Weight Watchers Diet Program Review
A duchess is credited with helping to boost the popularity of the Weight Watchers diet program. Sarah, the Duchess of York, became a spokeswoman for the program some years ago, attracting new followers to the weight loss regimen. But long before Sarah burst onto the scene, Weight Watchers was helping people around the world realize both short-term and long-term weight loss goals.
Weight Watchers was established in the 1960s as a company offering various products and services designed to promote weight loss. The company began as a discussion group for people looking for proven weight loss strategies. It now has operations in 30 countries, with the title “Weight Watchers” translated into each native language.
Weight Watchers offers these programs…
- the points program
- the core program
- the flex program.
All the programs are enhanced by local support groups that provide emotional assistance, strength, and guidance to dieters. In fact, clients often point to the support groups as a major contributing factor to successful weight loss.
The points program allows you to determine a numerical value for your calorie intake and energy expenditure. It works like this…
Different foods are assigned different point levels, while different types of exercise are awarded negative numbers of points. Clients are permitted a certain number of points a week, based upon their current weight and long-term weight goals. Because of this arrangement, the dieter does not have to eat a specific type of food — he or she simply must abide by point restrictions.
Therefore, Weight Watchers is markedly different from other diet plans such as the South Beach Diet and the Atkins Diet, which ban certain foods from daily consumption. Those who do not wish to exercise are allotted fewer points, while those who incorporate exercise into their daily routines can consume higher point values.
Food points are determined by means of a formula which takes into consideration calories, fat, and fiber. Fans of the Weight Watchers point system like the fact that no particular food is out of reach, provided they abide by their weekly point limitations. In fact, in the UK, Weight Watchers employs the advertising slogan, “Where no food is a sin.”
However, critics of the plan maintain that keeping track of points can be difficult, and that eating within point values can lead to unbalanced diets which can leave one feeling hungry. Under the core plan, Weight Watchers classifies certain foods as “core,” meaning that dieters can eat as much of these types of foods as they want.
Meanwhile, non-core foods are labeled with a certain number of points. Again, dieters are allotted a certain number of points per week.
Weight Watchers has also developed a flex plan which allows you several additional points that you can choose to use or not use during a given week. You can also earn more points through exercise. Followers of this program enjoy the flexibility it provides, allowing them to consume more food than they would be able to do otherwise.
The Weight Watchers meetings are an important social component of the program. Initially, dieters must pay to attend meetings. However, once they’ve achieved their weight goal and maintained it for a period of time, they enter the maintenance phase and can attend meetings for free. Nevertheless, once an individual has bought Weight Watchers materials, he or she can follow the program without going to meetings or paying any additional money.
Because of the popularity of Weight Watchers, a number of websites have sprung up which offer point values for foods at national chain restaurants, such as the Big Macs at McDonald’s. And restaurants such as Applebee’s actually publish point values for the various dishes on their menus. Such developments show that Weight Watchers has become an important part of our modern culture.
