Reasons to do Online vs. Meetings?
 

I just started a job in retail that means my schedule is never the same week to week. I would like to restart WW, but am wondering about doing the online vs. the meetings.

What reasons would have a person going to meetings vs. doing the online WW?

Marie

More than anything, I loved the meetings for the accountability. Nothing like knowing I had to hop up on that scale every week to keep me on track. I loved the tips and the camaraderie from the other members. I have to give up the meetings this month for financial reasons and I know Im going to miss them. But this site is awesome, and is a great place to come for tips and morale support.
Good luck!

I have the monthly pass so I get to go to meetings and have e-tools. However, I haven't been to a meeting in over six months, but I plan on starting back. I like meetings because you get to celebrate others' successes and have discussions that only other wwers really understand.

I absolutely loved my meetings when I could afford them. So much more motivation and I had an AMAZING leader! She was so much fun. I so looked forward to my weekly meetings. It also let me hear other people's successes and how they were going about losing the weight and how much they had lost. We had "Celebrations" at the beginning of our meetings and we got to tell how much we lost if we wanted! :)
It was awesome. Our leader also gave us "Golden Hangars" for every size we lost and we got all the awesome pins and everything.

I am not a big fan of my meetings, but havent tried switching yet. I get unlimited meetings, but live in the country so not many options. I do the monthly pass, and really like the online tracking. (I know other people have used daily plate etc. but i find the ww is one is great. )
I expect it depends on whether you like the meetings and get motivated that way or not.

I liked online only when I did WW. I found the meetings to be full of people complaining "but bananas are free why did i gain?" or leaders giving out bad nutritional advice. Plus, I liked weighing at home with nothing on before breakfast, not having to account for my clothes and whatever I'd eaten that day.

I really thought I would not like the meetings. I figured they'd be like group therapy and I was not interested. But since my company offered a deal that came with the meetings, I decided to try them.

For me, they are not like group therapy. For me, it is a great way to get a quick motivation or lesson. An opportunity, similar to this board, to get ideas from others. I know that at the meeting, sometimes, a couple of us will stay to discuss certain things that work and don't work. Our group is guys and gals. It is a nice mix.

We have a wonderful leader. She is funny and interesting and works as hard as we do to stay on plan.

I am sure each meeting has it's own personality. I like ours. If you decide to attend a meeting, and have a little flexibility, try a couple of meetings to find the best one for you.

The only plans I've ever done well on, have all included a support-group or w eekly weigh-in. And when I gave up the weekly meeting aspect, I always regained. I tell myself that "I can do it on my own," but the fact is I really can't. Eventually on my own, I decide "just this once won't hurt," or "I can eat this today and start fresh tomorrow," but when I have that meeting to go to (and knowing that other people are going to know whether I've kept my promise to myself) really helps keep me not only accountable, but focused.

For me, the meeting and in-person group support is far more important than the method of weight loss. I can and have lost weight on virtually every program Weight Watchers has offerred since my first meeting at 8 years old in 1972 (the current new plan is the only one I haven't tried).

It doesn't even have to be WW for me, as long as the weekly meeting is part of the process (right now I'm in TOPS, initially because I couldn't afford WW, but now because I prefer it, though I've considered doing both in order to get two meetings or more per week).

I prefer TOPS because in WW only the weight recorder knows how much I've gained or lost, unless I choose to share. In my current TOPS group, we share the exact numbers (not our actual weight unless we want to, but how much we've each gained or lossed each week). At first, I was mortified at having to admit the exact number of a gain (in other TOPS groups I've joined we just shared whether we lossed, stayed the same, or gain - we didn't share the amount of the loss or gain), but now the "full disclosure" really helps keep me motivated. I like getting the applause for the weight loss, and while I don't love sharing the extend of a gain, I do like the sincere "glad you came" from the group after I've admitted the gain.

If you can do it on your own, or with only "virtual" support online (whether here or on the WW website) then more power to you. I've just learned I'm not one of those people. To lose and maintain weight loss, I will have to be a weekly weight loss group member for life.

