No pun intended there...

My parents have been long time members of Weight Watchers, going back and forth with meetings, but have been successful every time losing weight.

I've just started my plan of losing 80 pounds, and have thought about joining my local WW in addition to my low-cal diet and exercising. But I remember going to meetings with my mom when I was younger and most of the crowd was middle-aged, a lot of her friends from the office, soccer moms, etc. I was just wondering if WW has changed much and if there are younger members these days - some people that could relate better to me and my questions throughout the membership?

Any thoughts?

There are all different types of people at my meeting (young old, diverse, different backgrounds, etc) but that's the makeup of the area I live in. I think it would be dependent on the group of people that live in the area. I was on WW when I was 16, and there weren't any people as young as me, but everyone was very kind and my parents were very supportive (thin mom would go to meeting, dad joined with me after a while). I think you may find that no matter your age, you all eat similar foods and have similar obstacles, you just have to reframe them in terms that make sense to you.

In my group we have members from late teens to late sixties, and everything in between. We're all there for the same reason, so I would say you'll fit in! Our leader is mid-thirties, and very supportive. No judging at ww. Go, and give it a try!

id say do it too but not oif youre gonna join and do your own thing. theres no pt in joining if yourte not gonna follow program-however if youve been doing low cal, then the flex plan is a nice transition

I have to respectfully disagree with andreaphiliip3 - when I was going to regular meetings I was still following my own "plan" in a way. I like to eat my own stuff and I love to cook - I don't like menuplans at all. I had just learned about eating for my Ayurvedic type, but I was still figuring out the points and counting and doing my exercise etc. And I lost 62 lbs with WW and maintained for 3 years (I gained it back due to being in a very rough spot with my life and I didn't have the tools to stop the emotional eating and drinking).

The beauty of WW is that you can eat whatever you want, WHENEVER you want, as long as you tally up the points Staying within points is obviously what is going to help you lose weight, just like counting calories

I can also add that when I went to meetings, there was definitely a diverse group of people. Plus I got a bunch of my friends to join with me once they saw that it really worked. Check out a couple of meetings in your area if they are available - you should like where you go otherwise you won't really be motivated to check in and be accountable there.

I wondered the same thing when I joined 2 years ago. The answer: You're all there with the same common goal - no matter what age you might be. You'll find people in all age ranges from teens to late 80's and every single one of them have at least 2 things in common...they LOVE to eat and want to learn how to do it AND be healthy (lol- yes that is possible)

If I may make a suggestion - find a seat right next to the older ladies (or gentlemen) and introduce yourself - they have the BEST recipes and some very sage advice us young-uns (or us 30ish-uns in my case).

175 pounds lighter and one year in maintainance
Jane

I agree...my meetings have members who range from early teens to late 70's, and even have a few men thrown in there. I love the meetings, and you will find that you can relate to all of the people there. The older members have so much great advice, but also fall off the wagon just like the younger ones. Walk in and sit in at a meeting and get a feel for it, see if you like the mix of people, and also if you like the leader! The location that I go to has probably five different leaders, depending on the day and time that you go. I love two of the five leaders, and will very happily go to either of their meetings! One of the other leaders I don't care for at all, and will not waste my time going to her meetings. Lesson here, don't give up if you're not sold on the first meeting you go to. Shop around, even at the same location, and find one that works for you!

Same here. I used to go to a meeting where there were a lot of different ages, but due to a schedule conflict, I now go to one where there is an older crowd. But, there are a LOT of different meetings in all areas, so you should be able to find one that is convenient and comfortable for you.