I really want to do WW, but I didn't know until today that people with Eating Disorders shouldn't be members of WW. I don't know that I have ever received an official ED diagnosis so I guess it is OK for me to be a member of WW. I have binged before in my life and I think I purged maybe three times in 35 years, which was over 2 1/2 to 3 years ago. I consider myself in recovery from overeating. I've never been in formal treatment for EDs except for psychotherapy which is really for another psychiatric diagnosis. Rarely I feel the tendency to restrict my food intake and I used to occasionally want to over-exercise.
Has anyone ever encountered this and if so, what has been your decision- whether or not to be a member of WW or not?
If you have decided against WW because of these issues, what weight loss method have you chosen?
Thanks for the suggestion. I have tried OA a number of times and think it is a good program but I guess what I don't necessarily agree with or like about it is having to tell someone else what I am eating. I felt a bit judged because of that. I know people who have great success with it and I did for awhile. I guess I just kind of feel like what I eat is private and I shouldn't have to share it with someone to make a program work. Thanks for the suggestion though.
I actually have had binging/secret eating problems in the past.
However, I want to point out that this was still a very individual solution. It's not that everyone with an ED would find the same success on the same program.
For me, I chose Weight Watchers as a healthy, support-minded plan that would not only allow me to start keeping an eye on my overall intake, but the little things... like when I was actually hungry... or if emotions of some kind were triggering feelings of pseudo-hunger.
It was simply a convenient, supportive way to begin to "un-learn" my past habits and re-learn newer, healthier ones.
There was nothing about the WW plan that triggered bad reactions for me. It's been a positive thing to plan, learn to go for healthier foods instead of junk, drink more water, and get in more activity.
My doctors have had many good things to say about the WW program. It's balanced, it provides a TON of support, it gives feedback and accountability.
I am sorry you have struggled too. I hope you are doing better now.
I talked to my doc about my ?s about whether or not I should stay in WW when I saw him (had scheduled a visit for another reason). He asked if I purged and I said I did a few times a few years ago. I told him I no longer purge and he said purgeing is WW is mainly concerned with. He thinks it is fine for me to do WW now so I will continue with WW.
Only you can determine whether Weight Watchers is helping or hurting you. If you are a binge eater, being in NO program may be worse than being in the wrong one.
Disordered eating and eating disorders come in many levels of severity, and while WW isn't appropriate for people with severe eating disorders, I think many people with mild to moderate problems do very well in generic weight loss support groups like Weight Watchers.
You judge by your results. If WW makes your issues worse or does nothing for them - then probably not for you. However, if you do better, while attending WW, then keep attending.
I've found that my eating is most disordered when I don't participate in a weekly support group. That's why I go to TOPS (Taking Off Pounds Sensibly - a non-profit weight loss club). Not everyone in TOPS has disordered eating, so if I had a severe ED, I'd look for specific treatment. I don't think my eating is as much a result of psychological issues as physiological ones.
After I read David Kessler's book "The End of Overeating," I realized that my disordered eating fell right in line with the examples he gave. It wasn't psychology, it was physiology of the salty/sweet/fatty food combination that made it impossible for me to stop eating those foods. When I eat a lower-GI, lower carb diet, the bingeing virtually disappears (until I decide that healthy high-carb foods will be ok, and then I binge again).
I discovered that I have far more control over foods that don't fit the "addictive" profile that Kessler describes (he's very careful though not to use the word addiction, which instead he calls "conditioned hypereating").
For whatever the reason, the weekly support makes it much easier for me to gain and keep control.
Only you can decide. However, since I have struggled with eating disorders I chose not to. I'm still curious about it (hence my poking around here) but I tend to get obsessive and I just know I'd go crazy with the point system and everything. It just isn't for me. That said, only you can decide. Maybe meet a dietician and talk it over?
If you feel okay sharing your past (just a bit of it) you may be able to schedule time with your leader to ask her for more info. An RD can help, but they might not know the WW program in and out like a leader would.
I am not currently on WW but I know that it is similar to Calorie Counting which is what I do. I think that WW probably says this because they do not address the issues associated with bulimia and anorexia. I think that many people who struggle with weight issues have disordered eating patterns. Personally, I have a history of sneaking food and binging. As others have said, I think it is up to you to determine whether WW is a right fit for you and I encourage you to talk to your leader about it. Perhaps you would benefit from some therapy to address these issues in addition to the program. There are also some great books out there.
Do I belong in WW if I've had disordered eating?