Meetings for me-
I get up early on Saturdays and get out for the day and do what I need to do after the meetings. I met a whole bunch of nice people and seeing them week to week is fun. you see how they change and what new things they have been doing.

We do the weigh in prior to the meetings, then first thing we do is successes, little stories, what worked well, who got what ribbons and little pins. Then, she does a food review. People bring in empty boxes and wrppers and we talk about wht tasted good, pp values, where to buy what, what's on sale in what store. It is pretty fun. The lesson of the week is usully brief part of the meeting. Maybe 5-10 minutes max.

I thought I would not like the weigh in thing but it is behind a wall, no one comments, time just goes on. It's pretty fun and by the time it is over, it's about 945 and I am out and about and get done what I need to do.

I feel like if I stayed home I would not be as effective.

I really don't have a choice but to do online only at the moment. I have zero free time during the week and weekends are very hit or miss depending on sick kids, my husband's homework or mine.

I may try out meetings this summer when my schedule has more wiggle room but right now I'm only able to do online and so far it's going well. If I start to flounder I may have to reassess the situation.

I love the meetings, but that's partly because my leader is so awesome. If you don't click with the leader, try another class and find the right one for you.

The great thing about meetings - Bravo stickers! :) It's fun to get the stickers, and to clap for everybody else getting stickers. It's a big cheering session. I have a 5x8 notebook that I keep on my lap to write notes in, and I put my stickers on the front of the notebook. We do food reviews and can get instant feedback on any questions we have or solutions that we're looking for. And the accountability and recognition is 'different' in person. I have a monthly pass, and for me, using the online and the local meeting together is a much more effective combination than using just one. But if I could only do one, I'd do online because the resources are practically limitless.

If the meetings are really inconvenient to you, I'd just spend that time meal planning or exercising and squeak in online time when you can. If you stretch your schedule too thin, it eventually comes out of exercise time, cooking time, or prep time. And for me, that's how I gained the weight to begin with! My meetings aren't too inconvenient - it means starting work late every Thursday morning, but I've come to embrace the 'me time' and I think that helps me stay committed since I'm focusing more on myself than I used to. I think actively putting myself at the top of my list helps me stay focused.

I've been on and off of weight watchers my entire life (seems that way and I'm only 26). The meetings were amazing when I finally found a leader that I got along with. She really seemed to care and the people at her meetings were all very open. I lost nearly 100 pounds, as did my mother.

The last few times we tried to rejoin, we could not find a leader / meeting we could get hooked on. We went around all of my city, trying a new location every week, but they were all filled with moms looking to lose 5 pounds (with their 3 children running around yelling constantly).

I just couldn't get into it. I have a lot of weight to lose and I want to be able to share with people in similar situations!

Now I'm subscribed to the online plan. I like it and I figure that if I ever feel discouraged I can just remember that I paid for the subscription already. Don't want to lose out on my $$!

That's what I do: Monday mornings and I do it in my birthday suit ;) . When I went to meetings I hated having to account for clothes. I would end up wearing the exact same thing every single week because I didn't want that variable affecting the number.

I think finding the right meeting is key. I loved my first leader (looooong time ago, like 10 years) and since then haven't quite found the right one since. Plus I like the flexibility of doing it online, I can use my computer or phone. I'm shy and quiet in person and am not one to speak up in meetings, but I love 3FC and can be kinda almost chatty so I just this as my meeting! (Bonus: I can come here whenever I want! I don't have to wait for teh same time each week)

Online does take a personal level of responsibility, though. I am proud to say that in the past 13 months since I started, I have weighed in every single week. Even when I knew I gained or had a bad week. My sister did online for awhile then stopped. Now she's doing meetings because she needs the accountability, so take that into consideration, too.

I just switched from online-only to monthly pass, and I love it! I went to my first meeting last weekend, and I loved the accountability, and the leader was so amazing. I'm actually looking forward to going again on Saturday.

That is great! I did online for awhile and I know it works for many, but I like doing the actual meetings.