I've had a bit of history with Weight Watchers, as I'm sure you all have! Let's share these experiences!
I've had a Doctor in the past ( a few actually) recommend weight watchers.
Well after joining, failing, and re-joining a couple of times, I was finally at my breaking point at 150kg.
A friend of mine who was a 'weigher' at the meetings suggested I fill their empty 'recorder' space, that way I could attend meetings for free (having a lot of weight to loose - I would save $$).
I did end up loosing 30kg, and gaining back 55kg - all whilst I was a recorder for two years! Some support!
WW is a Big Business, and they make a shite load of money. How? They pay didley squat to the workers. The leader gets bugger all - sometimes only $25 for her half a day. the recorder and weigher would get around $11 a piece, and if you weren't at goal - you don't get paid as a recorder and weigher - their justification was - you are getting the meeting free which is now about $17 a week!
I was recording for two years - and it was a job. Every Saturday morining I gave up my time. The thing is people would come late to the meetings and some would want to leave, so most meetings I would be recording the whole time (whilst the actual session was running).
I was foolish, I was starving! They pump you full of hype, and little sayings to 'motivate' you! It's damn difficult when you have a lot of weight to loose!
The most successful people where those you had lost ten kg or under to get to goal (and they call that a weight problem!)
The hard thing was seeing the return failures. If your were a LTM (Life Time member) and gained weight - you come back and get a discount. So many people did I sign up who were enormously overweight and had LTM discount cards. It was difficult for me to believe in the diet too, when a few leaders started to gain back the weight (fighting low metabolisms) . Some leaders even left because of that, I see them at the shops every now and again and they have unfortunately ballooned.
We had a shake up in our area and a few ladys were sacked as co-ordinators. The meetings got changed around and I was not invited to be a 'recorder' at any of the new Meetings (even with my two years experience). One of my friends who was a leader told me that the new co-ordinator (Who was a bitch) didn't want anyone working who wasn't at goal, it was an image thing!
The irony is that an organisation that supposedly was set up to help 'fat' people, was discriminating against me because I was 'fat'!
I don't blame everyone who gained back their weight on WW, because this Weight Watchers program does not work in fighting obesity for the long term!
phew! long post!
LC_Dave