Wednesday Weekly: Get "Glowing"

I gotta be honest, I'm not a fan of the whole "glow-ment" thing Weight Watchers has going on with Beyond the Scale.

Let me start by saying that I get it. Going beyond the scale means looking at the small every day things that make you smile and using those moments (or "glow-ments") to inspire you and help you reach your goals. Happier people make healthier choices, right?

But I worry about the direction the company is taking, and I'm wondering if they're alienating the #wwbros at all. I feel like former CEO David Kirchoff did a lot for Weight Watchers as far as making the broader appeal to men and women alike. But, now? It seems they're swinging back the other way. And let's face it - it's not only women that need to lose weight. Men in the USA are obese too.

For example, let's take a look at the "glow-box" they're selling at meeting rooms. It has a dry erase board, a selfie remote (which I could go on a whole rant about selfies in general but now is not the time), sticky notes, a card keeper for your phone, and a microfiber cloth to clean your electronics.  Ok, so all of those could be gender neutral - were they not all sparkly gold or pink.  Not that guys can't like gold and pink, but let's be honest about gender stereotypes here and call a spade a spade. This is a box for women. I mean, it's like they're trying to alienate men with this thing.

They should make a "bro-ment" box for the dudes! That would be great! They could put jerky flavored chap stick in there or something! And instead of sparkly gold and pink they could make the same items black with skulls on them! Yeah! Manly things!

I dunno why it bothers me so much - it's just that I love Weight Watchers. I've been a Weight Watcher for 16 years. I want to see the company continue to grow and be successful. And they need to start being inclusive of the other 50% of the population in my humble opinion.

***Edited to Add: Okay, so after sitting in my weekly meeting on Friday I just have to give props to my leader who every time she used the word "glow-ment" she followed with "Or, bravo-moment" making it much more friendly to the men-folk in the meeting. Who were oddly absent last week. Did they see the meeting topic online ahead of time and decide not to go? Probably not, they probably legit had other plans, but if they had been there at least they'd have felt like they were included too.***

But now that my little rant is over, let's address the strategies they talk about on the website: Weekly Extra: Get Glowing

First up, eat! Well, it is Weight Watchers after all and we do love food! But what they're talking about here is eating healthy, good for you, filling foods that are going to make you feel good and proud about the choices you are making to take care of your body. And it's true what they say - you are what you eat. So if you want to be healthy, eat healthy. If you want to feel good, eat good food. What it doesn't mean is dooming yourself to rice cakes and celery sticks. There are tons of foods out there that are both healthy and delicious so eating well doesn't mean depriving yourself!

Next, exercise. Start slow, start small. Remember that even if you only go once around the block and it takes you a half hour you're still lapping the guy on the couch. I get it. It's hard to motivate yourself. No body really wants to exercise, but you just gotta do it. And you just gotta keep your thoughts on how good you're going to feel when you're done. Nobody finishes a work out and says "Gee, I feel terrible about myself". You're going to feel good. Maybe even "glowing"? No wait, that's the sweat from the workout. Go take a shower!

Third, music. This is so true for me. My mood, my mindset, can be so easily influenced by a song. There are so many moments in my life that I can bring back from memory just by hearing a specific song. Ke$ha reminds me of a 4AM NJ Path Train drunken sing along. Katy Perry reminds me of summer on the beach. Then there's my wedding song, and the song from Phineas and Ferb I used to hum as I tried to rock and bounce my baby girl to sleep... Music is soulful, it's part of who we are. So whenever you need a pick me up or you're in a funky mood, just hit play on your favorite playlist. Or if you're not able to do that just start humming your favorite song. And when you can, drive with the windows down and the radio blasting. It's impossible to feel bad on a day like that!

Fourth, fake it until you make it. We have all heard that expression before. It's kind of like dress for the job you want, not the job you have. I've read research that says when you are doing something that you don't particularly like, if you put a smile on your face (even if it's not authentic) it can trick your brain into liking what you're doing. Now, I don't know if this is true, but when I first started working out I tried this. I put a phony smile on my face for an entire 45 minute workout. I did that every day. And it didn't take too long before I realized I actually do enjoy working out! Don't know if it was the smile trick, but it's something to think about...

And finally, share it! I share here on this blog and on WW Connect. I don't share because I'm looking for a ton of "likes" or followers or comments, but I share because putting my thoughts out there may help someone I don't know yet find success or support. (And because sometimes I like to brag about how many steps I walked in a day lol). But sharing what makes you feel good can help make someone else feel good. And that feels good. And happy people make healthier choices so really it's a public service to share what you're feeling good about! So whether it's your delish points friendly dinner, your workout, your kids, your partner, or your fur baby, get out there and share what makes you feel good. You never know who you're helping out that day by sharing!

So go out there and do things that make you feel good about yourself. Happy people make healthier choices. See you Friday for Friday Fitness!