Hey there,

I don't get on here as much as i used to - i didn't know you were struggling.

I am happy that you are facing the problem head on - not sure if you're gaining or just at a plateau.

I am glad you are taking action. But i wonder if weight watchers is going to be able to understand your needs and your struggles.

My mom is a life time weight watcher joiner. My sis has gone for many years too. I had joined several times over the years - my first at age 13.

When the three of us are together and i talk about a struggle i have their advice isn't appropriate. eat a lot of fruit and veggies to fill up, or eat low fat foods (which many times are higher in sugar).

I just worry for you that WW isn't really going to help you with your dietary needs, and i definitely do not think they will help you with the ROOT of the problem. The root could be that you are just at a natural plateau that we all go through and your's is just lasting longer. the root could be something metabolic or surgical going on that your surgeon or nut should know about, the root could be that you have a true physical or mental addiction to food and a counselor is better qualified.

I've always felt WW is great for those people who need to lose 20 -40 lbs. but i hardly ever see lifetime members, just lifetime joiners. For those who have serious weight issues, WW just doesn't provide long term success IMHO. it just becomes another diet.

I don't mean to be a downer, i just wanted to tell you that i think there are better resources for you, ones that will better understand your WLS needs and will help you focus on your special dietary requirements.

All the best to you. you are such a kind and beautiful woman. your posts have always been so enjoyable. i know that you will be able to overcome this.

Warmly,
Rochelle

Hi Rochelle, I thank you so much for your words and concerns. WW is a perfect tool in learning how to eat better and make better choices food wise. So I am incorporating that with my weight loss surgery. Lately I have been grazing and need to get out of that habit and feel this is the perfect tool for me.

you are welcome!

i agree WW does have wonderful tools - the website is awesome.

I just don't want you to overlook our special needs, nor be discouraged by the lack of knowledge your group may have of those.

Stay close to us too, maybe we can give you ideas on how to apply some of the stuff WW tells you.

At the very least WW will help you become very aware of what you are really eating. the grazing is so mindless - we have two candy jars at work and its sooo easy to grab a piece!

please keep us up to date!

god bless and good luck
rochelle

On the weight watchers on line... there are groups that are pre and post weight loss surgery. I know this cause I was doing WW on line only and joined these groups. They all talk about WW offering more points than they eat, but the support helps them get back in the swing of things.


And Rochelle, I say this with NO disrespect for your stance on WW at all... we all have had our own experiences and info and opinion, which is good..... So just for what it is worth, I took an eating disorder class a few terms back and we read research and found that of all the coordinated weight loss programs out there, WW has the largest percentage of long term success than any other. I am not saying their success rate was awesome, none of them are, but WW was better than any of the others.

We also learned (just another tidbit of info) that in several studies done on people who had lost a substantial (I d/n remember the specific #'s) amount of weight and kept it off for 5 years or more, all had 3 things in common.

1. They did some type of exercise 5 or more days per week
2. They tracked their foods every day (could be on paper, or one of the many on line trackers)
3. They attended some type of support group (either on line or in person) on a regular basis.

Just sharing ladies!!

@ becca, no offense taken. i agree that WW is probably one of the better programs out there. and i agree with all three of the points you listed.

but we also have our stats that support WLS as out performing all programs for long term weight loss maintenance.

as people who have chosen to have WLS i think it is prudent for us to be cautious of any weight loss program. Our needs are very very unique. all of our nuts tell us to exercise and track and to be in a support group.

i just want us to acknowledge once again, as we did when we chose surgery, that this is a life long life style change. and that lifestyle is different (neither good or bad) from WW.

i think we can all agree WW has some good stuff. i guess i am just very supportive of our WLS programs and would hate to see anyone get stuck into the dieting struggle we all had before surgery.

i love your posts becca - just watched the numbing video - awesome, keep them coming!

"our stats that support WLS as out performing all programs for long term weight loss maintenance."

FOR SURE!!! (ain't that cool!?!?)

And yes, we do (will, for me as I am preop!) have a very different and specific "plan of action" :)

One thing that dawned on me... is those 3 common "rules" successful people tend to share (per study)... They can apply across the board, to us, to WWers, TOPS, OA, etc etc. Kinda cool! A nice common denominator of sorts :) :)

And yeah... some of those tedtalks are AMAZING!! :) I am glad you enjoyed it!

Love you and wishing you the VERY best success!! You can do this. YOU can do this! You go girl!