Weight Watchers
Celebrating 50 years, Weight Watchers is a trusted approach to weight loss for men and women.
QUICK FACTS
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Established: 1963
Founder: Jean Nidetch
Headquarters: New York City
Stock Symbol: WTW
Accessibility: Meetings, Online, Books, Apps
Diet Type: Low-Calorie, Low-Fat
Gender: Male and Female
Celebrity Endorsements: Jennifer Hudson, Jessica Simpson
Corporate Site: WeightWatchers.com
BACKGROUND
It's been 50 years since Weight Watchers came on the scene and started helping people live healthier lives. Weight Watchers helps members create a foundation to introduce healthier choices and physical activity into their lives. Weight Watchers was made popular by the weekly meetings that are still a cornerstone of the program today.
The Weight Watchers 360 program allows you to eat the foods you like without restriction. Simply stay within your daily range and you can still enjoy the foods you love balanced with nutritious choices like fruits, vegetables, lean proteins and whole grains. Unlike many diets, Weight Watchers also encourages an active lifestyle.
It all started in a living room, where women would gather to support one another while losing weight. Then it grew, and became one of the most recognized names in weight loss. They've remained an innovative brand, taking the plan online, and creating a program specifically for men.
Weight Watchers Meetings The original Weight Watchers plan invites members to weekly meetings where they help dieters form a network of support with people sharing similar experiences. Each person checks their weight privately. Meetings are conducted by a trained Meeting Leader who motivates and offers the group support through information about nutrition and fitness.
Weight Watchers Online For those whose schedules won't accommodate a weekly meeting, or prefer the anonymity the Internet offers, Weight Watchers Online makes it possible to reap the benefits of the program from the comfort of your own home. Online subscribers can communicate via message boards, monitor progress, manage PointsPlus values, access hundreds of approved recipes and so much more.
Weight Watchers Online for Men This program is tailored to the needs of men seeking an effective approach to weight loss, without the female undertones. The same Weight Watchers 360 program is used with recipes, videos, articles, and guidance that speaks your language.
Weight Watchers at Work The Weight Watchers At Work program wants to make your workplace healthier by offering you and your company all of the success of the Weight Watchers program right from your own office.
Weight Watchers Monthly Pass The Weight Watchers Monthly Pass gives you the convenience of using your pass at unlimited meetings throughout the month or access to eTools online. The Monthly Pass is not a different plan, but rather another way to follow Weight Watchers.
Weight Watchers 360 released in anticipation of the company's 50th anniversary and seeks to help members make healthy decisions second nature. The idea is to target the spaces where people struggle most (home, office, etc.) and to solidify a healthy living routine within those environments. Their marketing says the program is "built for human nature," and is to be more reflective of and supportive through real life situations.
DietsInReview.com is an advertising partner of Weight Watchers. This review is strictly our opinion.
PRO
- Programs to suit adult men and women
- Choose counseling via meetings or privacy and convenience online
- Online program is a comprehensive experience
- Provides exercise guidance
- Thousands of recipes and meals to choose from
- Applebee's partnership for more healthful dining
- Named #1 in the Best Commercial Diets by US News, 2011
- Reputable and effective for 50 years
- Free Weight Watchers Mobile iPhone App
CON
- Online detracts from the traditional social aspect of meetings
- Weight Watchers Online for Men is only available online, not in meetings
- Not a structured plan, which may be difficult for some to adhere to
- Not a strong emphasis on fitness
USER REVIEWS
A sampling of feedback and experiences shared by our community.
Most realistic program to maintain long term ... may take longer to lose the weight but it stays off! - Carmelle 8/16/11
I lost close to 40 pounds on Weight Watchers and have kept it off ever since starting almost 10 months ago. I plan to be on this program forever. I'm the healthiest I've ever been. (I'm 26 and am thinner and a smaller size than I was in high school, which I NEVER thought was possible!!) WW WORKS! I have never felt deprived, and I feel like the program is something I can live with. It's literally one of the best things I've EVER done for myself. - Marjie 7/8/11
I've been following the new Points Plus program since the beginning of the year. Today I hit the 10% weight loss goal. Only one week I did not loose weight - but I didn't gain either. Love that the fresh fruits are free so when I just want something - I now reach for fruit rather than chips or cookies. I am a 30 year lifetime member (obviously strayed at times) and find that this is the easiest weight loss for me (and I'm now 59.5 years old). HIGHLY recommend the new Points Plus. The key is still planning and journaling as far as I'm concerned. - Char 4/1/11
The old WW worked. The new one does not. I am one of many lifetime members who have become very disenchanted by this new program. - Elle 6/21/11
I highly suggest playing around with the tools. Eventually most "0 point" foods will develop a point value if you put in a high quantity...especially fruits and starchy veggies like green beans and broccoli. If you eat what the healthy check recommends, drink the water the healthy check recommends and eat your points in proteins and a small amount of carbs and fats then you should not gain weight. It's about eating in moderation. Not going crazy just because you think you can. - Shannon 3/6/11
Leave your own review and rating
DIET and NUTRITION
Weight Watchers emphasizes eating more wholesome food, while allowing you to splurge on cravings in moderation. You'll make balanced food choices that include whole grains, lean proteins, fruits and vegetables, eggs and dairy. No matter which plan you choose, you'll have access to all of the Weight Watchers recipes that are delicious, satisfying and good-for-you.
