high pressure sales and neg attack

[Mari]

I have had a bad week but I think these are two unrelated issues. I just wanted to share and experience I had on Monday. At the recommendation of a friend, I went to this weight loss center. I am sure most of you are familiar- high pressure, sign on the dotted line, talking fast and loud and bazinga, you are several hundred dollars poorer and still overweight.

Well, I just felt overwhelmed by negativity and pressure. It was like all of my defense shields were flashing
"warning, warning". I also saw these other women come in who they said had all of this success, but umm, well, I didn't quite see it.

Anyway, I had gone in feeling pretty good and came out thoroughly drained and annoyed. Yes, I stupidly signed up mainly because of the woman I knew.

Well, last night I woke up at 3 am and I could not stop ruminating about that place. Plus I was sick, but anyway, I could not wait until 9 am when I could go there and cancel which I did.

Anyway, just wanted to post and share the experience. Wow, that whole place was just palpable. I am so glad I had the ability to go in and get out of that.

[ButterflyWoman]

That's an interesting experience. Not a good one, per se, but certainly interesting.

Personally, I think the entire weight loss industry is based in negativity. It's always focussed on everything bad, from the superficial (how you look in a swimsuit) to the serious (obesity is linked to a number of serious health issues). There is sometimes some effort to focus on a more positive aspect (you'll feel better, have more energy, etc. etc.), but overall, it's really ground in "fat is bad, you need us to help you stop being bad".

So I'm not surprised that people fall into that trap of ultra-negative thinking. It's also entirely possible that the sales people there get commissions for the number of people they sign up, so they're going to put the pressure on you or they don't make a decent living. Most people who use negative energy and psychic tricks to coerce are not consciously aware that they're doing it.

And this is off the actual topic, but I've had good results from Weight Watchers, though I only signed up for a three months, figured out how the program works and what it's about, and then got a $5 app for my phone to handle all the points and other stuff. I never went to even one meeting (ugh, can't think of much I'd enjoy less), and I still have the phone app, which is updated regularly. I lost a bit over 10% of my total body weight last year. I expect to lose more this year. I don't want to turn this into a weight loss thread because I know this isn't what you were really talking about, exactly, but I thought I'd pass that on. If I can do it on my own, so can you. So can anyone.

[CFTraveler]

I highly suggest you take a salt shower and meditate to get rid of any attachment to that place. I normally wouldn't advise this for something as 'impersonal' as a visit to a weight loss center, but judging from the strong reaction you had to that place, I'd do it anyway.

[AstralExplorer]

I just read this thread out of curiousity. What's a salt shower? I once had a energy healing practitioner recommend I take baths with sea salt in the water because my chakra energy was supposedly blocked, but I never heard of a salt shower.
I have myself been exposed to high pressure sale situations that left me feeling very stirred up, and astonished at the depths of human depravity.

[CFTraveler]

Just get some high quality bath salts (they say dead sea or himalayan sea salt is best, but I use 'regular' pool salt, because that's what I have and it works fine), shower the usual way (soap and rinse) then take some of the salt in your hands and cover yourself in it (not literally, just rub it around your body until all the parts you want to cover are covered-careful with cuts & scrapes, and the privates, stinging will happen- wait about a minute, and then rinse.
You can also take a salt bath, if your septic system allows it. Mine doesn't, and showers require less preparation.