[MizzKitty]

I've been gaining weight since 1969....from a "buck oh 5" gymnast to a 185 lb grandma. I'm only 5'2" tall (on a good day), and I know this weight I'm carrying isn't good for me. But I find that I fight myself daily concerning walks for any type of exercise. I'm in the throes of deciding whether or not to allocate part of my meager retirement funds to joining Weight Watchers (here in Colorado, it costs $40/month plus gasoline to go to meetings) or not. I'm not very good at follow-thru on long-term projects. Anyone want to comment on the joining Weight Watchers or just buying their "Deluxe Kit" and calculator and trying to go it alone? Thanks for any replies.

[Lovely]

Welcome to 3FC =)

I'm a Weight Watchers member, and if I could say anything to someone who is curious about joining the program... it's "Go to a meeting. Get there early, stay for the whole meeting, and afterwards stick around to listen to how the program works."

They go through promotion phases where joining is free or very cheap. You -might- (depending on the leader) be able to sit in on the meeting before deciding. Or you could join up for the day to sit in and see what it's like.

I have to say that the accountability, the support, the encouragement... the understanding of the people at meetings is worth it. I'm sorry to say that meetings are not a regular option for me at this point in time, but when I lost 100 pounds I went to meeting every single week. I had an amazing leader who was quirky and wonderful. I made friends at the meetings and we got to talk about how the week went or the choices we made. ... There's a reason I frequent 3FC so heavily. I am a person who NEEDS support for this. I need the accountability. I need to see other people succeeding.

I'm not very good at long-term projects, either. I start out ambitiously and then never following through with all sorts of things!

However. I'm human, and the greatest thing about being human is that I can decide to change a behavior. Do I still make mistakes? Tons of them. Doesn't matter, though. The only thing that matters is I'm still HERE, making the effort and I have changed for the better.

Before you can decide what you need, though, you'll want to actually try it out. If you find after some time that you can follow through without the meetings, then do so. There's no wrong way, as long as what you're doing actually works for you.

PS - If money is tight, you may want to considering using the WW Online version which is MUCH cheaper. You can then use their boards as well as the 3FC boards to help with accountability. I still highly recommend going to at least the first meeting to help see how the program works, though.

[Riemontana]

Hey MizzKitty,

Come on over and join us on the Golden Girls (50+) August chat. It is a great group full of support and info. We would love to have you.

Rie

[Crazy Newfie Jen]

As previously mentioned, definitely sit in on a meeting. The meetings are very informative and taught me things I didn't previously know. The girl who does it is so positive and upbeat! I also found the accountability was the major thing for me. Having to weigh in every week makes you want to be better! I love it, even though I've only been in it for a month.

Just keep an eye out for specials! I got my monthly pass for like $12/month!

[puneri]

I also have problem wth money. I just baught 17 Day Diet book and started following. Also joined gym. I loose about 8lb/month. Not very attracive. but I am patient and wont mind reaching goal weight little late. I have already started seeing some health benefits.
I am a inovative cook, so it works fine with me. Also some good time pass activity.