3/26/13

WW Members Not Yet At Goal


I am a part of a daily thread on the Weight Watchers message boards for those that have lost 100+ pounds.  We have a really great group and I have enjoyed getting to know others who have lost a large amount of weight and are maintaining that loss.

One member shared that several of his meeting members were coming up to him after the meeting to ask questions.  This was often when the leader was busy.  He wanted to know if others experienced this.  I have.

First off, I talk a lot.  Probably way too much if you ask my family and my husband.  I am very open and honest and am not afraid to share my experience about weight loss and maintenance.  I also feel I have a good grasp on the WW program and on nutrition in general.  I am always happy to answer questions or talk with other members.  I also enjoy sharing my weight loss story.

There is a new member to our online thread that shared her thoughts on this question.  She made note that losing a large amount of weight isn’t an easy task nor do you encounter many that have done that.  It is impressive and encouraging to new members.  I agree with this.  I think our large weight loss does put us in an elite class all our own.  It can seem as though we know the answers but we don’t.

This conversation got me thinking about how many WW members never make it to their goal weight.  Some you still see at the same meetings for years and years.  I never quite understand why they have not made it to goal yet.  I wonder if I was just lucky.  I didn’t have any kids and my husband was very supportive of my weight loss journey.  While my job is not flexible, I had many meetings available to me so I could change when I needed to.  Perhaps I had the right means and ability to get to goal sooner and easier?  Everybody has their different setbacks and struggles and everybody loses weight differently.

I also wonder if some of those members that have been attending meetings for a long time are just content.  They are content with where they are now or that they have their social group keeping them entertained.  I know the old ladies in my morning meetings use that time for social gathering.  I attended my original meeting location from six years ago and saw a mother/daughter duo that was attending this meeting when I started.  Martha had lost 80 pounds back then.  She still looked good but she said she was not yet at goal.  Her mother did get to goal and also looked good.  It was nice to see them and I was happy they were still attending their meetings.  It does make me wonder why Martha isn’t yet at goal.  What are her personal struggles or setback that is keeping her from it?  Or does she just lack the want to get to goal?

Some might even be scared.  Maintenance is a scary place and often a new place that not many people have ever been too.  We know how to gain weight.  We know how to lose weight.  But does anybody really know how to maintain weight?  It could be just fear of getting to goal and keeping the weight off “for this go round.”  Whatever the reason, it does sadden me to see less people achieving their goal weight. 

If you are reading this blog and not yet to goal, is something stopping you?

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