Unique just like everyone else...

Exactly how many people are on weight watchers?  I've decided to be open about my weight watchers journey.  Because yes, its much like being a recovering alcoholic.  "Hi, my name is Zulay and I'm a lazy, over eater." Or like coming out of the closet  "Mom, Dad, I'm fat."  I figure the more people who know the more who will help me make better decisions about it. But it seems that every other person I tell has either been on weight watchers themselves or knows someone close to them who has been on it. And its not that I have a problem with that, it's that i wonder why no one asked me to come along.  It's like the world's best kept secret.

Yesterday I mentioned it to another teacher who is in a professional development with me. It was completely random. She decided to go with me and my colleague to lunch. Now it turned out that this colleague had also been on weight watchers once upon a time and still thinks of meals in terms of points. Apparently, once you become a part of this particular cult you find yourself a member for life.  I wanted a salad and since this girl wanted to come with us I felt a need to share the reason why we couldn't just go to the first place we came across. Turns out she was perfectly ok with our decision because she too had been on weight watchers. It became the topic of our lunchtime conversation.   Every time this happens, finding out one more person has a personal connection to weight watchers,  it feels like what happens when you buy a new car. You pick something because it feels unique and all yours, and after you bring it home it feels like every other car on the street is the same as yours.

She was very encouraging and we discussed all the reasons she decided to join, because looking at her you would have no clue that she would ever have a need for something like weight watchers.  It was encouraging and interesting.

I wonder what would happen if I suddenly asked everyone I knew the question "Have you, or anyone you know, ever been on weight watchers?"  I wonder how many I'd get to before I reached Kevin Bacon...