Weight Watchers offers dieters weight-loss guidance through local meetings, its online program or both. The program assigns point values to foods based on nutritional content and allows dieters a specific number of daily points based on personal factors. Weight Watchers encourages participants to adopt a healthier lifestyle as part of a long-term weight maintenance strategy.
Significance
The Weight Watchers program promotes weight loss by translating the basic concept of calorie counting into a more manageable points system. The points value of a food is determined by its caloric, fat and fiber content. When you choose lower-calorie options, you get to eat more food than if you make less-healthy choices. The program also assigns lower values to high-fiber foods on the premise that fiber-rich foods are more filling and help curb hunger.
Strategy
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you enjoy less-healthly comfort foods in moderation as part of a balanced weight maintenance strategy. The Weight Watchers program helps you find balance in your diet by encouraging healthful choices without excluding occasional indulgences. Choosing low-calorie, high-fiber foods more often enables you to enjoy your favorite comfort foods in moderation.
Concept
The Weight Watchers program provides useful strategies for weight loss, giving you a simple weight-loss system based on current nutritional research. The Weight Watchers points system encourages filling foods, gives you adaptable options for long-term success, helps you manage hunger and learn to recognize and choose healthful foods, according to its website. Because the program is designed to be interactive and motivational, membership is encouraged.
Features
Besides the basic strategy of spending food points within your daily budget, Weight Watchers provides you with additional points options. Each week, you get 35 extra points to spend any time on any foods you choose. You can spend the entire amount at one time on an indulgence, spread the points out over the week or not spend them at all.
Weight Watchers also encourages physical activity by allowing additional points when you exercise. Not only is exercise important for weight loss, but it also plays a major role in sustaining a healthy weight, according to Weight Watchers.
Considerations
Weight Watchers assigns participants a personalized points budget based on age, weight, height, gender and activity level. As you lose weight, your points budget might need to be adjusted to your new weight. If you hit a weight-loss plateau, consider increasing your exercise amount or intensity. At a minimum, aim for 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise five times a week.
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