Ah WW.
I have joined and left WW at least twelve times in thirty years. We have a relationship akin to a very rocky marriage. My most recent return was in the middle of grieving the death of my dad and I realised I needed some “non-cyber” support for a bit. I was pleasantly surprised by what and who I found there.
Downside:
- I hate spending money in order for someone to tell me to do what I already know I should be doing.
- I’m not keen on marketing in general, so I just never buy WW food products on principle.
- Good WW leaders are like gold dust. It has taken me 30 years to find one that I really want to listen to.
- Scale insanity – my problem, not theirs – and fodder for another post altogether.
However, there’s the love side too.
- WW has given me good eating habits when I otherwise wouldn’t have figured them out for myself. I didn’t know spaghetti didn’t have to come out of a tin until I was twenty years old.
- They will always take me back. I know that when I need some structure that I can’t provide for myself, I can walk through that door with no guilt, even after years away.
- The meetings can be helpful. After thirty years, I’ve found one worth going to! I never thought it would happen.
- It works and it doesn’t harm your health in the process.
The only bit of WW that I don’t use is the journalling. I have found a journalling tool that works better for me than WW and I use it. I realized some time ago that my personality demands to know “WHY?” and I never quite trusted the points thing – either for food or exercise. My life became a game against WW to see what I could get away with and still lose weight. That road does not lead to a sane and healthy relationship with food.
But that topic will be another post, probably entitled “Why I always have to be the boss”. Or, if written by my mother, “You can’t tell her anything.”
But the principles of WW will always be with me. They are sound and healthy and good. And I would recommend WW to anyone who needs to lose weight.
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