Weight Watchers members can enjoy chili, muffins, brownies, burgers, pizza, pasta and so much more - especially when you follow their healthy tips for lightening the recipes.
You're encouraged to make more nutrient-dense food choices, which not only helps you lose weight but also helps keep you feeling satisfied.
The Weight Watchers website features thousands of recipes for all occasions. If you're a Weight Watchers Online or Weight Watchers eTools subscriber, you can use the calculator tool to learn the best restaurant foods for your plan. Weight Watchers Meetings Members can also use the A-Z food list found in the Pocket Guide, or purchase the Complete Food Companion and the Dining Out Companion to help them plan for their night out.
Whether you do the program online or attend meetings, there are several ideas for snacks and meals along with a list of power foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and lean protein. The program is designed to teach you how to make smarter food choices so that you eat more filling and nutritious meals.
For example, Weight Watchers features two side by side meals that both have a points value of 11. The two meals are reflected below:
- Meal 1 – Peanut butter and jelly sandwich made on reduced-calorie white bread; chips
- Meal 2 – Black bean soup; Whole grain wheat pasta with grape tomatoes, small black olives, crumbled reduced-fat feta cheese, shredded basil leaves, olive oil and red wine vinegar; grapes
Just glancing at these two meals it would be hard to think they have the same value because meal two offers more food. Illustrations like this make it easy to see the importance of making healthier choices so that you can eat more while getting good nutrition throughout the day.
EXERCISE
Weight Watchers does promote living an active lifestyle, although exercise is not a requirement of the program.
Weight Watchers Online and Weight Watchers Online for Men do provide workout demonstrations and provides guidance for all skill levels.
To calculate the intensity of your workout, you can use your heart beats per minute or some simple physical cues. If you choose to follow the heart beats per minute, the classifications are as follows:
- Low intensity: 68 to 92 beats per minute
- Moderate intensity: 93 to 118 beats per minute
- High intensity: more than 119 beats per minute
Using the physical cues for your activity level follows the rating of perceived exertion or RPE. This is what Weight Watchers uses. This method is easier than monitoring your heart rate while working out. The below chart can be used to help you gauge the intensity of your workout:
- Light intensity – Fairly easy exercise that does not induce sweating unless it’s a hot, humid day. There is no noticeable change in breathing patterns.
- Moderate intensity – Somewhat hard exercise that will break a sweat after performing the activity for about 10 minutes. Breathing becomes deeper and more frequent. You can carry on a conversation but not sing.
- High intensity – Hard exercise that will cause you to break a sweat after three to five minutes. Breathing is deep and rapid. You can only talk in short phrases.
Keep in mind that those who are just starting to exercise, or those that have been inactive for a long period of time tend to overestimate their intensity levels. If you are just starting out it may be more accurate to gauge your intensity through your heart beats until you get an accurate understanding of actual intensity levels. With Weight Watchers you can choose to do any form of exercise that meets your needs. Some recommended forms of exercise available are:
- Yoga
- Pilates
- Walking
- Jogging
- Aerobics
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Bike riding
- Kickboxing
WEIGHT WATCHERS FAQ
Common questions asked about the Weight Watchers program by our community. Click each to see the full answer.
Can I do Weight Watchers without exercising? - Calcia 8/16/11
How much does Weight Watchers cost? - 7/20/11
Is Weight Watchers safe for kids? - Yoli 8/8/11
Is Weight Watchers good for diabetics? - Jackie 5/12/11
What do you get from weekly meetings? Hongquan 5/23/11
Are Weight Watchers Points confusing to anyone else? - 2/19/11
CONCLUSION
Weight Watchers is a tried and true veteran of the weight loss industry. With a variety of methods to choose from for both men and women, you're almost certain to find the right path for your weight loss journey. Weight Watchers provides guidance from every aspect of weight loss. Food is one of the primary concerns of any dieter and Weight Watchers goes above and beyond most other weight loss programs with thousands of recipes that anyone, dieting or not, will find tempting and delicious. If their style appeals to you, go for it.
