Millions of people have turned to Weight Watchers to help them shed pounds. Formed in the early 1960s, the program now incorporates both weekly meetings and Web-only members. Weight Watchers focuses on portion control and helping you make healthier food choices. A 2008 study in the Journal of Exercise Physiology found that Weight Watchers, in conjunction with an exercise regimen, helps people lose weight and get the support they need to stick with the program.
Meetings vs. Online
The Weight Watchers program was originally designed around regular meetings in which members gather to share their weight loss successes and offer support and encouragement. Although weekly meetings still exist, led by a trained Meeting Leader, other options for following the program have emerged in the digital age. You may choose a web-only membership, which gives you access to support forums and other online tools but not to in-person meetings. An extension of the program specifically for men has also been introduced to combat the perception that Weight Watchers is mainly for women.
Points
Foods are assigned a point value based on the calories, fat and carbohydrates they contain. You are allowed a certain amount of points per day based on your starting weight and the number of pounds you wish to lose. This means you can eat whatever you like, as long as you don't go over your allotted points. Foods higher in fat and calories have a higher point count than healthier options, leading to participants' realization that making low-point -- or healthier -- choices at some meals means they can have treats at others. Weight Watchers encourages the consumption of fruits and vegetables, milk, protein-rich food, whole grains and healthy oils. There are also Weight Watchers-branded snacks and frozen meals available at grocery stores, but you don't have to use them to use the program.
Exercise
Weight Watchers includes a Points Activity System, where physical activity is converted into points that you can add to your daily allotted point value. The amount of points awarded to various activities is based on the individual, because people of different weights burn different numbers of calories doing the same activity. Weight Watchers recommends getting used to the food program first before beginning an exercise routine; according to its own research, beginning a diet and exercise program separately is more effective than starting both at once.
Momentum Program
The Momentum Program is an extension of Weight Watchers designed for users who have successfully lost weight and want to keep it off. The program makes suggestions for "Filling Foods" that help you combat hunger, offers recipes and bases menus off of the points system. Momentum is available for both meetings and online-only members.
Member Comments