WEIGHT WATCHERS OR OA - which do you recommend?

amother

Fri, Oct 04 2013, 5:52 pm

I must start a diet immediately. My weight has spiraled out of control and I am very overweight. I would love to hear opinions of people that have been there and done that. Which diet do you recommend...this needs to be a lifestyle change...Weight Watchers or OA, or maybe something else?

Maya

Sat, Oct 05 2013, 8:26 pm

I did very well on Weight Watchers. It's a very different system than OA, and you have to know your personality and which one you would likely do better on.

amother

Sat, Oct 05 2013, 9:37 pm

It depends.

Are you the type who can have one cookie and enjoy it? If you are then WW will be for you.

If you're the type that will eat ten cookies once you eat one then you're more suited for OA.

I'm the type who can enjoy one cookie or 4 potato chips. I can have two bites of cake at a Simcha and then put it down. I didn't gain weight because I was overeating. I gained weight from pregnancies (bedrest didn't help that any) and just never got rid if it. I also have some health issues which made exercise impossible for a while (I was confined to bed at first and then sedentary when recovering from surgery). I can't go on any crazy diets because if I don't eat I get severe migraines. WW is perfect for me. I can eat plenty of food and never feel hungry. I don't have to feel deprived (I really enjoyed my piece of cake Friday night and a cookie with a scoop of ice cream today!).

My friend on the other hand is a "binge-er" one bite of cake and she's after the whole thing. Heck even having cake in the house is a problem for her. OA has been a lifesaver ( literally IMHO) for her.

Different strokes for different folks and all that ;-)

momof2boys

Tue, Oct 08 2013, 4:02 am

been very successful on WW after each baby I had. Lost all my weight gained and kept it off. healthy lifestyle and they teach you how to maintain it and keep it off.
Went to meetings every week! Major support system.

sophie4000

Tue, Oct 08 2013, 12:48 pm

I would offer Melaleuca the Wellness Company They offer a money back guarantee 90 day 10% loss of your total body weight the natural way.

mandksima

Tue, Oct 08 2013, 3:28 pm

If you are looking for a lifestyle change, consider a whole foods diet or primal/paleo one that will teach you the importance of the quality of food choices. You can change your metabolism and cure illnesses with good eating habits. Do some research and decide if you are ready to commit to really healthy choices like no refined seed oils, no sugar, no chemicals, etc. I have nothing against Weight Watchers if it will work for you to lose weight but it won't necessarily get you healthier on the inside.

sophie4000

Tue, Oct 08 2013, 4:26 pm

I would like to share a couple links from my company Melaleuca on their weight loss program. I have a friend that followed and lost 38 pds in 12 weeks and has kept it off now for 13 months.

Take a look at the following and see what is possible.

http://www.melaleuca.com/conte.....8.pdf

http://cdnau.melaleuca.com/PDF.....2.pdf

Runner18

Thu, Oct 10 2013, 10:08 am

I personally have found OA has saved my life.

I have a history of binging, compulsive eating, restricting, over-exercising, etc. And even putting those behaviors aside, I am very hard on my body and my looks. Thus, OA has been an amazing thing for me in not only getting the food under control and losing weight, but learning how to become comfortable in my body. I call into phone meetings that give me chizuk, I go to face-to-face meetings, I write, I read OA literature, and I have wonderful OA friends who are so supportive-- both frum and non-frum.

For me, having the support of other people and being able to reach out when I am feeling shaky is what makes all the difference for me. I can be at a wedding surrounded by foods I have binged on in the past, and if I send a quick text to an OA friend just sharing that I'm struggling, suddenly I lose the compulsion/obsession and I can focus on the wonderful non food-related aspects of the simcha.

Feel free to PM me if you'd like more info on OA. Many Imamother's have spoken to me about OA and b"H many of them have seen tremendous changes not only in their food and their weight, but in how they feel about themselves and their ability to cope with life.

amother

Thu, Oct 10 2013, 12:45 pm

roch84 wrote:

OP here - Thanks for the sweet words of encouragement. My life is pretty hectic now, with working full time, and no one to watch my children at night. Is it an option to do OA only with the phone meetings, since I cannot imagine getting to face to face meetings at this point in my life.

amother

Thu, Oct 10 2013, 2:00 pm

Not the amother who wrote about OA however I am also following OA and I also had a very hectic schedule when I first started and found it extremely difficult to get out at night. I started with phone and online meetings, but I recommend finding a sponsor quickly because if you don't there is no way to succeed. With time I found that the face-to-face meetings became a lifeline for me and I rearrange my schedule to make going a priority no matter how hard it may be.

Runner18

Thu, Oct 10 2013, 2:19 pm

amother wrote:

roch84 wrote:

I rarely get to face-to-face meetings now because of my schedule with work and my family, and so I listen to phone meetings all the time. go to oa.org and click on Find A Meeting, put in your time zone, and there are meetings all the time. I find that the evening is really hard for me in terms of eating, that's when I often feel the urge to snack, but I often call into phone meetings and listen to them while I cook, clean, etc.

I agree with the previous amother that getting a sponsor is really really important if you want make progress. OA has tools- things like writing, going to meetings, prayers, food plan, etc, but there are also 12 Steps. The people who find long lasting weight loss and serenity are often the ones who have worked the steps. You can get a sponsor by listening to phone meetings; specifically, the meetings at 6:45am and 6:45pm EST and 9:00PM EST (100 pounder) often have many sponsors who announce themselves and their contact information if you want to reach out for them. (PM me if you want more info on what a sponsor does, etc...you can also email me at godserenitynow@gmail.com).

Whatever you decide to do, know that you are not only one suffering from this and so many of us know exactly what you are going through. I think that being frum adds to it, as Shabbos every week can be so difficult when it comes to compulsive eating...even for people who don't normally overeat it's a hard time. Kal V'Chomer for someone like me who can eat too much challah, feel terrible, and end up overeating the rest of the meal, wake up feeling gross and fat, not want to go to shul, etc etc etc and before I know it Shabbos is over and I have felt no spiritual peace. Thanks to OA I have been able to truly enjoy Shabbos without it being about the food!