 | 8 Oct 07 |
Things have been super-stagnant in my life. I’ve tried to change things up a bit.
For instance, I thought I’d try Weight Watchers. I’d like to lose some weight, but I’d also like to cook some different things, try new things etc. See, it’s easy for me to just keep on doing what I’ve always done—keep buying and preparing the same foods, the same ways. Pretty boring, huh? So I figure if I got involved in an organization like Weight Watchers, I’d get motivated.
I spent weeks talking myself into this. Then I decided to attend a local meeting. I found the local place on the Internet. I had a pang of, “The meeting is there? That doesn’t seem like the best place.” But then I shrugged and reminded myself I’m going to try new things, learn new things.
I learned something new all right; I learned I’m a snob.
I drove past the meeting place four times. FOUR TIMES and could not bring myself to stop and give it a try. The meeting was supposed to be located in a little building with no parking that serves as some kind of women’s club. Basically it’s an old house in a lesser than stellar neighborhood.
The first time I drove by, an older woman was dragging a couch out the front doors. Weird. I tried to concentrate on finding a parking place, but somehow I just kept going. Then I turned around.
The second time, I passed by, she was dragging out a side table/lamp thing that was hideous. I double-checked my notes—yep, this was the right place. I’ll just turn around and park.
My third time past, there were several pieces of assorted furniture and items dragged out onto the dried up lawn. What was this? A rummage sale? Do they think the Weight Watcher people are saving so much money by not buying Raspberry Mochas that they can afford to buy used furniture? I was so deep into my musings, I kept on driving…for a mile. Then I forced myself to turn back.
Going. To. Try. It.
The forth time, the lawn is GROWING junk. People are parking and milling around the used junk. There’s no signs indicating a meeting inside, no professional or reassuring people—it just looked like a front yard rummage sale.
I pictured myself parking the car and confidently walking up to the older woman with the white blonde hair bobbing around her lined face. “Excuse me, can you tell me where the weight watchers’ meeting is?”
Old woman, “Honey, do I look like I need Weight Watchers?”
Me, “Of course not. But do you know if they are meeting here?”
Woman yells, “Hey, Millie, do you know where Weight Watchers meets?”
Millie, ‘WHAT?”
“WEIGHT WATCHERS! The Fat People! Where do they meet?”
“OH! THE FAT PEOPLE! They meet in the back room where the rat traps are!”
Yeah…I kept going. I didn’t stop. I went home and had a cookie.
And so that’s how I found out I’m a snob. I don’t like the idea of wading through a rummage sale to get to a Weight Watchers meeting hidden in a back room somewhere. I suppose some people might feel weird walking into a meeting clearly labeled Weight Watchers, but oddly enough, that doesn’t faze me a bit.
I have found a meeting in a nearby town that appears to be located in a shopping center. I may give that a try. Maybe…
© 2007 – 2009, Jennifer Lyon. All rights reserved.
Award winning author, Jennifer Lyon, always wanted to be a witch. Since her witch-powers never materialized, she went onto Plan B and now she creates magic in her books. In her new series, the author of the acclaimed Samantha Shaw Mystery Series (written as Jennifer Apodaca) introduces the Witch Hunters, legendary men who must overcome a curse to team up with witches and fight evil.
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I don’t think you’re a snob. From the way you described it, I wouldn’t have gone in either. I wonder if the company knows the kind of location their meetings are being held in. Ack. One thing about self-help groups like Weight Watchers is you’re supposed to feel comfortable enough to talk about your problem with others. If you had gone in there, just to prove you weren’t a snob, you wouldn’t have been comfortable, and defeated the purpose. Go to the shopping center.
Or try Jenny Craig. It worked for Valerie Bertenelli. (And that other chick, who I never really liked.) I also think Nutrisystem might be a good way to go. Look at Dan Marino. Keep trying, Jen. You’ll find something you’re comfortable with. =oD
by B.E. Sanderson October 8th, 2007 at 4:18 amHi BE, I did feel like a snob but I really wasn’t comfortable. My husband cracked up–he told me he knew there was no way I was going in there. I’ll find something that works for me. I really appreciate your suggestions!
