Overheard at Weight Watchers

[TaraB]

Any other Weight Watchers members out there? These people are a goldmine.

"There's no drive-thru Dunkin Donuts between town A and town B....it's not like I can go into the store with my 3 kids, so how am I supposed to get coffee??"

"They rented port-a-potties for the party. It lasted from Friday night to Sunday night." Apparently it was an 8th grade graduation party at someone's house.

[FiguringItOut]

Ex member here.

Just the amount they drop on WW foods and products is enough to eye-roll. 


PS:    I wanted to rejoin, but after couple months I couldn't get used to their new smart points after p+.  :(  Maybe I should give them another try.

[Moonwaves]

Ex-member, was struggling a bit at the expense of it and then they changed the plan to something else and my at-the-time-almost-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown self just couldn't cope. I do remember not liking the leader of that new-to-me class either as she always seemed very focused on selling the products rather than the support aspect of her job. When they seemed to be heading towards forcing people to buy the calculator things it was the last straw (that was a week after the new plan was introduced I think) and I gave up.

When I moved last year I finally managed to collect all of my WW stuff into one box (it's not a small box either). The number of different plans they've had has to be seen to be believed. Although at least they were moving with the times (and presumably the research) in terms of what is actually useful and not.

I agree though, that the classes could be a font of much ridiculousness. People get so fixated on the non-/low-fat versions of processed products.

[TaraB]

Oh I did the Points back in 2009 and 2010 and lost over 100 lbs.

Then life happened.

But in late 2015-now I've lost 70 lbs. (this time all on Smart Points). Through work I got a discount of like 55%, so that was great. I'm back to lifetime so I plan to keep attending and never pay again.

If you have a smartphone and access to the app (ie pay for a subscription), it's so easy because you can barcode scan everything. But then I realized I wasn't reading labels at all....so I had to retrain myself.

But yeah, since I don't talk to anybody at work or at yoga class, and I don't have any friends anymore, WW meetings are my main exposure to the rest of the world. (I was gonna call them "regular" people, but they're not regular either!).

[lizzzi]

Back in the early 90s I remember WW being a lot more simple. I remember something called "WW Level I", which was pretty much a healthy 1100 or 1200 calories per day, with at least a half hour of exercise daily. It was a really great regimen, and worked. Not a lot of nonsense. I have not been able to figure out WW for years---much too complicated, and you have to buy all kinds of rubbish. When I want to lose weight and shape up, I just devise a kind of WW Level I for myself, and it gets me right back on track. For free.

[ixtap]

I found it really depends on the leader. I had meetings in Miami where everyone thought I was a superhero for riding my bike about two miles to the meeting and they spent all of their time talking about how to get more food (especially junk) out of their points and wondering why they weren't losing.  A substitute came one week and talked about actual nutrition, but the group that the more junk for your points leader had attracted weren't very interested. But we know he type well around here, don't we?

For those who like WW online, you can get the support and information from My Fitness Pal for free.

[o2bfree]

I heard a WW newbie raving about the new bathroom scale they were getting. It was over $100, but had Wi-Fi, could calculate body composition, etc. Not a huge chunk o'change, but still. Wi-Fi on a bathroom scale?? How long before the thrill of that wears off and it's just another gadget that eats batteries?

[russianswinga]

Can someone explain this Weight Watchers thing to me?

I noticed I was getting a bit overweight (ideal weight 160, my dad bod is 200 now), so I downloaded MyFitnessPal for my smartphone to enter all calories I consume and I started doing daily workouts. Entering is really easy as I can scan barcodes of literally all foods (veggies, rice etc I enter by hand) and it automatically assigns one serving.

Diet is the main part (I'm now down from 2200+ calorie intake per day to 1500 calorie intake), I'm losing about 2 lbs per week. When I plateau (if that happens before my 160 ideal weight), I'll ramp up my exercise.

Weight loss is not rocket science, people. Calories consumed < calories expended = weight loss.
What do people actually pay money for in those groups???

[ixtap]

Can someone explain this Weight Watchers thing to me?

I noticed I was getting a bit overweight (ideal weight 160, my dad bod is 200 now), so I downloaded MyFitnessPal for my smartphone to enter all calories I consume and I started doing daily workouts. Entering is really easy as I can scan barcodes of literally all foods (veggies, rice etc I enter by hand) and it automatically assigns one serving.

