the best way to lose weight and keep it off (Weight Watchers)

Member Name: dogleggedhat

Product:	Weight Watchers
Date:	04/04/09 (372 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: doesn't limit any foods, makes you more aware of what you are eating

Disadvantages: some may find calculating points confusing, sometimes nutritionally good foods are high in points

Before I write this review I would just like to point out that I have not attended weight watcher meetings or paid to follow the plan online, so I can't comment on what goes on in meetings or how the online plan works, but I can discuss my own personal experience of weight watchers, as I followed the plan by myself. Also, weight watchers offer a few different plans, and I chose to follow the points plan, so this is what my review will be based on.

Weight watchers is an international company which offers lots of different products and services to people who are trying to lose weight. The weight watchers plan can be followed in a variety of different ways as there are meetings which people can attend (these involve paying an initial payment and then a payment each week for weigh in). People can also follow weight watchers online, if they don't have time to attend meetings, and there are also lots of people who just follow the plan alone.

I fall into the latter group. A good few years ago my granny decided to join weight watchers, but got bored after a few weeks and sent me the book she had been given when she attended. This handbook explained the concept of weight watchers and was all I really needed to start the plan.

There are different plans which can be followed on weight watchers, and I'm vaguely aware that the names of the plans change from time to time, but the two that were in play when I started the plan were the Points Plan, and No Points plan. With no points, you are allocated a certain number of points which can be used throughout the week. Points are calculated based on a foods calories and saturated fats, meaning that low calorie/low sat fat foods will have less points than high calorie/high sat fat foods. On top of this weekly point allocation, there is a list of 'no point' foods which can be eaten, so you simply choose foods from the no point list to eat, and any that aren't on the list come from the weekly point allocation.

Like I said before, I followed the points plan, and so I have a bit more knowledge of this. On this plan, the person is allocated a daily amount of points (which is calculated based on their sex, age group, weight, height and activity level). Once you know how many points you are entitled to, you eat foods and ensure that you don't go over this allocation. This is where you can get some shocks when it comes to food. Certain things you may have eaten before, thinking they were quite healthy, can actually have a lot of fat and/or calories in them, meaning that they need to be eaten in moderation.

Weight watchers encourages people to think about the food they are eating, and eating to get the most value out of their points. You can eat whatever you want, there are no restrictions place on you, which is great, and a refreshing change from a lot of other diet plans(although weight watchers are keen to encourage the idea that it is a lifestyle change and not a diet). However, if you eat lots of food that is high in fat or calories, then you will quickly run out of points, meaning that you will either go way over your daily points allowance, or you will be very hungry for the rest of the day!

I am currently on 19 points per day. If I were, for example, to eat 3 chocolate bars, I would pretty much have used all my points for the day. Obviously this isn't ideal and means I would be very hungry for the rest of the day, so it means you really do need to think about what you are eating, and how you can make the most substantial meals with the points you are allow. Most fruits and vegetables are pretty low points, so it's a good idea to stock up on those with meals(particularly veg, as not all fruit are low points because of their sugar content).

I started weight watchers a few years ago (I have sort of done it off and on since then) and I was quite impressed at how easy it was to follow, and how quickly I was losing weight. I understand that the idea of having to calculate the points of everything can be very confusing/off putting for someone, but once you get into the swing of things it becomes very easy to calculate points, and you start to remember the points of certain foods. Also, some shops have the point contents of some of their foods which is really handy, and you can buy a points calculator to help you out. As well as this, there are loads of books available(check out ebay) which list lots of food items and the points in them, which is very useful.

Within 4 months of starting the plan I had lost 2 and a half stone, and this was without any serious exercise. If you are doing exercise, you can earn yourself bonus points (which you can save for a treat, or not use and speed up weight loss). The bonus points depend on the intensity of the activity and the length of time it is done for. This can be a nice incentive to do some exercise as you know you can have a treat at the weekend for example, and you will have the points to cover it.

I personally think that weight watchers is great, and its global success can't just be a coincidence. It's an easy way to lose weight and more importantly, keep it off, as the plan encourages you to change your lifestyle and make healthier food choices, so you should be losing 1-2 pounds per week. In addition, because it doesn't restrict any food items, it means you don't need to constantly eat rabbit food.

Despite my praise for it, I should probably also mention some problems I have with the diet. Because you are on a limited amount of points, it does quite often mean that you need to cook your own meals, and this can involve weighing stuff out, using alternative food items etc. This can be enjoyable because you can find new healthy meals to eat which will add variety, but it is difficult for me to find something substantial to have at lunchtime at work because there is no microwave or anything, so I tend to take lots of little 'bits' with me, which can sometimes add up to a lot of points without necessarily being amazingly filling. Obviously this is partly my problem as I should perhaps make more effort to make food the night before etc, but it isn't always feasible.

Also, there are foods which would be seen as being healthy and good for you(eg all the nuts and seeds etc which they sell in Holland and Barrett and the likes) but these end up being pretty high in points, meaning you may end up eating something lower in points, but having something which isn't necessarily nutritionally good for you(eg low fat crisps).

Overall though, I do feel that weight watchers is a really worthwhile plan to follow, as I have lost 4 stone so far with it, over the past 3 years(please note that I wasn't always strictly following the plan, and I stopped totally for months at a time, so many people could achieve faster weight loss than this). Once you get into the swing of things it really does become a way of life, and with lots of recipe books and equipment etc available on ebay, as well as lots of support forums across the net, it's easy to get motivation when you're feeling like giving up.

In addition, weight watchers sell their own range of goods which covers dinners, crisps, yoghurts and cakes. You can sometimes pick these up on offer, but at the same time some of them can be quite overpriced, and you don't need to eat these to follow the plan, as meals you make yourself can be much more filling and tasty!

I would recommend weight watchers to anyone who wants to lost weight and keep it off, without totally giving up on all their favourite foods. However, obviously following plans like this should be done with the approval of a doctor if you are significantly overweight or have any health problems etc

Summary: highly recommended!