Weight Watchers and me

So back in July I decided to join the Weight Watchers group here at work. I had been watching and seen the incredible shrinking people emerge from the meeting room each week, and finally decided that I, too, would join in on the "fun".

First Rule of WW Club: Everyone knows you are in the club! I signed in that first day, daring to glance about me as others filed in. There were people there I knew, and others I had passed in the hallway many times before. Damn, no hiding.

Second Rule of WW Club: Flex plan good, Core plan bad! I read the guide thoroughly, and Flex plan had words like "any foods" and "point system" and "Dr Pepper OK" and "happy people" and "eating is good". The Core plan had words like "not on Core" and "NO" and "put that Dr Pepper back, it's not CORE". I'll let you guess which plan I chose.

Third Rule of WW Club: Meetings are not just for the leader to attend! Every Monday, like lemmings, we showed up to weigh in and commiserate with our semester buddies about things like Monday weigh-ins being sick and wrong, how Burger Joints unfairly release food fumes into the air for us to smell, and how a trip to the store has become an exercise in extreme discipline. It's really the best part of the week.

Fourth Rule of WW Club: What you wear to weigh in counts, literally! I learned very quickly that jeans are bad, and those lightweight capris of mine are the best to have on hand. Every Monday. Clean or dirty. Also, taking off your sweater before stepping on the scale is OK. Taking off your belt is OK. Taking off all jewelry and removing wallet is OK. Taking off makeup does not help, however.

Fifth Rule of WW Club: Journal, Journal, Journal! From the moment I started with WW, I wrote down every single thing that I dared eat. It sounds anal and wrong, but let me tell you, there is no crying in the WW club when you gain (or don't lose) and can look back at your week and see things like "15 tootsie rolls" and "7 Dr Peppers" and "I don't remember, but it was sugary and good" on your journal!

Sixth Rule of WW Club: You want results? You must earn them! There is no magic potion, and simply showing up and weighing in does not make the pounds disappear. It's weeks of eating proper foods and portions (One Dr Pepper - 3 points. Turkey Sandwich on Wheat with Swiss - 7 points. Bakes Lays - 3 points). It's nights staring at the TV and wondering why you want that snack when you aren't even hungry. It's going out to dinner and forcing yourself to leave half of it on the plate...ignoring the "there are starving people in the world" voice in your head. It's WORK.

BUT...if you hang in there, and obey the rules of the WW Club, and show up, and weigh in, and share your fears and hopes with the group that you now consider your "peeps", you can make it.

I am living proof - 32 pounds lighter and showing it!