Hello All-

I'm 24, finishing up my undergrad and working part-time.
I have a good fifty or so pounds to lose but have been trying mainly on my own, with no real program. This hasn't been goingly smoothly. I have basically healthy eating habits but I'm prone to excesses and stress eating.
A co-worker has had great success with WW but I still didn't give it much thought. I've been reading self-help books about food addiction and compulsive behavior for YEARS hoping for a magic moment when it all made sense and the food just wasn't important anymore. Admittedly, I do have a lot of deeply rooted emotional issues that I use food to cope with.
My question for you is this: Will joining WW, in your esteemed opinions, be simply a patch on the problem? In your experiences, although WW concentrates primarily on behavior modification, have you been able to resolve any of the reasons that compelled you to seek out food?
I feel torn between WW and Overeaters Anonymous. WW will teach me to eat mores sensibly and responsibly but can it help me with the compulsivity of my food patterns, the desperation that moves me to binge? I'm afraid that I'll spend the money for WW, lose weight but gain it all back because emotionally, I still need the food for protection, soothing, company.
I'm also being pressured by a family member, a recovering alcoholic who is vehemently in favor of the Anonymous programs and insists that anything other than OA is an excuse and will ultimately fail.
I really want to get on top of this and start losing weight, I just don't want to set myself up for another failed attempt. I am concerned that WW perhaps can't help me resolve the pains that made food so central to my life. On the other hand, OA seems so terribly serious and intense and that's not especially attractive to me either.
I'd really LOVE to know your thoughts on the matter and hear about your experiences with WW. I've been lurking among you for a few weeks now and felt the time was right to ask for some honest feedback.
To be completely frank, I'm terrified that I'm going to be fifty pounds overweight for the rest of my life. To avoid that, I have to be honest with myself about what my needs are and ask for help.
Thanks for taking the time to read my post. Looking forward to your replies.

Slinko,

Hi and welcome to our thread and I'll try to be as consice as possible with my answer. I have had great success with WW and I too felt that I would never be a healthy weight. Weight Watchers does teach us how to eat, but there is something called "Tools for Living" and these tools are there for us to see what might motivate us to overeat.

Personally I am a stress eater (I am also an undergrad), when studying last year I would run to the baked goods and eat and eat and eat. I had to basically teach myself that eating the banana bread or whatever would not replace the stress in my life, the stress would still be there. My own obesity was more of just terrible eating habits and having my world centre around food (eating when I was happy, stressed, ticked off, when the sun was shining, when the rain was falling, you get the picture)


Some people do need to see councellors or psychologists while doing WW at the same time, there is nothing wrong with that at all, sometimes the underlying issues may be too much for some to deal with on their own. WW is a great tool though for helping to get the eating right while dealing with the other issues.

Now, I really know nothing about OA or any of the other anonymous programs (other than they have 12 steps). Perhaps OA and WW could be complimentary to each other. WW tells you what to eat (of course with freedom of the points system) and tries to teach you how to eat as well, OA can help some with the underlying issues, but I too have heard that OA is very intense, but for some that is the right thing to do.

I have found Weight Watchers a great tool for my own weight loss journey, but I also discovered so much about myself through my own journey, I am outgoing, bubbly and confident, not because I am thin now, but because I love and respect myself

I hope this has added a perspective, I welcome others to contribute as well.

Take Care!

Ali

Slinko- I agree with Ali. My reply is basically the same. I am doing WW. I have been back on the program for about a month and have lost 4 pds. THis is not overwhelming success but a large part of that is my emotional eating. WW is a great program but dealing with the root of the issue (I believe) is the only way to have long term success. I am beginning to see a therapist so that I can get to the bottom of why I desire to eat constantly. However WW has taught me a lot about the practicalities of Weight loss and has given me accountability. Even though I haven't lost a lot yet, I am not gaining. This is great in my opinion even though I get a bit discouraged at times. I highly recommend WW and counseling.
Becky

Thanks very much for your thoughts.
I really appreciate it.

and of course I agree with what everyone else has said. I am also a HUGE binge eater....but honestly WW has helped so much. Now I have only been on it for a week....but this is my third time back. There will not be a magic cure anywhere....it is something that needs to come from yourself. I still eat the things I want but now I count the points.

I absolutly recommend WW and wish you all the luck!

(hugs)

Angie

Slinko: One thing I wanted to add; the ‘Tool for Living’ don’t just apply to food and eating. They are techniques that have helped me in every aspect of my life. I actually attribute part of the change in my attitude to applying those tools to the rest of my life while learning how to eat sensibly and make good choices. I’m extremely proud to be part of WW. The meetings are a wonderful place to learn how to use these tools and talk to real people who are dealing with the same issues you and I are every day! Even posting here is a step in the right direction no matter what you decide. I wish you luck and much success

Thanks again.
I had a long chat with my co-worker who's been very successful with WW. She was really encouraging and I learned a lot.
I think I'm ready to go to a meeting!
Can anyone detail for me what to expect when I show up?
Thanks so much for you time, I feel really relieved and much better informed.
You've all really made it simple for me to make a big decision. Thank you.

Slinko,

I go to a meeting at a WW centre. What we do is pay, weigh in and then wait for the meeting to start. I socialize with a bunch of the group members. The leader will often lecture, but will often open the floor up for people to contribute (no one has to though), sometimes there's a tiny bit of"group work" or brainstorming, nothing too deep or intense though (usually brainstorming on helping us satisfy certain cravings and such). Some groups may be different. Your weight is never announced or anything. Every 10lbs, we get a ribbon at my centre.

Anyhoo, Good Luck to you!

Ali

Congratulations for taking a big step forward. You are doing the right thing for yourself and your health.

At my meeting we first weigh in then sit around and talk. The leader has a bit of a topic that she speaks about. Last week it was Easter food and how to incorporate it into the ww plan so that you don't feel deprived, you are having normal food.....but you are not cheating. Each meeting is different....(topic wise). At every meeting people are invited to speak, but you don't have to if not comfortable with it....I don't. At the end of the meeting everyone who has lost 5,10,15 pounds (5 pound increments) recieve a gold star and 5 pound ribbon. Your weight is never told....only that you have lost a certain amount.

Good luck, and post often! Find support here on 3FC.

(hugs)

Angie