Weight Watchers Diet: What It Is

What It Is

Since the early 1960s, Weight Watchers has been a kind of guru for people struggling with weight problems. The Weight Watchers program got its start when a few friends began meeting weekly to discuss how to best lose weight. That group of friends grew to millions of men and women around the world, who all follow the Weight Watchers mantra.

That mantra? Dieting is just one part of long-term weight management, Weight Watchers believes. A healthy body results from a healthy lifestyle -- which means mental, emotional, and physical health.

Weight Watchers does not tell people what they can or can't eat. The goal is to help people make healthy eating decisions and encourage them to enjoy more physical activity, thereby losing weight safely and sensibly -- and keeping it off.

At local group meetings, Weight Watchers members get motivation, mutual support, and encouragement in handling the challenges encountered in the process of changing behavior. For those who can't get to the meetings, Weight Watchers has added a number of tools on its web site. Members will find:

• Information about food choices, recipes, and meals
• Exercise/calorie-burn calculator
• Online support community
• Weight loss tracker and progress chart

What You Can Eat

The Weight Watchers' TurnAround program offers two plans to follow for healthy weight loss. One retains the original approach of keeping track of points assigned to food; the newer plan does away with points altogether.

Do you prefer to track and control the calories you eat? You'll want the Weight Watchers' Flex Plan -- which essentially is Weight Watchers' traditional program. Do you prefer to focus on eating wholesome foods without counting or tracking? The new Core Plan is for you.

Both plans are built around Weight Watchers Healthy Eating Guidelines -- recommendations about daily intake of fruits, vegetables, dairy, water, protein, multiple vitamins, sugars and alcohol, healthy oils, and whole-grain foods.

How It Works

The Weight Watchers program is based on good, old-fashioned "calories in, calories out" advice. The essentials of Weight Watchers' two TurnAround plans follow:

• The Flex Plan

This plan is the cornerstone of the original Weight Watchers philosophy: "Eat the food you love and lose weight." No foods are prohibited. Instead, each food is assigned points based on the food's calorie, total fat, and dietary fiber content.

This system guides food choices by encouraging a selection of healthy foods. Some examples:

• • 1 cup broccoli = 0 points
  • 1/2 cantaloupe = 2 points
  • 1 small bean burrito = 5 points
  • 1 cup spaghetti with 1/2 cup marinara sauce = 6 points
  • 1 6-ounce steak = 8 points
  • 1 3-ounce grilled chicken breast = 3 points
  • 1/4 cup regular creamy salad dressing = 8 points
  • 1 slice bread = 2 points
  • 1 ounce chocolate = 4 points
  • 1 scoop vanilla ice cream = 4 points

Each member has a target Daily Points Range, calculated based on their body weight. For example, a 5-foot-6-inch woman who weighs 180 pounds would be allotted between 22 and 27 points each day. A "Points Finder" helps members calibrate the points value of a recipe or a packaged product using the Nutrition Facts label.

The initial Weight Watchers' goal is to reduce body weight by 5% to 10%, and the ultimate weight goal is a BMI less than 25. For those who have a lot of weight to lose, the goal is to lose in increments of 10% -- which helps people stay motivated.

• The Core Plan

This is a new approach for Weight Watchers. It allows members to control calories by focusing their eating on a core list of wholesome nutritious foods, but without counting or tracking.

The list includes foods from all the food groups: fruits and vegetables; grains and starches; lean meats, fish, and poultry; eggs, and dairy products. The foods in this core list are low in fat and calories. An occasional treat outside the list is allowed.

Flexibility, Exercise, Behavior: The Weight Watchers Philosophy