I attended my first WW meeting this evening. It was short and relatively painless. The Tools for Living are a bit much for me because I think of losing weight as more practical than emotional. I joined WW to have a place to weigh in and to pick up some tips on healthy cooking or healthy restaurants in town. I have experienced periods of low self-esteem in my life but they haven't been connected to my weight, so tools like the Positive Self-Talking in this context seem strange to me.

The presenter was very pleasant. She really seemed to believe in all the Tools for Living stuff because she sounded less rehearsed when she discussed it. I didn't feel any pressure to buy anything, which was something I had read about on a few websites. I will probably sign up for the eTools to have more access to recipes but I don't see myself buying any of the smoothie mixes or snack items.

One thing I noticed is that everyone in my meeting seemed to be old. There was a lot of white hair in that room, including on the presenter. There was also a lot of white skin in that room; there was only one other black woman besides me. Testosterone was definitely lacking in the room, but I expected that.

My buddy feels like this is her last chance. Unlike me, she is very down on her self. She is a beautiful woman who thinks that she is fat and ugly and hides behind big hair and too much makeup. She is a Lifetime member who has quit and gone back several times since the '90s. In the year that I've known her, I've seen her jump from one plan to another, trying to find that magic bullet. She admits that she gets bored easily and doesn't know how long she is going to be able to sit through meetings, especially since she has heard it all before. I have the feeling that I am going to be her rock more than she will be mine, but that's OK. I'm a twisted person, so I seem to do better at something if I am teaching or encouraging someone else.

Well, I am off to clean my house and read the Turnaround booklet. I still haven't decided which plan to follow, Flex or Core. Somehow, I don't think that lunch in the work caf is going to fit into either plan.