peas at a party

Diets—almost any diet—can do exactly what we want.  We want to lose weight.  I lost 70 pounds “sensibly” on Weight Watchers(r), but I could have lost it on a diet of sugar-free Dr. Pepper and chocolate chip cookies.   It wouldn’t have been healthy, but it would have worked because I was ready to lose weight.  I upped my exercise and restricted my calories and the weight came off.  It’s that simple.

But bashing “diets” sells.  Dieting brings up visions of deprivation.  Who wants that?  Doesn’t sound like fun and sounds a whole lot like work.

Add to that, many of us know that lost pounds have a tendency to find their way home.  We diet, we lose weight, we return to comfortable habits, we gain weight, we do it all over again.  Duh?  We never said we wanted to “live healthy.”  That’s a whole ‘nuther ball game.

Several weeks ago, I got a mailer from Weight Watchers touting how ineffective diets are so I should come to WW instead.  I’m here to tell you:  Weight Watchers is a diet.  That’s not a bad thing.  I’m a big fan of Weight Watchers.  Why?  Moderation, balance, accountablity, and support.  All valuable and important.  What’s an even better thing is that the program, if you follow it, provides the time and the instruction to make permanent changes. (No, I’m not an employee, just a Lifetime Member.)

That’s my two cents.  To paraphrase some of the political candidates who are busy quoting each other, “This isn’t politics, this is personal.”  Starting next week when failed ”gently used” resolutions have been guiltily lovingly put away for 2008 to bring out again for New Years 2009, I’ll post about the Ten Things I Know about Staying After.  And why it’s so, so hard.