50: Maybe you didn't fail Weight Watchers? Maybe it failed you? An honest conversation about WW

00:00:00:05 - 00:00:24:09

Lyndi

Okay. I would like to tell you, your your weight is not the problem. It really isn't. I know you've been made to think your weight is a problem your entire life, but honestly, it's just been a red herring making you focus on diets that really suck and your weight is not. The problem is the title of my new book and I would really like you to read it if you've ever been made to feel like you need to worry about your weight that you're fixating on your weight is going to help you lose weight, which is nonsense.

00:00:24:16 - 00:00:43:16

Lyndi

This is the book you need to read. We tackle body image. We help you with practical strategies to feel normal, relaxed, and freedom around food, which are all fabulous things you also deserve. Please go to my website, Lyndi Cohen dot com and check out my new book. It's available from all great retailers. Please check it out.

00:00:44:15 - 00:00:59:07

Jenna

Hello. This is the No Wellness Lingerie Podcast where we dispel diet myths buster, all the way in Korea. In the wellness world, we get a lot done every single episode. My name is Jenna D’Apice and I'm joined by my lovely co-host, Lyndi Cohen.

00:00:59:07 - 00:01:05:10

Lyndi

Hello, everyone there. My goodness, there's a lot of that. So we're going to stamp it out. And today's episode is a goodie.

00:01:05:15 - 00:01:15:08

Jenna

We are chatting if we're going to think diets, one of the first diets that pops into our lovely diet filled brains is, of course, Weight Watchers.

00:01:15:08 - 00:01:19:12

Lyndi

So we just want a WW. You don't call them anymore.

00:01:19:15 - 00:01:39:00

Jenna

We don't know how they're rebranding at the moment but we'll go is WW we want to have a little chat about so I've done Weight Watchers and I think you have to be so want to chat just about our experiences because as with every diet, if you do sell it, you don't really shout to the mountaintops about how you did fail the diet because you think it was just something that was wrong with you.

00:01:39:13 - 00:01:46:11

Jenna

You think it was your issue. So you don't really talk about it. So we want to just shed a bit of light about maybe you weren't the problem.

00:01:46:14 - 00:02:06:14

Lyndi

Mm hmm. And this is all sparked because my book, Your Weight Is Not The Problem came out recently and I heard about this thing happening where one of someone had read the book who loved the book. I got into Weight Watchers Connect, which is kind of like the social forum, shared their experience reading the book, told all the people, I love this book.

00:02:06:14 - 00:02:32:16

Lyndi

You probably love it too. A few people saw the post and then it was deleted from the forum and then it made her wonder why? How come this is the book that Weight Watchers doesn't want her to read, doesn't want other people to know about, how come it got deleted? And so then I had a whole raft of people coming over to me who'd seen this happening on Weight Watchers connect and they were like, I also saw it getting deleted.

00:02:32:16 - 00:03:01:00

Lyndi

And it made me curious, why is this the book that Weight Watchers doesn't want you to read? And so I'm going to talk about Weight Watchers now experiences, but for legal reasons, this episode is fully based on personal experiences. We trying not to share our opinions about it. We're just going to tell you what our listeners have told us, what you lovely people have sent us, questions and experiences and where possible, actually, wherever we have changed names to keep everyone anonymous and help you feel safe because it's a safe place.

00:03:01:18 - 00:03:13:11

Lyndi

But all stories have been told as they were shared with us. And I think a really nice place to start with. Jenna, I want to hear your stories because you've had some good experience. Well, some experiences with Weight Watchers.

00:03:13:24 - 00:03:38:19

Jenna

I have. So I remember I first joined Weight Watchers when I was like 13 or 14 because my nan and my mom went. So obviously I also needed to lose weight. So I needed to go along with them. I remember I had to go to the doctor to get like permission because I was a small child to go on to weight watches.

00:03:38:19 - 00:03:42:10

Jenna

And obviously the doctor was like, Yeah, that sounds like an amazing thing to do.

00:03:42:15 - 00:03:47:01

Lyndi

You're a few years younger than me because when I was on Weight Watchers, I didn't need permission.

00:03:47:07 - 00:03:49:08

Jenna

Oh, didn't you know I needed permission?

00:03:49:08 - 00:03:50:04

Lyndi

They added that in.

