Weight Watchers is a commercial weight loss program that focuses on balanced low fat nutrition, exercise and group counseling. Its latest diet creation is called “TurnAround” and is based on its successful “Flexpoints Plan” and “Winning Points Plan.” Every item of food from pizza to ice cream to carrots to bread has a points value based on its nutritional content. You may eat as you like as long as you stay within your allotment of points.
This new program is basically the same as the old, but uses the points in a slightly different manner. You are encouraged to use an online resource called “eTools,” along with a points “calculator” and recipes provided by Weight Watchers. To assist the dieter in their lifestyle changes all members are encouraged to attend group discussion and counseling sessions, mostly in person, at local Weight Watchers centers.
Weight Watchers programs have historically been good programs, but they are increasingly relying on gimmicks and slick marketing. The new “TurnAround” plan is basically the “Winning Points Plan” with re-freshed marketing. They advertise aggressively, trying to convince overweight people that they can lose weight without sacrificing the foods they love.
The points-based plans control portion size by allowing calories that should be consumed on healthy food with very small portions of potentially unhealthy food. This strategy gives the dieter a false sense of the real nutritional changes they need to make in their lives for long-term success. If one seriously wants to lose weight and keep it off in the long-term, they need to think more comprehensively about the foods they eat.
The program does not put a priority on exercise, which is essential. Long-term group therapy impedes the development of self-reliance and self-discipline, which is clearly the most important trait in those 5% of dieters who succeed in the long-term.
Bottom Line:
Realize that Weight Watchers is not a diet. If you need to lose more than 10 pounds initially, Weight Watchers is not the answer. It’s more of a way-of-life and maintenance program after you’ve reached your goal weight.
To lose 10 pounds or more, I recommend “bootcamp” diets like Nutrisystem or Medifast, where you are forced to eat smaller portions. Yes, the food isn’t 5 star gourmet. Yes, the portions are small. That’s exactly the point and it will force you down to your goal weight. It’s tough, but it’s only temporary. Is 1 or 2 months of strict portion control worth being skinny again? If not, how bad do you really want this?
After you’re down to goal weight, control your lifestyle with a program like Weight Watchers. It will provide you with the tools you need to succeed longterm.
Hi, I'm a dietitian with experience in hundreds of weight loss programs and fad diets. When forming my list of the
it is so sad
my wife just started what she would call a “life changing experience” with ww. She hasn’t been a member a week and she is ready to quit. Not because of physical requirements, but by the way she was treated by 2 different area weight watchers.
she joined last friday, with a dear friend of ours who is a Cancer patient, basically taking CHEMO for a little more time, and who wanted to worry about something else besides here condition.
my wife is a beautiful mother of 3, one a new born 5 weeks old.
she goes to the first location, with our friend and our newborn and signs in, pays her money (which included her first “meeting”) and goes to enter the meeting.
But she is stopped!! Why you might ask. The lovely skinny little chick who just took her Cash
refused to allow her in the meeting because of her SLEEPING NEWBORN!!!.
and says, “You’ll need to go to the meeting in a different location, we don’t allow children in here, the next one available is on monday” at said location.
Oh, well thanks for saying something before you took my money, 35 dollars may not seem like a lot, but that is 3 or 4 packs of diapers.
so my wife goes to said location on monday.
before she walks in she is told she must pay again, for the meeting. pay again? she was not able to go to the one she already paid for, because sleeping Newborn children are apparently ‘weight loss poison’. she tried to explain that she had already paid. The lady proceeds to tell her that that was for last weeks meeting, and that she needs to pay for this weeks meeting.
my wife was besides herself, what do you mean you are going to charge me for a meeting “THAT YOU WOULDN’T ALLOW ME TO GO TO IN THE FIRST PLACE!!!”
she hadn’t even been allowed to go to 1 meeting but is going to be charged with 2!!
she did not pay.
and never will again.
when she was weighed in, that was exactly what it was, a weigh in. no one talked to her about weight lost goals, like they should do.
during her one and only first meeting, it was conducted by a new person, by herself. She couldn’t answer any question that my wife couldn’t answer herself, a total fish out of water.
my wife wanted some support to help her to loose weight, what she got was a company more interested in the bottom line than actually being fair. acompany that really does little to communicate with brand new people.
because of the way my wife was given the runnaround, she has decided to never go to another meeting,
overall ww is a joke, we’re switching to nutrisystem.
I’ve been on WW for over a year and reached my goal weight about 3 months ago. A misconception of WW is focusing on Points or meetings. If you really pay attention to what the program offers it teaches about moderation, portion control, execersise, support and most importantly CHOICES. If you don’t get that from this program then you won’t get it from any other program you try.
Dear “Complete Pig”
I enjoyed your post. Though you have had no luck with WW, I thought I’d offer a few tips.
1.) Dieting is not “easy”. It takes commitment and consistency. To be a success, you have to understand this “new” way of eating and living is permanent.
2.) “The minuscule amounts of…food” are actually appropriate portions of food for an adult. You have been vastly over eating for some time, so your perception of what is “enough” food is quite skewed.
3.) You’re going to be hungry, get used to it.
4.) You can do it, if you want.
Good luck!