I think you guys are being a bit harsh...it is fine to criticize the micromanagement now the we are all comfortable with the WOL but I remember how fanatical I needed to be when I started! I needed to be fanatical becuase this was an enormous life change for me and there was an enormous resistance from society/ family in pursuing this life change. There were no accolades for me until I actually LOST the weight...really an enormous test of trust for new members-like falling backwards into the arms of a stranger and hoping that they'll catch you. The medical evidence out there is not as clear as I would like and people starting this are probably confronted with a great deal of conflicting evidence that is hard to dismiss at first.

Let's face it...most people begin this WOL to loose weight, and only discover the health benefits after the weight obsession wanes and a new 'mandate begins'.

Also, I think anxiety over control over your own body which has probably gone haywire--takes some time to dissipate. I agree that focusing only on weight and measuring success only by weight loss becomes an annoyance for people who have educated themself about the WOL but for me, part of that education HAD to be PERSONAL experience and intense personal experiment. I had failed too many times on other diets to simply make an intellectual decision.

Just my 2 cents,

Jenn