Weight Watchers Diet for Weight Loss - Score Table, Reviews and Results

The history of the Weight Watchers Diet

The Weight Watchers Diet (also called the Weight Watchers Diet or Weight Watchers Diet) is a nutritional system for weight loss that originated in the United States in 1961. Its creator was Jean Nedich, who called her friends, who, like her, were overweight, to her home and suggested that everyone start losing weight together. They met every week to share their results and impressions.

By the end of 1962, Jean was able to lose 32 kg. This result excited many people who dreamed of losing weight, and it is not surprising that many people wanted to lose weight using her method. In 1963, the Weight watchers company was created, which currently has 31 official representative offices around the world.

Principles

The diet is based on translating food into points. Each food product is assigned a certain number of points. The higher the initial weight of a person, the more ratings he has, which means he can eat more food throughout the day.

The secret to losing weight on the Weight Watchers Diet is gradual weight loss. A person who is losing weight gradually moves into a lighter weight category. As a result, there will be a decrease in points, and therefore a decrease in food consumption.

The table below shows the optimal number of points for daily use.

This is what the initial norm of the weight watchers scheme looks like, when the calculation was carried out only taking into account the calorie content of food and its fat content.

In 2011, Weight Watchers revised its scoring standards to take into account the fat, carbohydrate and protein content per 100 g of food product (BJU ratio), including the amount of fiber and glycemic index value. The points of some types of food have also been recalculated.

Now the person losing weight must keep a weight loss diary, in which they write down their initial weight and independently determine the size of the acceptable limits. Also, the diary should include all the necessary information and a list of foods that a person eats during the day.

The duration of the diet is determined by the person losing weight, based on what results he wants to achieve. As a rule, you can get rid of 1-2 kg of excess weight in a week.

What are “points” and how to count them?

The main indicator for choosing dishes are points. Any product contains proteins, fats and carbohydrates, as well as healthy and empty calories. In order not to get confused and avoid complex recalculations, a full-fledged table was developed in 2010, which collected data on all products. It is enough to calculate the daily norm for using “points” and follow it.

The approximate number of points depending on the initial weight will be as follows

Up to 70 kg – 18 PP 71-80 kg – 20 PP 81-90 kg – 22 PP 91-100 kg – 24 PP More than 100 kg – 26 PP

These are average data, but the number of points can be recalculated individually, taking into account gender, age, height, lifestyle and diet goals.

So, divide the real weight by 10 and write down the integer. Next, women add 7 PP, and men – 15 PP. Those with a height of less than 160 cm add 1 PP, with a height of 160 cm and above - 2 PP. Now you need to take into account age, lifestyle and diet goal.

18-20 years old – 5 PP. 21-35 years old – 4 PP 36-50 years old – 3 PP 51-65 years – 2 PP Over 65 years old – 1 PP

Sedentary lifestyle – 0 PP Active lifestyle, but sedentary work – 2 PP Lots of movement – ​​4 PP Hard physical work – 6 PP.

If your diet goal is to lose weight, add 0 PP. If you plan to just maintain weight, add 4 PP.

During the diet, you can lose an average of 900 g per week. In this case, you can eat different foods, it is only important to count the number of points.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Weight Watchers Diet has its pros and cons.

The advantages include:

• versatility - you can exercise while on a diet and it does not affect your eating habits in any way;
• ease of counting points - you can find a lot of information on the Internet about the numerical indicators contained in each individual food product. There are even special applications for phones that make life much easier for those losing weight;
• keeping a food diary - detailed lists of meals and proposed dishes in the menu with points indicated eliminate the feeling of hunger;
• strict adherence to the rules of the tables and basic recommendations ensures a calorie deficit for the purpose of further weight loss;
• accessibility and good tolerability - anyone can follow the Weight Watchers diet, it won’t break the bank and is well tolerated by the body;
• improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract due to the fiber contained in the foods consumed;
• availability of psychological support provided by group members.

The disadvantages of the weight watchers diet are:

• the impossibility of accurately counting points contained in ready-made food and dishes when visiting cafes and restaurants;
• cost of the program - as a rule, within Russia and the CIS countries they use a free version of the Weight watchers program. The official method of losing weight using this method is available for a fee; it consists of many different materials, books, brochures and booklets. They present ready-made diets, recipes, product databases with the number of points indicated. Participation in the Weight watchers program is paid;
• In order for the result of the diet to be noticeable, it is necessary to process a large amount of information, prepare special tables indicating the “cost” of food, and this takes a lot of time.