00:03:50:12 - 00:04:13:15

Jenna

Yeah, and I'm only, what, like three years younger than you. So that's a good little. Okay, that's that was progress. That's progress. But the fact that no doctor probably would still say, no, you shouldn't do that. Let's progress. But we digress. So I went on and I remember, I remember just like the thing that stuck out the most to me is the weigh ins that you have to go to every week.

00:04:14:01 - 00:04:50:21

Jenna

So and when you're binge eating and you're doing these things because you're restricting so much, you already, as soon as a binge happens, is like, oh my God, I have that wane and it's going to be terrible. And you just see your whole life becomes filled with this dread about this weigh in. And so they have this lifetime membership structure where I was talking to my mom about it and it's something like when you get to your goal weight and you've stayed in maintenance for a certain amount of time, then you become a life member and that's where you don't really have to pay this annual subscription or monthly subscription, but you have to go

00:04:50:21 - 00:04:58:17

Jenna

in. I think you have to still go once a month and weigh yourself just to ensure you haven't put on any weight and then you don't have to pay.

00:04:58:20 - 00:05:01:11

Lyndi

But like there's a catch. There's a caveat here that.

00:05:01:11 - 00:05:03:03

Jenna

Yes, if you've put on weight.

00:05:03:08 - 00:05:20:24

Lyndi

If you've put if you put on weight, you lose this lifetime membership. Yes. So the very thing that is meant to help you stay at the weight that they've been salt, you've been sold you need to be at gets taken away from you when you cannot no longer stick to the thing that is unsustainable. Anyway, this.

00:05:20:24 - 00:05:43:20

Jenna

Is this is it. And I always felt like there was this thing where all the people that were at that goal weight or had lost weight like that was so exciting for them and that was so good. But then if you hadn't or if was a really small amount and I remember always like one to where like the lightest possible clothes and I hated some places where they wouldn't let you take your shoes off to get on the scale.

00:05:43:20 - 00:05:49:11

Jenna

I was like, I can't stand on the scale with shoes on. Like I need those grams totally.

00:05:49:17 - 00:06:10:18

Lyndi

Also, when I was seeing clients, I had experiences where I'd have people come in and want to get into their underwear to get weighed, which is a very real symptom of even an eating disorder. By the way, if feeling like you have to control how your weight is is not a good sign and it's kind of like a breeding ground to allow this kind of behavior and make it socially acceptable.

00:06:10:24 - 00:06:32:17

Jenna

Exactly. And I think the biggest thing for me and Weight Watchers is it was my first formalized plan that kind of touched every food, like because before that I'd been to dietitians and stuff where they give you kind of like a meal plan. That's their thing, but they're not. Weight Watchers goes into every single food that exists and gives it a point value.

00:06:32:22 - 00:06:47:16

Jenna

So and all those stuff really sticks in your head. So you have thoughts about every food, how many points it is, if that's something you should be having, if not like big things. Like they really taught me that we, we could never have a whole banana that was.

00:06:48:23 - 00:06:53:14

Lyndi

Selfish so that it was, it was very serious stuff at the time. Yeah.

00:06:53:14 - 00:07:13:08

Jenna

And about like never going to a party hungry. So then I would always eat before I'd go and then I would binge when I got there as well. So then I'd double down on feeling bad because like, well now I've eaten like three meals instead of one and I never really lost any weight because I.

00:07:13:08 - 00:07:14:07

Lyndi

Never lost weight.

00:07:14:07 - 00:07:20:03

Jenna

No, because I don't think I think I was already in the bingeing.

00:07:21:03 - 00:07:27:12

Lyndi

How did that how did your mum and nan react to the fact that you're going to these meetings but you weren't making progress?

00:07:28:00 - 00:07:29:22

Jenna

To be honest, I don't remember.

00:07:31:04 - 00:07:32:22

Lyndi

Because there were no repercussions, so.

00:07:32:24 - 00:07:33:21

Jenna

There was no repercussions.

00:07:33:21 - 00:07:35:04

Lyndi

You didn't feel like you got in trouble?

00:07:35:22 - 00:07:39:21

Jenna

No, it was just probably like my own internal shame. Yeah. Just adding to that.

00:07:40:07 - 00:07:43:08

Lyndi

Oh, just that. Just big deal. Yeah.

