Of all the commercial weight loss programs out there, I think Weight Watchers (WW) is the best. Recently, on this blog I reviewed some of the more odd diets I had watched my mom try over the years. She also did Weight Watchers over a sustained period and got a good result. To me the premise of WW is healthy and probably sounds familiar from these pages: 1) keep track of and limit what you eat 2) focus on eating more healthy food and 3) have some form of accountability - the public weigh in. In the 1970s when my mom did it, one negative was they really pushed their food products. I recall my mom buying a bunch of frozen food, it not tasting very good, and it ultimately began to feel like a scam. For her, the weight loss did not prove to be sustainable after she went off the program. She, like many others who had initial success, expressed regret for not continuing.
I also tried Weight Watchers several years ago, admittedly in a very limited way. I was surprised to learn how many meetings there were and in many locations, so convenience was not an issue. I am not sure if it was more shameful as a dude to go than for women, but I certainly had lots of trepidation. I remember driving to the building in my neighborhood after work, looking for an inconspicuous place to park and slinking in to the meeting. Who would see me? Would I be the only man? As it turned out, there were a few other guys, but not many, we were definitely out numbered. I was surprised at the range of people's weight. I guess I expected everyone to be fat, but the range was more what you see in any normal gathering of people. It seemed a bit like a pep rally with people standing up telling their stories, both their triumphs and tribulations, with lots of encouragement and prizes from the leaders. I mostly hung in the back and observed.
I cannot say that I worked the system. I payed an upfront fee and joined, but I did not do it long enough or with any consistency to get a measurable result. At the time, I seemed to think if I paid money, I would magically start losing weight. I certainly was not consistent in recording what I ate in the little book they gave me or then converting that into "points". At that time I was still fighting against the fact that the rules of nature applied to me. Despite my failed experiment, from observing the success of many others, I conclude that the theory and methodology of WW is a sound and healthy way to lose weight. The best thing that I got out of my experience with it was a good cookbook that I bought. We still cook with it. We found the recipes to be straightforward and the food to be easy to make, healthy and delicious.
Consumption:
Cheerios and Raisin Bran Cereal with skim milk
Banana
Caesar salad
Portobello mushroom/red pepper sandwich with goat cheese
2 slices of cheddar cheese
Pear
1 and 1/2 crab cake
Artichoke dipped in butter and lemon
I also tried Weight Watchers several years ago, admittedly in a very limited way. I was surprised to learn how many meetings there were and in many locations, so convenience was not an issue. I am not sure if it was more shameful as a dude to go than for women, but I certainly had lots of trepidation. I remember driving to the building in my neighborhood after work, looking for an inconspicuous place to park and slinking in to the meeting. Who would see me? Would I be the only man? As it turned out, there were a few other guys, but not many, we were definitely out numbered. I was surprised at the range of people's weight. I guess I expected everyone to be fat, but the range was more what you see in any normal gathering of people. It seemed a bit like a pep rally with people standing up telling their stories, both their triumphs and tribulations, with lots of encouragement and prizes from the leaders. I mostly hung in the back and observed.
I cannot say that I worked the system. I payed an upfront fee and joined, but I did not do it long enough or with any consistency to get a measurable result. At the time, I seemed to think if I paid money, I would magically start losing weight. I certainly was not consistent in recording what I ate in the little book they gave me or then converting that into "points". At that time I was still fighting against the fact that the rules of nature applied to me. Despite my failed experiment, from observing the success of many others, I conclude that the theory and methodology of WW is a sound and healthy way to lose weight. The best thing that I got out of my experience with it was a good cookbook that I bought. We still cook with it. We found the recipes to be straightforward and the food to be easy to make, healthy and delicious.
Consumption:
Cheerios and Raisin Bran Cereal with skim milk
Banana
Caesar salad
Portobello mushroom/red pepper sandwich with goat cheese
2 slices of cheddar cheese
Pear
1 and 1/2 crab cake
Artichoke dipped in butter and lemon
Apple cider
Exercise:
None
Exercise:
None
My Fitness
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