[Mama]

Hi, everyone!
I'm sort of in the "planning phase" of weight loss right now. I'm pregnant with our second child - which was a bit of a surprise, but a wonderful surprise. I currently weigh about 350# and I'm 30 weeks pregnant. My plan is to start a diet program once breastfeeding is well established.

Anyhoo... I obviously have a lot of weight to lose. I have more weight to lose than most if your starting weights. I've never done a weight watchers meeting, or any kind of meeting for that matter. Given my circumstances, I am hoping someone here could fill me in on the 'real deal'...

- I'm afraid of sticking out like a huge fat thumb at a WW meeting. Are most members women or men who "just" want to lose 20 lbs?

- Would a ww scale even go up high enough for me? I'm just envisioning the humiliation (er motivation?) of the weekly weigh-ins being compounded by the fact that the scale cannot accommodate my girth.

- Will they allow a breastfeeding woman to join, or will I need to wait until I ween?

- Is this points system complicated? I'll have "two under two" at home, and I really need a program that I can make my meals quickly and easily and not have to spend too much time figuring out math. If it isn't simple, I'm afraid I'd be setting myself up for failure.


Honestly, my main concerns center around how very very fat I am and being worried about not fitting in. I know everyone has their struggles, but there is a big difference between needing to lose 20 lbs versus 200 lbs. I'm just fearful that this will be a humiliating endeavor rather than a positive one. I'm just not sure WW is the right place for me because I am so so big.

BUT... as a SAHM, I could really use the weekly opportunity to meet other people. And, I am at a point of desperation where I need to figure out how to lose weight or I need to consider something more drastic like surgery. I've done countless diets, but never anything like weight watchers. So maybe doing something completely different is just what I need. I'm just scared.

Well, thanks for reading this. It felt good to vent my fears and worries if nothing else.

[kristyjoy]

WW is not only appropriate for someone like you, it's PERFECT for you.

- I've seen every size, shape and gender at a WW meeting, and everyone is SO nice and SO supportive.

- The ww scales will accommodate you, for sure, and all weigh ins are ABSOLUTELY confidential.

- They actually have special accommodations in the plan for breastfeeding mothers.

- The points system is easy-peasy.

Seriously, not only is WW appropriate for you, I'd say it's PERFECT for you. Give it a try for a week or two and I think you will agree. Especially since there is no special food to buy. You just eat whatever you have, as long as you stay on your plan, you WILL lose weight. And a lot of it.

[kristyjoy]

P.S. I think you need a self-esteem boost as well. Despite the fact that you have some extra weight, I bet you are a great mom and lovely. Going to WW is going to make you feel so GOOD about yourself. I promise, it did the same for me and everyone I know who has stuck with it. Give it a try! Please!

[cherbear]

I had 100 or so to loose and WW works very well for me. I have a friend in there that is probably in the same boat as you. There are people in there with only 20 or 30 to loose but there are many people with more. It's a great environment and I highly reccomend it. Good luck!!!

[Summer2010]

I joined WW when I had 75 lbs to lose and in my meetings, there were people way bigger than me so you have nothing to fear.

[Nada]

With WW here, there is a meeting specifically for those with 50 of more pounds to lose, but there are a lot of people in my meeting who are trying to lose that much as well.

Give it a try, the support can be one of the best things you can do for yourself.

[Mama]

Thanks for the encouragement, you guys!! If the people at my local ww are as friendly as you, I'm sure I'll be fine (even if I am the biggest one by a longshot).

[christyk28]

mama, i'm the same size as you and i don't stick out like a sore thumb lol. now at the gym ya i feel like í do lol but that's another story lol. and for me i have tried every weightloss program there is pretty much and ww is the only one that keeps me entertained and keeps me to it. just if you get in a rut don't stop doing program cause that happened to me that last time i did it and i had lost 60 lbs and then i gained it back over time. i decided this is the last time i'm going to start. i think ww is more of a realistic program. because you can still eat normal stuff it just reteaches you how to eat it. i hope your having a great day and if you need anything let me know!!

[Amy8888]

Here are my answers to the questions I can answer:

- I'm afraid of sticking out like a huge fat thumb at a WW meeting. Are most members women or men who "just" want to lose 20 lbs?

As others have said, you will probably find all shapes and sizes at your meeting. And if you go to a meeting and don't feel comfortable, talk to the leader and find out if there are other meetings where you might feel comfortable.