00:07:43:08 - 00:08:21:23

Jenna

And I think it's also just this like everything it's points count your calorie counting or Mac or counting, anything like that. It's just this mental arithmetic of planning out your entire day, allocating points like that's saving points for certain things. Or you could do exercise to get more points to earn more food. I remember planning out a whole day so that I honestly thought if I planned out this whole day when I went out with my friends in the night time, and this is when I was now an adult and I don't even know it was if it was, which is if it was something the same thing if I planned out the whole day

00:08:21:23 - 00:08:28:06

Jenna

and then I could allocate to have like one alcoholic drink because then I wouldn't feel like I was missing out. You know.

00:08:28:14 - 00:08:44:01

Lyndi

All your friends are kind of like doing whatever. Yes. Yeah. The point system. I have to talk about that because when I when I joined and I think the earlier versions of it, I mean, Weight Watchers has been around since 1963. So it has evolved minutes.

00:08:44:02 - 00:08:50:11

Jenna

So points came in in the nineties with and they include like fibre fat dairy content too.

00:08:50:11 - 00:09:18:21

Lyndi

I don't think they originally did. I think they were simply a simpler way of kind of calorie counting initially. Yeah, that that would describe things points based simply on calories. And in more recent iterations they acknowledged the fact, and rightly so, that, you know, fibre, protein, positive nutrients and negative nutrients needs to be considered, that they're not just exclusive and they're not just the same, because previously what was happening is there was like, well, okay, this is this this ice cream, four points and the salad is four points.

00:09:18:21 - 00:09:44:20

Lyndi

All eat the ice cream. There was a lot of that where it's kind of like if you're simply looking at something from a points of calorie perspective, you negate health completely. Yes. And that was I think they've tried to rectify that. I don't think you can fully rectify that when you're working on a points system. And that's fundamentally the issue for me is that it kind of does really hone in this idea that it's just health is health apparently is about calculating points and it's not really that big a picture.

00:09:44:21 - 00:10:04:02

Jenna

And I think it was so interesting when I was like pre-interview my mom about her Weight Watchers experience for this because she's been doing these diets for such a long time and they're so ingrained in her. I was asking her about it and she was like, Oh, well, they have like the satisfaction scale, which is kind of like the same as Lyndi's hunger scale like.

00:10:04:08 - 00:10:23:11

Jenna

And I was thinking, I don't really think it is because that saying if you're not satisfied, then you've got a list of these free foods, zeropoint foods that you should be filling up on as opposed to eating what would actually satisfy.

00:10:23:12 - 00:10:28:05

Lyndi

So to be clear, it's really not the it's but I was speaking to my mother in.

00:10:28:05 - 00:10:30:02

Jenna

Both of these roles and you're heading like, oh, that's.

00:10:30:02 - 00:10:49:12

Lyndi

The same name it as my mother in law. And she was also like, Yeah, but they've done all these good things, you know, that good. And I think I think Weight Watchers she's like, as far as all the diet companies go, they're not as villainous as they could be, which is a pretty low bar is low. The bar is low.

00:10:49:20 - 00:11:25:08

Lyndi

But and I do and I have to acknowledge I think they have I think they're you know, they do have some some redeeming aspects where they do try and, you know, to try. But fundamentally, there's enough that's not working is enough that makes it feel like, you know, it's setting us all up for failure because if it was working, I wouldn't have a piece of paper in front of me with a whole range of your stories telling me how many times you've all signed up to Weight Watchers and failed and come back again, and the shame you've experienced, the way that it's created disordered eating in your brain and a company can have really good

00:11:25:08 - 00:11:30:05

Lyndi

intentions behind trying to help people and still not help.

00:11:30:13 - 00:11:53:12

Jenna

This is what I've always thought, because I'd be thinking, Why do I need a lifetime membership to a diet where is like my brother is also living life in a healthy weight without a lifetime membership to a diet. But there's something wrong with that concept that you have to join up to Weight Watchers for a lifetime.

00:11:53:15 - 00:12:13:11

Lyndi

Yeah. Like I personally, the way I see it as a dietitian, if I do my job correctly, you'll need me for a short period in your life. And then I would like to see you fly off and leave me. I love you leaving me. I don't need you to kind of stick around forever. I hope I serve my purpose in your life and that you will one day think fondly back about the person who helped you.

00:12:13:11 - 00:12:18:15

Lyndi

40 years ago, but that I'm no longer a part of your day to day living. And that is success to me.

