I've joined Weight Watchers so many times over the years (about 17 years, I think) that I tend to think I know it all. It was so hard for me to sit through the meetings and not roll my eyes. I thought I didn't need to track my food, or drink all of the water, or do any number of the things that WW encourages its members to do.
Well, it occurred to me this time, that maybe I DO have something to learn, since I'm still here, all those years later, trying to make THIS TIME the time that I'm successful.
So, I try to put behind that critical spirit (though not always successfully) and actually sit on the second row in the meetings, and contribute something when the leader asks a question. It's killing me, because I'd rather just make fun of the proceedings, but something has got to change!
I have even exercised twice this week, which is always a struggle for me. And, I'm drinking that dang water, and keeping track of my food/ points.
Good for you! Sometimes we just need a change of thought pattern I guess.....I have been down this same road many times but this time I am trying a new outlook on the plan. I am really hoping I can have one perfect week when I weigh in on Sunday. I am doing the points system here on my own in Korea. It is tough without a support group but I try calling friends and journaling here to make it a little better for me.
I too have been a WW member numerous times over the years and the program works for me until I stop doing what I should. I have never made it to goal and I am totally to blame for still being in the shape I'm in and even though I knew that back in my little pea brain, I guess I didn't really want to accept it. In my experience with WW, some leaders are very good and inspire me and others aren't worth a hoot. I noticed that some are totally into themselves and really don't care about anyone else - they are up there gloating that they lost 18 lbs and have the "if I can do it, you can too" attitude. But, this time, I joined an At Work series the week of Thanksgiving and the leader we have is excellent. She is a "no excuses" type person and is very helpful about making us think about this as a lifestyle change, not a temporary band aid to lose weight. I don't even know how much weight she did lose but she's been with the company for over 25 years so I guess that tells me something - she also struggles like the rest of us with day-to-day issues even though she's at goal. One of her famous sayings is "stop the whining and just do it," and that is working for me. I know that this time I am going to make it to goal.
I applaud you for your new attitude - it's nice when we finally "get it" - isn't it?
I'm pretty excited about my new leader. She has the right balance of motivation and empathy. I talked to her afterwards, and it turns out that she is a graduate student, getting her PhD in counseling. No WONDER she's so good!
So, that helps my critical spirit, that she actually knows what she is doing.
Good for you, Angi! This final time with WW has worked for me because I went in with exactly the same attitude as you are now. I promised myself I'd sit in the second row, and I'd participate. I'd get the most out of it I could. And it helped immensely that my leader was absolutely wonderful.
My previous experiences with Weight Watchers (and there were lots!) consisted of me never saying a word, sitting in the back, and almost rolling my eyes at everything the leader said. I always found the leaders to be boring. When I think back, it probably wasn't them--it was all me.
Now I love getting my stars and stickers, magnets and key chains. I love getting the support of others, and giving support. For me, it was all in the attitude.
Angi - that sounds great. I too know what you mean about certain WW leaders. I went when I was a teenager and the woman running the meetings had lost 30 pounds something like 20 years before. She always seemed to want to talk about herself and I just couldn't connect with the whole thing. But it is like anything else - you get out of it what you put into it. Glad to hear your new leader is getting it right.
That is great Angi. I know what you mean about thinking that you do know it all and don't need the info they give.
It's good to see you back posting again.
New attitudes. Wow. That is a concept. I don't do WW, but when I started back on my Atkins diet this time I had to start with a whole new attitude TOO.
Before when I would do it the weight would drop off rapidly at first and then would come to a complete standstill. I could never stand that standstill point. I felt like I was spinning my wheels. I wanted to see the scale move and downward and to do it quickly. I didn't want to see myself working so hard just to stay in the same place.
I would get discouraged and cheat. Just a little "off plan" wouldn't hurt would it? But it always did. Then the scale would go up (due to water weight gain) that would discourage me even more, and I would wind up giving up.
Last time I gave up, I just couldn't get back on plan for a long long time. I was so tired of feeling bad about myself. Of working so hard to stay in the same place, of beating myself up every time I cheated, telling myself that I didn't "deserve to lose it anyway" since I couldn't be consistent.
After awhile the dieting became a very negative thing for me. It wasn't the food I was avoiding or even the diet. I love eating the Atkins way. It was the negative feelings I didn't want to keep having.
So this time I started and told myself I would have only positive feelings about what I'm doing. I would stick with it, set small goals for myself and reach them. That I would celebrate every success even if they were very small, even if they were merely maintaining and not gaining back what I had already lost. That I would feel good about me, either way, and approach the whole thing with HOPE and FAITH that what I was doing would eventually work. That I COULD achieve my goals if I just kept the right attitude and continued working toward my goals. That I wouldn't look at the big picture and let that discourage me, but would keep focusing on just a few pounds at a time because "anyone can lose 3 pounds, right?"
So last month this new attitude was seriously put to a test. I didn't lose much weight last month at all. I cheated for 3 days last month (when I didn't want to cheat at all). I lost only 4 pounds, gained 2 of them back, made a goal that was mostly achieved in January and got within 1 pound of my first goal for February and then couldn't get there the rest of the month because the scale kept going up rather than down.
I was at the point where in past times I would have given up. But because of "new attitude" I didn't.
Today the reward came! I hit my 245 goal that I was supposed to hit in February and I hit the NEXT goal of 242 that I would have set after hitting 245 (but had not yet decided to work toward). AND I now can set my next goal of 238! I'm back to my 40 pounds off mark. 10 more pounds and I will be back to the weight I was at after 8 months of Atkins the first time I did it. I'll be back to 50 pounds off.
This time I feel convinced that I can go all the way to my goal. I just have to ride out those plateau times. So here's to NEW Attitudes!
My new attitude
