Weight Watchers

What's the meeting like?

Flexibilty Is a Plus

If you have a day when you have used up a good deal of your Points, it's fairly simple to find low Point foods. If you take your Points finder with you to the supermarket, you can compare different foods' nutritional contents and choose the version of the food that has the fewest Points. If you're looking for convenience, you can find Weight Watchers snacks, frozen entrées and desserts at most supermarkets. Lean Cuisine also provides the number of Weight Watchers Points on their meals' packaging. There are also plenty of "free" vegetables allowed on the program, which you will probably be encouraged to use as snacks to stave off hunger.

"Sounds Pretty Good… Where's the Hard Part?"

On the challenges front, one of the first things you will notice is that as you lose weight, your Points allotment minimizes. Therefore, when you start thinking, "Hey, maybe I can live this way!" you see that you need to eat less as you lose. Be prepared to adjust to much smaller portions if you are accustomed to eating large servings of foods. If you are not comfortable with a group support environment, it may not be for you. The cost may also be an issue for you.

What's the Meeting Like?

I felt that the best way to let you know what a Weight Watchers meeting is really like was to attend one, so I did! My first meeting was very pleasant. When I signed up, I was greeted with kindness and plenty of smiling faces from both the employees and the other participants. I was then given a booklet about the program, a printed piece of paper (which I later discovered was my food journal) and a Points finder.

Then came the part I was dreading… I got at the end of the line that was in front of the scales. I weighed in and the receptionist wrote down my weight on a small, foldable chart. I was told I could keep the chart, but to bring it back each week so I could keep track of my progress. I was relieved to see that no one except the Weight Watchers employee was able to see the scale, as it was partitioned off from the rest of the participants.

The seminar itself was interesting and lasted almost a half hour. The leader used colorful, real-life examples of ways to avoid eating cues. Participants were able to provide input as well. Several members told of their own experience and offered others advice when they asked questions. I particularly enjoyed the humor the leader included in her presentation and the general "lightness" of the meeting. By the time the meeting was over, I was feeling very motivated.

Afterwards, I attended an orientation for new members and the leader was very positive and encouraging. She went over the basics of the plan and answered several new participants' questions. Overall, I felt very comfortable in the meeting, (although I expected to not be!) and I was pleasantly surprised. The support was definitely there, from both the leader and the other participants.

Next page > Sizing Up the Pro's and Cons

Go to Part 1 of Weight Watchers

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