00:12:18:15 - 00:12:49:08

Jenna

And I think one of the biggest things that Weight Watchers did to me is, yes, you can live your life without Weight Watchers, but it makes your list of aloud foods very small and the things you eat on a regular basis, very small. So you have your standard things like your diet, soft drinks and your diet jellies and your one row of scotch has for one point and these snacks that you just keep going back to because you know they're safe and you know their points.

00:12:49:08 - 00:12:57:11

Jenna

And then we know the impact that has on your gut health and your mental health when you're just eating the same foods all the time.

00:12:57:12 - 00:13:13:03

Lyndi

Yes. And it makes you feel like your life is quite small because you feel a bit worried to eat things or you don't know exactly how many points they have. And it can create a whole level of anxiety and stress that you really don't need to be having. Also, once you understand points, it's quite hard to forget them.

00:13:13:08 - 00:13:16:18

Jenna

Very hard to forget them. Yeah.

00:13:16:24 - 00:13:31:21

Lyndi

Oh, calories. You know, it's like you lie in bed at night and you can still remember. Well, an apple has as many calories and you know, this minute, this much chocolate, is this how this is an equation? So what part of dieting yourself learning how not to diet is a learning how to forget all these numbers.

00:13:32:02 - 00:13:46:01

Jenna

It's the numbers like in I still have a very clear vision of Weight Watchers in terms of fruit like grapes with the rest of the fruits and small bananas. Big bananas, small apples, big apples like a convoluted.

00:13:46:05 - 00:13:47:10

Lyndi

So convoluted.

00:13:47:10 - 00:13:53:07

Jenna

And it's at the time you're like, this is this is a good school. Hey.

00:13:54:00 - 00:14:02:22

Lyndi

I'm sorry. So what happened now is you so you were doing the Weight Watchers thing, you're going to the meetings, but nothing was happening. So at some point you were like, why are we doing this?

00:14:02:22 - 00:14:26:02

Jenna

Yeah. So I think again, it's like Weight Watchers feel like a bit of a bandwagon you just fall on and off of. And then by the time I was so I started if I was like 13 or 14 and then by the time I was 16, I went to another dietitian to do it differently myself, not Weight Watchers, because it's just like the public weigh ins.

00:14:26:03 - 00:14:56:14

Jenna

And I would think that something like those experience of Weight Watchers have made me so terrified of the scales because you have such an attachment to that number, that really doesn't mean anything. So and I, I remember even whenever I was doing, my mom was always like, but I'll help you. I'll help you lose weight because I'll just I know all the Weight Watchers rules and I'll just prepare you all the Weight Watchers food and you don't even have to do anything.

00:14:56:14 - 00:15:12:22

Jenna

I'll give you a perfectly, she'd even say even not to this day. But I don't know why if I was putting on weight, because I create a perfectly Weight Watchers dinner every night. And it's just like if you just think of it as, like this fail proof thing guiding lot of what you always come back.

00:15:12:22 - 00:15:35:03

Lyndi

To, and yet it did it where it didn't. I think also what's interesting about this is sometimes I read from people they they had a positive experience where they lost weight and they felt like they enjoyed the process. And then because it's unsustainable, they don't stick to it. They regain the weight and then they come back to it going, Well, I'm just going to count points again because it worked the first time.

00:15:35:03 - 00:15:54:09

Lyndi

And they find that each attempt becomes less and less effective. Yes, I refer to this as diet burnouts, this idea that, you know, you can't keep using the exact same because you've got metabolic changes that happen. You have changes in your hunger hormones, your satiety hormones that make it harder. You now have an emotional attachment to certain foods that make it, you know, them highly interesting and highly palatable.

00:15:54:09 - 00:16:14:20

Lyndi

And it increases satisfaction you feel when you do eat these foods. So you have a whole lot of biological reasons why each attempt becomes harder. And then you also have the psychological aspect of it being like, you know what you're in for. You know, it's a long slog. And I think this is this pattern we keep hearing from people going, I've tried it multiple, multiple times and each one is getting less effective.

00:16:15:02 - 00:16:31:20

Lyndi

And what I find most offensive about this idea is, is we blame ourselves. We go, well, it worked. It worked the first time. Therefore, why wouldn't it work this time? It's me. I'm the reason because it's stayed the same. But I've changed and I think that's a really important thing for us to recognize that it's not it's not it's not you.