WEIGHT WATCHERS SLIDESHOWS
[The Most Popular Diets of 2012[1]
Biggest Celeb Weight Losses of 2010
WEIGHT WATCHERS RESOURCES
Weight Watchers Testimonial at Prevention Magazine
Weight Watchers Food and Recipes
About the Weight Watchers Lifetime Member Program
Weight Watchers Contact Information
Online Program: Official Site
Phone: 800-651-6000
Website: WeightWatchers.com
Email: support@weightwatchers.com
Common Misspellings
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Author
Featured Diets
Related Diets: Jillian Michaels, Retrofit, Weight Watchers At Work, Weight Watchers Meetings, Weight Watchers Meetings Monthly Pass, Weight Watchers Online, Weight Watchers Online for Men, Weight Watchers PointsPlus, Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, Weight Watchers She Loses, He Loses
User Feedback
(Page 1 of 35, 696 total comments)Laurie Zaczynski
Lost 87 lbs in 18 months. Great!
posted Jun 7th, 2013 12:55 amFreida
DO NOT SIGN UP AND PAY FOR THEIR ETOOLS!!! I have so many issues with WW etools I don't know where to begin...o wait their database sucks. the database is very limited, you have to add everything in yourself so everything takes soooooo long to enter. I end up going to myfitnesspal to get the information I need and then have to copy it over into WW to get the points calculated. Very frustrating. Also, also extremely frustrating is their site is slow and cumbersome. Whenever I need to type anything in i have to hit the same key repeatedly before it registers. Not to mention that sometimes the points calculator is wonky. I put in a recipe that had ingredients that totalled 9 points but the calculator at the bottom added it up to 28 points. I do not recommend WW etools. You are better off with a free app like myfitnesspal or Spark People.
posted May 30th, 2013 1:02 amhighsightis2020
I 100% AGREE with others who disliked weightwatcher's customer service, as well as who had troubles with the payment system. TERRIBLE customer service. The guy ended up yelling at me that I had signed up for a subscription and that of course they will continue to charge me for months after my membership ended. WATCH OUT for this!!! They will not have any sympathy for you! Also their program is not super easy to maintain over a long time!
posted May 15th, 2013 1:58 pmAlicia
I am 18 & started weight watchers about 6 weeks ago & reached my 10% last week which was 17 pounds. This program is great. You don't have to cut out what foods you like you just learn portion control. Seeing how many points certain foods are really make you think WOW do I want to waste this many points on this meal. I couldn't be happier with weight watchers. The food is great & the 0 points for vegetables & fruit really help when I used to be grabbing chips & cookies to snack on. I still have a ways to go but I know weight watchers is the right diet for me.
posted May 8th, 2013 4:51 amKen
Does not work. Lost 60 and gained back 80. I have since found a different diet and lost 160 lbs. Weight Watchers works for someone who needs to lose a little weight, but fails for those who have a food addiction.
posted May 1st, 2013 11:02 pmScholarship
The Weight Watchers 360 program allows you to eat the foods you like without restriction.
posted Apr 11th, 2013 1:51 amLuann
I just started the new program this week. Was on the point tracker yrs ago and I think I like that better. this program so far seems a little harder. And no 0 point soup,what's up with that
posted Mar 17th, 2013 1:41 amallison
billing is horrible!
posted Mar 16th, 2013 4:41 pmColene
I liked weight watchers the best when it was more structured. They have points now but I wish they also had a book of structured points. In the early 80's they had one and I kept it off for at least 15yrs..the points seem confusing and allot of work but I still believe WW works, I just did better the old way..
posted Mar 11th, 2013 6:01 pmStephanie
Careful with this company! Unless you are 1000% certain this is the plan for you AVOID them at all cost. There is no 'trial' membership. I signed up but after viewing them for a day, spoke with a 'customer service rep' about cancel. Sure - and because of the way this part and that part of the small print contract is written they are changing $50. $50!!!! FOR ONE DAY OF THEIR SITE. GREEDY GREEDY GREEDY company!!!!!!!!!! But then again, JS does need millions for 'following' the plan for a few months!!!
posted Mar 9th, 2013 6:38 pmJennifer
I have used WW 7 different times. Yes, that's right! Not because I gained it all back 7 times but because I had 6 children. I used it before I got pregnant and after all 6 children. I have lost all my weight each time! My total weight loss for all times totals: 225lbs! I am a firm believer that if you really stick to it and make it a lifestyle change, then it will work for you. Once I lost the weight, I no longer used the points system because I was aware of what I could eat and how much. I basically memorized things so I could enjoy the things I ate without having to calculate everything. I am a lifetime member and have remained 120lbs for 4 years. Keep it up everyone, it does work!