Diet is the main part (I'm now down from 2200+ calorie intake per day to 1500 calorie intake), I'm losing about 2 lbs per week. When I plateau (if that happens before my 160 ideal weight), I'll ramp up my exercise.

Weight loss is not rocket science, people. Calories consumed < calories expended = weight loss.
What do people actually pay money for in those groups???

Journalling is one of the most important tools for weight loss, but support groups also have a high (don't remember the studies, so I am going to err on the side of caution and say correlation) with long term success. Just like finances, the math is only one part of the equation, the psychology is where success actually lies. So, even though I prefer My Fitness Pal, some people get a kick in the pants from paying the fees.

My problem with weight watchers isn't the program, it is the branded pedometer, snacks, WiFi scale, folders for holding your journals....

[TaraB]

For some of us, it's our AA. Some people have disordered relationships with food, and the support of the weekly meetings (and now they have a social media component- kinda like instagram) really helps.

To the people who can just say "oh darn, I've been eating too much, gotta cut back" and then they just do it- I applaud you! Intellectually I've always known calories in vs calories out, but getting myself to do it has been hard.

But it IS a business. I worked for them briefly in 2011. Yes they sell a lot of branded crap. But since Nov'15 when I rejoined, aside from a monthly membership fee, I never bought their products. I know they sell a lot of branded crap at the grocery store, and I used to buy more of that stuff, but in 2017 I've been cooking a lot more and just generally (finally) eating more healthy. So I don't buy their branded crap, because there is other stuff out there I like better and is cheaper!

Here's why I'll always need weight watchers- the other day I realized I might have a serious medical condition (I go to the doc tomorrow) and my immediate reaction is "Screw it, give me all the ice cream in sight". Apparently some people don't have this reaction?

But yeah I agree that many people will just fork over a ton of money, hoping that will do the trick. Nope gotta put in the effort to plan your food and exercise!!

[FiguringItOut]

For some of us, it's our AA. Some people have disordered relationships with food, and the support of the weekly meetings (and now they have a social media component- kinda like instagram) really helps.

To the people who can just say "oh darn, I've been eating too much, gotta cut back" and then they just do it- I applaud you! Intellectually I've always known calories in vs calories out, but getting myself to do it has been hard.

But it IS a business. I worked for them briefly in 2011. Yes they sell a lot of branded crap. But since Nov'15 when I rejoined, aside from a monthly membership fee, I never bought their products. I know they sell a lot of branded crap at the grocery store, and I used to buy more of that stuff, but in 2017 I've been cooking a lot more and just generally (finally) eating more healthy. So I don't buy their branded crap, because there is other stuff out there I like better and is cheaper!

Here's why I'll always need weight watchers- the other day I realized I might have a serious medical condition (I go to the doc tomorrow) and my immediate reaction is "Screw it, give me all the ice cream in sight". Apparently some people don't have this reaction?

But yeah I agree that many people will just fork over a ton of money, hoping that will do the trick. Nope gotta put in the effort to plan your food and exercise!!

YES!!!!! THIS!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^

There are people who don't understand food addiction.  If this was about AA (which is free incidentally), nobody would be questioning the need/validity of it, even if AA came with $45/month price tag.

I just want to add, I started using WW back in 2011 when they changed their program to Points+ and I loved it.  I knew that that change was coming and was waiting for it before I started using it.  I did not like their program prior to that.  I should also add that I was able to use completely free, full online access plus meetings, because I knew someone who worked at WW and was able to get me free access.

I was on it for about 2 years (meetings on and off as my mood struck) and lost about 65lb.  I went off the program at some point and now I gained almost all of that weight back.  I tried to join WW again 2 years ago when they switched to SmartPoints, but couldn't get used to the new program and it didn't work for me.  Some of that may be due to some major other stress factors in my life at that time though.  And I had to pay also.

I am thinking of giving it another try in the fall since I will be traveling on and off through out the summer.  I already added it to my budget in case I decide to go through it.

On the other hand, I haven't spent a single penny on WW products or foods ever (other then the cost of meetings 2 years ago).  For a while in 2010 I was able to get their bars etc for free from the person I knew there.  Some of their bars were tasty, but portions are very small and they do not help with sweet cravings, so I stopped them too.  And I did get free home scale (no WiFi lol).

