Watching your Weight? (Weight Watchers)

Member Name: i_am_joy

Product:	Weight Watchers
Date:	15/02/09 (259 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: A good support network, invaluable tips for dieting, the clever points system

Disadvantages: You may not be able to have that cream cake!

I have reviewed many of the Weight Watchers products of late and can't imagine why I haven't told you about Weight Watchers as an organisation by now. The briefest of brief history as I understand it, Weight Watchers was formed in the early 1960's by an overweight housewife in the US and was successfully introduced into the UK 35 years ago. Weight Watchers have helped millions of people to lose weight using a combination of healthy eating advice and support from a leader who has herself (most leaders are women) successfully lost weight through Weight Watchers.

Of course it can't lose the weight for you, if you're not determined to do it for yourself then you won't lose weight. For this reason when I tell you that I have been an on-off member of Weight Watchers for 20 years then please don't take this as a criticism of the company, more my pathetic will power and the desire sometimes to 'go it alone'. For the purpose of this review however I shall be talking primarily about my current sojourn with Weight Watchers, which has been since September 2008.

Joining Weight Watchers is an easy process; log onto www.weightwatchers.co.uk to find your local meeting, fill in a simple form and disclaimer once you get there and pay your registration fee. You're now a member! It costs around £15 to register and your weekly fee is then £5.50, although I doubt many people pay to register as there are often coupons in the newspapers to join for free or you can download one online.

I felt really nervous before my first meeting but had been looking forward to it as I felt determined and eager to start eating more healthily. You are weighed before joining the other members for the weekly talk by the leader, the weighing process is semi private in that other members cannot see your actual weight but it feels as though they are observing for reaction as I do myself while queuing up. The meetings are very informal, although the leader has a set talk to run through there is always ample time for questions and personal comments or ideas. I find this an invaluable resource as even though I buy the Weight Watchers magazine and have numerous cookbooks there's nothing like picking up tips from more imaginative people in the same boat as me, only last week I was given the idea of stuffing butternut squash with a veggie mince and rice mixture which I successfully made for dinner yesterday.

At some point before or after your meeting you'll have a few minutes with the leader who will explain how the plan works and work out your daily points allowance. The plan has recently been updated but is basically the Weight Watchers points system which has been in place for years. Based on your weight, height, level of activity and other factors you will be allocated a set amount of points. Every food has a points value which is worked out using the calories and saturated fat in the item, when you join you'll be given a sliding Points Finder but really you're better off to buy the Points Calculator which is much more accurate and allows you to be more precise with your measurements.

Every week you'll be given a Tracker which is a sheet of paper folded to fit inside the small ring binder you are given, your Tracker is an important part of the Weight Watchers journey as this is where you write down each and every thing you eat or drink along with the points value. This allows you to keep a track on how many points you have left for the day and I think it's an excellent design, small enough to pop into your handbag if you're going out but with plenty of room to fill in everything you've eaten that day. I am allowed 21 points a day and at the beginning of each day I write this figure on the corresponding day of my Tracker and then it's so simple to add items and tot them up in my head to find out how many I have left for dinner and snacks in front of the tele.

The ring binder I mention above is a small folder which you will be given at the very first meeting. This holds a variety of booklets explaining the plan as well as menu plans, tips on maximising your points allowance and general advice you'll need for following the points system. I find these books useful and handy to look back on if I'm stuck on something or feel like refreshing my memory after a bad week, you'll receive further books to slot into your binder which are interesting to look through and provide motivational talks based around specific topics.

Your leader will be your most important tool when it comes to your weight loss, generally they're lovely helpful people but if you happen to get one of the exceptional ones then you're a lucky person. My current leader is wonderful, vibrant and motivational who is always at the end of the phone should I need any advice. She has the perfect attitude and is the first to admit when she's gobbled a box of chocolates or gone mad in the carvery, she obviously takes an interest as after a good week on the scales she'll send a lovely little note through the post congratulating me and if she sees from my card that I've put on weight or stayed the same for a while then I can expect a phone call where she'll sympathise but let me know that I need to pull my socks up! I have had disinterested leaders in the past including one who wouldn't even give her telephone number out to members and would actually laugh at a member if they'd had a bad week!

Since joining Weight Watchers five months ago I've lost just over a stone and feel confident of carrying on my weight loss. I have various ailments which mean I cannot exercise and an effect of some of my medication is weight gain, for this reason alone I don't mind if I maintain my weight even if it means I don't lose for a period. My leader is fully aware of this and doesn't pressure me when I become static and this encourages me to stick to my points even if the scales don't show a difference, then it's all the more special when I suddenly lose a couple of pounds unexpectedly. Most members if they've been good tend to lose between 1lb and 2lbs a week which is very good going, sometimes there will be someone who loses a staggering 5 or 6lbs which is amazing in one week but it's never been me!

The one thing to bear in mind about Weight Watchers is that your food will revolve around points so be aware that you will need to write these down, my daughter can't be bothered with the plan for this reason so has opted to try Slimming World instead. I personally enjoy filling in my Tracker and find it a challenge to fit my meals into my allotted points allowance, this has led to me broadening my cooking skills and finding healthier foods and ways to cook.

Weight Watchers also produce their own extensive range of food, most of which is available in the supermarkets with a few select treat items being only available to buy from the meetings. I have sampled many of the products and find them rather hit and miss if I'm honest, some of the frozen meals are excellent but the sausages are appalling. It's a little annoying too that no one supermarket stocks the entire range and while Asda may have the biscuits you want you'll have to trot to Sainsbury's to buy their pizzas. The food is quite pricey too and is generally a smaller portion than I'd make for myself so I don't tend to eat often from their range although I like to try new items and keep a selection of their sweet treats in the cupboard.

I hope I've told you enough here to help you make a decision about whether Weight Watchers would work for you. The whole points plan is such a clever concept and if you're willing to put the time and effort into your diet then you will eventually reap dividends, the Weight Watchers organisation is so huge that to give you all the facts and figures would be surely too much for you to read so I've hopefully taken the important chunks of information and presented them to you. If you decide you want to find out more then visit www.weightwatchers.co.uk where you can read about all their various ways to approach using the plan, including their Weight Watchers Online plan which revolves around the same principles only you are responsible for weighing yourself and will not have the one to one support of a leader.

Summary: An excellent way to lose weight and still indulge yourself from time to time.