maggie always says, “The Magic Chairs”.
I really need to get my butt into them more than once a month.
Your fellow attendees are lucky to have you and your clarion call of Reason. And I really like Maggie’s “Magic Chair” concept, which you have also cited in prior posts. Application is everything. Everything. Showing up is the beginning. We all have a Magic Chair. (Sitting down in the chair and facing a blank computer screen when beginning a new novel…)