FYI for those interested, WW completely overhauls their plan about every 5 years, and on average, they tweek their existing plans every 2 years.  The overhauls are mostly based on new research and such, but most of tweaks are marketing and offering 'new gimmick' for new members.  It's a business.

Also, a lot depends on the meeting leader.  Some are amazing.  Others are awful.  You have to find the one you like.  My favorite leader was an older lady who lost over 100lbs twice, and almost never pushed products beyond required minimum.  That was a group of mostly suburban middle aged moms and early retirees.  That's where I lost over 60lb.
I couldn't relate to 30-something leader who kept telling us about her struggle of loosing 30lb and kept pushing products at us.  I'm not saying that it wasn't a struggle for her, I'm just saying that I couldn't relate. 

[Moonwaves]

For some of us, it's our AA. Some people have disordered relationships with food, and the support of the weekly meetings (and now they have a social media component- kinda like instagram) really helps.

To the people who can just say "oh darn, I've been eating too much, gotta cut back" and then they just do it- I applaud you! Intellectually I've always known calories in vs calories out, but getting myself to do it has been hard.

But it IS a business. I worked for them briefly in 2011. Yes they sell a lot of branded crap. But since Nov'15 when I rejoined, aside from a monthly membership fee, I never bought their products. I know they sell a lot of branded crap at the grocery store, and I used to buy more of that stuff, but in 2017 I've been cooking a lot more and just generally (finally) eating more healthy. So I don't buy their branded crap, because there is other stuff out there I like better and is cheaper!

Here's why I'll always need weight watchers- the other day I realized I might have a serious medical condition (I go to the doc tomorrow) and my immediate reaction is "Screw it, give me all the ice cream in sight". Apparently some people don't have this reaction?

But yeah I agree that many people will just fork over a ton of money, hoping that will do the trick. Nope gotta put in the effort to plan your food and exercise!!

YES!!!!! THIS!!!! ^^^^^^^^^^^

There are people who don't understand food addiction.  If this was about AA (which is free incidentally), nobody would be questioning the need/validity of it, even if AA came with $45/month price tag.
......

I'll jump in before anyone else does and point out that it is of course possible to go to OA meetings to get help with controlling your addiction (if that is a problem you have, not everyone trying to lose weight has an eating disorder). But you still need to lose the weight, which WW can help more with than OA, in my experience anyway. WW isn't perfect and it is useful to never forget that it's a business but if you do find a good leader and can stick with it, it can be very effective. You do need to make sure that you look at everything you're doing as lifestyle changes rather than diet, though, to help minimise weight re-gain if you're not doing the program any more.
And, for what it's worth, although OA (and AA and all the other As, as far as I know) can be free you are asked to make a small donation every week to help keep the lights on. Or at least that has been my experience in Ireland and Germany. If you can't, it's not an issue but it's fairly noticeable if you don't add anything to the pouch being sent round, which made me at least feel uncomfortable.

And now, back OT and looking forward to hearing more about some of the silliness that people will hear at their WW classes. :)

[russianswinga]

Huh, I never thought about it from an "addiction" point of view. At no point did I consider one could not be 100% in control of the food they put (or don't put) into their body, but I guess that's as narrow a view as telling a heroin addict "just don't shoot up anymore, what's so hard about that?".

My relationship with food is simple - it sustains me, and I would prefer it taste good while doing it. Portions / quantities are not that important. I have ice cream in the freezer staring me in the face for weeks on end, and I have zero impulse to reach it unless it's a "cheat day" when I allow myself intake of 2000 calories instead of 1500.

Now the fine gognac I have in the liquor cabinet is calling my name a lot more, but alcohol is extremely calorie heavy as well, so I'll save that for a cheat day ;)

[Hash Brown]

When I was a kid I mowed the lawn surrounding a house my grandmother operated her antique business out of.  At some point they tore down the house next to it and put in a cinder block building with a Jazzercize in it. 

This was the 80s so the women would be in their doing step aerobics with their big hair and neon workout clothes.  I rode a bicycle 3-4 miles there, mowed the lawn with a push mower, then biked 3-4 miles back.  Fact is I was getting a lot more exercise than they were and getting paid $6 to do it. 

