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What is the New WW Program: Unlimited Workshops

January 16, 2021   14 Comments

This year, 2021, WW (Weight Watchers) added new unlimited virtual workshops for their members. I decided to dive in to see what they have to offer.

What is the New WW Program: Unlimited Workshops

I have written a bunch about WW over the years because so many of my readers use it to help them lose weight and get healthier.

Check out last year’s posts about the big changes at WW:

New WW Changes 2020

WW Purple Plan

WW Blue Plan

WW Green Plan

Nothing big has changed this year - 2021 except that the online version of WW includes unlimited workshops. From WW:

Workshops are more flexible and more supportive than ever. With our enhanced schedule, you can now virtually attend from early morning to late at night—or continue to visit us in-person. Find a Coach you'll love!

What is a workshop? For WW it is a Zoom meeting with a coach of your choosing. They run meetings every half an hour for most of the day so you can jump in and share or listen to the coach and other members. They are LIVE and you can try out as many coaches as you like.

Every week there is a different theme for the workshop so if you attend more than one - you will hear the same set of questions.

Weight Watchers’ meetings in the pre-online world were a mainstay of the program. Every week, you would go, weigh in, and talk about your challenges. I must say that I like the idea of not having to get into my car to go to a meeting - and also that if I am struggling - I can drop in to a meeting at any time.

What is it like?

This is a stock photo - simply an example of the real thing. Here is what WW says about the privacy:

To protect your privacy and the privacy of the other members, you should not record, take screenshots, or share anything that goes on the Virtual Workshop. If you do, WW has the right to terminate you.

When you log on, you see all sorts of people! Old, young, white, Black, Latinx, Asian, men, women, people in closets, people with babies, people driving, people walking their dogs, people on exercise bikes and treadmills…. I wonder about the driving and if that is a good idea but mostly it is simply people sitting in cars.

The coaches ask you to put your video on so that they can see you but you have to be clothed (which seems reasonable).

Over the last week, I have attended a number of these workshops and I have to say that they are refreshing. They feel like a safe space to share your struggles and wins.

For example, a woman lost her brother to COVID and there was an outpouring of support. A man managed not to eat two slices of pizza with his friends and was proud. A new mother started sobbing when she talked about her critical inner voice.

It reminded me of group therapy, which I have done in the past to work through depression. Everyone in my group had the same types of struggles and we would offer each other support along with our psychotherapist coach. I found it to be very powerful.

The stories and emotions being shared on WW are compelling. So much of the barrier to getting healthy is about how we feel about ourselves and what we are going through. Do I wish food wasn’t a crutch for comfort? Sure! But it comforts some to eat a pint of ice cream when you lose someone.

WW has its own social media area in its app called “Connect”. There you can share and comment on the other members in your group that you saw at the workshop. You can make online friends!!

These people come back week after week with the same coach and continue to work on themselves. I was thinking that the workshops would feel anonymous but they do not.

I think this is an excellent addition to the WW suite of tools. The membership set me back $45 for the month but this could be a powerful investment in your health.

Have you tried WW virtual workshops? What did you think?

Other posts you might like:

New WW Changes for 2020

New WW Changes for 2020

WW (formerly Weight Watchers) has made some big changes for 2020. WW always changes their program a little bit so 2020 is no exception......

Get Free Email Updates! Yes please!

14 Comments:

With an all-virtual system, how would they handle required monthly weigh-in for Lifetime Members?

As a lifetime member of WW, I did try their virtual workshops and found them to be very good. During the pandemic, they were a real lifeline. I ended up leaving WW for other reasons, but it is certainly the way to go for connections and support. They offer quite a few good things via their app and website. They definitely hit the nail on the head with unlimited virtual workshops.

Agree about life timers I was in hospital and rehab and still can’t drive? I know there is additions to the Ww. Please share - thank you

That was a good synopsis of WW, and this is how I feel. First, I do agree the coach fit is important. One coach I had was d u l l and one didn’t seem like she was working the program, and the other was 12! Lol. I finally found one. Next, the program KEPT changing when I was finally losing. Ugh. I eventually settled on Green and was fine. My last comment is Connect started becoming too “complainy”... my surgeries, my son etc etc. so then I started to join particular groups that were more my fit. Weight watchers was a bit more simple than WW, but “where there’s a will there’s a way!”

