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Weight Watchers Diet Pros And Cons: Health, Nutrition, Dieting, Weight Loss And Fitness
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Published: June 11, 2007
Summer is here, and bathing suit sales have men and women across the country groaning over their failed New Year's resolutions. But there's still time! Weight loss plans and fitness regimes are the talk of the town, Weight Watchers being high on the list of popular options. It worked for Jenny McCarthy, the new Weight Watchers ad campaign boasts, but no weight loss plan is perfect for everyone.
It's important to consider the pros and cons before committing to a new lifestyle.
The frustration and health risks of yo-yo dieting are very serious, which is why Weight Watchers aims to create long term solutions while also providing rapid results. The new Flex Plan is a remix of the Weight Watchers points system. Based on gender, age, height and weight, clients are designated a certain number of points they should eat per day. One point is determined by a formula looking mainly at how many calories are in a portion of food. The Core Plan, on the other hand, leads clients to focus on eating healthy foods without the hassle of counting points. Included in the Weight Watchers Core food list are vegetables and fruits, lean meats, and fat-free dairy products.
Let's first consider the pros of using a Weight Watchers weight loss plan. Because all foods are allowed (including desserts, fried food and snacks) in the Flex Plan, as long as the portion is negotiated within the daily point limit, clients can splurge on their favorite treat guiltlessly every now and then. The constriction of a frozen meals regimen isn't an issue with Weight Watchers, so members can learn to eat regular food in a healthier way. Restaurant guides even teach clients how to eat smart in the real world. Weight Watchers' website has a number of educational articles on relevant nutrition topics, including soy protein, macronutrients, and the glycemic index.
One of the most celebrated pros of being a member of Weight Watchers is belonging to a network of thousands of people with similar goals. Weekly support meetings provide the accountability, counseling and encouragement that lifestyle change possible. However, many people prefer to find community more anonymously and are very happy tracking their progress with Weight Watchers online and trading recipes with other members via message boards. Weight Watchers plans can also be adjusted for teenagers, vegetarians, and breast-feeding mothers.
While these benefits have led to the successful weight loss of many individuals, Weight Watchers has its drawbacks as well. Simple calorie-counting diets fail to explore potential health problems like adrenal fatigue, carbohydrate sensitivity, depleted serotonin, or intestinal parasites. Members' nutrition can also be at risk if they don't use their points wisely in the Flex Plan. Just because a dieter stays within her points, but has spent them on the prescribed portions of ice cream, popcorn, and cheese, doesn't mean she is acquiring a healthy lifestyle. When counting points becomes an obsession, other aspects of good eating habits can take a back seat.
Another downside is the cost. It all adds up: registration fees, meeting costs ($10-$15 each week), online program ($44 each month). Then there are the brand name pre-packaged foods and Weight Watchers magazine. All these expenses is one of the program's cons, compared to less expensive weight loss plans like Atkins or a low fat diet. According to PCC Natural Markets, these plans (which require only cookbooks and discipline) produce the same result as Weight Watchers after one year: five percent of body weight lost on average.
Weight loss is an excellent benefit of a nutrition plan; however, fitness is in irreplaceable component of health and wellness. While Weight Watchers encourages members to work out and offers tips and exercises on its website, there is much left to be desired. Members can dupe themselves into thinking that if they just watch their food intake, they will be healthy—in spite of their sedentary lifestyle.
These cons, which may be serious red flags to some, will be of little to no concern for others. Individuals with ample disposable income, confidence in their maintenance of a fitness regimen, and eagerness to enjoy the accountability of a weight loss support group will likely find themselves very satisfied with Weight Watchers. There is no time like the present to find out—before all the cute bikinis and swim trunks are sold out!
Sources:
Kulkarni, Dhananjay. “Pros and Cons of Weight Watchers Program.” Buzzle.com. 27 July 2004. 6 June 2007. http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/7-26-2004-57096.a sp.
Pick, Marcelle. “The Trouble With Fad Diets.” Women to Women. 19 Nov. 2004. 6 June 2007. http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss /troublewithfaddiets.asp?id=1&campaignno=dietd />Science Library: Healthy Nutrition. WeightWatchers.com. 2007. 6 June 2007. http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/archive.asp x?tabnum=3&sc=805.
Treiu, Gal. “How Many Weight Watchers Points Is That?.” Healthy Weight Forum. 18 July 2003. http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/articles/wei ght_watchers_points/.
Turnaround. WeightWatchers.com. 2007. 6 June 2007. http://www.weightwatchers.com/plan/turnaround/inde x.aspx.
Moncur, Laura. “Weight Watchers Core Foods List.” Starling Fitness. 4 Sept. 2004. 6 June 2007. http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2004/09/0 4/weight-watchers-core-food-list/.
