What is the Weight Watchers Diet?
The Weight Watchers Diet is one of the oldest and most popular of the modern weight loss diets. The 45-year-old diet is based on four pillars of healthy weight loss: healthy eating, physical activity, support, and good eating habits. While these principles remain the same, Weight Watchers has made major changes in order to keep up with new scientific research and changing dietary issues.
The Weight Watchers Diet has always been based on calorie counting and a points system. Dieters are allowed a certain number of points to use on their daily food. Under the old system, dieters could eat whatever they wanted as long as they did not exceed their individual points allowance.
The new system, called Points Plus, allocates points according to the quality of the food. A green vegetable, for example, uses up fewer points than a bagel. By assigning fewer points to high protein and high fiber foods, the new system encourages dieters to eat more nutritious and filling foods and fewer high-fat and calorie-dense foods. In fact, under Points Plus you can eat as many servings of fruits and non-starchy vegetables as you want.
Under the Points Plus system, two foods can have the same number of calories but different points values. Weight Watchers has identified a number of “Power Foods”—foods that are high in fiber and lean protein and low in points and calories.
The Weight Watchers Diet assigns points based on a proprietary formula that considers how filling and healthy the foods are; how much energy they take to digest; and the content of sugar, fat, sodium and fiber in the foods. Participants can use a booklet, a mobile phone app, a Points Plus calculator, or an on-line database to look up the points of thousands of foods and food products.
Two core features of the original Weight Watchers Diet have not changed: Weekly weigh-ins and peer support. You can participate in Weight Watchers online or in person or you can combine online and in-person participation.
What Does the Weight Watchers Diet Cost?
While fees and promotions vary by time and location, $39.95 a month for unlimited meetings and online tools is typical. One promotion offers Weight Watchers Online for $29.95 to sign up and then $17.95 monthly. Online tools include recipes, workout plans, meal plans, and individualized weight trackers. While Weight Watchers sells prepared meals, you can join Weight Watchers and participate in the diet without buying these products.
How the Weight Watchers Diet Works
You can sign on to the Weight Watchers Diet online or at one of over 45,000 Weight Watchers meetings around the world. When you sign up for Weight Watchers you fill out a form with your age, height, current weight, and weight loss goals. You will be assigned an individualized points allocation based on the information you provide. (Your allocation may change as your weight changes.) Your diet will be a minimum of 1,200 calories a day, and will follow the Institute of Medicine dietary guidelines for protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
As a Weight Watchers member you keep a journal of everything you eat and drink. You figure out the Points Plus value for every food and beverage you consume and subtract that from your daily points allowance. Weight Watchers allows a few extra points weekly, which you can use for daily snacks or a weekly treat, if you want.
Daily exercise is part of the Weight Watchers Diet. By exercising you can add points to your Points Plus allowance. You earn activity points according to the duration and intensity of your workout. You can exchange your activity points for extra food if you want to eat a little extra food.
Weekly weigh-ins and support round out the program. You can record your weight and get support either online or at meetings. Two pounds per week is a reasonable weight loss goal under the Weight Watchers Diet, but how much weight you will lose depends on individual factors.
Weight Watchers Diet: Benefits and Concerns
The Weight Watchers Diet is a balanced and healthy diet for slow and steady weight loss. By following the diet, participants learn healthy eating habits and how to make healthy food choices—skills they can use for lifelong weight maintenance. Daily allowances are individualized and comply with Institute of Medicine dietary guidelines.
Weight Watcher is a moderate diet—not an extreme diet for fast weight loss. By being moderate and flexible and allowing room for occasional treats, the Weight Watchers Diet appeals to people who do not do well on highly restrictive diets.
The new Points Plus system encourages healthy eating more than the previous points system. The original Weight Watchers Diet has been criticized for its heavy reliance on calorie counting, which allowed dieters to make poor food selections and empty calories. Points Plus appears to address this concern. Weight Watchers dieters may, however, experience some confusion and difficulty during the transition from the old points system to Points Plus.
Research has shown that weekly weigh-ins and support are important components of an effective weight loss plan. Weight Watchers Online increases options for people who cannot get to meetings or who want greater anonymity than meetings afford. Weight Watchers Online also provides more guidance and information on exercise than meetings do, with workout videos and demonstrations.
The cost of the Weight Watchers Diet may be prohibitive for some people.
Is the Weight Watchers Diet for You?
While Weight Watchers is a tried and true moderate diet, it is a good idea to consult with your physician before starting any new diet and exercise regimen. This is especially if you take prescription medications, are very obese, or have chronic health problems. Your doctor can help you determine if the Weight Watchers Diet is a good fit for your health status and weight loss needs.