Better together?

minimyzeme

Since starting WW in 2014, I've heard and read the phrase "Better together", endorsing the idea that this journey is improved by doing it with a spouse or friend(s).

What's your experience been in this regard?

cakeman21k

Absolutly true!It helps because at each and every meal you can serve as a reminder to each other so that when 1 of you is feeling strong and motivated, they can help the other stay on track. It also helps because there is less likely hood that there will be lots of non points friendly foods in the house to provide temptation.

88olds

I work alone.

DW does 90% of the shopping. 90% of the cooking. Spent days making gallons and gallons of zero pt soup while also pre cooking brown rice and grilled chicken to go with it.

Although she would benefit from it, I doubt she will ever track a WW point or calorie in her life. As to my program, I’m on my own.

I never talk to folks about diet or exercise unless they ask specific questions and I think they want a serious discussion. I don’t care what anyone has heard regarding the diet or fitness news of the day. I don’t join challenges or competitions.

Because I think weight loss is mostly a mental process, noise can be a real problem. And since my weight loss solutions are tailored to me, I find I have to sort through a lot of stuff to find ideas that are useful. Until this last year I still attended WW meetings, 10+ years. To me the meetings were the school of what not to do. But the accountability of the WI saved me a couple of times.

But I’m happy to stick with GoaD and post on MFP. It’s enough to keep my focus.

Actually I think “better together” is better for WW’s bottom line. Man, we shoulda bet the house on Oprah.

countcurt

I think it's great if you can 'work together'. I've encountered many folks like George whose SO could benefit but chooses not to, which means one should tread very very lightly.

Al_Howard

TOL have pretty much walked together, through "thick and thin". Goal in 1979, back at it off and on for years. She's regained Lifetime status (Dr.'s note), but I'm 25-30# above what the Dr. wants. However, we are co-enablers, so tend to go off the rails together.

goldenfrisbee

It was soooo easy when my wife and I did it together. Not so easy when I've gone on my own.

minimyzeme

The reason I asked is it wasn't my experience. My partner and I joined together. Her approach and mine were somewhat different in that I think she took it as the 'rabbit food diet' initially. She also has a hypothyroid condition which seems to interfere with a lot of her metabolism, despite taking meds to try to moderate it.

As time went on, she did change her eating habits to "conform" more with the way I think WW devised the Points Plus program, but she still struggled to lose. She maintained, but just couldn't seem to lose. Meanwhile, I was losing consistently. Ironically, I was losing on the foods that she willingly prepped and cooked. I think she was happy for me, but pissed at me at the same time.

It got to the point that meetings became challenging. She HATED weighing in and would totally gauge her entire outlook based on the scale (maybe one of the reasons I decided to go the opposite route with it). Sometimes she would be so upset she'd leave the meeting. If I lost at those times, I could feel the tension coming from her.

I am grateful for her ongoing efforts on my behalf with this journey but I can't say my experience was "better together" for the reasons above. In fact, it felt like I lost one kind of weight and gained another. Thus I was curious about how it went for others.

podkey

I cook a lot at home but DW is not doing WW per se. I do like the idea of comradery at my WW meetings.

countcurt

minimyzeme wrote: »

It got to the point that meetings became challenging. She HATED weighing in and would totally gauge her entire outlook based on the scale (maybe one of the reasons I decided to go the opposite route with it). Sometimes she would be so upset she'd leave the meeting. If I lost at those times, I could feel the tension coming from her.

This is the other big issue. Even when it's not a competition, there's a certain frustration. Often one partner loses their resolve/interest before the other and that creates all sorts of tension. The pattern here, which is two people following the program with vastly different results, is particularly hazaardous to a relationship.

myallforjcbill

DW counts her carbs for her blood sugar now. I have adopted my eating to mirror hers more. It is easier for both of us. I plan meals around her targets.

minimyzeme

countcurt wrote: »

This is the other big issue. Even when it's not a competition, there's a certain frustration. Often one partner loses their resolve/interest before the other and that creates all sorts of tension. The pattern here, which is two people following the program with vastly different results, is particularly hazaardous to a relationship.

Absolutely true. I realized I just had to keep going as these dynamics came early in my weight loss path. We're still together and this still rears its head every once in a while. I do believe some of her challenges with her weight loss could be improved with more ready access to a nutritionist and / or endocrinologist. Hopefully the move we're doing will help accommodate that and help her improve her quality of life.