Weight Watchers Diet. PCC Natural Markets. 2006. 6 June 2007. http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/health/Diet/Weigh t_Watchers_Diet.htm.
The frustration and health risks of yo-yo dieting are very serious, which is why Weight Watchers aims to create long term solutions while also providing rapid results. The new Flex Plan is a remix of the Weight Watchers points system. Based on gender, age, height and weight, clients are designated a certain number of points they should eat per day. One point is determined by a formula looking mainly at how many calories are in a portion of food. The Core Plan, on the other hand, leads clients to focus on eating healthy foods without the hassle of counting points. Included in the Weight Watchers Core food list are vegetables and fruits, lean meats, and fat-free dairy products.
Let's first consider the pros of using a Weight Watchers weight loss plan. Because all foods are allowed (including desserts, fried food and snacks) in the Flex Plan, as long as the portion is negotiated within the daily point limit, clients can splurge on their favorite treat guiltlessly every now and then. The constriction of a frozen meals regimen isn't an issue with Weight Watchers, so members can learn to eat regular food in a healthier way. Restaurant guides even teach clients how to eat smart in the real world. Weight Watchers' website has a number of educational articles on relevant nutrition topics, including soy protein, macronutrients, and the glycemic index.
One of the most celebrated pros of being a member of Weight Watchers is belonging to a network of thousands of people with similar goals. Weekly support meetings provide the accountability, counseling and encouragement that lifestyle change possible. However, many people prefer to find community more anonymously and are very happy tracking their progress with Weight Watchers online and trading recipes with other members via message boards. Weight Watchers plans can also be adjusted for teenagers, vegetarians, and breast-feeding mothers.
While these benefits have led to the successful weight loss of many individuals, Weight Watchers has its drawbacks as well. Simple calorie-counting diets fail to explore potential health problems like adrenal fatigue, carbohydrate sensitivity, depleted serotonin, or intestinal parasites. Members' nutrition can also be at risk if they don't use their points wisely in the Flex Plan. Just because a dieter stays within her points, but has spent them on the prescribed portions of ice cream, popcorn, and cheese, doesn't mean she is acquiring a healthy lifestyle. When counting points becomes an obsession, other aspects of good eating habits can take a back seat.
Another downside is the cost. It all adds up: registration fees, meeting costs ($10-$15 each week), online program ($44 each month). Then there are the brand name pre-packaged foods and Weight Watchers magazine. All these expenses is one of the program's cons, compared to less expensive weight loss plans like Atkins or a low fat diet. According to PCC Natural Markets, these plans (which require only cookbooks and discipline) produce the same result as Weight Watchers after one year: five percent of body weight lost on average.
Weight loss is an excellent benefit of a nutrition plan; however, fitness is in irreplaceable component of health and wellness. While Weight Watchers encourages members to work out and offers tips and exercises on its website, there is much left to be desired. Members can dupe themselves into thinking that if they just watch their food intake, they will be healthy—in spite of their sedentary lifestyle.
These cons, which may be serious red flags to some, will be of little to no concern for others. Individuals with ample disposable income, confidence in their maintenance of a fitness regimen, and eagerness to enjoy the accountability of a weight loss support group will likely find themselves very satisfied with Weight Watchers. There is no time like the present to find out—before all the cute bikinis and swim trunks are sold out!
Sources:
Kulkarni, Dhananjay. “Pros and Cons of Weight Watchers Program.” Buzzle.com. 27 July 2004. 6 June 2007. http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/7-26-2004-57096.a sp.
Pick, Marcelle. “The Trouble With Fad Diets.” Women to Women. 19 Nov. 2004. 6 June 2007. http://www.womentowomen.com/nutritionandweightloss /troublewithfaddiets.asp?id=1&campaignno=dietd />Science Library: Healthy Nutrition. WeightWatchers.com. 2007. 6 June 2007. http://www.weightwatchers.com/util/art/archive.asp x?tabnum=3&sc=805.
Treiu, Gal. “How Many Weight Watchers Points Is That?.” Healthy Weight Forum. 18 July 2003. http://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/articles/wei ght_watchers_points/.
Turnaround. WeightWatchers.com. 2007. 6 June 2007. http://www.weightwatchers.com/plan/turnaround/inde x.aspx.
Moncur, Laura. “Weight Watchers Core Foods List.” Starling Fitness. 4 Sept. 2004. 6 June 2007. http://www.starling-fitness.com/archives/2004/09/0 4/weight-watchers-core-food-list/.
Weight Watchers Diet. PCC Natural Markets. 2006. 6 June 2007. http://www.pccnaturalmarkets.com/health/Diet/Weigh t_Watchers_Diet.htm.
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