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Weight Watchers
A trusted approach to weight loss for more than 40 years.
BACKGROUND
It's been more than 40 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 its POINTS system. A point value is assigned to each food on the comprehensive list of more than 27,000 foods based on its calories, fat and fiber content. The Weight Watchers POINTS allow you to eat the foods you like without restriction. Simply stay within your daily POINTS range and you can still enjoy fried chicken or diet soda; more importantly, you'll learn that those food choices have high POINTS and you'll be more inclined to choose grilled chicken, water, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Unlike many diets, Weight Watchers also encourages an active lifestyle, and awards POINTS for exercising.
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, creating a program specifically for men and even launching the Momentum plan to teach people how to eat in order to stay full longer.
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, obtain POINTS counters, access hundreds of approved recipes and so much more.
Weight Watchers Online for Men Available exclusively online, this program is tailored to the needs of men seeking an effective approach to weight loss, without the female undertones. The same POINTS plan is used, but recipes, fitness and weight loss advice speaks your language.
Weight Watchers Momentum The newest innovation from Weight Watchers takes your healthy eating skills one step further, by showing you how and when to eat so that you maintain satiety longer.
Read this explanation of how Weight Watchers POINTS work.
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
- POINTS make it simple to assess nutritional value of food
- Reputable and effective for more than 40 years
- Free Weight Watchers Mobile iPhone App
CON
- Counting POINTS may be time consuming
- Online detracts from the traditional social aspect of meetings
- Weight Watchers Online for Men is only available online, not in meetings
DIET and NUTRITION
Weight Watchers emphasizes eating more wholesome food, while allowing you to splurge on cravings in moderation. You'll use your POINTS to 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 and keeping your POINTS values low.
EXERCISE
More guidance is provided for fitness online than is in meetings. Weight Watchers Online gives access to dozens of workout demonstrations and has something for all skill levels to follow. You can also earn activity points by working out, which will allow you to save some room in your food POINTS for the week.
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.
See the Official Weight Watchers Web Site
Common Misspellings
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Learn More About Weight Watchers
Related Diets: Weight Watchers At Work, Weight Watchers Meetings, Weight Watchers Momentum, Weight Watchers Online, Weight Watchers Online for Men, Weight Watchers She Loses, He Loses
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mandy0925
this has been the best change i have ever made. it makes me feel like i am not even trying to lose weight and the pounds come off every week! love it!
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Weight Watchers was established by Jean Nidetch in September 1961
I have tried WW twice-the first time I did not realize we were not supposed to eat so close to "weigh in" and since I had eaten an hour before, I was 2 lbs more. The leader asked me if I still wanted to stay for the meeting. I was aghast-what kind of leadership is that? The second time I was going to do it with a friend-until I realized the leader (different woman) was giving bad advice (make your two year old eat what she eats???) This is after two weeks prior her telling us to not make our kids diet if we are. These "leaders" speak out of both sides of their mouth. Never again.
I enjoy doing Weight Watchers. I was on it years ago when I was at my lowest weight. I quit and was quickly sucked back into the way I ate before, and then I went to college it it got WAY out of hand. However, I started getting serious about it again a couple weeks ago and I have lost about 9 pounds since I started. I am not hungry ever since I snack a lot more than I did before. I am young, so it's hard for me sometimes when I go out with my friends. After a 40 hour work week, it's hard to say no to a martini (or two). But those points add up fast.
I am a vegetarian on top of that, so I really enjoy WW because I can choose what I eat and calculate points accordingly.
I'm starting Alli in about a week and a half, after I cleanse. I'll be posting about that sometime in the next couple of weeks.
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diet doesnt work
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It's works for me me i lost 85lb i feel GREAT!!
Just wondering if anyone out there can give me some tips on how to start. Do I just sign up and they send me all the materials I need to suceed? Thanks for all of your input!
I was on WW for a year and lost 10 pounds (which was really good for me; I am on the petite side and that's a lot on my frame). There were many things that I liked about it. The leader and meetings were really positive, the weekly weigh-ins were a good way to stay on course, and I learned a lot about the real caloric content of foods that I had previously thought were "healthy" and therefore could be consumed without limits, like pasta and potatoes.
That said, there were some things that I did not like, as well. I think that the pure emphasis on points wound up distracting me from other habits that I knew were healthy. As I got down to 18 points, I found myself drinking diet soda instead of milk, chewing sugary gum to stave off sugar cravings, and eating the WW-branded foods which are often high in sodium and transfats. After a while, I got tired of the points counting and quit WW. Instead of counting points, I decided to cut "unnatural" things like 100 calorie packs of snack crackers or WW candy bars out of my diet, and to rely instead on natural, home-cooked things, even if they are higher in calories. Two years later, I've lost 15 more pounds.
I think that my problem with WW was mostly psychological: on a program that says that you can still eat cheeseburgers and chocolate sundaes, I found myself always looking for a chemically-adapted lower-calorie version of junk food. Once I changed my focus to eating only natural foods, I found that my tastes changed, that I am less stressed out about "saving" points, and that I have a lot more energy. I definitely still rely on some of the things that I learned about food from WW, though.
