Weightwatchers

Created in the 1960s, Weightwatchers has become one of the most popular diet plans in the world. It is often the top-rated diet in research or magazine pieces, and is constantly evolving to meet the challenges of the modern lifestyle.

Currently endorsed by former British Royal Sarah Ferguson, it combines the simple premise of calorie counting with a comprehensive support system.

The best thing about Weightwatchers is the way that it can fit into your lifestyle long term. Unlike some crash diets, Weightwatchers allows you to eat out in restaurants and even have some of your favorite foods!

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Weightwatchers: Basics

Foundation

Weightwatchers attempts to match calories consumed with those calories expended through exercise or your base metabolism. Dieters can expect to lose a steady 1/2 to 2 pounds a week if they stick to the plan! Dieters go to weekly meetings, which include a private weigh-in and advice from your personal Meetings Leader.

By offering much more support to the dieter, and by giving him/her the tools to limit calorific intake, the Weightwatchers diet aims to help us lose weight steadily and consistently. There is a very wide range of books and support materials to help dieters.

Diet

Weightwatchers has two plans:

Flex Points Plan: This diet is based on portion control, and depends on the inevitable calorie counting. You have to keep track of everything you eat throughout the day (no cheating!), and make sure that your daily total comes in under your target.

Core Foods Plan: This plan does away with some of the calorie counting and instead focuses on restricting your diet to certain healthy foods.

Weightwatchers does not specifically use calories, rather their own Points system which is pretty similar. You have a daily or weekly Points target (depending on which plan you choose), against which you can actually earn credits by doing exercise.

Weightwatchers: Pros

• Weightwatchers is a nutritionally balanced diet that will keep you healthy. Unlike some other diets, it does not exclude any food groups and you should not feel any cravings.
• The flexible nature of the Points system means that you can still eat out!
• There is excellent support available for dieters, including tools on the website, literature and regular meetings.
• Dieters routinely report weight losses of 1/2 to 2 pounds per week. These losses are usually sustainable and involve few sacrifices in lifestyle.
• Weightwatchers is an excellent teaching resource. Even if you leave the plan, its lessons in healthy eating will stay with you.

Weightwatchers: Cons

• This diet can be expensive, when you add up all the support materials and the weekly discussion groups! The meetings will cost about $12 per week, and the online program another $5.
• Weight loss is not especially rapid, compared to some other diets, however it is arguably more sustainable.
• Calorie counting is far from a perfect system and does not account for nutritional content. However, other aspects of the Weightwatchers plan do try to educate dieters in healthy eating.
• Weekly meetings are not everyone's cup of tea, and much depends on the group and the personality of the group leader.

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