And if you do happen to see a lot of people with only 20 lbs to lose, you might be surprised to find that some of them started out with 100+ pounds to lose. I am always inspired by the lifetime members who are maintaining. There is this one tiny girl who goes to my meetings sometimes...she lost 95 lbs!

- Will they allow a breastfeeding woman to join, or will I need to wait until I ween?

Yes, you get tons of extra points to eat while you're breastfeeding.

- Is this points system complicated? I'll have "two under two" at home, and I really need a program that I can make my meals quickly and easily and not have to spend too much time figuring out math. If it isn't simple, I'm afraid I'd be setting myself up for failure.

When I first joined WW I had two under two (I quit due to just way too much going on, including a move). Now I have a 4 year old and a soon-to-be 3 year old. I think there is a bit of a learning curve when you start, but you get the hang of it and it becomes second nature. You'll probably figure out a system that works for you, and you just get good at knowing the points value of foods you eat a lot. (And if you're really in a time crunch, I've figured out a good rule of thumb is that 1 point is about 50 calories).

If you start going to meetings (a great chance to have some alone time, which is SO important as the mother of two little ones) you can ask other people what they do to make tracking easier.

-BUT... as a SAHM, I could really use the weekly opportunity to meet other people. And, I am at a point of desperation where I need to figure out how to lose weight or I need to consider something more drastic like surgery. I've done countless diets, but never anything like weight watchers. So maybe doing something completely different is just what I need. I'm just scared.

I can SO relate to this. As I mentioned above, WW is a great chance to just get away from it all. I am a working mother (I tried being a SAHM but it nearly drove me insane) and I go to meetings right after work on Thursday, then I use the time after meetings to just do whatever I want while DH takes care of the kids.

And I have also done countless diets, especially in the 2 years after my second kid was born. When I re-joined WW this past summer, my weight was higher than it's ever been, even including the day I went into labor with my second baby. I was very desperate to lose weight and I was trying anything, even diets that went against everything I stood for. (Not to bash low-carb but I was against the very notion of cutting out food groups to lose weight, and I actually bought the Atkins book and tried it out last spring). Since having children, WW is the only thing that works and makes sense for me anymore (you can see my ticker for the stats).

Good luck! I hope to see you around the WW forums in a couple months!

[dollyfinn]

I read your story and remembered another woman who was in your exact situation (I mean almost exactly the same) and had terrific success. Her name is Kim Bensen. If you google her you will find her website and her story. You can absolutely go to WW and feel comfortable about being there. Good luck to you with everything. You have an exciting few years in front of you!!!

[kaplods]

At my highest weight (394 lbs), I was a Weight Watcher's member. My husband weighed over 400 lbs, and we both had no problem getting weighed (I believe our center's scale went to 500 lbs).

Many centers have special meetings. When we went our center had a meeting for moms (babies and children were welcome at that meeting - I think they even had activities for the children old enough to participate). Our center also had a meeting they called the 100 plus club - or something like that, for members who had started with 100 or more pounds to lose. Anyone could go to any meeting (you didn't have to have kids to go to the mom's group or didn't have 100 lbs to lose to go to the 100 plus group), but I did like the 100 plus group. It met on friday's though, and at the time I only had every other friday off - so I went to whichever meeting fit into my schedule that week. I rarely, even at 394 lbs felt that I was obviously the largest person at the meeting. There were always a few people very close to my size or larger, so I never felt freakish or anything.

[Mariella]

At many of the meetings I've gone to over the years, the leaders themselves were also people who'd lost 100 lbs or more. There's no need to feel uncomfortable at all!

[oodlesofnoodles]

You would absolutely fit in there! Everyone at WW is so supportive of each other. It's a wonderful place to be, truly. At my height weight I was 260 pounds, at 17 years old, and I had really bad depression and social anxiety. And yet I marched my butt in the door and managed to stay, and come back again and again and again and again. If I can do it, you can too. You'll likely see people bigger than you, people smaller than you, people in between. But nobody is judging you, we're all there for the same reason.

The best thing about WW is how motivated it makes you feel. It gives you something to look forward to, something to be excited about every week. And to agree with everyone else, their scales will definitely accommodate you.

Seriously, everyone starts somewhere. Check out the goal/goal photo album forums if you don't believe me. You can do this!!

[ruthiej74]

I have over 100 lbs to lose too. I really enjoy the meetings. They are great support and everyone there is soooo nice!!!! I feel that the weightwatchers system is soooo easy. You definitely should join...I think it would really help you.