Jean Nidetch developed the Weight Watchers program in the 1960s in Queens, New York. The program incorporates a point system that is used to track daily calorie intake. You are allowed to make your own choices on the diet plan and you may eat until you have used up all of your daily allotted points. Each food item is designated a specific point value.
Philosophy
The philosophy behind Weight Watchers is that a healthy body is based on a healthy lifestyle, which includes emotional and mental health as well as physical health. The program stresses the importance of health education and empowers you to make your own choices based on your knowledge of what is healthy and what is not. The program centers around the idea that there are "four pillars of healthy weight loss." These pillars are: eat smarter, move more, helpful habits and get support. The program also stresses the importance of physical activity.
Diet Basics
One of the most important aspects of the diet is that nobody tells you what to eat. Instead, you are empowered with the education to make your own diet choices. The main program of the Weight Watchers diet is called the Momentum program. You will be assigned a point budget based on your age, height and weight. Each food in the Momentum program is assigned a specific point value based on its calorie, fat and fiber content. Once you have reached your point budget for the day, you are meant to stop eating.
The program also offers a program specifically tailored to men. Weight Watchers recognizes that men often have different diet needs and Weight Watchers caters to those needs accordingly.
Meetings
The Weight Watchers program also offers regular meetings. During these meetings, you will be weighed in, confidentially, by a weight-loss consultant who has gone through the Weight Watchers program. According to the company's website, those who attend meetings lose three times more weight than those who do not. In addition to regular weigh-ins, the Weight Watchers meetings are meant to provide support, answers to questions, tips to improve weight loss experience and a sense of community.
Online Resources
After joining the Weight Watchers program, you will also have access to an online community where you can access your specific plan, view thousands of healthy recipes, track your progress, monitor your weight and get personalized goals. The online community also has chat room and discussion forums where you can talk with other dieters.
Cost
The program offers two separate options for payment. The first option is a three-month plan. The three-month plan costs $53.85 plus a sign-up fee of $29.95. If you are not ready to commit to three months, Weight Watchers also offers a monthly plan. This plan costs $17.95 per month, plus the $29.95 sign-up fee.
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