I have been lifetime got 3 years now. Lifetime members have to weigh in once a month. You can check your meeting place on the app to see what their hours are. If you want to stay for a meeting you have to register through the app. I just go in at the meeting time to weigh in and leave. I still don’t feel comfortable since our state isn’t doing all that great.

Good questions about Lifetime!! I went into the WW app and asked the 24 hour support your question. Answer: once you hit your goal (healthy BMI) you will maintain that for 6 weeks & then you become a free Lifetime member, if you stay with in 2 pounds of your goal weight.

You must weigh in at a Studio. So you weigh in - and then weigh in again 6 weeks later for Lifetime. I believe you then weigh in once a month to maintain your free membership.

However, In the Boston area, they have decreased the local workshops. So the leaders you have depended on for years or even a decade are not there in time slots use to. I find that very disappointing

There are many in person workshops as well as the virtual so you can actually go to both. There is also a digital 360 program where you get a smaller group of personal coaching but don't have access to the on demand workshops. Now more than ever there are so many options that you can certainly find one that works for you. Health is Wealth!

I am a lifetime member and have been attending virtual workshops since they were offered last year. In my area, (middle Tennessee) this is how LT membership works, as best I know. If you were attending a regular meeting prior to covid, doing the monthly weigh in, you should have had a code to use to keep membership current. If you were not current, a weigh in at a ww center and a fee which is charged to get you back to current should get you back in line for the virtual meetings. If you are LT, not at goal weight, you may have to join as a monthly pay. Don’t know for sure, so call the center in your area to find out.

I am a WW lifetime member and have been attending the zoom workshops since covid restricted our in person meetings. I am not a fan. Although I am still at goal, I need the "accountability" of stepping on the scale in front of a WW leader. And that is why after 5 years I still attend in person meetings. Our in person meetings were very personable and the members had become my friends. Definitely can not wait until our in person meetings return!!!

I was doing WW at meetings until covid and then attended virtual meetings until my meeting subscription ended (switched to online only). The virtual meetings did not supply much inspiration or support. I continued online only and quit to go to iTrackBites this month. It supplies what I need as far as a good tracker for WW Blue and Green (workaround for Purple). The big downside for me is the app only works on smartphones or tablets (not laptops/computers) and I prefer to use my laptop especially when adding recipes to calculate points. Community (Connect like) has improved as well as their help link etc. Better Balance (Blue) is in the ITB Pro subscription and my ANNUAL fee is $35.99 (before tax). WW online was costing me per MONTH $20.95 (before tax). I do like WW online better but not for the cost of $251.40 (annual) vs. $35.99. ITB is free for a lot of the older WW plans, but doesn't include everything. Google SmileyPoints to get a good rundown or iTrackBites site. My advice is to try it for free using the ITB "Sugar Smart" plan similar to WW Green and then decide if you want ITB Pro. Plus for Better Balance (Blue) is you can also track calories or macros as a secondary metric.

Where can I find a list of virtual workshops?

Also, where do I go to get directions on how to use the updated digital app?

I am stuck with a 6 month contract with WW. I have been struggling about a year now. I do not like the virtual workshops no matter how many you can attend during the week. Because of the Covid-19 lock down there has not been workshops. But you can go in to a studio and still weigh-in and purchase product. That just seems dumb to me. If you can go weigh-in why not just have the workshop? Anyway while I wait for my contract to finish I will cancel WW and just use itrackbites. Itrackbites Pro is less for the full year than WW is monthly now.

I was a WW Lifetime member years ago, but gained back some weight and didn't want to pay again. I was excited to see you discuss online workshops, but had hoped you meant cooking demonstrations and other tips to take off the weight, not just Zoom meetings. I'd be tempted to join again if they added some REAL workshops!

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