User Review #23 by barry lands on February 27th, 2008 at 12:46 PM CST

Name

There seems to be a misconception as to the purpose of Weight Watchers. It is not a diet but a way of life. After over eating for most of our lives the WWer has a great deal of weight to lose. However the biggest problem is reteaching the individual how to eat correctly, to be able to lose weight and then MAINTAIN the weight loss. With diets like nutrisystem, you eat the prepared portion of food and if you follow the plan you will lose weight. However, once you reach you goal weight and stop eating the prepared dinners what do you do? Can't go to a restaurant because they don't have the proper prepared portion of food. So give up restaurants. You have not learned how to prepare proper size portions of ALL foods so guess what in a short period of time you have gained back the weight. With weight watchers you are continually having to learn portion control for ALL foods. This includes the empty calorie foods, candy, sweets, desserts, vegetables and all other foods that normal and overweight people eat.. You can eat anything or combination of anything so long as you meet all the other basic requirements i.e water consumption, vitamins, necessary oils and fats, correct number of portions of fruits and vegetables and your individual points target. In the process of the losing weight you learn what the size of a real portion of any food should be. With diets once you reach the desired goal then you either teach yourself the proper behaviors or eat the prepared (program) foods for the rest of your life and give up all the problem foods forever. What a blueprint for failure. So don't confuse a lifetime reprogramming of eating behaviors with the simpler role of temporary weight reduction. Comparing Apples and Oranges. Exercise is stressed in the materials and the program as a way to increase weight loss and body sculpting. Every year the stress for exercise is increased. I am a Weight Watcher and have been for 4 years. I have lost 62 pounds and have kept the weight off for three years.

There seems to be a misconception as to the purpose of Weight Watchers. It is not a diet but a way of life. After over eating for most of our lives the WWer has a great deal of weight to lose. However the biggest problem is reteaching the individual how to eat correctly, to be able to lose weight and then MAINTAIN the weight loss. With diets like nutrisystem, you eat the prepared portion of food and if you follow the plan you will lose weight.

However, once you reach you goal weight and stop eating the prepared dinners what do you do? Can't go to a restaurant because they don't have the proper prepared portion of food. So give up restaurants. You have not learned how to prepare proper size portions of ALL foods so guess what in a short period of time you have gained back the weight. With weight watchers you are continually having to learn portion control for ALL foods. This includes the empty calorie foods, candy, sweets, desserts, vegetables and all other foods that normal and overweight people eat..

You can eat anything or combination of anything so long as you meet all the other basic requirements i.e water consumption, vitamins, necessary oils and fats, correct number of portions of fruits and vegetables and your individual points target. In the process of the losing weight you learn what the size of a real portion of any food should be. With diets once you reach the desired goal then you either teach yourself the proper behaviors or eat the prepared (program) foods for the rest of your life and give up all the problem foods forever. What a blueprint for failure. So don't confuse a lifetime reprogramming of eating behaviors with the simpler role of temporary weight reduction. Comparing Apples and Oranges.


Exercise is stressed in the materials and the program as a way to increase weight loss and body sculpting. Every year the stress for exercise is increased. I am a Weight Watcher and have been for 4 years. I have lost 62 pounds and have kept the weight off for three years.

User Review #22 by Sue on February 27th, 2008 at 12:42 PM CST

Name

I have been a lifetime member of Weight Watchers since 1999. When I made the commitment to lose weight through Weight Watchers, I knew it wouldn't be easy. No diet is. You WILL lose weight in this plan, IF YOU FOLLOW THE PROGRAM. Weight Watchers makes sense - eat healthy, watch your portion size, drink lots of water and exercise. Any doctor or nutritionalist will tell you the same thing. Yes, you will be hungry at first, but once your body adjusts, the hunger will subside. Yes, you will have weak moments as we all do, but if you eat too much today, eat less tomorrow. I began feeling so good once the weight started coming off. My energy level increased, I stopped having problems with water retention, aches and pains went away due to exercise, and my clothes fit looser. I gained confidence as people began to notice the change. My leader was so supportive and helped me all along the way. I still go to see her, and she still praises me when I see her. Once you reach your goal and you try to maintain your weight, your new lifestyle really becomes a challenge. I'm addicted to food the same as many other people are. I still have cravings and struggle with not overeating on a daily basis. Its easy once you reach the weight you want to go off a diet and get back to old eating habits. However, this is a lifestyle change. That doesn't mean that you can't ever eat the food you love, just do it wisely. Don't deprive yourself, or you'll become resentful. I've learned to spread my meals into several small ones, and never allow myself to get too hungry for fear that I might go off the deep end and eat everything in sight. I faithfully go to be weighed in every month, and if I see the scale going up, I get right back on track, start journaling, and get those few pounds off. If the scale has gone down a pound or two, I reward myself with a special treat. More than anything I enjoy feeling good and having lots of energy to do the things I enjoy. Its been hard work, and I don't think I could have done it without the support I received and continue to receive from Weight Watchers. The final results were well worth the money spent. If you decide to give Weight Watchers a try, just remember that you are going to have to work to see results, and only you can make this program a success. Good luck!

