When I was 25 years old, I joined my first weight loss club. Every Tuesday evening at 6pm sharp I would head down to the local church hall and weigh in to see how many pounds I had or hadn’t lost. Every week the leader would tell me whether that was good or not (their judgement not mine). What I didn’t tell the leader when they were weighing me was that every week on a Tuesday before “fat club” I would survive only on cups of tea until lunch time and then not drink or eat anything until I had weighed in. I would wear my lightest clothes so they wouldn’t add weight. Every week I would go for a wee before I left the house, another before I weighed in and I would also try and force out a poo just to get as much weight gone as possible before I stood on the scales. I dreaded it!!
If I had lost weight, I would be highly praised, if I had gained, I would be asked what I had done “wrong”. The losses were great news, but the gains were hard to take. I felt judged and vilified if I had put on even half a pound. There was no consideration that I had a baby and hadn’t slept; no questions about what time of the month it was and whether my hormone cycles could have impacted the scales; no consideration that I might have been in the gym lifting weights consistently and was building muscle, or that I had gradually increased my water intake and so the composition of my body was changing. The only thing that was discussed was the error of my ways and I was encouraged to remain for “the talk” to learn how I could do better and stop being fat.
What I also neglected to tell the leader, was that on my way home I would stop by the shop and buy myself a massive bag of sweets before calling to say I was on my way home so the hubby could order that night's takeaway. I would eat until I couldn’t eat any more because it was fat club day, and I was either celebrating a loss or commiserating with myself that I had gained. I told myself I had a whole week before I had to weigh in again so I could easily work off the 3 to 4 thousand calories I consumed in that one meal and because I hadn’t eaten all day, I could get through a phenomenal amount of food easily.
This once a week jump on the scales put me into a cycle of binging on a Tuesday night sticking to plan all week, binging on a Saturday night because it was the weekend, and then starving myself all day Tuesday until the dreaded weigh in had happened again just to avoid an increase and the shame that I felt being asked what I had done wrong. I would "save my calories" so that I could eat 3 bars of chocolate in one go but feel hungry all the rest of the time because, surprise surprise, the bars didn't keep me full with their processed sugar and lack of nutrients. Some days that would be all I had and other days I would think "sod it" and have a pizza for tea because if I was going to put weight on it might as well be by eating something "nice".
My foray into the world of weight loss clubs sent me into a cycle of hating food and dreading the scales. What fat club never did for me, but what I and other people who have spent their lives overeating or using food as a crutch desperately need, was to give me an understanding about the composition of my body and how to eat . They didn’t give me the knowledge that the amount of muscle I built, the water I included and what my hormones were doing on any given day also influenced my weight. As a nurse I logically knew this, but even with my knowledge the impact of being asked what I had “done wrong” was immense. They didn’t teach me that what the scales say is really pretty irrelevant. Of course, maintaining a healthy weight supports overall wellbeing. It lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and joint problems, however, fitness, positive nutrition, fuelling your body properly, and a healthy lifestyle all improve overall health and wellbeing far more than losing weight alone.
Instead of vilifying people for gaining weight, we should look at the factors that are influencing that gain.
Is it that you are not sleeping and therefore are needing more energy to combat your exhaustion? If so then lets look at why you aren’t sleeping and offer support and advice or signposting.
Is it that you are approaching a particular point in your menstrual cycle and therefore your body is craving protein and nutrients to prepare for menstruation, or holding onto water, or inflaming? If so let’s look at the patterns of weight loss and gain to see if we can predict that this is OK and a normal part of your biology.
Is it that you are experiencing heightened stress at work or home and therefore are producing more cortisol? If so let us support you with your mental health, offer a safe space to offload and be solution focused. Or offer a safe space to be quiet with no external pressures.
Is it that you have been consistent in the gym and are beginning to build muscle so are becoming leaner but need to understand that adding muscle adds weight but helps reduce fat? If so let us offer space to look at how your fat percentage is dropping and your muscle percentage gaining.
Whilst different things appeal to different people, the traditional slimming club is certainly not for me. I needed to be told what I logically knew. I needed the space to work through my issues with why I used food as an emotional crutch, eating instead of dealing. Luckily, I finally found the thing that worked for me, and although it may not be everyone’s proverbial cup of tea I am so happy I found it. I am much healthier, fitter and have a better relationship with food and exercise now than I ever have before. Its not about the number on the scales. “Every body” is different just as “everybody” is different. Remember that the number on the scale does not define you. If you gain that’s OK. If you are trying to lose weight for health and wellbeing, if your overall trajectory is down, a few gains here and there are par for the course. You aren’t fat. You have fat cells, and maybe more than is healthy for you, but you are a brilliant human. Look at how you can get the different areas of your body composition into healthy ranges and sod the weight on the scale.

Wow, this packs a punch for your first post. You've encapsulated diet culture & “fat clubs” perfectly. So much so I actually filled up reading it having that “light bulb moment” of what I too have previously put myself through without necessarily realising it. I look forward to reading more posts & educating myself along the way through your knowledge.