posted Mar 3rd, 2013 1:41 amJoe
My fiancé has been doing WW for 3 weeks and so far has lost 15-17 lbs, I have been on for a week and lost 5 pounds! The thing people don't understand is that you have to be tedious, and u really have to be honest entering ur points in. We also exercise moderately 4 times a week. If your not lazy and you learn to replace certain items in your diet, you'll get great results. We've replaced a majority of our drinks with water or water with the drink packets and treat ourselves with a normal sweet tea/soda/etc. when you do something like this you're making a lifestyle change, it's not going to work unless you want to change. Stop being lazy people. Put the effort into it, and get the results you want. WW gets a 5/5 rating in my book!
posted Feb 25th, 2013 11:49 pmPS
Is WW paying for this article? It seems biased. BTW, this article seems to promote Weight Watchers versus a truly unbiased review of different weight loss options.
plainlyspoken
The meetings are really silly at this point so I emailed them about any changes to the "online" program that would make me want to try it again. The last time I tried it, it was "okay" but had no advantage to the many FREE apps out there (Lose It! etc). They never responded directly to 3 emails and finally sent me a solicitation email in response to my question. The last time I went to a meeting, the leader yelled my weight to the back of the room to another woman who had inverted the numbers on my form (showing that I gained instead of lost 2.5 pounds!) and the meeting consisted of playing silly games like making "diet" anagram words from the name of the program (e.g. Weight Watchers--"eight" as in number of glasses of water and so on...). It was a waste of time for a busy professional. The employees who run the meetings here have all the personalities of zombies. Further, forcing the meetings is not about "social" or "support." It's about marketing the many products they have to sell and they have to get us in the door for that. Which is why "charging" for the actual silly juvenile content-free meetings that are run by worn out burned out leaders is ridiculous. I am wiling to pay for something of value but this is simply paying to weigh myself and buy more products. I will stick with the Lose It! Application on my phone and increase my activity. That's really all Weight Watchers is, folks. Common sense. We have to eat less, move more and we don't need to pay a lot of money to actually lose weight. There are also free support groups out there online (SparkPeople).
posted Feb 21st, 2013 7:32 pmAl
Very poor customer service. I called to discuss cancelation of my account and was past their auto renewal by a a few days and they refused to refund or credit me and would rather lose customers permanently than provide good fair service.
posted Feb 19th, 2013 3:11 pmwendy
if you dont like their services, or it just doesn't work with your lifestyle. dont expect your money back unless you can give them their thingy they say they mail to you. i've never recieved some pass card. yet they keep charging me, and will not give me my money back., then want to say it's part of their "rules" and what's so funny is the guy could not find me by the email address i signed up with... STAY AWAY!
posted Feb 11th, 2013 8:24 pmNina
The Weight Watchers system is pretty easy to follow, but the online eTools never works The app is also horrible. I have reached Lifetime status which means that as long as I maintain my weight, my membership is free. However, they are always charging me memberships fee and always trying to find excuses to not refund m money. They are always having technical problems with their system and then blaming it on the customers, saying that the customer is doing it incorrectly. I know many people who have fropped out for this reason. It is not really worth the hassle and countless hours ou have to spend trying to get the eTools towork properly.
posted Jan 29th, 2013 10:16 pmEl
Any diet that encourages healthy eating and portion control works. It is beyond me how anyone can claim a program like WW "doesn't work". Of course it works... if you stay with it and maintain the limits that are set within the diet. The only reason it "doesn't work" is if you don't follow it and learn to make good, healthy choices.
posted Jan 28th, 2013 8:37 pmOf course WW works. It is built on a foundation of healther food choices and portion control. How could it "not work"?
It is a question of whether or not the diet is right for someone not whether "it works". WW is perfect for me. I went on Medi-Fast last year, stayed on it 5 weeks and I can honestly say it was the most god-awful thing I have ever done to myself. But did it work? Of course it worked. How could it not when you're on an 800-1000 calorie a day diet. I found it beyond stifling. The food was awful, I had no energy and it left a bad taste in my mouth. But "it worked"... and I hated it.
WW is more my style and I'm in the process of changing my eating habits.
Yes, WW "works"
Marilyn
I have lost around 118 lbs on WW since Jan. 2011. I recently reached lifetime. This plan has worked well for me. It allows me to splurge when I want (as long as I count for it). Ultimately, it has encouraged a great lifestyle change for my family that will always stay with us. This is not a diet. It is learning to take control over what you stick in your mouth.
posted Jan 28th, 2013 5:44 amLilly
There website sucks! It is beyond difficult to track what I am eating regardless of how it is entered into the system. There cutsomer service is terrible too!
posted Jan 22nd, 2013 4:53 pm