I'm Not "OP"

Those who frequent the Weight Watchers website bulletin boards, and other weight-loss boards, are familiar with the abbreviation "OP." This means, alternately, "On Program" and "Off Program." It's used to describe whether one is sticking to the weight loss plan. I react to "OP" as to nails on a chalkboard.

That's not to say that I don't believe in following my weight management plan. Of course I do. But I feel that the focus on "OP" is a form of mental self-abuse, if that's not too strong a statement. Frankly, I'm committed to my lifelong healthy weight management. No matter what, I'm not giving up on this process. No matter what, I'm taking care of myself. If that's true (and why even bother with any of this, if it's not) there can be no On and Off Program for me. It's just my life, and me living it.

Some days I do very well with following Core as it's written, and occasionally I don't. Some weeks I do very well sticking to my intentions (how many WPA I'll use and when, for instance, or how many APs I'll earn and what I'll do with them). Every now and then, I don't do quite what I'd planned.

But I never think of those "not so perfect" days/weeks as "off program." There's no "off my life," so there can be no "off program." I just dust myself off and get back on track as quickly as I can.

What I've learned in 2 plus years back at WW is that the real magic is in how quickly I can recover from those "not so perfect" moments, without beating myself up with crummy self-talk. This means that I don't indulge in the kind of crummy thinking that "OP" fosters: "Oh, I was OP today, so I'll wait until my next weigh in to get back on track. After all, I've already blown it today, so the week is shot anyway." Or this one: "Oh, I've been off-program for days. I can't go back to my meeting and weigh in until I've had an on-program week with some weight loss." On what planet is that constructive and self-nurturing?

Instead, if I've had a difficult day, I know that what really supports me is to get myself back to my meeting, face the feedback at the scale, and resume eating Core. I tell myself, "Okay, my next choice will be a healthy one. I'll eat Core, I'll get some APs, and I'll count those WPA. I'll go to my meeting and face the scale. I can do this!"

Positive Self-Talk is one of Weight Watchers' Tools for Living. Using this Tool makes such a difference in one's ability to stay focussed. It just can't be overestimated. And of, course, applying this skill to other areas of our lives can be tremendously powerful. "OP," on the other hand, is just crummy self-talk. Banish it from your vocabulary and see what happens!