00:16:32:01 - 00:16:58:23

Jenna

And because when Lindsay put the call out on her Instagram about other people's experiences with Weight Watchers, if it worked for them, what was their experience? And I think it was so interesting to see like a few weeks ago, you had, John, a statement on your on this podcast and he made the point of if you bought a dodgy vacuum cleaner and it didn't work, you would be like, this vacuum cleaner is so annoying.

00:16:58:23 - 00:17:19:21

Jenna

I hate it. But when we buy a dodgy diet, it's not the diet's fault. It's like we've failed and it's something you keep so secret to yourself. Like, I would never have even told my friends I was doing Weight Watchers or any of those things. Besides that. Probably they would have seen all, like the Weight Watchers branded snacks because.

00:17:20:16 - 00:17:23:04

Lyndi

We don't really high priced process. Yeah.

00:17:23:13 - 00:17:28:20

Jenna

Snacks but they're the snacks you know we're like the point calorie whatever whatever.

00:17:28:20 - 00:17:41:02

Lyndi

Can we talk about Oprah for a second? Because there was a moment where Oprah went and made a big financial investment in Weight Watchers and she was very much at the height of being a much loved Oprah. And she is much loved as well.

00:17:41:02 - 00:17:41:17

Jenna

I love I.

00:17:41:19 - 00:17:58:14

Lyndi

Still love Oprah. Never will stop anyway. And she her she back to Weight Watchers person. She was she was making a profit off the fact that she was endorsing this thing. So that was a very smart move on her behalf. But her backing convinced a lot of us because we trust Oprah and we didn't believe that she would lead us astray.

00:17:58:14 - 00:18:05:07

Jenna

And I don't think she was trying to lead us astray. I think she was exactly the same as everyone else.

00:18:05:16 - 00:18:07:20

Lyndi

She's supporting disordered eating and experience.

00:18:07:20 - 00:18:19:21

Jenna

And we can literally say documented over the time the yo yo dieting that she's done. And I don't think that she had ill intentions. I think she was just battling through the diet world.

00:18:19:21 - 00:18:25:07

Lyndi

Like in a way, she's the poster girl of yo yo dieting. So it makes sense that she was the poster girl for Weight Watchers.

00:18:25:07 - 00:18:26:09

Jenna

It really does.

00:18:27:00 - 00:18:33:19

Lyndi

So here's some stories I think, which I think it's nice and cathartic to hear from other people's experiences. It helps us realise that it's not just us.

00:18:33:19 - 00:18:49:09

Jenna

It's not just us. This is it. One of Linda's followers said that she used to go to Weight Watchers meetings during school holidays with her mum and then listen to her frustrations of putting on weight, saying how she was in the pig pen that week.

00:18:49:10 - 00:19:08:22

Lyndi

So relatable, isn't it? I really relate to that. And also this idea of going with your mother, going with your grandmother, of having a social connection is something that we're all doing together. There was something nice about that. I have to acknowledge that we there was a sense of community in it and I hated it. But it diets that was always something my mum and I could fall back on.

00:19:09:05 - 00:19:14:18

Lyndi

We always had this connection points and I think, yeah, it's important to recognize that.

00:19:15:01 - 00:19:21:13

Jenna

That it definitely had its nice points of when you're going through something and you're like, Oh, you're going through the same struggles as me. Mm.

00:19:21:18 - 00:19:25:07

Lyndi

Mm hmm. Mm hmm. Normalizes it, right. Feels like it reduces the shame.

00:19:25:07 - 00:19:37:11

Jenna

This is a big one I have. I connect with this one. Someone said I have vivid memories of chocolate mousse as the only dessert I was allowed to have because it fits into my points. We all know that that diet chocolate mousse.

00:19:37:12 - 00:19:45:02

Lyndi

Oh, and I would eat like six of those nights of like, oh, it's if I can have one. And the next thing I know, I'm like, that was very unsatisfying.

00:19:45:02 - 00:19:45:12

Jenna

Yes.

00:19:45:12 - 00:19:49:22

Lyndi

And then I finish the whole it's like, what is it, the six pack? You still feel.

00:19:50:13 - 00:20:00:06

Jenna

And still feel unsatisfied. And then this is another one eating tens and tens of peaches. Peaches and tinned fruit was huge.

