The Weight Watchers Diet
What Is the Weight Watchers Diet?
Since the early 1960s, Weight Watchers has been the gold standard for successful weight loss programs. Among the reasons for Weight Watchers’ longevity: the program is based on science, addresses the dieter’s lifestyle as a whole, and is free of gimmicks.
There have been several versions of the Weight Watchers diet over the last 40 years, but the company’s chief scientific officer, Karen Miller Kovach, MS, RD, thinks the latest program — called “Momentum” — is the best yet.
“We have combined the point system of tracking intake with a focus on filling foods that are low in energy density but also provide satiety, so you can stick with your plan without gnawing hunger,” she says.
“It is an easy-to-follow weight loss plan that can help people stay in control of their eating habits while learning how to eat smarter portions and make healthier, more filling, food choices.”
Weight Watchers has always focused on long-term weight management and a commitment to an overall healthy lifestyle. The program is based on four basic principles: eating smarter, moving more, getting support, and developing better habits.
Don’t expect to be told what you can and cannot eat on the Weight Watchers diet. Instead, you’ll learn strategies to conquer hunger, and follow an individualized, calorie-controlled eating plan that works with your lifestyle.
The Momentum plan highlights foods that are nutrient-rich and filling, but members make the actual choices based on their personal preferences and allotment of points.
“We realized that the point system allowed dieters to eat whatever they wanted and their choices were not always healthy, so we did research to find out how to make every point count and still provide good nutrition while keeping hunger at bay,” says Kovach.
Much of Weight Watchers’ success is due to keeping members connected to each other and to support staff. Members can get support both online and at meetings that can be found in most communities.
“Being connected is one of the secrets to long-term weight loss success,” says Kovach. “When you have to go to a meeting or log in your weight, it serves as a motivator to stay on track.”
Weight Watchers’ web site includes several useful diet features and tools, including recipes, calorie calculators, restaurant guides, meal trackers, and more.
What You Can Eat on the Weight Watchers Diet
You don’t have to eat less, just smarter, on the Weight Watchers diet. No foods are prohibited. Instead, each food is assigned “points” based on its calorie, fat, and fiber content.
Each member has a target Daily Points Range, calculated based on their body weight and activity level.
The points system helps you learn to get more value out of what you eat by making healthier food choices. Some examples:
- 1 cup broccoli: 0 points
- 1/2 cantaloupe: 2 points
- 1 small bean burrito: 5 points
- 1 6-ounce steak: 8 points
- 1 3-ounce grilled chicken breast: 3 points
- 1/4 cup regular creamy salad dressing: 8 points
- 1 slice bread: 2 points
- 1 ounce chocolate: 4 points
- 1 scoop vanilla ice cream: 4 points
The Momentum system also helps members avoid hunger. Filling foods such as popcorn, broccoli, and whole wheat pasta are identified with green diamonds, and dieters are encouraged to eat them.
How the Weight Watchers Diet Works
The new twist to the Weight Watchers Momentum plan is its focus on foods that help keep people feeling fuller longer because they contain plenty of fiber, water, air, and/or lean protein. And of course, the less hungry you are, the less likely you are to raid the cookie jar.
While there’s only one eating plan, dieters can opt for in-person meetings at their local chapters or at work, or the online subscription service. Weight Watchers members who go to meetings and use the online suite of diet tools, tips, and trackers lose about 50% more weight than other members, says Kovach.
“The more engaged you are with the program, weight loss will be more top of mind,” she says. “You pay more attention to your lifestyle and as a result, you will have success.”
Weekly meetings cost approximately $13-$15, or you can purchase a monthly pass for $39.95 and attend unlimited meetings. Online fees are about $5 per week.
The Weight Watchers plan also encourages members to spend more time being active. All types of physical activity are assigned a point value, based on the dieter’s weight and the intensity of the exercise. Members are encouraged to earn a minimum of 2 daily activity points and work toward 4 points, or the equivalent of about 90 minutes of exercise a day.
The initial Weight Watchers goal is to reduce body weight by 5% to 10%, and the ultimate goal is a BMI ( body mass index) of less than 25. For those who have a lot of weight to lose, the goal is to lose in increments of 10%, which helps keep motivation up.
What the Experts Say About Weight Watchers
Weight Watchers is a highly respected, community-based weight loss/maintenance program anchored in balanced eating, says Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, nutrition consultant and former spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association.
Weight Watchers has long offered a comprehensive approach for people who need the structure of a calorie-controlled program, and it continues to improve, experts say. The plan includes all the essential components for success: controlling calories, choosing healthy foods, being active, allowing favorite foods, support, and changing behaviors.
“I think it’s one of the best diet plans because it’s balanced; it gives people a lot of ways to lose weight; focuses on foods that go the distance; and it retrains people in how they view food and eating, so it’s highly unlikely that they will go back to their bad habits,” says Zanecosky.
She notes that not everyone wants the in-person group support that Weight Watchers offers. “Their online program will provide the anonymity that some people need (especially men), and the convenience called for by those who cannot attend group meetings,” she says.
Some experts, however, think that counting points or calories just makes weight control harder.
“Those who struggle with their weight often find that they think about food more — not less — when they have to count points,” says Michelle May, MD, author of Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don’t Work.
May believes that weight problems are usually not really about food, and so eating filling foods or counting points may still leave dieters feeling empty — and not result in permanent weight loss.
Food for Thought
Weight loss success is inevitable if you can find a program you can stick with long term, and Weight Watchers fits the bill for many people.
On this plan, your favorite foods are still allowed in moderation. You’ll learn skills to control your eating behaviors and your cravings, and you’ll learn about the benefits of choosing filling foods and daily physical activity. On the Weight Watchers plan, you’ll enjoy real, healthy, widely available foods; make a commitment to improving your eating behaviors and being more active; and you’ll be accountable.
With the added bonus of group support, many people find this is a diet that delivers for both the short term and the long term.
SOURCES:
weightWatchers.com.
webmd.com.
Karen Miller Kovach, MS, RD, chief scientific officer, Weight Watchers.
Althea Zanecosky, MS, RD, nutrition consultant.
Michelle May, MD, author, Am I Hungry? What to Do When Diets Don’t Work.
Reviewed on 2009-08-13T10:13:04+00:00
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