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Weight Watchers® |
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Introduction & Overview |
Weight Watchers® is a healthy, and enduring weight loss program tested by time and hailed by thousands to be a guaranteed way to lose weight. Through offering meetings where dieters can come together to fight the battle of the bulge, this successful program offers a well balanced, non-gimmicky weight loss method that has been the answer and solution for so many over the years. Yet, this system of making lifestyle changes in order to maintain a healthy weight is not stuck in the past. In addition to meetings, Weight Watchers® is now fully online, offering dieters a way to track points, make meals, learn exercise techniques, and offer support in the comfort of their own home. |
 | Positives |
• Encourages dieters to lose weight by practicing portion control without undertaking an overly restrictive diet
• Recommends daily exercise
• Allows clients to choose from several options depending on time constraints and particular goals
• Understands the importance of accountability and encouragement for those losing weight
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 | Negatives |
• Those wishing to both attend meetings and access online tools will have to pay two membership fees
• Although it is extremely safe and steady, some people find the weight loss to come off a bit slower than they want. You can read a popular Weight Watchers blog to see what current customers have to say. We would simply recommend incorporating a good weight loss supplement or product to help speed things along. Our friends at Sensational.com offer a free diet profile calculator to see how much weight you need to lose…and what products would be great to use in conjunction with Weight Watchers.
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 | Program |
The Weight Watchers® program is based on balance. Food, behavior, support, and exercise are the four areas of focus, or “pillars,” that Weight Watchers® is built on and dieters who follow Weight Watchers® can choose between either the Flex or Core Plan, both of which are proven successful.
The Flex Plan is a new version of the Weight Watchers® POINTS® System. Every food is assigned a certain number of points and as long as you stay within your allotment of points for the day you can eat whatever foods you choose. Weight watchers provides a booklet for dieters on this plan, in which almost every food you can think of is listed and given a points total. The information also includes tips for dining out in a number of different restaurants, including the most popular ethnic choices. The plan truly lives up to its name and allows the type of flexibility that is bound to keep even the most rebellious dieter interested.
The Core Plan is based on foods that are high in density yet low in calories. Eating these “low energy density foods” leaves you feeling full without exceeding your caloric intake for the day and teaches the wisdom of making better food choices. This program is valued by those dieters who do not want to count their points and prefer to simply deal with a certain category of foods.
On both plans, clients receive an “allowance” each week of foods that are not on the list of recommendations. This allows for splurging on those special occasions, and dealing with the occasional mis-step that plagues many dieters without ruining their efforts for the entire week.
Since Weight Watchers® is a program that is all about fitting in with your lifestyle, those on Weight Watchers are encouraged to get exercise in ways that are convenient and fun. Depending on the individual and their goals, working out can be in the form of weight lifting, jogging or simply walking more each day and taking the stairs. They have even devised a way of assessing the exercise being performed and awarding more food points for if exercise has been plentiful and steady.
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 | Weight Watchers Support |
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Dieters on Weight Watchers are educated and encouraged through weekly meetings. After being weighed in privately, dieters meet with trained instructors who are also people who’ve successfully undergone a weight loss program. Weight Watchers instructors strive to create a dynamic, interactive atmosphere for clients while providing strategies for managing exercise, eating, and the behavioral side of weight loss. The meeting type of program is wonderful for anyone who needs community support for their weight loss and enjoys the interchange of ideas and social interaction. Some dieters have said they go to meetings to hear the clapping that is offered when any member of the class has a weight loss. |
 | Online Program |
For those people who do not need the interpersonal aspect of the program, the benefits and support of Weight Watchers® is now available online. This is a perfect program for those who are good at self management and possibly too busy to attend meetings. It is also the answer for those who may live in areas where the Weight Watcher program is not readily available in its meeting format.
The on-line POINTS® Tracker allows you to monitor your foods points as well as organize your eating habits. The Weight Tracker allows clients can see which eating trends helped them lose the most weight in past weeks and months.
Weight Watchers’® online program features extensive food and exercise resources. You can view demonstrations for exercises as fun as salsa dancing and lookup workouts according to your personal level of fitness. Exercises are also listed according to the area they tone, making it easy for you to pick workouts that tackle your problem spots.
The recipe database contains over 1,500 to choose from and provides information on over 30,000 foods. Since Weight Watchers® is designed to allow you to keep living your life the way you want, the online tools help you through cooking tasty meals at home and eating out. These options help you quickly determine the POINTS® values for favorite foods; you can even make your own recipes around your POINTS® allotment for the day.
The online Weight Watchers® program offers several useful tools and is certainly convenient for those with schedules too hectic to attend weekly meetings. Some dieters may be better supported by the face-to-face group setting of meetings. Weigh-ins with an instructor can be helpful for staying on track, but others may prefer the organization and tracking tools of the online program.
Weight Watchers has grown over the years and is perhaps the most successful of the diet programs in the marketplace. The program offers a very wide variety of prepared foods which are sold in almost every grocery store. Breakfasts, lunches and dinners as well as snacks and desserts are available all with point totals readily displayed on the boxes so they can easily be assimilated into the daily program.
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 | Cost |
Clients who attend meetings pay per week. The price varies depending on the region but are usually around $12 for a single week/meeting, with a $20.00 one time registration fee. Dieters newly signing up for the program should watch for frequent occasions when the registration fee is waived, as these are plentiful. At meetings, participants may purchase weighing scales for their food, as well as various tools to make portion control easier to do. It is also at the meetings where Weight Watchers rolls out new foods and snacks for their membership to try.
The online Weight Watchers program is $16.95 per month; those purchasing 3 months at one time save on the $29.95 sign up fee. All of the same tools available at meetings are also available on line for the cost of goods plus shipping and handling.
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 | Conclusion |
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Weight Watchers® is a well-balanced and trusted weight loss program that helps clients establish healthy patterns of eating and exercising, with a strong history of success. The various options Weight Watchers® offers allow individuals from various walks of life to experience the entirety of the program. You will need to choose carefully between the traditional and online Weight Watchers® programs. Yet because of the pay-as-you-go plans they offer, there is room for you to change your mind if needed. You can trust a system like Weight Watchers® to get you to your ideal weight healthily, safely, and with plenty of support and you may even have fun doing it. Along with the well balanced nature of the program Weight Watchers offers, dieters may want to consider the use of some of the new diet supplements on the market which help to control the appetite and cravings
and burn existing fat on the body. With all these elements combined, dieters can win big at losing! Send us your before & after pictures using Weight Watchers® to get your $1,000 check from TheDietAwards.com!
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