00:20:00:18 - 00:20:01:23

Lyndi

That was, wasn't it? But not in.

00:20:01:23 - 00:20:03:06

Jenna

Sirup. Not in sirup.

00:20:03:07 - 00:20:17:09

Lyndi

Yeah. We know there was lots of rules around that that encourage you to drink Diet Coke because it fills you up and it has zero points. I like to think that that has changed that that was something that that that used to happen. I'm assuming that doesn't happen anymore.

00:20:17:12 - 00:20:27:16

Jenna

But I think that comes back to the point when I was doing some research. And again, I don't know if this is still the case, but these Weight Watchers group leaders were not health professionals.

00:20:27:18 - 00:20:28:05

Lyndi

No.

00:20:28:17 - 00:20:29:07

Jenna

I don't think they.

00:20:29:09 - 00:20:30:09

Lyndi

Were well-intentioned.

00:20:30:09 - 00:20:42:11

Jenna

Well-Intentioned, lovely people. The lady I remember her, she was she was a lovely lady. But that's just giving their own little eating disorder device advice. Obviously, someone has said that about the Diet Coke.

00:20:42:12 - 00:21:08:16

Lyndi

Yeah. And just to remind us all that according to research, 75% of women have some degree of disordered eating, what makes someone more likely to become in any profession or become, you know, a Weight Watchers leader? You know, I just think it's probably going to be a higher ratio than it is than the normal population. So let's just contemplate that where we get our health advice and we get our support from is the person I'm getting support from struggling with disordered eating or do they have a perfectly healthy relationship with food?

00:21:09:07 - 00:21:10:00

Lyndi

That's a good question.

00:21:10:00 - 00:21:30:03

Jenna

That is a good question. To start with, this one really, I'm sure, will resonate with a lot of people. The day of my weigh in, I would barely eat and definitely wouldn't eat past 12 as the way it was at 530. I would then weigh myself at least five times during the day before, drive into the weigh in to make sure that things were on track.

00:21:30:03 - 00:21:34:20

Lyndi

So relatable. Sad about that. I once cut my hair to try and weigh less for a weigh in.

00:21:35:07 - 00:21:36:08

Jenna

Yeah, that is.

00:21:38:02 - 00:21:56:14

Lyndi

That's still up there now because otherwise I'll cry. This this lady says I spent 25 years on and off the WW train. Lost and gained, plus more, maybe eight times. Could never get to the goal or even lose due to the restrict binge cycle. Yeah. So I think that's a really common one as well.

00:21:57:12 - 00:22:08:13

Jenna

And just this thing that I was saying in saying before, especially I relate to this public way ends when you're a literal child and adults in the room are implying there's something wrong with your body.

00:22:08:13 - 00:22:29:14

Lyndi

Yeah. And you're watching all these other women, you know, in these group wagons. Mostly women, I say, and it's very normalized. Do you think this is how it's done? This is what you do, this is your indoctrination into this world. Can we talk about canceling your membership? So from what I've heard and I haven't done WW in years, I have to admit, because I have I have a dieted in ten years.

00:22:29:14 - 00:22:47:01

Lyndi

So it's got to be at least ten years since I've done it. But apparently what I'm hearing is that it's still quite hard to cancel your membership that you can sign up online, but that to cancel you have to call and you have to speak to someone. And apparently that conversation is a really hard conversation to have that it's not a simple process.

00:22:47:01 - 00:23:04:22

Lyndi

And I think there's something really interesting in that, you know, you know, they might say, well, we're trying to make sure that you've got the support that you need. But from a business case, I could see how making it hard for someone to cancel their membership is a really important way that we don't lose subscription money. And it might be what's at play?

00:23:04:22 - 00:23:09:01

Lyndi

I don't know. I cannot confirm nor deny for legal reasons what is happening there.

00:23:09:09 - 00:23:20:18

Jenna

But if you are already in a place of this is another diet, I've failed and I'm bad at calling up and admitting that to somebody that you don't even know. We a tricky thing to do.

00:23:20:18 - 00:23:57:09

Lyndi

Yeah. Who's going to try and convince you that it will just work? Just try this. So you just try it that then maybe. Maybe the fault is with you. And if you if you just tweaked a little, you'd finally get there. And there's nothing more appealing to us as dieters than to go. We can we can help. Yeah, I think I mean, I haven't shared much about my WW experiences, but I do remember one of my friends got really into it and she lost so much weight and I just remember feeling so envious of her and so jealous that she had done this and really made it so appealing to me.

