What's new?

I am four weeks into the new year. I have taken over a meeting about a mile away from where I live. I am torn between fed up and ecstatic.

There is one meeting that I run that has been mine since I became a leader in January 2010. You'd think it'd be my baby wouldn't you, but it's not. I have been trying to build it up ever since I took it over. I have had mean members, clerks that slag me off behind my back and then leave, members that move to a different meeting at the same time/same night (i.e. some problem with me) been abused by the residents of the street where the venue is and harrassed once every month by the Yorkshire Countrywomen's Association - a group of women in their 60s and up who should know better but clearly don't. I've had someone collapse in my meeting, but never got a thank you for taking care of her..... I've helped people get to goal and never seen them again...

I'm feeling bitter tonight. I campaigned my little butt off 4 times in 2010 trying to build up a meeting where I am now pretty much convinced that they really don't care. I've even done a venue change, and I can't see any difference. My numbers are already down and it's January for heaven's sake.

The other two meetings, one which is building up quite nicely and one which is already just mahooooosive and two minutes from where I live, deserve my attention. I feel horrible for saying it, but it's true. I don't really see why I should waste my time with the other, when they don't really want to be there.

I just feel as if I'm letting my members down if I leave or have to close the meeting. But I don't know what else to do. It would be nice to have that evening back and not get so stressed out over things that are out of my control.

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!

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!

Money Making Scheme?!?!?

People (and from what I've read in the comments here http://bit.ly/ccRsRd 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!

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!

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.