I have been a lifetime member of Weight Watchers since 1999. When I made the commitment to lose weight through Weight Watchers, I knew it wouldn't be easy. No diet is. You WILL lose weight in this plan, IF YOU FOLLOW THE PROGRAM. Weight Watchers makes sense - eat healthy, watch your portion size, drink lots of water and exercise. Any doctor or nutritionalist will tell you the same thing. Yes, you will be hungry at first, but once your body adjusts, the hunger will subside. Yes, you will have weak moments as we all do, but if you eat too much today, eat less tomorrow. I began feeling so good once the weight started coming off. My energy level increased, I stopped having problems with water retention, aches and pains went away due to exercise, and my clothes fit looser. I gained confidence as people began to notice the change. My leader was so supportive and helped me all along the way. I still go to see her, and she still praises me when I see her. Once you reach your goal and you try to maintain your weight, your new lifestyle really becomes a challenge. I'm addicted to food the same as many other people are. I still have cravings and struggle with not overeating on a daily basis. Its easy once you reach the weight you want to go off a diet and get back to old eating habits. However, this is a lifestyle change. That doesn't mean that you can't ever eat the food you love, just do it wisely. Don't deprive yourself, or you'll become resentful. I've learned to spread my meals into several small ones, and never allow myself to get too hungry for fear that I might go off the deep end and eat everything in sight. I faithfully go to be weighed in every month, and if I see the scale going up, I get right back on track, start journaling, and get those few pounds off. If the scale has gone down a pound or two, I reward myself with a special treat. More than anything I enjoy feeling good and having lots of energy to do the things I enjoy. Its been hard work, and I don't think I could have done it without the support I received and continue to receive from Weight Watchers. The final results were well worth the money spent. If you decide to give Weight Watchers a try, just remember that you are going to have to work to see results, and only you can make this program a success. Good luck!

User Review #21 by Susan Hess on February 27th, 2008 at 12:00 PM CST

Name

How many times have I had to listen to my husband say, "Just because you're on a diet, doesn't mean I'm on a diet." Oh brother. Now he says, "What happened to my Butterfinger?" ...because HA-HA I'm not on a diet! I bet he wishes I was on a diet, now! Well, they were miniatures, and only a few points. It's a shame some people have been disillusioned by the payment practices of some Weight Watcher's groups. It's a really, really large organization, and as with any group of people, you'll find some that you like and some you don't - as well as some who are doing a better job and some who are not. If anyone really feels ripped off they should go to the Better Business Bureau, or threaten the person who took your money with that, and see if you can get your money back or complain to the Corporate office (11 Madison Ave. NY, NY 10010.) After all, if someone isn't doing their job correctly, you should stop them from taking advantage of anyone else, right? I really like our Weight Watcher's at work program. We paid $168.00 for 12 weeks up front (or in 3 monthly payments.) One of my co-workers couldn't attend, and felt she should have been refunded, but the policy is "You have paid for your 12 weeks, attend at work or any other meeting (even every day if you like) but the money is for the period of weeks, not the # of meetings you are able to attend." This should have been explained before you paid though. If your meeting leader can't attend, they extend your subscription for another week. They should give you a starter packet with booklets, your weight card and a "points finder" at your first meeting. In fact, the other side of the points finder does have a "points booster" now, to help you calculate how many extra points you earn when you do exercise. I signed up twice, lost 20 pounds, reached my goal and did my 6 weeks maintenance (between Thanksgiving and Christmas, of all times, yay, me!) Now I'm a Lifetime Member and I never have to pay again as long as I weigh in once a month. $336.00 may seem like a lot to some, but I feel like: "Two 12 week sessions of weight watchers at work... $336.00 Not buying new size 16 clothing... $0 Reaching my weight goal, becoming a lifetime member and not paying WW anymore, even though I can go to all the meetings I want... priceless!!!"

How many times have I had to listen to my husband say, "Just because you're on a diet, doesn't mean I'm on a diet." Oh brother. Now he says, "What happened to my Butterfinger?" ...because HA-HA I'm not on a diet! I bet he wishes I was on a diet, now! Well, they were miniatures, and only a few points.

It's a shame some people have been disillusioned by the payment practices of some Weight Watcher's groups. It's a really, really large organization, and as with any group of people, you'll find some that you like and some you don't - as well as some who are doing a better job and some who are not. If anyone really feels ripped off they should go to the Better Business Bureau, or threaten the person who took your money with that, and see if you can get your money back or complain to the Corporate office (11 Madison Ave. NY, NY 10010.) After all, if someone isn't doing their job correctly, you should stop them from taking advantage of anyone else, right?

I really like our Weight Watcher's at work program. We paid $168.00 for 12 weeks up front (or in 3 monthly payments.) One of my co-workers couldn't attend, and felt she should have been refunded, but the policy is "You have paid for your 12 weeks, attend at work or any other meeting (even every day if you like) but the money is for the period of weeks, not the # of meetings you are able to attend." This should have been explained before you paid though. If your meeting leader can't attend, they extend your subscription for another week. They should give you a starter packet with booklets, your weight card and a "points finder" at your first meeting. In fact, the other side of the points finder does have a "points booster" now, to help you calculate how many extra points you earn when you do exercise.

I signed up twice, lost 20 pounds, reached my goal and did my 6 weeks maintenance (between Thanksgiving and Christmas, of all times, yay, me!) Now I'm a Lifetime Member and I never have to pay again as long as I weigh in once a month. $336.00 may seem like a lot to some, but I feel like:

"Two 12 week sessions of weight watchers at work... $336.00

Not buying new size 16 clothing... $0

Reaching my weight goal, becoming a lifetime member and not paying WW anymore, even though I can go to all the meetings I want... priceless!!!"