Been there done that(meant to follow on WW thread)





I too am ex WW.

I first joined when I was like 13kgs over weight. I actually joined cause my mum was very overweight and needed the moral support.

I got to target pretty easy, I was young, very exercise orientated. My ease really put my mum off and she quit. I did maintainance blah blah blah blah. Year later, I was underweight, then I started gaining weight.

I went back 3 times more to WW and each time got back to goal, and each time after I got there and completed maintaince, I went up.

The final straw was when I was 80kg and cleverly obtained an eating disorder that had me treated as an outpatient in an Eating Disorders Unit. Dunno if I blame WW for that, but I think a lot of the mentality of "if you aren't hungry don't eat - take it as a blessing" kind of thing did have some effect.

One thing I really didnt like about WW was that when you came back, you were used like an example of how you can do it but you can screw it up too. I would be continuously called on to answer questions about "your last time through" etc.

When I decided over Christmas (after one of my friends was talking about her "wonder drug" that fat supressant drug) I felt it was really time to take the whole thing into my own hands and take some responsibility. A year was going to pass and I was only going to be barely lighter than the year before. Life is too short.

My doctor put me on Atkins - he is wise beyond measure.

Yeah - I can relate to your story about being used as an example.
The leaders at WW have this real Loosers & Winners mentality. If you are doing things the way they want - then you are a winner.

When I last went back, at the first weigh-in I told the leader that I had gained back the weight and more from last time.

She told me "Naughty boy!".

Gah! That annoyed me! Who did she think she was judging and demeaning me!

I really believe that they don't understand the nature of obesity and what calorie restriction can do to the metabolism!

I was not committing any 'immoral' act by gaining weight, I have a clear medical metabolism problem - as do all overweight people!

LC_Dave

How dare they say, "Naughty boy!"
That sort of attitude really makes me burn! You were there to get help for goodness sake, what happened to help and encouragement.
You've got it all over them now though, Dave, this "diet" is for life and you are going to take it off and keep it off. Forever.

Rosebud

Thanks Rosebud

Unfortunately I think WW is the best of a bad lot!

The trouble is - there are no organisations out there honestly helping obese people.

LC_Dave

I agree with you, Dave, that's why I love this board.
There's encouragement and support in spades, let alone all that information!
I started to say, we only have to weigh ourselves but we can manage that, when I remembered you are choosing not to!
Well, good on you, that must make this seem even less like WW!
To a slim new you (and me) in 2002!
Cheers, mate.

Rosebud