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Weight Watchers Plan

The Best Weight Loss Program

Weight Watchers Plan has changed! That's right, with 2011 comes the new points plus system. Weight Watchers still remains this sites number one pick for the best weight loss program.  Saying one weight loss program is the best weight loss plan over another program can be a difficult task.  Rating is all relative to the person, in this case me, that is conducting the review and applying the ratings.  


It is often a fine line between the best and the second best when comparing certain items, like weight loss programs.  However, with the success that this program has shown, it was a bit easier to deem this the best weight loss plan.


  Overview of Weight Watchers Plan

The Weight Watchers program is still one of the most popular programs with a proven track record of success.  They have been in existance for over 40 years and have helped hundreds and thousands of people reach their weight loss goals.  

The Weight Watcher's program is not geared around a "strict diet", but rather will teach you how to eat for life.  The program consists of healthy meal plans, exercise, both online and onsite support and weight loss tools.

Read the complete weight loss reviews below to see what they offer.

Weight Watchers Plan - Food

Weight Watchers points has become a household name for many and is recognized by most everyone. The points system, first introduced with the flex plan, has been in existance for many years. Many of you were familair with the points system. You knew how to calcualte the points values for the foods and how to determine your daily and weekly allowance points.

Well, new to Americans this year is the new points plus system. While this system was introduced prior to 2011 in other countries, for those of us in the states we are just now learning all about it. With the new points plus system comes a whole new way to think about food and losing weight.

Points are assigned to food based on certain nutritional information. As with the old points system, this concept still applies to the new points plus. However, certain foods will now have a higher value than other (healthier) choices. This new method makes us think twice about using up points for a cookie versus having a lighter healthier snack.

With the online etools, or by purchasing a Weight Watchers points calculator at your meeting, you can quickly learn what foods will be what points value. If you want to learn more about how this is calculated and what is new, check out this article on points plus and the changes.

Prior to the points plus system members were either following the Flex Plan or the Core Plan. Below is an overview of these systems.

Flex Plan

The flex plan uses a points system.  Each food item you eat has a points value that is calculated using the calories, fat and fiber to determine the points value. 

The points you are allowed are based on height, weight and gender.  You have daily points as well as weekly points allowance for those special occasions.

Weight Watchers provides tools to help calculate the points values. Additionally, their online recipes shows the points value.
Core Plan

With the core plan, there is no counting calories or points.  The core plan is based on a specific food list. 

The foods on this list are low in energy density, meaning they have fewer calories per ounce but at the same time will make you feel more satisfied and full. 

You can mix and match the food items on the Core Plan food list.  Similar to the Flex plan, with the core plan you also have a weekly allowance so you can eat foods not on the core list.



Weight Watchers Plan - Exercise

man and woman stretchingExercise is one of the “Four Pillars” of the weight watchers program.  The “four pillars” are; behavior, support, exercise and food.  These are the 4 key components to a successful weight loss program.




With the Weight Watchers onsite meetings, discussions include all these four components, so you will be hearing from others and your leader on the importance of exercise. 

With the Weight Watchers online, they have exercise video demonstrations for all levels. 

In fact, you can view some of these videos for free on their site.  You can log your exercise and see how it figures into your daily points.



Weight Watchers Plan - Support

Weight Watchers support system is by far the best of any weight loss program.  This is one of the key reasons they rate as the best weight loss plan.  

Their onsite meetings are a perfect way to meet and find people that share similar struggles with weight loss.  The meetings are run by trained leaders who themselves lost their weight with joining weight watchers meetings.  In addition to the meetings, you can also sign up for their e-tools.

If you don't have time for on-site meetings or are not comfortable with a meeting, you can join Weight Watchers on-line. With the Weight Watchers online, you will have access to their e-tools and can record and monitor your success.


Weight Watchers Plan - Tools

computerThe e-tools include daily food tracking, weight loss tracking, exercise videos and recipe finder.  You can also add your own favorite recipes and get the points value for the foods you love.  They also have online support in the form of message boards and success stories.

For the men out there, Weight Watchers has a customized “for men only” weight watchers online and e-tools.

If you are a Weight Watchers member attending onsite meetings, they also have available many tools that are either free or can be purchased. These tools include a points calculator/slider, recipe books and more.



Weight Watchers Plan - Price

Weight Watchers on-site meeting prices vary based on region/location. To find out prices in your area, click here and then just input your zip code. Just select the Prices and Special offers button next to your preferred meeting location. To give you an example, meeting prices for my zip code area is $13.00 per week on a pay as you go, 11.41 a week for the 17 week pass (you pre-pay for the full 17 weeks) and only $9.22 average for the monthly pass.

Weight Watchers online costs $17.95 a month with a $29.95 registration fee. If you sign up for the 3 month savings plan, the cost is $65.00 for the 3 months. This equates to just $5.00 a week.

When doing the weight loss reviews, I found that using their monthly pass is the best bet for your money.  So, If you decide you want to try Weight Watchers meetings and use their e-tools, make sure the check if their "Monthly Pass" is available in your area.

With the Monthly pass, you get free registration, free online tools and unlimited on-site meetings during the month, so if you have a bad day, you can attend an extra meeting. Price per week with a monthly pass averages about $9.22 week.


Freebies

In addition to being the best weight loss plan, they also offer many freebies on the site.  These freebies include some sample recipes, fitness and health tips, and success stories.  There are also a couple of calculators to help you determine your "goal weight" and BMI (Body Mass Index).  You can also join their weekly email newsletter to get more tips and recipes.

The recipes will show the point’s value, servings, prep and cooking times and (for people like me who are not gourmet chefs), the level of difficulty. If you join Weight Watchers, then you will have access to thousands of recipes on their website.



Weight Loss Reviews Summary



Weight Watchers has all the right components for a successful weight loss program and all the right tools and support to rate as the best weight loss plan. 

Their support system with the onsite meetings and online tools is the best  support system available.  Although Weight Watchers is pricier than some weight loss plans, it is still reasonably priced.


In addition to the Weight Watchers Plan, be sure to read all the weight loss reviews on this site.




Related Articles

Points Plus Restaurant List
Want to know the points in the foods you eat? Check out this list to see if your favorite place is there and find the points values in your favorite menu items.


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NOTE:  Weight Watchers is a registered trademark of Weight Watchers International, Inc. Points and Points Plus are trademarks of Weight Watchers International, Inc.Please visit your local Weight Watchers meeting for authentic information about the plan.

This site is not affiliated with Weight Watchers International in any way, and Weight Watchers has not reviewed this site for accuracy or suitability for WW members. Information on this site for restaurant nutrition and points is based on data gathered from individual restaurants and not the Weight Watchers Dining Out Companion. Food Pts values for restaurants and recipes are calculated in an offline spreadsheet and the formula used is not the exact same formula as provided by Weight Watchers.

Although the formula used on this site is not the exact WW formula, the points values presented are a close approximation but may be off by a few 10ths of a point (but no more than 1/2 point plus or minus). Since the values are shown as a rounded number, the numbers shown will work when tracking your daily allowance.

All readers are encouraged to go to a Weight Watcher's meeting for actual information about their plan. This site is presented under the rights of the First Amendment.



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