Is Weight Watchers the Right Program for You?

When it comes to the business of helping people lose weight, Weight Watchers is definitely one of the old guard. Founded by Jean Nidetch in the 1960s, the organization now boasts millions of program members around the world. But just because the organization has been around for some time, don’t think it’s old and outdated. Weight Watchers frequently updates its program offerings to keep up with changing research regarding nutrition and weight loss.

At present, the major arm of the Weight Watchers system is based on points. Each food choice is assigned a certain number of points, based on its nutritional content – primarily calories, fiber and fat – and based on its portion size. Each participant is given a points “budget,” determined by their starting weight and how much weight they have to lose. These points are “spent” based on the food the person consumes during the day. “Spend” too much too soon, and you can find yourself hungry and out of food before the end of the day. On the other hand, if you eat a more controlled number of points, you’ll have a number of surplus points that you can use for a special treat. The idea is that through practice, dieters learn to make better food choices and learn to control their portion sizes.

The current manifestation of the points system is called the Momentum system. Dieters are encouraged to make choices that have lower point values yet are high in volume. This helps to stave off the hunger that’s the common enemy of most dieting programs.

Also central to the Weight Watchers program are the Weight Watchers meetings. Every week, groups all over the world gather together to share their successes and failures, and to receive education and encouragement. These meetings are key to the success of the Weight Watchers program, as frequent meetings help keep dieters accountable, which encourages better adherence to the program. Meetings are held in local communities, in some workplaces, and even “virtually” online.

So how can you tell if Weight Watchers is the right program for you? The following are some good reasons to choose this program:

Weight Watchers has a proven track record of success.
The program is adaptable to a variety of special circumstances, including an all vegetarian plan.
The foods are “real world” food, rather than being prepackaged foods – although Weight Watchers does offer prepared meals, including frozen entrees and desserts.
Because you eat “real world” food, socializing and eating out are easier.
There’s no transition from “program food” to “real world” food to trip you up.

However, there are also some reasons the program might be a bad choice for you:

You must constantly keep track of what you eat and how many points you’re consuming.
Menu suggestions are provided, but ultimately you must make your own food choices.
Having a greater deal of choice can be very tempting or overwhelming for some people.
There are weekly program attendance fees.
For best results, you must commit to attending the meetings each and every week.

The bottom line is this – if you’re willing to keep good records of the food you eat and attend meetings regularly, Weight Watchers can be your answer to safe and healthy weight loss.