Weight Watchers Quick Success Program was the weight loss strategy developed by the commercial diet powerhouse in the late 1980s. It was designed to help people lose weight more quickly than previous programs. Since then, the Weight Watchers plan has changed twice, with the newest, PointsPlus, being introduced November 28, 2010.
Quick Success Program
The Quick Success Program Cookbook hit shelves in 1988. The plan set out to help people lose weight fast in the first few weeks through a phased food plan. The strategy was built on food categories with an "exchange list" within each of the following categories: fruit, vegetables, fat, protein, bread, and milk. The dieter was allotted a certain number of options from each list daily, and a floating exchange or optional calories that added flexibility to help with compliance. The plan was considered "phased" because more options were added for each of the first five weeks.
Program Guidelines
Week one on the Quick Success Program gave women two to three fruit servings, three fat servings, five to six protein servings, two servings of bread, and two servings of milk, as well as at least three servings of vegetables. Week two added one serving of bread and 200 optional calories. An optional exchange, or 100 additional calories, was added each week until week five. Men and young people needed to add additional exchanges to meet their nutritional needs.
Recommendations
Weight Watchers recommended the dieter eat three meals each day on the Quick Success program. Planned snacks were fine as long as they counted toward the exchange total for the day. Quick Success required breakfast that had to include at least one bread exchange and half of a milk exchange, and suggested the inclusion of fruit. As with later plans, additional vegetables were encouraged.
Points Plan
In 1997, the Points program was introduced because dieters were looking for a program that would enable weight loss without calorie counting. Weight Watchers used a formula based on the amount of calories, fat and fiber in the food to assign a point value. The program allocated members a specific number of daily points based on their age, current weight, height, and daily activities. As long as the dieters ate within their daily points, they lost weight. They earned additional points for exercise, and 35 weekly points were available for flexibility.
PointsPlus
The current program, PointsPlus, was launched at the end of 2010 and responds to requests for a plan that helps members eat healthier foods. Weight loss science has also moved beyond calorie counting. PointsPlus works like the previous plan, with values assigned to foods based on a proprietary formula, but now the equation is based on the food's fiber, fat, calories and protein content. Weight Watchers experts say this is because the body processes calories from these areas differently, working harder to break down protein and fiber than fat and carbohydrates. The PointsPlus program also encourages dieters to eat more fruits and vegetables by making all fruit and most vegetables zero PointsPlus values.
References
- "Weight Watchers Quick Success Program Cookbook"; Jean Nidetch; 1988
- TheHistoryOf.net: The History of Weight Watchers
- "Weight Watchers Points Pocket Guide"; Weight Watchers International; 1997
- "Weight Watchers PointsPlus Getting Started"; Weight Watchers International; 2010
- "Weight Watchers Weekly Special PointsPlus Launch Edition"; Weight Watchers International; 2010
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