It's no secret that Americans are getting heavier and morbidly obese with every passing year. There's no shortage of diets on the market, but what makes Weight Watchers stand out from the crowd?
What is its secret to long-term success? Here's everything you need to know about this popular diet plan.
Weight Watchers encourages healthy eating and discourages food deprivation.
While following a WW plan, you can expect to lose an average of 8 pounds a month, or 2 pounds a week. This is much slower than some other diets, but it's also safer and sustainable over the long term.
The Weight Watchers program is based on the idea that no one should feel hungry or deprived while trying to lose weight; instead they should be able to enjoy delicious meals that are healthy and filling without feeling like they're depriving themselves. With this in mind, Weight Watchers offers thousands of different options for its members so that they can choose what kind of meals fit their tastes best--whether it's Asian food or Italian cuisine; vegetarian dishes or meat-and-potatoes recipes; fresh fruit smoothies or rich chocolate desserts--there are choices available for every taste bud out there!
While following a WW plan, you can expect to lose an average of 8 pounds a month, or 2 pounds a week.
You can eat delicious meals without counting calories as long as you base them around five core food groups: fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean protein (like fish and chicken), low-fat dairy products like yogurt or cottage cheese, and healthy fats like olive oil. When it comes time to make choices about what to eat in each meal or snack, use the Food Tracker on your Weight Watchers mobile app or the website’s MyPlate feature instead of trying to estimate how much carbohydrate is in a serving of pasta by reading nutrition labels in the store aisle.
If you stick with these guidelines while following Weight Watchers’ program guidelines along with other lifestyle changes such as increasing physical activity and drinking plenty of water throughout the day—which helps keep hunger at bay—you should be able to reach your weight loss goal in no time!
Weight Watchers focuses on teaching you about the foods you eat and does not require any specific foods to be included in your diet. You can eat delicious meals without counting calories as long as you base them around five core food groups:
Weight Watchers focuses on teaching you about the foods you eat and does not require any specific foods to be included in your diet. You can eat delicious meals without counting calories as long as you base them around five core food groups:
Lean proteins
Healthy fats
Non-starchy vegetables
Fresh, frozen, and unsweetened canned fruit
High-fiber carbohydrates
Lean proteins: fish, poultry, eggs, beans, tofu
(up to 6 ounces a day)
Lean protein sources are high in protein, low in fat and calories. They include fish, poultry, eggs, beans and tofu (up to 6 ounces per day).
# Fish: Salmon (3.5 oz) - 150 calories/22g protein
# Poultry: Chicken breast (3 oz) - 141 calories/26g protein
# Eggs: Egg whites (2 large) - 71 calories/14g protein; whole eggs - 72 calories/6g fat
Healthy fats: olive oil, avocado, nuts and nut butters
(no more than 1 ounce a day)
Olive oil is a good source of healthy fats.
Avocado is a good source of healthy fats.
Nuts and nut butters (no more than 1 ounce a day) are also good sources of healthy fats, but they should be limited because they’re high in calories. A serving size is 1/3 cup or 2 tablespoons, so if you make your own peanut butter or almond butter, measure carefully! You can use olive oil in cooking as long as your dish doesn’t contain too many added sugars or other unhealthy ingredients like refined grains and sodium that would increase the PointsPlus value too much to stay within the limits set by Weight Watchers Diet guidelines
Non-starchy vegetables: leafy greens and other low-carb veggies such as broccoli, tomatoes, and bell peppers
(unlimited amounts of non-starchy vegetables can be eaten daily)
Non-starchy vegetables are low in calories and high in nutrients. Examples of non-starchy vegetables include:
Leafy greens (e.g., spinach, Swiss chard)
Other low-carb veggies such as broccoli, tomatoes, and bell peppers (unlimited amounts of non-starchy vegetables can be eaten daily)
Non-starchy vegetables are a good source of fiber and other nutrients that help promote weight loss by keeping you feeling full longer. They also have fewer carbohydrates than other food groups so they can help you maintain your target calorie intake for the day if you're following Weight Watchers' PointsPlus system.
Fresh, frozen, and unsweetened canned fruit
(1 cup maximum per day)
Canned fruit is fine in moderation—just be sure to stick to the recommended serving size of no more than 1 cup per day. Because it's processed, canned fruit isn't as good for you since it lacks some of the nutritional benefits found in fresh and frozen varieties. The same goes for other fruits that are more easily preserved such as dried or canned berries (1/2 cup total per day).
However, there are exceptions: If you're eating them in their natural state (without added sugar), they can be a great addition to your weight loss diet plan. For example:
Unsweetened applesauce or grapefruit segments (1/2 cup total per day)
Frozen unsweetened raspberries (1/4 cup total per day)
High-fiber carbohydrates, such as sweet potatoes, brown rice, oatmeal, beans, and whole grain products (up to 4 ounces per day)
To calculate how many high-fiber carbohydrates you should eat each day, multiply your weight by 1.5 and add it to 15. For example, if a woman who weighs 140 pounds wants to know her daily carbohydrate allotment, she would multiply 140 by 1.5 and add 15:
140 x 1.5 = 255 + 15 = 270 g high-fiber carbohydrates per day
If you're overweight or obese, increase that amount by 5 grams for every additional pound of body weight (to a maximum of 35 grams) [source: American Diabetes Association]. In order for the plan to be effective, all foods must be weighed or measured using measuring cups and spoons so that you accurately keep track of your portion sizes.
This is a solid diet that won't have you count calories or give up particularly tasty foods.
Weight Watchers is a solid diet that won’t have you counting calories or give up particularly tasty foods, as long as you base your meals around the five core food groups:
Lean proteins: fish, poultry, eggs, beans and tofu (up to 6 ounces per day)
Vegetables (up to 5 cups of raw veggies/salads)
Fruits (1 piece of fruit or ½ cup of dried fruit each day)
Whole grains: breads and cereals made with whole grains instead of refined flours; brown rice; oatmeal; quinoa
Weight Watchers is a great way to lose weight and keep it off. It also has the added bonus of teaching you about the foods you eat, so that you can make better choices in the future. In addition to its low-calorie approach, Weight Watchers has developed partnerships with various food manufacturers who have created products specifically designed for those following WW plans (think Weight Watchers frozen meals). That said, this isn't necessarily an easy option if you're looking for something quick or simple. It takes time and effort to follow any healthy eating plan but if done correctly, this program should help give anyone a better outlook on their health as well as achieve their goals!
If you are looking for a cookbook in Weight Watchers Diet,
on Amazon has over 490 reviews and got 4.2 out 5 star rating.
Get it Now!
by Weight Watchers(Author)
Comments