Hi everybody. I'm new around here, but not to yo-yo dieting.

I was super successful in 2009/2010 with Weight Watchers. I even reached my goal weight and became a Lifetime member (!!!) then became a leader! I'd been overweight my entire life and getting down to single digits in my clothing was the best thing ever.

Fast forward to January 2014. I was able to keep off close to 30 pounds, but everything else on Weight Watchers came back on. Being a full time teacher and a WW leader on a new plan I didn't like was hard for me. I'd tried to go back to meetings, and I did, but I still felt like a failure. A coworker of mine had lost a ton of weight in a relatively short time with Medifast's Take Shape for Life. I started in January of 2014 and by May, I was down to the lowest weight I'd ever been in my life.

And as usual, the weight came back. Except this time my body has been acting differently which scares me. My cycles have been way off. I don't think I'm the only woman who has had this issue.

Which brings me to the reason for this post: I know Weight Watchers isn't perfect. I know it isn't for everyone. I'm not a fan of WW brand-name foods, but I do hold a special place in my heart for the program. One of the leaders out here claps for people who come back and has the entire meeting say, "Welcome back; we knew we'd see you again!" or something like that. I'm embarrassed to go back again.

I feel like a failure. I feel like I'm never going to keep this stinkin' weight off. I want to get healthy for me AND my husband who has survived colon cancer. I want to eat REAL FOOD. I also liked the social support of the meetings. I want to get healthy without having to spend a million dollars in food each month.

Has anyone else gone back, once and for all, and kept it off? Does anyone have any experience with Medifast vs. Weight Watchers? Thank you for listening, for your feedback, and most of all -- for your support!

I haven't done either of those diets, only ideal protein, but you should not feel like a failure! It sounds like you have done fantastic in the past. Dieting in general is so hard, especially for those of us with addictions to naughty food. My recommendation is to do what feels right for you.. ww may not be it. Never quit trying though. You can do it! Be strong and hang in there

If you feel WW is the way you want to go, I would say go for it. I totally understand the fear of embarrassment but at the same time it is short-lived. Once you are back in the swing of things, you will be glad you did it.

Yes, I have been at goal, been embarrassed to go back, went back and gotten back to free lifetime status (2 pounds above goal).

About 25 years ago, I successfully became a lifetime member at WW. A few months later, I had to go out of town on a 2 week long business trip. I had to eat out 3 times a day and was with other people so didn't have control over where we ate. Unsurprisingly (in retrospect), I came back 5 pounds up. I was way too embarrassed to go back. I knew everyone in my meeting and just couldn't stand the thought of going back. (It never occurred to me try a different meeting...).

I decided I would go back when I was no more than 2 pounds above goal weight. Years later, I slinked back (different meeting, leader) when I had gained about 50 pounds. I went back off and on unsuccessfully.

I finally a few years ago went back and really worked on it. Yes, I felt a little embarrassed to go back as a regained lifetime member. But, I did find out that it wasn't just me. There are other regained members. Finally, just last week, I got back to free lifetime status (no more than 2 pounds over goal weight).

The thing is that the embarrassment doesn't matter. My body knows what I weigh. Everyone sees it. When I weighed over 200 pounds, other people could see it whether I went to WW or not.

The program does work well for me. I like being able to eat real foods and make my own choices (I don't eat the WW products). In the end, going to a program that works for me was more important than the embarrassment.

I just wish I had realized that when I first regained, rather than having to spend 24 years working on losing weight.

As for the leader at the meeting who publicly welcomes people back, I would find a different leader if possible (and I might trying reporting it to WW because I've never known a leader to do that). If this is the only leader in your area, then I would pull her aside and ask her to not make the public statement.

That said -- I don't think any WW member would think less of you for coming back. Most people trying to lose weight -- WW members or not -- has made multiple attempts. Many have gotten to goal and regained. WW members are the ones who are by far the ones most likely to understand. I've never had a member say anything negative because I was a regained lifetime member.

I have to say, as someone who has been on & off WW for years, a leader who singles out the people who come back like that seems pretty insensitive. The last thing I wanted when I came back after regaining was for someone to draw that much attention to it. Obviously, this leader means well and wants to be encouraging, but I literally cringed when I read that.

So, I've been in and out of the program a few times over the last 15 years or so. I always lost 30-40 lbs, but would get tired of the meetings, the counting, the journaling, etc. and leave - and the weight would come back. I went back to meetings in 2008 (I think it was my third time) at my highest weight of 230 and got down to 190 before I stopped going - I went back up to 220 by 2011 and that is when I joined WW Online and had great success. I, personally, never found the in-person meetings very motivating - the thing that works about those, for me, are: 1) I am paying to be there and 2) I have to publicly weigh-in and someone else sees my ups & downs. Other than that, I don't get much out of them - so the online tools were perfect for me. Maybe you could just do that for a bit?

I recently gained back a few pounds after going through a year of (unsuccessful) fertility treatments (SIX of them) and after not getting pregnant, had my knee replaced in December - I just needed to get myself in order and decided that I was going to make a push to reach my ultimate goal, and the online tools weren't doing it for me, so I switched back to meetings and it's helping. Again, it's more about having to weigh-in with someone else and knowing that I'm paying so much for this that is keeping me on track more than the meetings, but I continue to go and contribute a little.

Since 2011, when I wasn't using WW tools, I was using MyFitnessPal - which is pretty similar.

So yeah, I've lost weight and maintained using WW and yeah, I felt like somewhat of a failure when I had to go back time after time. But, I'm like you, I like whole foods and don't but the WW packaged meals and snacks, but that's the beauty of the program - you can eat whatever you like, and that's why it's the best program for me. I have never lost a significant amount of weight on any other program/diet/pill/etc. other than on WW.

We actually did a show of hands a couple weeks back when our leader asked how many of us were "repeats" in the program, and about 3/4 of the room raised their hand.

But yeah, I'd ask the leader NOT to make a public spectacle about coming back and maybe even suggest that she/he stop doing it for everyone, that's just plain not encouraging for everyone. Good luck to you!

Woah, specifically welcoming back someone and drawing attention to it and their weight gain, that's weird...Why on earth would that leader do that?? THat's not encouraging at all and I can't see how someone would think it is...I would say something when you get there (arrive a few minutes early) and tell them not to do that, because it sucks! Point blank.

I have gone to WW after each baby. I'm trying to do it now just online and not doing well. I keep regaining my weight with pregnancies, and I feel like a failure too. I have an appointment with my endocrinologist next month, but I exercised (ran and cycled) and eat very well and still gained a lot. But regardless I feel like everyone in my life thinks I failed to keep the weight off. Its not the same as a ww meeting, but its still a crappy feeling. I feel like people don't believe how hard I worked during my pregnancy to not regain. If I didn't live it I wouldn't believe me either. One week I out on 12 pounds. I even talked to the OB about it, but I think they just thought I was stuffing my face full of junk and lying.

I agree it's really insensitive for the leader to point out people returning to the program. I would guess she thinks it's welcoming, not realizing some people don't want that kind of attention. My leader is always careful to ask people if they want a public celebration for any accomplishment. Surely when you are weighing in, you could request NOT to be pointed out during the meeting?

As for the Weight Watchers products and wanting to eat real food, you might like Simply Filling. I'm sure it's similar to other programs like Core, but you might find that really clicks with you.