00:23:57:09 - 00:24:15:03

Lyndi

I think when we see someone else lose weight on a diet, we, we we admire them and we want to be like them. And I just want you to stop for a moment. Next time you hear someone bragging about their weight loss or and you feel that little sting of jealousy, I want you to think maybe this isn't a symptom of a good thing.

00:24:15:04 - 00:24:37:24

Lyndi

Maybe the, you know, constant chatter, you know, when someone's on that weight loss pursuit, they always want to talk about food and they want to talk about weight and they want to talk about other people's weight. Maybe you can see this for what it is, is a food obsession is a concern. Thinking about food, that food is now dictating their life because to follow these kinds of protocols, you need to be really dedicated and you need to be dedicated forever.

00:24:37:24 - 00:24:45:09

Lyndi

Otherwise you will gain the weight again. So maybe we don't. So we stop saying there's something to be jealous of when we start going. I'm glad that's not me anymore.

00:24:45:09 - 00:25:08:12

Jenna

Yes, having a little bit of compassion, because you're right, I've lost twice in my life. I've lost a large chunk of weight. And during that time, I was so dedicated, I never strayed. I never did anything. I remember it went through Easter one year and I was so proud I didn't have one square of chocolate the entire period of Easter, but I was so dedicated and I couldn't sustain it.

00:25:08:12 - 00:25:10:21

Jenna

And then all the way it just came straight back on.

00:25:11:01 - 00:25:13:06

Lyndi

Yeah. And you felt like you were the failure. Yeah.

00:25:13:07 - 00:25:18:04

Jenna

And the compliments stop and you have to pick yourself back up off the floor.

00:25:18:06 - 00:25:19:08

Lyndi

Are the compliments.

00:25:19:12 - 00:25:32:01

Jenna

I think I just wanted this episode just to be a place where if you have tried weightwatchers, if you have tried one of these diets and you think you failed just to let you know you haven't failed, the diet has failed you.

00:25:33:00 - 00:25:51:17

Lyndi

And if you are curious to know what's inside your weight is not the problem. The book The Weight Watchers doesn't want you to read, maybe pick up a copy if you haven't already and find out why it doesn't have them running scared. Thank you for listening to today's episode of No Wellness Way. Agree. If you feel it in your heart to leave us a review.

00:25:51:21 - 00:26:08:21

Jenna

We would love to read it and hear from you. Wherever you listen to this podcast right now, press. Maybe you'll press the five star button and we'll chat to you next time. Thanks. Hey, everyone.

00:26:08:21 - 00:26:26:23

Lyndi

And before we get started in the podcast episode, I just want to tell you a little bit about how I might be able to help you if you want to get a healthy relationship with food because oh my goodness, there's a whole lot of stuff that's working against us all the time. Hello, diet, culture. So if you ever want to do a little bit more personalized support, check out my program.

00:26:26:23 - 00:26:43:10

Lyndi

Keep it real. Especially if you're struggling with binge eating. If you feel like every Monday you're starting from scratch. If you feel like you know what you should be eating, but you just can't stick to it if you feel like you want to eat healthier. But honestly, it just feels like you're out of control through your face planting into the fridge, all the pantry I can help.

00:26:43:10 - 00:26:59:21

Lyndi

I used to be binge eating and I really do. I do get it. So check out Keep It Real, use the code podcast to get 20% off if you if you get it via the the website. And also I've also got my app called Back to basics. Back to basics is an app to help you be healthy without dieting and will help you work on your body.

00:26:59:21 - 00:27:21:14

Lyndi

Image gives you a whole bunch of hundreds of recipes that are super quick and easy to make so you can just be healthy without having to get obsessed with that at all, without it taking over your life. Because that's the way it should be. Plus, you get mindset support from me inside the app. You also get a whole bunch of workouts that you can do at home, or you can still just do your normal workouts.

00:27:21:14 - 00:27:34:02

Lyndi

But check out back to basics. You can get it for free for seven days. Check out Back to Basics on my website, use the Code Again podcast to get 20% off. And I'd love to see in there. I'd love to see in there. I'd love to see in there.