BethfromVA had asked in the WW thread:

"I've been thinking of going back, but only for the meetings/support. Certainly we can't eat the way WW suggests due to restriction, but I have thought all along that it's necessary to have some form of support/counseling along with anything else we're doing. THis may be the cheaper route than going to a therapist that deals with eating disorders."

If you are looking for a support group that doesn't sell stuff or charge much, you might want to look into Take Off Pounds Sensibly (TOPS). I joined this group back in the early 90's. It doesn't promote any type of program, but it is a support group where you go weekly to weigh in, report your progress, and get/give support to other people who are trying to lose or keep off the pounds (KOPS). I haven't been part of it since the mid 90's.

Now, I'm not sure what their thoughts are on WLS, but I can't imagine that they would ban anyone who had WLS. Just a thought if you are looking for a WL support group.

TOPS does support WLS. One of their award categories is for those who had WLS, though I don't know why they're making that distinction. I guess because of the perception that WLS is such an advantage.

TOPS has been very successful for my mom. For me...not so much. It may just be the local chapter, but the ladies are almost all over 60, so I felt a little out of place. They also play a lot of cutesy games that I wasn't really into. I wasn't getting anything out of the meetings, so I quit a while back.