Friday 19 November 2010

Watchdog

Anne Robinson only has to open her mouth and have a public strop about something and then everyone is up in arms.

Of course as usual, Watchdog (like a newspaper) just takes snippets and not the whole truth and makes everything sound worse than it is, saying that POINTS tools were being sold right up until the week before the ProPoints launch.

This is true but only online, and this has been sorted out very quickly by WeightWatchers, but all Watchdog focusses on is the money spent, not the fact that it will all be refunded.

Still laughing at the fact that the woman had a calculator from about 4 models ago and was trying to pass it off as new.

Weekly Weigh In

I put 2lbs on this week. Doh! I was honest though - wore my "Little Miss Bad" top to the meeting and admitted that I had totally used up all (if not gone a little bit over) my entire ProPoints budget! What do we always say?

"If you stick within our ProPoints budget, you will see success"

Not that I went over by a lot, only a couple of ProPoints, but if I got my daily allowance slightly wrong, it could have made all the difference.

I'm trying to maintain, so clearly went up too many ProPoints on my daily allowance. It's all trial and error until you find the right number for you, so 31 was too few - kept losing - and 33 is too many - had a gain so looks like my magic maintenance number will be 32 daily ProPoints!!!

Going to lose this extra pound first and get back to my 11st 8 goal and then I'll stick to 32 and see how I go!

Thursday 18 November 2010

What a Great Meeting!

So tonight was my first meeting, post-launch. I wasn't dreading it at all, but was nervous to find out what the feeling in the room would be like.

I had 1 new member, some who couldn't make it to the launch last week and some who haven't come back.... for what ever reason (will wait and see if they come back next week)

Anyway, there was SOOOOO much positivity in the room. A couple of members admitted that they hadn't quite got their heads around it all, but had followed Points this week whilst still reading up ready to start properly this week, but on hearing the stories of those who HAD followed ProPoints, everyone was really geared up and ready!

Last week I had a room full of people.... a definite first for this meeting for me, but I was absolutely overjoyed to have just about the same number of people again this week! WOW! And the weight loss??? Two and half times that of last week!!!

Up from 12.5lbs last week to 31.5lbs this week!!! Absolutely brilliant!!

I am so pleased and so was everyone else, particularly the one member who was worried that she'd eat too much fruit and didn't understand it.

WOO HOO!

Wednesday 17 November 2010

Money Making Scheme?!?!?

People (and from what I've read in the comments here  it's not just in the UK) seem to think that instead of wanting to help millions of overweight, obese and morbidly obese people all over the world lose weight, achieve their weight loss goals and reach healthy BMIs, WeightWatchers are launching the ProPoints plan simply to inveigle money out of everybody.

Seriously?!?!??!

Firstly, let me point out that EVERYTHING you need as a member to follow the ProPoints plan (apart from your Leader and your meeting support!!) can be found in the little blue folder you receive on week one, including the (admittedly a little fiddly, but much better once you're used to it) ProPoints Finder wheel. And think yourselves lucky, because the WW members in Europe who have been following the plan for a year now, didn't even get one of those.

There is NO obligation to buy any new tools at all. You don't need them, they are a really nice thing should you WANT them.

I understand that some people will have bought all the POINTS tools available to them, but this new programme has been in the pipeline for many YEARS now, and as a result the POINTS tools were sold off (AT HALF PRICE I MIGHT ADD) MONTHS ago. So even if you were the very last member to buy a set of POINTS scales at £19.95, you have had at least 5 months use out of them, and they are a REALLY good set of scales and they still weigh things. Just weigh your food and then look up the ProPoints values in your guide books. The POINTS pedometer still counts steps. Then you just find out how many ProPoints you've earned by looking in your guide books. The tools are not a necessity, just a luxury.

Having said that, there is 20% off most of the tools available to you - Track, Eat Out, Shop, Pedometer, Calculator, ProPoints scales and there are some amazing discounts on bundles too.

As for the cookbooks, WeightWatchers have ProPointed the values (at least in the UK for 100% definite) of all the recipes in the cookbooks released this year.

I can't understand the problem. If you don't want to spend your money, then don't! You don't have to!

Just follow the plan, enjoy it, LIVE, LOVE, LOSE WEIGHT!

Tuesday 16 November 2010

New Facebook and Twitter pages set up

So I got my new social network support stuff up and running today.

Facebook page for my members, and Twitter for, well anyone I guess!

Sunday 14 November 2010

eBay - leaders cashing in.

Here's something that really grinds my gears. The new plan has been out for five minutes and already some leaders somewhere are selling the files on eBay.