Probably I shouldn’t have bought that big bag of M&Ms yesterday…
by Jen October 8th, 2007 at 7:11 amI think people have different comfort levels. There is no way in the world I can see myself in a Weight Watchers meeting. Do I dislike the company and it’s mission? Heck no, I think they are great. It’s my own personal comfort level. I can stand up, albeit shaking like a leaf, and talk about rape, the personal aspects of rape all day long; but get up and talk about my fat, my problems with losing weight, and how I can’t talk myself in to exercise? no way in hell. it’s ain’t happenin’ honey, no way, no how. I’m not a snob, it’s my own personal terror.
Walking into a strange building in a strange neighborhood, especially a building not marked, nope can’t do it.
by Cele October 8th, 2007 at 7:31 amJen, that sounds like EXACTLY what I would have done. It would have made me very uncomforgable. Never mind I’ve stood up in front of people and discussed my very controversial writing, all the while hoping someone wasn’t going to throw rotten fruit at me. Or worse. But I wouldn’t have gone in either….
by Natalie October 8th, 2007 at 8:51 amWay past my comfort zone, Jen. No way could I walk up to a strange house in a strange neighborhood and ask if the meeting was there. I’m a big scaredy cat.
by Amanda October 8th, 2007 at 9:37 amCele, I think talking about rape has to be very hard, but extremely valuable to all the women who have endured rape, and to all the people who love someone who has been raped. As to weight–it doesn’t bother me to say it’s getting harder for me as I get older. Life’s too short to worry about that, I guess.
Natalie, good, I’m glad it’s not just me
Amanda, I’m a scardy cat too, LOL! It just depends. I can get up in front of a room full of people to run a meeting and or talk about writing. But going to a strange place in this situation just made me slightly nauseous!
by Jen October 8th, 2007 at 9:50 amI woulda done the same thing! I remember my friend went to a–I forgot what it’s called, but they always started by singing some song (yee-ich!)–meeting, and they had a ten minute conversation about the horror of the fact that my friend didn’t pour a cup of bleach down her drain every week.
I like blogging better.
by spyscribbler October 8th, 2007 at 1:44 pmSpy, that does sound like a horror! Singing and bleach–what a combination!
by Jen October 8th, 2007 at 2:30 pmJen, I wouldn’t have gone in there. You’re not a snob, you were right to trust your instincts.
by Dru October 8th, 2007 at 3:18 pmThanks Dru–I didn’t want to be a snob
by Jen October 8th, 2007 at 3:38 pmJen, your WW story scared me. Luckily out here the meeting places are far less scary, and there are no rat traps!
by Karin October 9th, 2007 at 8:37 amWow Karin if it scared you, maybe I wasn’t being such a big baby!
by Jen October 9th, 2007 at 10:48 amOh, Jen. Are you sure you had the correct address? I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be laughing, but I’m a snob (sometimes, most times I hide it well) and I go to Weight Watchers. And since I’m getting the picture not everyone understands how a WW meeting operates, allow me to explain. . .
WW meetings take place either in a WW location (we have three offices here in our city) or at approved public locations, usually churchs, shopping mall community rooms or hospital meeting rooms. These locations are visited and approved by the closest WW central office, both for keeping with company standards (they really don’t want to scare you away), and because they often leave equipment stored at the location (insurance). They are also visited and re-approved on a regular basis.
Ok, first, WW is not OEA (over eaters anonymous). OEA was modeled after AA and as I understand it, you do talk about your eating challenges – each person, each week. At WW, the leader talks about various topics each week and invites people to share their ideas, questions, or experiences, but you can go, sit to the side or in the back or even in the middle and not say a single word. You will not be pointed at, or circled around, or prayed for (nothing against praying, just doesn’t happen at WW meetings).
