I joined Weight Watchers six years ago at a location in Vancouver, Washington. I had tried pretty much every diet (at least the ones where you didn't have to "join" any program) around at that time (from Slim Fast to Body for Life and even one where I lived off of vegetable soup and shakes made from bananas and milk only). The results were always the same - I would lose a few pounds here and there, but after awhile, you get sick of Slim Fast shakes or trying to remember to mix a carb with a protein and eating six different meals a day and so I would give up the "diet." I was becoming very discouraged. I noticed one of my friends was losing weight and looking great and so I asked her what she was doing, and she told me about Weight Watchers.
I always thought that Weight Watchers was something for "older women" (no offense to anyone "older" here, but I remember my mom doing it when I was a kid). I didn't even know what the program involved, but I went to a meeting with her to check it out (in most places, they will let you attend one meeting for free) and I was hooked!
The program is very easy and their philosophy is that it's not a "diet" it's a lifestyle. There are no limitations in terms of what you can eat...you just learn to plan and eat in moderation. I think that is why people are so successful on this program.
They currently offer two different weight loss plans. The first (and my personal favorite) is the "Flex" plan. When you are on the "Flex" plan, there is a "points" system. The "points" are based on a combination of calories, fat grams, and fiber. When you join, you receive a "tool" that helps you to calculate the points for your food items (using the nutritional labels on different foods). You get a set amount of points per day based on your weight. You also get an additional 35 "flex points" per week that you can use to splurge from time to time on those "extras." You have a journal/tracker where you write down your daily food intake and points. You also track your "activity points" (which I will talk about later) here.
The second plan is the "core" plan. The "core" plan is a lot stricter and is more similar to programs such as South Beach or the Sonoma diet where you can only eat certain things. They give you a list of the "approved" items when you join. I don't know much about it because it's just not for me....I think that I would have great results if I tried it, but I don't think the rest of my family would really enjoy the foods and I don't want to have to cook two separate meals each night. Here's the "official" description of what you do on the "core" program: eat wholesome foods from all the food groups, including fruits and vegetables, grains and starches, lean meats and poultry, eggs and dairy products. You also get 35 "flex points" per week to use if you want to eat things that are not on the "approved" list.
One of the things that I love about Weight Watchers is that they encourage a lifestyle change and you don't have to "give up" anything the way that you do with other programs. In fact, if you're following the recommendations of the program, you are recommended to eat 2-3 servings of dairy products, at least 5 servings of fruits/vegetables, and 2 servings of "natural" oils per day. You are also encouraged to drink at least six glasses of water per day and encouraged to take a multi-vitamin.
Exercise is also encouraged. They will provide you with a "tool" to calculate "activity points." This is basically based on your weight, the length of time that you exercise, and the level of intensity. You keep track of your "activity points" in the same journal where you keep track of what you eat and you can earn "extra" points for exercising.
In addition to the "tools" that you receive when you join, you also attend weekly meetings. Before the meeting starts, you will "weigh in." This is the hardest thing for most people. There is someone employed by Weight Watchers who takes your weight, but everything is very confidential. The weekly "weigh ins" really help with accountability.
There is a "leader" (someone who has reached and maintained their "goal weight) who leads the meetings. Usually, they present a "Weight Watchers friendly recipe" (I have gotten some great ones this way) and then a lesson or inspirational/motivational lesson about weight loss. The great thing about the leaders is that they have all been where you are at and so they really understand. Having said that, some leaders are better than others, and I think finding a leader that you can relate to is "key." At the end of the meeting, they celebrate the successes of people who are in the meeting that week. Another great think about Weight Watchers is they break it down so it's easy to see little successes along the way. When you lose your first five pounds, you get a bookmark and recognition from the group. For each additional five pounds, you get a "star" on your bookmark and recognition from the group. When you reach your 10% weight loss goal (you will set this when you join) you celebrate again. You continue to celebrate your successes until you reach your "goal weight." Once you reach your "goal weight" and maintain it for a period of six weeks, you become a lifetime member. I was at my "goal weight" for four years until I got pregnant with my daughter and recently rejoined a few months ago to get rid of the lingering "baby weight."
The Weight Watchers location that I belong to will soon be implementing a "monthly" payment plan. The fee will be $39.95/month, which includes your monthly meetings and a membership to "e-tools" which is basically their website (this by itself is $12.95/month and the meetings are anywhere from $10-12/week depending on your location, so it's a great value). I have to admit that I am not very familiar with e-tools at this point because I have not subscribed to it before, but from what I have heard it has some great features including a recipe bank and a place where you can enter the ingredients for your recipes and then it will translate them into "points per serving."
I truly love and believe in this program! If you would like more information or are interested in joining and would like to find out when and where meetings are held in your are, you can find out on their website at: http://www.weightwatchers.com
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