FFWD 20+ years and I still ride a bike a few times a week and have never gotten fat.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

C

Weight loss is not rocket science, people. Calories consumed < calories expended = weight loss.

That actually isn't true. It's been decades since any nutritionist thought that. A calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie. For a start, everyone has a slightly different biochemistry. Secondly, your body processes calories from different sources in quite different ways. You might find it very hard to lose weight if all your calories are from some sort of sugar/carb source, for example, even if you're hitting the calorie target. Thirdly, many people have some degree of subclinical sensitivity to food that greatly impacts how that food is received by the body. Fructose is a prime example, and it's in everything in the form of corn syrup. Maybe do a little research.

[seanc0x0]

I heard a WW newbie raving about the new bathroom scale they were getting. It was over $100, but had Wi-Fi, could calculate body composition, etc. Not a huge chunk o'change, but still. Wi-Fi on a bathroom scale?? How long before the thrill of that wears off and it's just another gadget that eats batteries?

I have one of these WiFi scales (free through work, wouldn't have bought it otherwise), but it's very convenient. Links into my fitness tracker's website and everything. I've had it since September 2015 and it's just now showing 'low battery' for the first time, and I use it daily.

[Inaya]

To those who quit when they switched from Points+ to Smart Points--give it a shot if you're considering it. I HATED Smart Points when they first rolled it out. I quit because of it, but came back a year (and nearly 15 lbs) later to give it another shot. I've adapted to them, and the new program does seem to be better for weight loss and nutrition. While the old program incentivized fiber and punished fats, the new one incentivizes protein, punishes saturated fat, and harshly punishes sugar.


Intellectually, I know that calories in < calories out = weight loss. But it simply just doesn't work that way for me at the psychological level. I cannot moderate, I suck at delayed gratification (except  where money is concerned), and I struggle to function without external motivators (such as a weekly weigh-in). I'm working on these issues, but in the meantime WW (which my work pays for!) is a tool to help me keep my weight down and shed it when it goes too high. (I didn't join to lose weight, necessarily--mostly just to learn how to maintain it as I get older.) And honestly, it's been life-changing. I've learned things about my relationship with food and about nutrition that have not only helped me lose the 10-15 lbs I gained since I turned 30, but it's also healed a very damaged digestive system through good eating habits. And they are habits that will help me the rest of my life even if I quit WW.


And a lot of that is due to a fantastic leader. Since my meetings take place at work, they can't sell products. So the meetings are focused on making healthy choices and good nutrition rather than pushing products. A good chunk of every meeting is just members sharing tips or products that work for them--I've learned a ton, and discovered some products that I love. (Shout out to Fairlife milk. Lactose free, half the sugar of conventional milk and--to me--way more creamy and delicious. And my kefir grains LOVE it for some reason. Expensive, but worth every cent.) I think the key is, the leader focuses on giving us tools to succeed independent of the program.


That said, I have visited WW stores for weigh ins on weeks when I can't make the work meeting, and I've never had products pushed on me there either. Maybe because I don't go for the meetings? I will admit to paying $10 for a tiny jar of "black truffle" flavor powder at one of the stores. It adds a nice satisfying umami kick to bland food and is great on popcorn.

[TaraB]

I'm glad to share my experience to help others understand and inspire those who need it! And thanks to all who have shared!

OT- the worst thing I think I've witnessed was when they tried to sell coloring books *and coloring pencils*. Listen, I love coloring. And it helps me not eat. But come on. Amazon/walmart are always a better deal.

[eddiejoe]

C

Weight loss is not rocket science, people. Calories consumed < calories expended = weight loss.

That actually isn't true. It's been decades since any nutritionist thought that. A calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie. For a start, everyone has a slightly different biochemistry. Secondly, your body processes calories from different sources in quite different ways. You might find it very hard to lose weight if all your calories are from some sort of sugar/carb source, for example, even if you're hitting the calorie target. Thirdly, many people have some degree of subclinical sensitivity to food that greatly impacts how that food is received by the body. Fructose is a prime example, and it's in everything in the form of corn syrup. Maybe do a little research.

