The Weight Watchers diet

The Weight Watchers diet is very famous for its original concept which has been successful for several decades now. Developed in the United States in 1963,  customers  (you will see in the rest of the file that the diet has a cost) are overwhelmingly women who trust Weight Watchers for healthy and lasting weight loss. Weight Watchers is there to accompany them throughout their diet, with a practical and  personalized program .

The Weight Watchers diet is based on the principle that weight loss takes place over the long term through a balanced diet and physical exercise. For many people, the cause of their weight gain is directly linked to bad eating habits: snacking, dishes that are too high in fat, excessive eating. These are all these bad habits that the regime wants to set right.

In itself, the basis of this diet therefore seems relatively interesting, one of the slogans of Weight Watchers being “  Stop diets, learn to eat again  ”. The kind of slogan that really sends the right message. The diet is based on certain major pillars such as permanent support and an incentive to move or eat what you like (while making the right choices, but on your own). Explanations on this diet which is far from the private constraints of  the atkins  or  scarsdale diet  for example.

THE PRINCIPLES OF THE DIET

The purpose of a diet, and in particular that of Weight Watchers, is to initially help people wishing to lose weight,  to resume good habits and rediscover the pleasure of eating . We insist a lot on this point because it is a real particularity of this regime which is not exclusive.

However, constraints exist and the diet is based on a low-calorie diet  that ANSES qualifies as hypocaloric  because the diet provides only 1200 to 1500 kcal per day (against approximately 2000 recommended for a sedentary person).

The point system

The plan is known for its “  ProPoints® ” program. At Weight Watchers, every food has a value: you can eat whatever you want, as long as the sum of your food values ​​stays within your goal. This points system is one of the basics of the scheme.

The points are determined  according to the nature of the foods: some are protein, others contain more fiber or lipids and the body’s digestion capacity will be different depending on the foods it has absorbed. The body expends energy to transform food (these are calories), but all food does not require the same amount of energy to be digested. It is on this basis that the ProPoints® program was designed.
Each participant in the program has a  capital points , determined at the start of the plan by the Weight Watchers dietician. A fun and original method.

The meetings

Each week, people following the Weight Watchers diet meet with a facilitator from the company to take stock. The weight lost, the difficulties encountered, the recipes used, everyone tells their experience of the week.

These weekly meetings are a great way to connect  and motivate each other . New advice is given and everyone leaves confident for the following week. A fundamental point when we know that monitoring and psychological support are very important in a diet. However , it is   interesting to note that at present, especially with the help of the Internet (see next section), these “physical” meetings are in no way compulsory. Following the entire program remotely is therefore quite possible and even relatively common.

Internet

For those who cannot attend meetings or who simply do not wish to share their diet monitoring collectively, Weight Watchers has developed  remote monitoring via the internet . In this online program, it is possible to access fun tools to control your diet and monitor the progress of your weight loss. Many diet recipes are available online, as well as exercise videos to keep fit and burn calories.

The importance of staying in control

Contrary to what one might think, a diet is not trivial and it is important to be able to be followed by a doctor or a nutrition professional from start to finish. Even if the Weight Watchers concept is to want to be balanced, and it is obvious that it will always be better than a restrictive diet (which is constantly harmful to its health), following a diet can lead to certain deficiencies (see for example the opinion of ANSES, at the end of the article).

Be aware that weight loss is long-term,  which is healthy . It is not reasonable to want to lose 3 or 5 kilograms per week. Forget appetite suppressants. There is no obligation to practice too much activity, a little walking or swimming can be a good start in addition to the diet. Do not hesitate to invite your friends, it is easier to motivate yourself together.

Register for the program

All you have to do is go to the official Weight Watchers website.

ADVANTAGES

The point system is relatively fun. The point system quickly becomes fun when you understand the principle. You get caught up in the game more easily than with a classic diet and the return to better eating habits is faster and less restrictive. Moreover, we adopt it for the long term.

Apart from the points system, the plan brings together, in our opinion, the following advantages:

• Healthy, balanced diet, established over the long term and without major danger
• Convivial meetings organized each week for better follow-up.
• Possibility to follow the diet online.
• Guaranteed follow -up  for the stabilization period once the desired weight is reached.
• The points system allows a pleasant and motivating adaptation to the diet: ”  I’m going to do a sports session which will make me lose 3 points and I can treat myself to a small dessert worth 2 points  “. Once the ProPoints® program is well understood, it is easy to know where you are in your plan.
• The satiety indicator allows you to choose your food well in order to avoid being hungry between meals.