If you have been to Weight Watchers before, been successful, and “fallen off the wagon” so to speak, you’re not alone. Weight Watchers is proud of having a great number of returning members who have realized that they need to get their mindset back in place, many who post on the various message boardsof the online W.W. community. But you might be hesitant to officially rejoin because of the weekly fee, when you could stay at home and work out the points system by yourself. What is important to note, however, is that the support group meetings and the monetary commitment are very high motivators of Weight Watchers.
It has been proven that people who attend weekly meetings are three times as successful as those who do not attend meetings (Heshka S. et al. "Weight loss with self-help compared with a structured commercial program: a randomized trial." JAMA 289(14):1792, 2003). These sessions include a leader who guides the discussion around a theme for the week, and a room full of struggling dieters. At any meeting, a person could learn tips for dieting, recipe ideas, exercise ideas, or simply connect with other people’s stories that are like their own.
The fee does not need to be paid once members have reached “lifetime” membership, meaning they have maintained their goal weight (calculated when they join) for six consecutive weeks. Thus, while most people would rather not pay the fee, it helps members take their goal seriously.
How to Come Back
- Don’t beat yourself up for falling from your goal, even if you have gained as much or more than what you lost the first time. It is rumored that Weight Watchers has the highest number of returning members, so you’ll be in good company when you walk in the door again.
- Realize that you cannot lose weight without committing to changing your habits. Commitment is easier, by far, when you attend meetings and make your membership official, because you will be held accountable by yourself and by the supportive members around you.
- Know that it is not going to be easy. Weight loss is hard, and unless you prepare for a hard fight, you will not be mentally or spiritually equipped to face it.
- See the beauty in yourself now. Placing your whole self-image and value on your success rate at Weight Watchers will turn your journey into just another obsessive habit; not a habit-changing lifestyle. Knowing you are beautiful and deserve control in your life will help you to start making changes.
- Plan to reward yourself for good behavior. Losing weight the healthy way is a slow process made up of hundreds of small, good decisions; not one. Find ways to reward the small decisions you make so that you will be more motivated to make them.
Don’t be disheartened; if you find yourself wanting to come back to Weight Watchers, it is probably because you should. Finding the support you need is as close as the nearest Weight Watchers center.