So, here’s what happens when you join WW. You walk in, pay a joining fee (I think ours is around $35-$40?), and fill out a card with your name, address, phone, birthday, and height. You smile, blushing while wishing you were taller, because the receptionist will take your card, check your height against a doctor recommended weight, write the weight range on the top (small numbers, you have to be holding the card to see), and give you back the card. You next blush more and join the line of ladies at the scales.
You go up to a leader/assistant who is at the scale. You go by yourself. It’s just you and the leader. You strip off all the clothing, jackets, jewelry, shoes, whatever that you are comfortable taking off and step onto the scale – who wants to weigh in with two sweatshirts on? The leader looks at the number, writes it in a little box beside the day’s date and gives you back the card. The number is never said out loud. No one else sees or hears it. If you lost weight, the leader will smile and might say something about you having a good week. If you stayed the same, or if you gained weight, she will ask if you had any special challenges you would like to talk about. It’s ok to say, no thanks. She will still smile at you. It’s ok, we all have those weeks.
She will also give you that week’s program materials. It might be about counting points. It might be about exercising. It might be about eating out in restaurants. It might be about traveling and keeping it all together. Each week you get some new information.
Then, you either run for the door because you’re skipping the meeting (happens when you’re on a deadline, holiday shopping or just need to flee the building). Or you take a seat and stay for the meeting. Staying for the meeting is best, but we all sneak out sometimes. In the meeting, the leader will tell you how much the group collectively lost that week. She will talk about a current subject, like dealing with Halloween candy in your house, or too many times through the drive through, or trying new foods. She will ask if anyone had a good week and wants to share — lots of bragging usually happens, ranging from “I went to a wedding and didn’t gain anything” to “I just made it to goal!” She will ask if anyone had any trouble that they’d like to talk about or anything coming in the next week that they might need help with.
Then, before you know it, it will be over, you’ll be packing up, and heading out thinking, “that wasn’t so bad, I can do this!” And next week, you’ll do it all again.
Of course, WW has lots of diet products, but one of the best things about it is that you can eat all the same foods that your family does and still lose weight. You just have to figure out the right portion size, etc. It’s the only program my doctor is comfortable sending anyone to.
Now, here’s where my “snob” part comes in. . .I “shopped” around meetings until I found a leader that I “clicked” with. All the WW leaders have lost weight on the WW program; and they are all really nice. But sometimes you just get a better feeling, a “she knows what I’m about” feeling from different people. So, I pretty much know all the leaders in our area and follow one of two of them around to their specific meetings. After all, sometimes, its ok to be a little bit of a snob, because this isn’t a dress rehearsal, we only get to life it once!
Find a different location and enjoy the experience!
by Kellie October 9th, 2007 at 11:28 amSorry, I didn’t realize that posting had grown to be so long. . .
by Kellie October 9th, 2007 at 11:29 amKellie, THANK YOU! I love your post! See that’s exactly what I’m looking for. I need a lifestyle change, not just losing weight. It’s a mid-life thing. What’s worked for me up till now, no longer works. And I want a place that feels professional and friendly.
It’s very possible I got the wrong place. I am going to check with WW and find out for sure.
Thanks again Kellie! I bet a lot of people appreciate your explanation.
by Jen October 9th, 2007 at 11:50 amI gotta confess I probably would’ve gone inside anyway. I don’t think my curiosity would’ve let me just leave. Even now I’m just dying to know what the hell they were doing with all that furniture LOL! I doubt I would’ve ever gone back though.
by Wendy Roberts October 9th, 2007 at 12:35 pmWendy, I wish you could go and tell me what was going on inside! I’m too chicken but you’re the woman for the job!
by Jen October 9th, 2007 at 4:42 pmJen, I just joined TOPS, Take Off Pounds Sensibly. It’s like Weight Watchers, but WW is for profit and TOPS is non-profit. I pay $24 for the year, and that’s it. I’ll be getting a magazine every month. My sister belongs to a Phoenix chapter. They meet in a church, and she pays $3 a month, which probably they give to the church. My group meets in our town hall (the same place I go to pay taxes, lol). You can check it out at http://www.tops.org.
Whatever you decide, good luck!
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