Watch your weight drop off at weight watchers! (Weight Watchers)

Name: KTW

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Product:	Weight Watchers
Date:	18/10/06 (2796 review reads)
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Advantages: No food is banned!!!!

Disadvantages: Chocolate is seriously restricted!

I carry a full range of clothes in my wardrobe, that is to say, if you are between a size 12 and a size 18 I am sure I have something you can borrow, this may be very handy for friends and family, but its also somewhat soul destroying for me!

As a tall girl, I have never been or wanted to be a skinny Minnie, I am at my happiest when I fit comfortably in to my size 14 jeans, I am not even too bothered when I begin to fill the size 16's, and yet when the 18's begin to feel snug. I know its time to do something.

Almost every time I consider something drastic, cabbage soup diet, slim fast, boiled eggs, and yet I know the best way for me to lose weight and keep it off (well for at least a year!) is Weight Watchers.

The History:

In 1961, New Yorker Jean Nidetch, was having trouble losing weight. She weighed over 16 stones and was desperate to lose some. Bored by her diet she called on her fat friends (pun intended) for support and they began meeting in her living room to share tips and motivation.

Just two years later in 1963 Weight Watchers International became an incorporated company, and had spread from America to Canada, Australia and the UK.

In 1978, Weight Watchers International was sold to the H.J. Heinz Company, since then Weight Watchers has grown and grown. It now has an estimated one million members, who attend 29,000 meetings, in 27 countries.

Who is it for?

Weight Watchers is aimed at anyone with 10lbs or more to lose. That means that to join you must weight at least 10lbs more than your lowest healthy BMI. Under 16s can attend with the permission of their guardian and their GP. Breast feeding mothers can also attend, with the consent of their GP. No pregnant ladies though. Men are more than welcome and are becoming a more and more common sight at meetings.

The Meeting

The first half an hour of the meeting is for weighing members. On your first visit there is a small amount of paper work to be done before you collect your membership card and weigh in.

At this point you will be discreetly weighed by either your leader or a helper. Your leader will then talk to you about what weight you would ideally like to be. She will set you an initial 10% target.

At no time will anyone shout your weight out or any of your goal weights.

Your leader will also give you your programme material, which is a Switch handbook, and a Points finder.

After your weighed there may be tea and coffee facilities, you can have a drink and chat with other members.

Following this you have a half an hour meeting lead, by your group leader.

At the beginning she will give out awards, awards are a silver seven sticker given for every 7lbs lost, a little gem stone given for every stone, a key ring in the shape of a 10, when you lose 10%, a certificate and a key shaped charm for your key ring, when your reach goal, and a star shaped charm for your key ring for every year you stay at goal.

Every week she will raise a different topic, usually something like cravings, exercise, eating enough vegetables, etc etc, some weeks they may do a cooking demonstration.

The meeting is always very informal, my leader used to do a lot of quizzes, and make you chat to others in the group.

There’s always time to ask any questions you have from the week before.

My leader always finishes with a (bad) joke! Then she has a new member time where she explains the plan to any new members. If you don’t understand the first week, you can always stay the next, and the next and the next - but it really really simple!

The Diet

The diet plan is called Switch, cleverly named as you can "switch" between two plans (someone in marketing works hard for their money!!).

You can choose to go for "Full Choice" or "No Count".

Full Choice

Is where foods are given a points value based on their calorie and saturated fat content.
You are given a points allowance of somewhere between 18 and 28 a day depending on how much you weigh and how active you are. Men, breast feeding ladies and Children get higher points allowances.
You can eat whatever you want, whenever you want, so long as you stay within your point’s allowance.
In your switch handbook there is a list of common foods and their point’s values, you can also work them out using your point’s calculator you get with your switch handbook.
And that’s all there is to it, it’s easy really. You can earn bonus points by doing exercise and either save them to speed up weight loss or use them for extra treats.

No Count

Is where you eat freely from a list of free foods for your 3 meals a day. If you snack between meals you have to take it out of your 21 point weekly allowance. The points are worked out the same way as in the full choice plan (see above).
Free foods include; rice, pasta, lean meat, chicken, fish, all fruits and vegetables, skimmed milk, eggs and soups.
All processed foods (such as microwave meals) have to come out of your points allowance so this is only good if you have time to cook.

With both the plans weight watchers encourages you to assess your habits and adopt their "10 winning habits for weight loss" by working through the switch handbook.

Both plans also promote healthy eating guidelines such as 5 portions of fruit and veg a day and 1 pint of skimmed or semi skimmed milk or calcium alternative.

Also as I mentioned before you can switch from one plan to the next, but only once a week at the beginnig of the week.

The Damage

Adults £4.95 a week
Concessions £4.75 a week

Joining is supposed to be £4.95, but you can always print a coupon off the website or get it from your local paper.

Once you have been to one meeting, paid and been weighed you cal always go to another meeting for the chat part, this is free, although you can’t be weighed more than once a week.

You get two weeks holiday per six months, any other time you have off you are supposed to pay for. My leader was always very good though if you rang and explained why you wouldn’t be there she would let you off.

My Experience

Still reading? I am impressed, you have the makings of a great weight watchers member, unlike those who got bored and dropped out along the way!!!

Well I first joined about 4 years ago and I lost 3 stone in about 9 months. I kept all the weight off for at least a year and it’s been gradually creeping on since then - all my fault not weight watchers!!!

I would really recommend it to anyone who wants to lose weight; it is sensible and easy to do.

The meetings can become a bit of a social thing, it’s so nice to see others doing well and people will be genuinely pleased for you when you are doing well. I have made friends at weight watchers with, who I am still in touch with now.

Tempted?

To find your nearest meeting log on to www.weightwatchers.co.uk or call 08457 123 000.

If you cant make a meeting you could always try Weight Watchers online or at home packages. I have never done them but have heard very good things.

If your still not sure why not buy a copy of the Weight Watchers magazines, its available at most supermarkets and news agents and I think its about £2.50. That will give you even more details.

So go on give it a try, what have you got to lose - £4.95 and your third chin??!!!

Thanks for reading x

Summary: Great for those who want to lose from 10lbs to 110lbs!