When I tell people "It's not just calories in, calories out" They look at me like I'm trying to tell them the sky is purple. But then I ask them if they think their body would have a different composition on a 2,000 calories daily intake worth of Snickers vs 2,000 daily calories worth of Leafy Green vegetables they say "of course it would!" So I counter "Then it's not JUST calories in, calories out" and they ALWAYS reply "But it is!"


From the book "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It" by Gary Taubes:

So long as we believe that people get fat because they overeat, because they take in more calories than they expend, we’re putting the ultimate blame on a mental state, a weakness of character, and we’re leaving human biology out of the equation entirely.

[Lookilu]

Overweight, obesity and weight loss are complicated indeed. The New York Times published an article last year on some of the Biggest Loser contestants who were tracked for 6 years following the show. Their resting metabolic rates have never recovered: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html
Here's the link to the scholarly publication: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21538/full

Another NYT article discusses how weight loss is far from 'one size fits all': https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/health/weight-loss-obesity.html?action=click&contentCollection=health&module=NextInCollection&region=Footer&pgtype=article&version=series&rref=collection%2Fseries%2Fthe-science-of-fat

It's all pretty far from 'calories in/calories out.'

[mm1970]

Ex-member, was struggling a bit at the expense of it and then they changed the plan to something else and my at-the-time-almost-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdown self just couldn't cope. I do remember not liking the leader of that new-to-me class either as she always seemed very focused on selling the products rather than the support aspect of her job. When they seemed to be heading towards forcing people to buy the calculator things it was the last straw (that was a week after the new plan was introduced I think) and I gave up.

When I moved last year I finally managed to collect all of my WW stuff into one box (it's not a small box either). The number of different plans they've had has to be seen to be believed. Although at least they were moving with the times (and presumably the research) in terms of what is actually useful and not.

I agree though, that the classes could be a font of much ridiculousness. People get so fixated on the non-/low-fat versions of processed products.

Yep.  Lost in 2002.  Lost again in 2007 (baby weight), different plan.  Tried again in 2011, that version of the plan SUCKED and didn't work.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

C

Weight loss is not rocket science, people. Calories consumed < calories expended = weight loss.

That actually isn't true. It's been decades since any nutritionist thought that. A calorie is not a calorie is not a calorie. For a start, everyone has a slightly different biochemistry. Secondly, your body processes calories from different sources in quite different ways. You might find it very hard to lose weight if all your calories are from some sort of sugar/carb source, for example, even if you're hitting the calorie target. Thirdly, many people have some degree of subclinical sensitivity to food that greatly impacts how that food is received by the body. Fructose is a prime example, and it's in everything in the form of corn syrup. Maybe do a little research.

When I tell people "It's not just calories in, calories out" They look at me like I'm trying to tell them the sky is purple. But then I ask them if they think their body would have a different composition on a 2,000 calories daily intake worth of Snickers vs 2,000 daily calories worth of Leafy Green vegetables they say "of course it would!" So I counter "Then it's not JUST calories in, calories out" and they ALWAYS reply "But it is!"


From the book "Why We Get Fat: And What to Do About It" by Gary Taubes:

So long as we believe that people get fat because they overeat, because they take in more calories than they expend, we’re putting the ultimate blame on a mental state, a weakness of character, and we’re leaving human biology out of the equation entirely.

Exactly. People have a very flawed understanding of their own bodies when it comes to weight loss or gain. For example, someone who eats moderately and maintains a bit of fat has a MORE efficient metabolism than someone who eats moderately and maintains a skinny body. But that isn't how people generally understand it. And someone under high stress can easily eat a very curbed back diet and still gain weight. We expect people to deliberately work against their biology and then we blame them when they fail, which is going to happen 90% of the time. It's a very unfair form of ignorance.

[MrsPete]

What do people actually pay money for in those groups???

Motivation.  Going to a meeting once a week, hearing someone talk about nutrition and good food /exercise choices keeps the diet idea in the forefront of their minds.

Accountability.  Knowing that next Tuesday someone's going to weigh you and judge your food /exercise choices from the past week keeps some people working towards the goal. 

[Mezzie]

For accountability and motivation, DietBet can be fun.

My work offers WW, but I find MyFitnessPal works fine when my jeans get tight around the holidays.

