Thread: I went to my first ww meeting yesterday....

...and I hated it!!!!!!!

I was horrified to find that they blow a horn every time anyone reaches goal! HOW EMBARRASSING!!!! That alone just makes me scared of actually reaching my goal!

It was packed solid too, sooo many people, and I went into a mad red faced panic attack whilst I was stood in the queue waiting to get weight, I was absolutely terrified. It was really quite embarrassing. I very nearly walked out at one point.....I'm such a drama queen, lol.

I stayed for the meeting and I felt SO uncomfortable. I was crammed right in the middle of the crowd of people, feeling very claustrophobic, and I was absolutely dreading the leader trying to get me involved in the meeting. She's a brilliant leader, very friendly and she really does seem so nice, but she's one of those that tries to get everyone involved in what she's talking about - I don't like that. It was quite obvious who has been going for a long time because they were all sat in the front and chatting away about their losses etc. One woman had to get up to collect a certificate, another guy had lost another stone so had to choose a 'stone' from the leaders pot as a keepsake (nice idea, but very embarrassing to be pointed out in front of all those people!).

There is nothing I hate more than being center of attention, I hate people looking at me, so the thought of having the horn honked when I reach goal, or having to stand up in front of that many people and pick my stone, it just horrifies me!!!

I couldn't even sleep last night for worrying about it, I'm absolutely dreading next week, I really don't want to go

And to top it off, I was 4lb heavier than I thought I was, and I'd had a terrible day anyway (I'm selling my flat, which I had been renting out, and my buyers pulled out yesterday - after 7 weeks!!!! We should have been completing the sale any day!! So when the estate agent called me with the news I just cried - in the middle of Asda car park! Then I spent the rest of the day stressing about how we're going to cover the mortgage payments on it whilst we find another buyer and waiting for the sale to go through! We're only just managing on one wage as it is, but now we have to pay our household bills AND the mortgage on the flat, as well as keep the baby clothed and fed! ) so my ww meeting really was just the perfectly horrible end to a perfectly horrible day.

On the up side, I'm far too scared to go to my 2nd meeting without a decent loss, so I absolutely HAVE to be SOOOO good on my diet!!!

Oh!

Hiya Marie
I am thinking of joining a ww meeting but i am the same i am bothered about walking in infront of all those people who you dont know as i will be going on my own do all new members sit together and the leader sees you at the end of the class.
Do you get new books or is it the same switch hand book
Is there a book called eat wisely do you get that on your first week .
So im just debating i cant seem to lose weight doing it on my own at home ithink i need a meeting . Does the leader talk about anything at the meeting to do with ww
Thanks
Bethany

Hi Marie

So sorry to hear about all your problems at the mo. I must admit that I think I would have been horrified at that sort of meeting.

Our leader is really nice, friendly and bubbly. She gets you all talking to each other but no such thing as a horn blowing or a stone to chose. When you reach 10% or goal or whatever she gets people to give you a round of applause but that is about as far as it goes.

Dont let it put you off though, you will be pleased at the outcome of it next week which will make you feel a lot better somehow the weight loss cover up for how bad the meeting is. Well it did for me anyway. I think next week I will be going to get weighed and then coming home, All I want is the kick up the bum with someone weighing me not the meeting parts. They like you to stay the first couple of times and then after that you are let off of the hook......

Keep it up girl you have done the hard part.

The meeting itself wasn't bad, the leader goes to a lot of effort and she's ever-so nice (I feel bad for complaining now, lol). I suppose all the extra attention when you do well is supposed to be an incentive to do well - which it obviously is to a lot of people - but I just prefer to blend in to the background really.

For the meeting itself she was talking about quorn and how much lower in points it is than mince, she even made a quorn lasagna for everyone to taste! I couldn't fault her effort or encouragement at all. The newbies had to stay behind at the end of the meeting so she could just explain how the diets work. It didn't take long at all, maybe 5 minutes, then she sent us all on our way and told us to give her a call if we need her help with anything during the week. She really was lovely, and very welcoming.

I will keep going, but I think the nearer I get to goal or my 10% etc then I'll skip the meetings to avoid embarrassment, lol.

I dont like to be the centre of attention either and used to loath all the clapping and that if i was slimmer of the week or whatever BUT it did spur me on.

I think if its that mortifying, I would call the leader and just let her know how u feel. it can be said nicely, just say u r shy and really dont want any fuss made. She sounds liek she is a good leader and would therefore really understand. all she is going to care about is that u enjoy the meetings and do well with ur eating plan. so maybe u can collect ur stone while doing the weighing and not have it made a big deal of. maybe once u r comfy in the sessions u will feel more inclined to take the limelight but for now, im sure she wouldnt want you to be mortified and will be happy to let u melt into the background.

I would still make sure i get certs and stones as those r still ur achievements but if u dont wanna do it to the sounds of horns blowing and applause then Im sure that'd be understood. she must have some members that have asked to be treated like this?

good luck for this week either way. u seem determined and thats the main thing!!

that sucks about ur flat but there may be ways to make it easier. have u tried speaking to the bank? i know they r just interested in the money but they will want to help u pay it, surely? I'd steer clear of bridging loans and the like tho. scary! maybe a relative could help out? best of luck with that...i know it must be dead stressful and not what u need while trying to lose weight. u sound like u can get thru it without turning to food.

best of luck with it all
xxxxxxxxx

That's an idea about having a quiet word with the leader, I might do that...though I'd probably feel just as silly for making such a big deal of it and even bringing it up. She'll probably think I'm a bit over sure of myself for thinking I'll even get to the stone/horn blowing stage, lol.

You will do it Marie. That is a good idea to have a quiet word with her. So that she does not think you are so sure of yourself you could wait until you are nearly there and then say to her very quietly 'Please no horn blowing' LOL.

We have roughly the same to lose so this should work out well.......we can keep each other going.

Hey Marie, sorry you didnt like it. Maybe its just because it was your first week. When you get to see the same faces youll start to settle in. Let your leader know you dont want be praised and she wont do it. But Im sure when your close to 10% youll be proud and want all your new friends to know! Dont let it put you off!! What did the WW scales read ? xx

i think she would be chuffed that u r convinced u will get far enuff to get certs and stones!! afterall, why r u going if u dont want those things or think u can get them?

u dont have to make a big deal when calling her. she invited u to phone her afterall. I would just say, " i really njoyed the meeting and feel i will get lots of support, however..for the first while, can i blend into the background a bit. im shy and dont want any real fuss made. if i could collect stones and certs discreetly i think it would help me feel more comfortable for now". no big deal and no harm done. i wonder how many people have said nothing and just never turned up again in ur shoes?

xxxxx

Hi i think when you go to a meeting it is nice to collect certificates and what ever if some people are a bit shy then the answer is for the leader to give them on the quite when they have all gone .
Im a bit shy of going into my meeting for the first time when i do decide to go but ist just breaking the ice for the first time then every week will be ok

Bethany

And thats another reason Im doing WW myself and not going to meetings!! I hated that whole side of it. The leader at the class I went too also went round and announced everyones weight loss at the meeting too. I got that I went for the weigh in and then bolted!!!

Having said that, it might be good to stick with it for a while Marie to get back into the swing of things. I do agree tho that the horn sounding idea sounds AWFUL!!! Id definitely ask her not to do things like that, this whole journey is hard enough without dreading the classes *HUGS*

I think I'll probably wait until I'm getting close to a goal before I mention it...but it does make me worry about losing the weight. I'm so silly aren't I, lol.