Without a doubt one of the most well known names in dieting, Weight Watchers has been committed to helping people get in shape for over 40 years. In Britain, 10 million dieters have attended a Weight Watchers meeting in the last decade and the weight loss program continues to grow as millions of people around the world join up in an effort to shed the pounds.
The Weight Watcher system is essentially a low calorie, reduced-fat diet. It consists of two separate diet plans: the Points Plan and the Core Pan. It is possible to change from one plan to another at any point during your diet.
The Points Plan
Probably the most famous aspect of the Weight Watchers system, the Points Plan assigns a Points value to every food and drink item based on calories, fat content and portion size. The lower the Points value, the lower the calorie content. At the end of each day you add up all the Points you’ve consumed and make sure you haven’t exceeded your daily allowance. After signing up to Weight Watchers you will be told your individual daily Points allowance which will be calculated on your height, weight, age, gender and lifestyle.
The Core Plan
The premise of the Core Plan is simple. You are allowed to eat as much as want from a list of healthy, low fat foods which includes fruit and vegetables, lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs, low fat dairy and whole grain carbohydrates. The focus is on foods which have a low calorie content in comparison to their actual weight, or a relatively low energy density. The thinking behind this is that people naturally consume the same total weight of food each day, no matter what the calorie content. So by sticking to ‘Core’ foods from the list, you’re eating the same weight of foods as you normally would, but not consuming the same amount of calories, and hopefully feeling comfortably satisfied while losing weight.
Pros
One of the biggest advantages of the Points plan is that you can eat anything you like, as long as you do not exceed your Points allowance each day. While the Core Plan is more restrictive, Weight Watchers have been careful to incorporate a weekly Points allowance into this plan too, so you still get to have a few treats in moderation. It’s true that counting Points can get a bit tiresome, but it’s ultimately no worse than calorie counting, and Weight Watcher do offer a special Point calculator to make things easier.
Both plans are fundamentally about teaching you how the importance of a healthy eating regime. While the Core Plan restricts you to only healthy foods from a carefully compiled list, the Points Plan effectively restricts you in the same way – if you don’t want to exceed your daily Points allowance you will ultimately have to opt for low fat, low calorie foods. Weight Watchers do not make any unrealistic or unhealthy claims about rapid weight loss, promoting a steady loss of 2 pounds a week.
Perhaps the best element of the Weight Watchers diet is the social aspect. Weekly meetings provide a sense of community that is missing from a lot of diet plans and they are a great way to find support and meet new friends.
Cons
The cost! There is also some inaccuracy in the Points system which often calculates the points values of foods based on portion size rather than weight. And while you’re restricted to healthy foods on the Core plan, it is certainly possible to consume too much of these foods and end up actually gaining weight.
The Weight Watchers system encourages steady weight loss by restricting your calorie and fat intake and promoting nutritionally rich foods and exercise. While some may find the points system tiresome and the price tag too high, there’s no denying the quality of the advice and support on offer.