Is Weight Watchers right for you?

The Weight Watcher’s diet differs from a lot of other eating plans in that it is a business which requires a membership rather than the food guidelines just being readily available to the public.

Weight Watchers offers group meetings and support systems, which some people need in order to stick to a diet when they are struggling with weight loss and the concepts of healthy eating and portion control.

According the Weight Watchers claims, one can expect to lose about 2 pounds each week when the diet is adhered to. The diet consists of a system of points that are assigned to every food, with the intention of capping out each day at a certain number of points. This allows most any food group into the diet — as long as the recommended amount of points is not exceeded.

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The points are calculated with consideration for the protein, fat, fiber and carbohydrate levels of each food item, as well as how much time it would take for you to the calories contained in it. Typically, the higher the points, the higher the calories and lower the nutritional content. Those following the diet will learn that nutritionally dense food goes a lot further in the day than empty calories.

In addition to getting a better grasp on what calories truly mean to your body, the thinking behind this approach is that if people are allowed to eat what they want in moderation, they will be less likely to over indulge in cravings or quit a healthy eating plan all together. The amount of points that each person is allowed to eat is calculated based on their current weight and weight-loss goals.

Processed foods are an example of foods that might have a high point value assigned to them, while fruits and vegetables are often zero points, meaning that one can eat as many as they desire and still be on track toward their goals.

Weight Watchers also places an emphasis on what they call “power foods” by offering a breakdown of what the best option is out of similar food items. One example is if you were deciding between 10 types of soup, you could refer to the guidelines to decipher which would be the healthiest option.

The Weight Watchers points list is incredibly comprehensive and covers most food that you would find at the grocery store — and even in restaurants. For that reason, many people find that the diet is relatively easy to stick to.

People who find fault with the Weight Watchers diet plans may point out that the emphasis is not specifically on improving health, since technically someone could skew the use of their daily points on something unhealthy like ice cream and ignore other healthy eating options. For this reason, they do suggest taking a multivitamin while following the program. The Weight Watchers diet plan allows for three full meals as well as two snacks, so satiety often not an issue making it a bit easier for people to stick with in the long term. 

CONTINUE READING: Visit our Diet Center to find information on other popular diets.