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I have been debating about writing this post for some time now. But I kept backing down because I don't hate Weight Watchers. But after reading I Was a Weight Watchers Dropout I knew that I had to tackle this topic.
If you have read my story you know that I am a huge supporter of Weight Watchers. I had done Weight Watchers 2 times before starting back for good in 2012. I immediately started back and the pounds came off more and more. I saw huge success with Weight Watchers losing my largest amount ever of 62 pounds.
I started to doubt weight watchers the more and more I worked out. Although I was gaining more muscle, I started to focus on the numbers on the scales and that number was not budging in fact it was going up! Around the time I wrote my Just a Number post, I decided to apply to be a receptionist with Weight Watchers. I wanted to help people get fit and healthy and thought being a Weight Watcher's receptionist would help me do that. The description of the job sounded just like something I would enjoy. One thing I noticed when I applied that an additional requirement was that I needed to be within 10 pounds of the Body Mass Index (BMI) healthy weight-goal range. I wasn't taken back by this requirement because I understand Weight Watchers wanting someone healthy helping with the meetings. I then clicked the Apply Now button. The Application mentioned "To join our Meeting Room team, Receptionist must be within 10 pounds of their weight goal range upon hire and Leaders must be a Lifetime Member and within 2 pounds of their goal." At the time of applying, I was 5 pounds within my goal weight and was not sure what a lifetime member was. I had never attended meetings because I was an online girl.
A few days later, I received an email from someone with Weight Watchers with a few questions including if I was a Lifetime Member and my Weight. I explained that I only did Weight Watchers online and that my weight was currently a few pounds higher than I wanted but I was within goal. I also shared my success and my blog in a hope that it would help me get a job. The Weight Watchers employee, thanked me for my time and stated that she would get back with me in a few days. Fifteen days later I still had not heard from the employee. So I followed up stating if attending meetings were a requirement I would do that. Forty days from the first email from the employee stating she would be following up and let me know, I finally heard from the employee thanking me for my interest but they were only hiring people that attended meetings.
This cut me wrong. I have been nothing but supportive of Weight Watchers but I felt like this was a poor way to treat someone that has been so supportive of Weight Watchers. I decided that day to break up with Weight Watchers.
Although, I broke up with them based upon the unprofessional aspects of an employee the more I think about it the more I realized I broke up with them to be healthy.
I am not saying Weight Watchers doesn't work, but I am saying we should eat clean and decent food.
I use to eat spray on butter or as I call it cancer butter. I eat fat free cheese. Cheese that I have to "fix" to melt. A process that involves cooking a pasta bake a head of time then placing in the fridge so that the moisture will allow the cheese to melt. Prior to Weight Watchers revamp (when fruit was not zero points), I would reach for 100 calorie packs instead of a banana. Yes, the program works but at what cost? I can now eat cheese that has fat in it! I can eat real butter if I want. I will eat my gluten free products and not be concerned that they are more points than products with gluten.
I can do all of those things and feel good about myself. The longer I was on weight watchers the more I focused on my numbers going down on the scale. But those numbers stopped going down the more I worked out and gained muscle. I want to be healthy and by breaking up with Weight Watchers I can do that. I don't want to be a bitter ex girlfriend to Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers works and I am so happy that Weight Watchers pushed me to lose 62 pounds. I am thankful that I took that step and signed up for Weight Watchers, but for now I must tell Weight Watchers goodbye.
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