Walked out of first meeting :.(

[BoffinMum]

I have mobility problems which mean that I've put on a fair bit of weight since they started. I've been referred to WW by my GP, so I went along to my first meeting this evening. After half an hour sitting around, the leader started reading a lecture out of all the fitness things we should be doing, which is basically a long list of all the activities I have had to give up since I became disabled. This was mainly directed at a couple of women in the front row. I was really quite upset by the whole thing. The leader just went on and on listing everything. I felt like standing up and yelling "You lot choose to sit on the sofa and take your mobility for granted, some of us don't get that choice". Obviously I didn't do this, but instead I just walked out. I'm not sure what to do next. The leader said we were supposed to stay to the end to receive some sort of instruction. All in all really horrid.

I put on a lot of weight after I had an accident, lost the use of my arm and acquired CRPS (a joyful nerve pain condition). Lost it all end of last year/beginning of this doing MyfitnessPal - made me feel in control of my choices.

I know exactly what you mean about being ground down by it all, and just not having the energy for anything more. Never underestimate the impact of chronic pain.

And as for people telling me to 'focus on what I can do', oh, I put on my smiling face lots about that, but it pisses me off immensely to be told to do it.

(Despite my crappy physio experience) could your local physio people maybe help you to find some kind of exercise regime that might actually help you? Not necessarily for the weight loss, but to possibly make you feel a bit better. Maybe something swimming pool based, to avoid the impact issues.

I think there are lots of low carb threads on here where people swear it works brilliantly for weight loss without too much effort.

Oh, I did this with SW- one meeting and I went on to lose two stone. It became my motivation: lose weight or you will have to go back to those fucking meetings.

I can't recommend MyFitnessPal highly enough. Am back on it now after breaking my shoulder and never really losing the baby weight. It has to work otherwise I have to go to one of those fucking meetings again

Right, have opened an account with MFP, so baby steps, as they say.

Arbitrary, swimming works but in public pools the chlorine gives me massive thrush. So I am saving up for my own pool. It could take some time.

Anybody want to be a buddy on MFP???

I have done WW a couple of times, never went to the meetings, didn't need to hear someone tell me the flippin obvious.

Psychologically it's meant to be a good motivator to get weighed in weekly and as WW is quite expensive normally, then I'd suggest you keep giving it a go. Is it possible to find another meeting?

It's a long read but the first post on this thread is pretty worthwhile...
www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/974888-in-place-of-a-road-map-2k13

The other meetings around here are in work time.

Good for you, with MFP, Boffin. I'm sorry WW pissed you off ... tbh, it pissed me off when I was fit & healthy, I wouldn't go near one now!

I have tried to apply the AA principle of "listening for the similarities, not the differences," but have concluded this only works when everybody in the group is following the same principle!

If you're interested in figuring out some exercises appropriate to you, you're welcome to join my arse thread. It's only day 2 and I'm currently sitting on my flat arse, watching videos of fit women doing exercises ... but it's early days yet

Crikey, Itsall!! That will take some working out.

Boffin, as someone with RA for 28 years, Osteo, Fibro and most recently a dislocated hip, I feel your pain. I have a LOT of weight to lose. I KNOW that losing weight will only help me but between the pain and the fatugue, its hard, you emotionally eat becaus of the depression the pain causes or you sleep all the time due to the fatigue. Its a vicious cycle.

What I recommend is that you find a support group in your area for your condition. They may run classes that are adapted for you. I took over our support group and now run tai chi and seated exercise programms which are great. And if I can do that with my lack of mobility *which is exceptionally limited ) then I am sure that when you are ready you can do it too.

I have loads of info on exercise, and diet that I can send on to you if you like. Try not to feel too bad if you can. x

Hi boffinmum. FWIW, my mum had severe osteoarthritis and while I can't know what that feels like, I saw how utterly draining and debilitating it was for her. So I understand why you were pissed off!

As regards WW, SW and the rest, they work if you stick to them. I lost tons of baby weight on SW (and without exercise - I had major back problems so didn't do much more than limp from my car into the supermarket, or wherever). But I hated the meetings; I knew more about nutrition, metabolism and physiology than the leader did. Still, paying the thick end of a fiver a week was good motivation to lose the weight speedily!

I think the chronic pain group will address that actually. I'm supposed to be seeing the consultant in early December about this as the first step.

You can do it without exercise OP, ItsAllGoingToBeFine is correct, it's mainly about diet.

I got to goal 5 years ago with WW and no exercise, I lost 6 st and have kept it off so it can work. I exercise now but it's certainly not going to stop you if you can't.

Maybe give another meeting a try, they have topics they have to cover each week and the next one will be totally different. If you don't want to, the online tool is brilliant.

Good luck.

I think you need to work out what you hoped to get from WW and then try and find that from elsewhere if that leader didn't suit. I think WW gives 3 things - a diet plan, someone to weight you and comment on your progress each week and peer support.

So if it's the food plan you wanted - then doing it online would work just as well. Or you could devise your own plan, buy a book and follow that.

If it was the weighing aspect you could just turn up to be weighed weekly, and skip the chat, or ask your practise nurse to weigh you weekly, or ask a friend to do it for you.

If it is peer support you need you could either try online support or find other liked minded people (maybe the pain support group for example) or if I read correctly your GP sent you and 2 other people with mobility issues to WW. Maybe the three of you could offer each other support outside the meeting?

I found being weighed by someone helpful - the food plan and peer support less so. I'm smart enough, as are you, to be able to plan a healthy diet and the people at my meetings never really seemed to be peers - we were all overweight but not for the same reasons - so the little things people would share as hints just seemed crazy to me.

I hope you find the support you need to lose the weight. It's hard enough to do without chronic pain.

Isn't it shit how the whole body can conspire against you? The chlorine in swimming pools brings me out in a rash. One of the local pools uses a non-chlorine system though (no idea what they actually do, but you get to come home not stinking of chlorine). Maybe there'll be one like that somewhere near you. And then, in about 200 years, you'll have the money for you own pool!

I find that the different combos of drugs my doctors give me have an enormous effect on my weight, regardless what I eat or do.

I have been doing ww for 8 months I have lost 3 stone with no exercise as all I have a broken foot and have been in a cast all year so havnt been able to be mobile it does still work with out being active.
Give the leader a call or text and explain why you left if you find you don't get on with the leader don't give up find another group it's a great plan and it does work x

Im 44katy on mfp and need a boost to get back to it, pls be my friend

Not sure how to add buddies on MFP? It keeps asking for access to my addressbook and FB account.