[I'm a red panda]

When I was a kid I mowed the lawn surrounding a house my grandmother operated her antique business out of.  At some point they tore down the house next to it and put in a cinder block building with a Jazzercize in it. 

This was the 80s so the women would be in their doing step aerobics with their big hair and neon workout clothes.  I rode a bicycle 3-4 miles there, mowed the lawn with a push mower, then biked 3-4 miles back.  Fact is I was getting a lot more exercise than they were and getting paid $6 to do it. 

FFWD 20+ years and I still ride a bike a few times a week and have never gotten fat.

I pay for exercise classes because they are enjoyable. I like the music, I enjoy the chance to see friends. There aren't many other times I can do this outside work.  Right now my zumba class is designed for baby wearing. Although I know some people do, I can't safely wear a baby lawn mowing. Since my husband was hit by a car biking, we won't be biking with our neighbor either. I pay less for my class than an hour of baby sitting would cost.

That step class may be those women's only chance to get out and socialize. You just don't know.

[wenchsenior]

Overweight, obesity and weight loss are complicated indeed. The New York Times published an article last year on some of the Biggest Loser contestants who were tracked for 6 years following the show. Their resting metabolic rates have never recovered: https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/02/health/biggest-loser-weight-loss.html
Here's the link to the scholarly publication: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/oby.21538/full

Another NYT article discusses how weight loss is far from 'one size fits all': https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/12/health/weight-loss-obesity.html?action=click&contentCollection=health&module=NextInCollection&region=Footer&pgtype=article&version=series&rref=collection%2Fseries%2Fthe-science-of-fat

It's all pretty far from 'calories in/calories out.'

No kidding.  My body most definitely processes some types of calories differently from others.  I can eat a LOT more calories from  vegetable fats and protein without gaining weight...in fact, I have to be careful not to LOSE weight eating like that. Swap in calories from sugar and simple carbs, or fatty calories from animal products, and wa la!   This has been true for me for as long as I can remember, but it really was walloped into my head again a few months ago.

Case in point, I am at risk for diabetes, so have eaten low glycemic for years. Also, I can't digest dairy well, so mostly avoid it.  I just spent 2.5 years struggling to stay over 100lbs, even though I reduced aerobic activity, glopped olive oil and nut oils on top of my standard meals, and added hemp milk, avocados, nuts, everything high calorie/low glycemic/healthy that I could handle on TOP of my standard meals.  Could NOT get weight over 102, and would slip back down if I stopped adding above listed high calorie items. It was scary, honestly.

Eventually, I couldn't handle glopping extra oil, nuts, etc, on my food....I was tired of struggling and thinking about it constantly, and resigned myself to being scarily skinny. So I went back to eating my usual healthy, moderate fat, low glycemic way. So I reduced calories pretty notably.  But my weight did not change AT ALL. I stayed right at 101 lbs.

Then, about 6 months ago (around holidays), I fell into very slightly unhealthier, higher glycemic eating for about 2 months. Ate more animal products, some ice cream (maybe a serving per week), a few cookies here and there.  I was still eating my normal meals, but with some additional calories this time coming from animal fats and sugar. For the first couple of weeks nothing changed at all, even though I had added calories again.

But then, a month or so in, it was like my body suddenly adjusted to my 'new' diet, and BAM!  I gained 9 lbs in 2 weeks!  It was absolutely astonishing.  I was thrilled but didn't want to keep eating crap, so I eventually tapered off the cookies and ice cream and saturated animal fats.  I went back to eating my usual way, lower calorie, lower glycemic.

Except now, several months later, my weight hasn't budged. NOW, my body seems happy to sit at 110/111 lbs.

It's crazy! No wonder weight loss is such a puzzle to people. Calories in/calories out, my ass! Literally!

[honeybbq]

For people who may not understand the correlation between heroin/food addiction, I finally understood when someone put it to me this way:

A heroin addict just kicks the habit by going cold turkey. They never have to have heroin or drugs again.

But a food addict MUST consume food. They must teeter on the brink and constantly be on the lookout for bad choices. And social and economic pressures make it much easier to fail as opposed to going out of one's way to find their drug dealer. The food dealer is EVERYWHERE pushing.

I have never struggled with my weight, but I started to understand just a little bit more when it was described to me in this way.

