From: lindac@pogo.wv.tek.com (Linda Cutsforth)
Newsgroups: alt.support.diet
Subject: Weight Watchers
Keywords: meetings, motivation
Date: 10 Oct 92 23:08:34 GMT
Distribution: usa
Organization: Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, Or.

Hi- this is my first time posting to the net ..... 

I'm back on WW now, and this is my ...... FOURTH time back, I believe.  As 
embarrassing as that is to admit, it certainly wasn't WW fault that I didn't 
keep the weight off - I know it is my fault.  I am a lifetime member, and thank
goodness for WW-  they always welcome me back, no questions asked, no 
accusations made, just total acceptance.  

I've reached goal weight twice over the years.  Both times I experienced 
feelings of, "Oh, so this is all there is to it.  I think I can do this on my 
own, I'll just stop going to meetings, and I'll weigh in once a month.... no
problem."  I guess that was just one part of my brain talking, because the 
other part couldn't figure out what to do with the new-found "freedom" 
from being overweight.  I think I went kinda nuts, and got waaaaay 
overly confident, and for whatever reason, I guess I assumed that I could 
go back to my old ways of eating.  As I did so, of course, I regained all 
the weight, and then some.  A year or so later, I went back to WW.  Again, I
reached my goal weight, and I maintained it for awhile, although I can't 
remember how long it was.

The third time I went back to WW, I got to within 10 pounds of my goal, and
then I went on my honeymoon to Germany and Austria.  Although I couldn't speak
German, it was no trouble to find the Konditorei (bakery) every afternoon, and 
just point to what I wanted.  I did a lot of pointing.  I gained a lot of 
weight.  Now, here I am again, back at WW.  I've tried evaluating why I've
always regained weight, and besides the fact that I've chosen the wrong 
foods, and that I did not follow my own inner good intentions of not 
letting myself gain more than 5 pounds above my goal weight, my other 
conclusions are that I am addicted to sweets, and that I've got to come 
to grips with *that* problem before I can work on the other problems.  Having 
*one* cookie is not in my realm of natural behavior, one *dozen* at a 
time, maybe .....

Anyway, here I am, week two of being on program, and I know that for me to 
succeed I need to go to meetings every week, and that when I reach goal 
I need to *keep* going to meetings, and that I must weigh in *at least* 
once a month, as lifetime members are supposed to do.  I've found that I 
can't do the program on my own, but when I have know the lecturer will 
see those numbers on the scale, I keep motivated.  For me, there's 
something about knowing that someone, besides me, is going to
know what I really weigh, instead of believing the weight that is on my 
driver's license.

Choosing a lecturer/WW leader is like choosing a doctor:  you must find 
the person that you are most comfortable with, and one that suits your 
personality.  I've been to WW meetings where I felt inspired by the 
leader to keep on program, and I've also been to meetings where the 
leader was so *uninspiring* that I think the experience contributed to 
my decision to stop going to WW meetings.  I suggest to all WW members, 
that if you have a choice of meetings and meeting leaders, keep shopping 
for the one(s) that are right for you.  You deserve it! 

Linda Cutsforth
Tektronix, Inc.
Wilsonville, OR