JennyChow
I did the Weight Watchers Program, and with some discipline it works very well. I wishe there would be some more communivation between members, I also did a Marie France program, and there is a community site now where I got a lot of good tips.
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Hi all!
Just wanted you to know that has an exclusive interview
with Florine Mark, who created Weight Watchers. She discusses her entrepreneurial journey as the largest franchisee of Weight Watchers International and overcoming life's key obstacles.
It's a really great video, please check it out!
I did WW about 2 years ago back in the UK, I lost 3 stone in 6 months! It was amazing and encouraged me to introduce exercise into my life and gave me a reason - so I could have the odd treat! I used to use my activity points for a night out at the weekend with my friends, alcohol is actually my biggest downfall, so it is good that WW is realistic and doesn't say you CANNOT have something like ever it says ok, but in moderation and only if you earn it! I am back on WW now in Australia, this is my first week and yes I gained a bit of weight but in 2 years I only gained like 7 pounds not bad at all. Now I am having to work it all out in Kilos and I am starting at minimum of 18 points, finding it tougher this time, but I know it works!
This is a message for DLYNN!
Weightwatchers is NOT a fad diet, which the statistics that you stated are aimed at. WW is a long-term healthy eating diet that does not eliminate ANY of the food groups. The reason why I love WW so much is because you can eat whatever you like within moderation. It is not a quick fix like many fad diets out there. Thus you lose weight slowly but it stays off in the long term. The slower you lose the weight the longer it stays off and that is a fact!
I would definately recommend WW I love it!!! I have never paid for a class in my life all points can be found by googling and you should stick to around 18 to 20 points per day.
I've been on weight watchers about four times. I have all the books and this time i am going to try it on my own. it works. you just have to stay disciplined. I am also going to curves 6 times a week and doing the Curve Smart program. I burn about 470 calories each time.
I'm a life time member since 1981 and have kept my weight off . There are times when you tend to gain a few , but you just go back on to your program. it is easy to drop them . That's the beauty of ww . Good luck to all.
i dont like it because its not free... i dont think its fair to have to pay for letters on a screen and to try to lose wieght ...its just wasting money you would have a lot more people if it was free.
I've been on it for over a year and it's amazing. After 2 weeks you start to memorize the points and it gets much easier.
Points system makes it very easy to keep track of what you are eating and calories. Going to meetings is a great support system and gives helpful information and camaraderie with others who are trying to lose using the same system.
WW is PERFECT for me. I have been trying for 3 yrs to lose weight. I was using my own version of portion control and excercising. The weight wouldn't budge, not even a pound. I have maintained my 37 lb weight gain for 3 yrs straight. I went to the dr to have my thyroid checked. It was normal. I joined WW based on my mom's suggestion. I FOUND my problem. I am eating WAY, WAY too much food. I went over my points the first week by almost 70 points. I was eating 50+ points in one day. This was NORMAL for me. I wasn't measuring until the day's end when I would log in my points, I'd be shocked. All day, I was conscious of what I was eating and thought I was doing a, "good job." WOW! I had a lot to learn about portion control and making better choices. For example, before WW, I would eat a grilled turkey sandwhich from DQ thinking it was healthy. Once on WW, I discovered this had 25 grams of fat. No wonder I was not loosing weight. WW also forces me to make sure I check that I had all my daily intake of fruits, veggies, water and whole grains ea day. I used to go days w/o eating these. Now I am aware of whether I am lacking in this very important area and I eat them. This is going to be a lifestyle change for me, not a diet. I am recognizing what a portion looks like and realizing what foods I thought were good are not so good. I am also finding healthy alternatives to my favorite foods such as instead of spaghetti sauce, I eat fresh chopped tomatoes and drizzle olive oil and oregeno over my whole wheat pasta. Yummy and more healthy .
To Lisa...Search online for exercises for wheelchairbound people. There are instructions online and DVDs that can be purchased.
WW is the best diet out there at helping you make a permanent lifestyle change. there are many good diets if all you look at are weight loss results, but i doubt there is any diet out there that can make the maintenance claims that WW can. the reason is that from day 1 they teach you that you are not on a diet. they help you address the problem you have eating healthfully by giving you guidance and direction in how to choose better, more nutritionally dense foods, but it's also realistic enough to recognize you will want to have a piece of pumpkin pie at thanksgiving, or go to happy hour after work w/ friends. and you can do all of that on WW and they show you how. the community support whether online or in meetings is also immensely helpful. most diets contain some method of tracking what you eat. this is necessary so that you can assess how flawed your assumptions about food are. before joining WW, i thought eating a bagel for breakfast was fine! now i know, that is many more calories than anyone needs for breakfast, and it's nutritionally lacking. now i never eat more than a half bagel at any one time and i am sure to include protein with every meal. it's little realizations like this that you make all along the weight loss journey on weight watchers that help you realize things you simply didn't know before, and knowledge is power!
