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
I beg to differ. I have been on the program since January and I have lost 10 pounds. I consistly lost one or two pounds a week and now I am 10 pounds later. You are right it is not a diet it is a lifestyle change. By eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking 6 - 8 glasses of water a day, the weight came off. I also track my points, at first this was pain but in time it became easier. My husband also has his eating habits and he has lost twenty-five pounds. I am still sliming down and recently was able to get into a pair of jeans two sizes smaller than what I normally wear. I also do kickboxing once a week and am also training for a 1/2 marathon walk in April. I occassionaly indulge in pizza or a rich dessert but then I just right back on the plan. If you stick to the plan and also incorporate exercise into it I believe you will get the results you want.
There seems to be a misconception as to the purpose of Weight Watchers. It is not a diet but a way of life. After over eating for most of our lives the WWer has a great deal of weight to lose. However the biggest problem is reteaching the individual how to eat correctly, to be able to lose weight and then MAINTAIN the weight loss. With diets like nutrisystem, you eat the prepared portion of food and if you follow the plan you will lose weight.
However, once you reach you goal weight and stop eating the prepared dinners what do you do? Can’t go to a restaurant because they don’t have the proper prepared portion of food. So give up restaurants. You have not learned how to prepare proper size portions of ALL foods so guess what in a short period of time you have gained back the weight. With weight watchers you are continually having to learn portion control for ALL foods. This includes the empty calorie foods, candy, sweets, desserts, vegetables and all other foods that normal and overweight people eat..
You can eat anything or combination of anything so long as you meet all the other basic requirements i.e water consumption, vitamins, necessary oils and fats, correct number of portions of fruits and vegetables and your individual points target. In the process of the losing weight you learn what the size of a real portion of any food should be. With diets once you reach the desired goal then you either teach yourself the proper behaviors or eat the prepared (program) foods for the rest of your life and give up all the problem foods forever. What a blueprint for failure. So don’t confuse a lifetime reprogramming of eating behaviors with the simpler role of temporary weight reduction. Comparing Apples and Oranges.
Exercise is stressed in the materials and the program as a way to increase weight loss and body sculpting. Every year the stress for exercise is increased. I am a Weight Watcher and have been for 4 years. I have lost 62 pounds and have kept the weight off for three years.
I have been a lifetime member of Weight Watchers since 1999. When I made the commitment to lose weight through Weight Watchers, I knew it wouldn’t be easy. No diet is. You WILL lose weight in this plan, IF YOU FOLLOW THE PROGRAM. Weight Watchers makes sense - eat healthy, watch your portion size, drink lots of water and exercise. Any doctor or nutritionalist will tell you the same thing. Yes, you will be hungry at first, but once your body adjusts, the hunger will subside. Yes, you will have weak moments as we all do, but if you eat too much today, eat less tomorrow. I began feeling so good once the weight started coming off. My energy level increased, I stopped having problems with water retention, aches and pains went away due to exercise, and my clothes fit looser. I gained confidence as people began to notice the change. My leader was so supportive and helped me all along the way. I still go to see her, and she still praises me when I see her. Once you reach your goal and you try to maintain your weight, your new lifestyle really becomes a challenge. I’m addicted to food the same as many other people are. I still have cravings and struggle with not overeating on a daily basis. Its easy once you reach the weight you want to go off a diet and get back to old eating habits. However, this is a lifestyle change. That doesn’t mean that you can’t ever eat the food you love, just do it wisely. Don’t deprive yourself, or you’ll become resentful. I’ve learned to spread my meals into several small ones, and never allow myself to get too hungry for fear that I might go off the deep end and eat everything in sight. I faithfully go to be weighed in every month, and if I see the scale going up, I get right back on track, start journaling, and get those few pounds off. If the scale has gone down a pound or two, I reward myself with a special treat. More than anything I enjoy feeling good and having lots of energy to do the things I enjoy. Its been hard work, and I don’t think I could have done it without the support I received and continue to receive from Weight Watchers. The final results were well worth the money spent. If you decide to give Weight Watchers a try, just remember that you are going to have to work to see results, and only you can make this program a success. Good luck!