I don't know who is going to read this blog, but for heaven's sake DO NOT BUY STUFF FROM EBAY! They will charge you the earth.

Come to a meeting or join online, that way you'll be sure to get all information, and the support you need.

Saturday 13 November 2010

Launch 2 - success.... all bar 2 things!

So this morning went well, although I stood somewhere different to weigh and it was right in front of a radiator, so by the time I actually started my meeting, I was so hot I actually nearly passed out!!! Not the greatest of beginnings!! Got the door open, and cooled off and was then fine though. Phew!

Second thing was that one of my really great members, 54lbs lighter so far, really stormed out at the end... I hope she's okay with it.

Again though, lots of positivity in the room generally. Fingers crossed for lots of good weight losses next week.

Ask-it meetings next week!!

Thursday 11 November 2010

And as well....

I lost another pound. I now weigh in at 11st 7lbs. This is one pound under my personal goal (and 8lbs under my actual goal weight) so I need to add another couple of ProPoints to my daily allowance now....

So I am now on 33 ProPoints a day. Let's see how that goes...... maintenance is so trial and error!

Launch 1 - success!

I can't remember much of it - it feels like a blur, and I know there was one member who actually asked me what had changed (which either meant I wasn't explaining it very well, or she just wasn't listening!!) - but I remember a lot of positivity in the meeting AND

There was a room full of people!! It was so lovely to look up to 24 faces, rather than the usual 7. Wow. It was lovely. I wish them all lots of success this week and hope they all come back and tell us all about it next week.

This is it....

Today (in about 2.5 hours) is my first launch. I feel absolutely sick with nerves.

I'm prepared, I have practised the new GSS, I have some (probably not enough but I had to split it!) stock, I think I'm ready with answers, I have balloons, I have everything I think I need, but that means absolutely nothing!!!

Once I get there, I'll either be great or go to pieces. Let's hope it's the first one!

Sunday 7 November 2010

Happy ProPoints Launch Day (week!) WOO HOO!!

So today, after all the stuff in the papers/magazines/online, ProPoints is finally officially being launched this week.

Of course my meetings aren't until Thursday and Saturday, giving my members ample time to hear about it from other members/friends and eSource (cannot WAIT to see new eSource go live tomorrow!) and then hopefully they'll be all hyped up by the end of the week.

Just hope that I can do it justice on launch night!

Friday 5 November 2010

OMG. The Daily Mail!?!??!?

Renowned for being quite possibly one of the worst scaremongering papers ever (even though it purports to be a broadsheet in a tabloid format), The Daily Mail has been given an (almost) exclusive on ProPoints.

I was livid when I read it (and after a look on the Leader site, turns out I wasn't the only one). I sent a massive email to all the Leaders in my area and my ASM too complaining!!

I think, on reflection, it was the fact that we were all asked to keep it a complete secret until soft launch week, and then - at the eleventh hour no less - WeightWatchers head honchos go and give all the secrets away in a massive three page spread.

The article in question, if you haven't already read it, is here: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1326447/Weight-Watchers-Pro-Points-plan-A-new-approach-dieting-success.html but by now you should already know all about ProPoints from your Leader and know how fabulous it is!

Anyway, feeling pretty despondent I headed off to my Thursday night meeting, determined to put a happy and excited face on it and STILL not let anything slip to my members.

Imagine my delight and surprise when the meeting was full! (Well full for this meeting anyway!! Haha!). I had members returning, new members joining and everyone stayed for the meeting talk too! I was very enthusiastic.... how could I not be? ProPoints has helped me to lose weight and I don't really have weight to lose!!

So as it turned out, I had one of the BEST meetings I've had for a LONG time. 

The interesting thing was that one of my members said she'd read the Daily Mail article and when she tried to say what she'd read it all came out COMPLETELY muddled up. So even though they've read it, it doesn't mean they understand any of it. 

It makes total sense to us as Leaders when we read the article, because we know how it works and we've been trained how to follow it and how to help members follow it, but they need LEADING!! My panic was instantly dispelled, and was made even better when I asked everyone to write down their goals for Christmas and they came out with things like: 

- Have a guilt-free Christmas 
- Enjoy a party over the festive period without putting too much (any) weight on 
- Get into my party dresses 
- Be able to go to an impromptu party without worrying about gaining that week. 

Everyone said I was visibly excited while we were discussing these things and I said "You know why???? You'll find out next week!!!!" 

They may have read all about it, but they're going to look to us to lead them. It's all about the members and I guess the proof will be in the (WW ProPointed!) pudding when we see how the numbers look coming through the doors next week. 

Let's just say I was totally eating my ranting words.