[MgoSam]

Honeybbq, that is absolutely the case. I know a ton of people that struggle to lose weight and many are trying to do so by eating healthier and cleaner meals. They've commented about how many snarky remarks they get at the office or how their parents or someone else will keep offering them things like potato chips and then making what they consider to be funny, but which my friends feel like is a slap in the face, comment about how "Oh, just live a little."

[Kitsune]

Honeybbq, that is absolutely the case. I know a ton of people that struggle to lose weight and many are trying to do so by eating healthier and cleaner meals. They've commented about how many snarky remarks they get at the office or how their parents or someone else will keep offering them things like potato chips and then making what they consider to be funny, but which my friends feel like is a slap in the face, comment about how "Oh, just live a little."

Oh man so much this.

And in a lot of families/cultures, food is the language of love/welcome/caring/hospitality/etc. You're not rejecting a slice of pie (calories, sugar, wheat...), you're rejecting the care your mother put into it, your grandmothers recipe (and the whole culture your family comes from...), and that causes hurt feelings, even if logically "nonthanks, I'd rather not eat this" isn't a referendum on your love for your family.

There are things I can't eat (wheat gives me the rash of doom and makes my skin crack and bleed without 4x/day cortisone cream application... I'd prefer to just not eat wheat?), and maaaan, you'd think I was calling people names when I order a salad with no croutons for lunch. Navigating other people's emotions around my food choices is already such nonsense, I can't imagine doing that while conflicted about what I actually wanted/needed - I'd give in for sure.

[eddiejoe]

Honeybbq, that is absolutely the case. I know a ton of people that struggle to lose weight and many are trying to do so by eating healthier and cleaner meals. They've commented about how many snarky remarks they get at the office or how their parents or someone else will keep offering them things like potato chips and then making what they consider to be funny, but which my friends feel like is a slap in the face, comment about how "Oh, just live a little."

Oh man so much this.

And in a lot of families/cultures, food is the language of love/welcome/caring/hospitality/etc. You're not rejecting a slice of pie (calories, sugar, wheat...), you're rejecting the care your mother put into it, your grandmothers recipe (and the whole culture your family comes from...), and that causes hurt feelings, even if logically "nonthanks, I'd rather not eat this" isn't a referendum on your love for your family.

There are things I can't eat (wheat gives me the rash of doom and makes my skin crack and bleed without 4x/day cortisone cream application... I'd prefer to just not eat wheat?), and maaaan, you'd think I was calling people names when I order a salad with no croutons for lunch. Navigating other people's emotions around my food choices is already such nonsense, I can't imagine doing that while conflicted about what I actually wanted/needed - I'd give in for sure.

I've been eating super clean for the past 5 months and am down a little over 30 pounds. The largest obstacle, by far, is the office culture that constantly pushes unhealthy food at you. I have to turn down cookies/cake/donuts/bagels offered to me at least twice a week and one at least one occasion (homemade cookies) the person legitimately became upset with me for saying no.   

The worst was one day we had a catered lunch meeting and all they had was sandwiches comprised of deli meat, cheese, mayo, and iceberg lettuce with a side of potato chips. Acknowledging that none of that is approved on my diet, I just decided to abstain from eating lunch, and planned a big dinner. My co-workers would not let it go: "come on, just have half a sandwich!" "You can just eat the innards" "Are you SURE you're okay??"     

I find it fascinating because if I told people I was following a vegetarian diet they wouldn't be constantly offering me bacon and looking confused or offended when I said no (and if they did it would clearly be seen as inappropriate). But tell the same people you're not eating sugar/refined carbs/dairy they just shrug and say "good luck with that."

[TaraB]

From Saturday: "My fiance and I just booked our wedding venue! November 2018 at XYZ!"

XYZ is a popular wedding venue, but I've never been there. It will be at least $50K if not more. She's in school and works part-time. Somehow I doubt he is made of money. Hooray wedding debt!

Someone else chimed in that we would all show up in matching t-shirts and crash her wedding. That would be $20 well-spent, IMO.

[Sibley]

I don't typically like the food that is brought into the office. Most of the time I can pass gracefully, but sometimes there's someone who's unreasonable and I'll take a small piece "for later". Later, when no one is by my desk, I wrap it up the napkin and throw it out. I don't like the waste, but consider it a social price.