Because you're good enough, smart enough and gosh darn it...

countcurt

I was flipping through WWConnect yesterday and found an interesting thread from a woman who analyzed, in painful detail, her observations made while measuring food on a cruise. This comment followed:



" You are so awesome! Who takes measuring cups with them on a cruise? A successful Weight Watcher does, that's who! I'm adding collapsible measuring cups to my cruise packing list. Thanks, Sheri! Glad you guys are having a good time! "


There were a bunch of emoticons which won't copy here. This helps explain why I don't connect with connect.

Here's more on that subject:  https://countcurtblog.wordpress.com/2017/08/08/irreverently-skeptical/

Calvin2008Brian

Thanks for reading Connect so the rest of us don't have to. ;-)

Strikingly, the original poster was concerned about eating too much oatmeal. On a cruise.

The emoticons were possibly the best part.

whathapnd

All those food emojis, and not one of them is of oatmeal.

"Isn't it ironic?
Don't you think?
A little too ironic? Yeah, I really do think."

Rachel0778

*Sigh* I'm not shocked she posted it since I remember crazy people like that in my meetings by it makes my head hurt how much positive reinforcement she got. I also love that if she was just mindful about the decision and eye balled it she would have eaten less per the photos. I truly have 0 desire to do connect.

podkey

Oh my. I weighed and measured so many things at home to get use to the program. By doing that my "eyes" got fairly good at recognizing proper portions. Restaurants etc almost always serve enough for at least two people and often enough for 3 or 4. I don't take measuring cups with me or scales either. I am not into the rah rah rah emoji filled discourse myself either.

gadgetgirlIL

I'm totally turned off by Connect as well. And emoji, other than the few basic ones, drive me crazy because they are too small for me to figure out what they are when viewed on most of my devices.

countcurt

podkey wrote: »

Oh my. I weighed and measured so many things at home to get use to the program. By doing that my "eyes" got fairly good at recognizing proper portions. Restaurants etc almost always serve enough for at least two people and often enough for 3 or 4. I don't take measuring cups with me or scales either. I am not into the rah rah rah emoji filled discourse myself either.

This is a great observation. Because I would love to have said to her something like "have you ever considered practicing this at home before you go on your cruise? You know, so you'd have a really good idea of what a serving of oatmeal [or whatever] looks like?" Which, depending on the board you were on, would either be well received or land you in a virtual time out. Or both. On connect, that just isn't done.

88olds

The rah rah always makes me think of a '60s variety show dog act called Bob Williams & Louie. It's on YouTube and still holds up.

Someone may recall the tag line, "You can do it boy."

beachwoman2006

I refuse to give kudos to someone who takes measuring cups/spoons with them on a cruise. Or to a restaurant. Or worries about how much oatmeal they eat. <BAER>

manladdvm

So miss the <BAER>, LOL.

Jimb376mfp

beachwoman2006 wrote: »

I refuse to give kudos to someone who takes measuring cups/spoons with them on a cruise. Or to a restaurant. Or worries about how much oatmeal they eat. <BAER>

manladdvm wrote: »

So miss the <BAER>, LOL.

Remind me, what does it mean?

myallforjcbill

So many snarky comments come to mind. It is overwhelming.

88olds

I weigh my oatmeal everyday at home. Although whacky WL things I've done have never extended to taking my scale or measuring cups out of the house.

It's like a WL law of physics, unmeasured portions expand over time.

Like podkey I think my eye is pretty well trained for when I'm out of the house. But I don't think that would last without regular testing.

gadgetgirlIL

@Jimb376mfp - BAER = big *kitten* eye roll

spospo1

minimyzeme

I could diss her / them for whatever they do (bringing measuring cups along / doing so for oatmeal on a cruise / looking for kudos on Connect, but in my opinion, whatever works, works.

Some of my habits have changed with time as a result of first getting started, then being more aware of my behavior, and finally, settling into a new lifestyle. I had to start somewhere and in fact, I remember putting that off for at least a year myself--just moving from thinking about losing weight to actually doing it.

While I'm grateful for our GOAD board (it was key to my path), I think there's room in the puzzle for Connect. No, it does not practically accommodate exchange or counter-arguements but I see that it provides positive encouragement and camaraderie for participants. If that's what it takes to get someone to the next set of stepping stones, good for them.

countcurt

minimyzeme wrote: »

I could diss her / them for whatever they do (bringing measuring cups along / doing so for oatmeal on a cruise / looking for kudos on Connect, but in my opinion, whatever works, works.
...

While I'm grateful for our GOAD board (it was key to my path), I think there's room in the puzzle for Connect. No, it does not practically accommodate exchange or counter-arguements but I see that it provides positive encouragement and camaraderie for participants. If that's what it takes to get someone to the next set of stepping stones, good for them.

Perhaps so. But IMO, it's too one-dimensional to be helpful in the long run. The big problem with looking for kudos is that if it becomes this important, you don't necessarily get the skills and support you need to manage when the kudos stop coming. And, for the most part, they do stop coming. Plus, you don't get the additional kinds of feedback you also really need for the long term.

This has always been WW's biggest weakness...supporting lifetimers. I recognize the current model requires high failure rates for WW to be financially successful. But, really, if they could crack the maintenance 'nut', just a little, I'd happily pay for the value added. Forever.

minimyzeme

countcurt wrote: »

Perhaps so. But IMO, it's too one-dimensional to be helpful in the long run. The big problem with looking for kudos is that if it becomes this important, you don't necessarily get the skills and support you need to manage when the kudos stop coming. And, for the most part, they do stop coming. Plus, you don't get the additional kinds of feedback you also really need for the long term.

This has always been WW's biggest weakness...supporting lifetimers. I recognize the current model requires high failure rates for WW to be financially successful. But, really, if they could crack the maintenance 'nut', just a little, I'd happily pay for the value added. Forever.

I actually agree @countcurt . I'm a big believer in stepping stones so I think Connect can and has gotten some people to the next stone, whether that's 10 pounds, 100, or the launch of their lifetime / maintenance status.

I suspect for the average WW client, they're obese or better (worse), have probably taken a crack at weight loss before at least once before, and hooked on sugar, carbs and lots of junk food. I suspect they're also users of contemporary 'social media'. I really think those platforms have modified people's communication skills. Lastly, I think there's been a strange movement toward 'ME--it's all about me'. I think it's this combination of things that Connect taps into, at least at the start.

My point was only to suggest that if that average WW client has some results, including whatever me-kudos they require, it probably takes them to the next step, which includes reflecting on their own choices, questioning some of the myths, modifying behavior, changing food choices, more interactive discussions, etc.

Of course, I don't know this for sure, but I do know my own process has been a series of stepping stones. I had to start with the first one, something I'd managed to avoid for the better part of a decade.

I think it'd be interesting to see where the oatmeal measurer is a year from now. There's been a few women in my WW meeting who've been on cruises who've lost weight on them (without measuring cups). They knew the program, knew their behaviors and did what they needed to do to enjoy themselves while being mindful about their weight I think they were seasoned vets, not newbie WWers.

I do agree with you that it would be nice if WW paid more attention to those of us on maintenance but really, I know what to do. I don't need kudos (but ironically often get them from our meeting leader); I just need to make good choices. I appreciate the fact that I haven't paid for my membership in almost two years. And of course, GOAD has been a major source of knowledge / myth-busting / interaction that has been very helpful to me. But my path isn't someone else's and if Connect plays an important role for them in getting the results they want, so be it. I see it as one of the pieces of the puzzle. Not so much my piece but maybe a means to an end for some.