Weight Watchers began their first meeting in the 1960’s and has seen incredible success since then. One of the main reasons why Weight Watchers has enjoyed such great success is that they advocate their clients stop dieting. In fact, Weight Watchers isn’t about another diet; it is about changing your lifestyle by making healthy choices. Understanding that many people become overweight due to bad eating habits, they have designed a point system that teaches you how to monitor the foods you eat. Weight Watchers also develops a support system for its clients through the use of meetings and interactive tools that are available on the Internet.
Using a four-step approach called the Four Pillars, Weight Watchers addresses four main areas of a person’s life. These Four Pillars include behavior, support, exercise, and food. The Four Pillars are the basis of the program and focus on changing your eating behaviors by identifying emotional triggers, attending regular meetings for support (these can be in your local community or online), developing a regular exercise plan, and making healthy food choices from one of the several flexible food plans that Weight Watchers provides.
Additionally, Weight Watchers doesn’t promote fad dieting or losing weight in a rapid manner. They advocate losing two pounds per week, with more weight loss possible after the first month, as more water weight will be shed, and following the food pyramid’s recommended food allowances. However, the crux of the Weight Watchers diet is found in the point system.
Instead of counting calories, as is common with other diets, Weight Watchers uses a point system. Different foods are assigned a point value and you are allotted a certain amount of points each day, typically between 18 and 35 points. This can vary depending upon your height, BMI, weight, and amount of exercise that you perform weekly. Staying within your point limit will help ensure that you continue to lose weight in a healthy and safe manner. Weight Watcher is one of the most successful weight loss programs, having helped people reach their fitness goals for over 40 years.