Weight Watchers

I commute to law school, so I was only able to go the Saturday meetings here, but wow. They left something to be desired. The leader was not as inspirational as I had hoped her to be, and there were too many people and not enough chairs. I’m doing WW online now, so I don’t have to deal with the crowd.

I’m a big fattie. It’s true. I have had great results from Weight Watchers when I lived in Vallejo, and when I moved to the East Bay I tried to find a WW local that I liked. This is the one for me. There are a lot of people, yes but it still feels small. The leaders are great and get to know you the best they can. I have been to a couple of meetings at other centers in the area and have not been as happy. This is the one to go to. I took off a star cause it would be nice to have more meeting choices on Sundays and man this place is hard to find.

Wow, it takes a lot for anyone to admit they sought help to lose weight, but as a nation, we are fat, and more people need to get off their rumps, get over their pride, and get help.
When I first went to this location on a Thursday evening, I was very intimidated. I did not like the leader. She tried to convince me not to join. I think she felt I did not have much to lose. She was not very supportive, patient, understanding, or sympathetic.
After almost being in tears from the way she treated me, I tried a different leader at a different meeting. It was a 100% improvement. The people at this meeting were nice. The leader, Sharon, is great, even though she can never pronounce my name correctly. I feel like there is much that does not apply to me, and I wish there were more people like me and more diversity at my meeting, but it is a convenient time and place for me. It is right above my gym (how’s that for motivation). It is in the El Cerrito Plaza shopping area with just about every store at which I shop. It is right next to the El Cerrito Plaza BART station.
There are two programs from which to choose. One allows you to eat from a list without tracking portions. Another allows you to eat anything you want al long as you track portions and stop at a daily target.
You can not join unless you want to lose at least five pounds. At least, that is what they told me. You also can not choose a weight goal below a BMI of 20 unless you have a doctor’s note. Once you reach your goal, you will continue to attend meetings for a while so you can start learning how to maintain a healthy weight. After that, you no longer have to pay to attend meetings so long as you weigh in once per month.
I give this location 1 extra star because the program works. I did lose all the weight I wanted. Make sure you try as many meetings as you can so you can find a leader who works for you. The leader and the people at the meeting make ALL the difference. But do not be discouraged; anyone can do it!