Potential Disadvantages

How does the weight watchers diet work if it does not impose restrictions? Although there are many benefits, there are still several reasons why this method of losing weight is not suitable for everyone. For example, in order to strictly follow the program, you must be prepared to monitor what you eat every day and calculate the points assigned to each food. This tedious task can sometimes become difficult to complete.

Another important factor is that it may be too expensive for some people. As with many commercial weight loss programs, there is a cost associated with joining Weight Watchers.

Although monthly costs vary depending on the subscription plan, the total investment may not be affordable for those who are financially disadvantaged.

Additionally, a weight watchers program may be too lenient for those who struggle with self-control. In theory, followers are free to choose foods that are high in sugar and low in nutrients and still meet the recommended points. As you can see from the before and after photos of the Weight Watchers diet for weight loss, it is not always possible to achieve a beautiful figure. This means that self-control is necessary in any case.

Of course, some people losing weight will be thrilled to be given the chance to choose their own food, while others will be unable to stick to healthy choices unless serious restrictions are imposed.

Diet rules

Before you start following the Weight Watchers diet, it is important to familiarize yourself with its requirements:

1. Regular and balanced meals, fasting is prohibited. You should eat 4-5 times a day at regular intervals, evenly distributing points for food products. Food should be varied and moderate. Food that was not eaten at one time cannot be transferred to the next. Regular “undereating points” can cause your metabolism to slow down.
2. It is forbidden to overeat at night.
3. In rare cases, it is permissible to “save points” - if you are planning a visit on the weekend, then you can increase their number that day by what you were able to “save” during the week.
4. Most of the diet should consist of fermented milk products and plant foods that contain fiber.
5. Every day you need to eat several servings of fresh vegetables and fruits, but keep in mind that they are not all calculated as 0. Preference should be given to vegetables; only the first vegetable or fruit weighing less than 0.2 kg is considered zero. Each subsequent 100 g is calculated as 1 point.
6. You should drink up to 1.5-2 liters of pure still water per day. Coffee and tea are not counted, but milk is.
7. It is forbidden to abuse sweeteners. It is also advisable to avoid foods containing sugar.
8. You should remove fast foods, carbonated and alcoholic drinks, sausages, fatty meats, flour and confectionery products from your diet. If you don’t have the strength to give up such food, then you should take into account a strict limit on it - no more than 14 points per week, and you cannot spend all the points on one “harmful” product.
9. It is permissible to take oils of plant and animal origin - no more than 2 points every day.
10. Recommended proportion of food intake: plant foods - 50%, grains - 25% and animal products - 25%.
11. The importance and necessity of keeping a food diary - in it you need to record the foods you eat with the number of points, types of physical activity, achievements and results when weighing (no more than once every 7 days).
12. For a comfortable psycho-emotional state while losing weight, it will not be superfluous to meet like-minded people.
13. Carrying out constant work on yourself, self-knowledge and self-development.
14. Any half-hour physical activity allows you to earn additional marks as bonuses.

Girl on Weight Watchers Diet

Can it help you lose weight?

The Weight Watchers Diet takes a scientific approach to weight loss, emphasizing the importance of controlling portion sizes and food choices. Unlike many unconventional nutrition systems that promise unrealistic results in short periods of time, Weight Watchers explains to participants that they should expect to lose between 0.23 and 0.9 kg per week.

The system emphasizes lifestyle changes and provides insight into how to make better decisions using a scoring system that prioritizes healthy foods.

Some studies have proven that the Weight Watchers Diet can help with weight loss. In fact, the system's creators dedicate an entire page of their website to the scientific rationale behind the effectiveness of their program. One study found that overweight people who were told to lose weight by their healthcare providers lost twice as many pounds following a weight watchers program compared to those who received standard weight loss counseling from a primary care provider. .

Although this study was funded by the creators of the Weight Watchers Program, data collection and analysis were coordinated by an independent research team. Additionally, a review of 39 controlled trials found that participants following the Weight Watchers program lost 2.6% more weight than those losing weight who received other types of counseling.

Another controlled study of more than 1,200 obese adults found that participants who followed a weight-watching program for one year lost significantly more pounds than those who simply reduced their caloric intake. Reviews of how the Weight Watchers Diet for weight loss works are extremely positive.

What's more, participants in a one-year weight watch program were more successful in maintaining their new body shape over two years compared to the other groups.

Thus, the Weight Watchers Diet is one of the few weight loss programs with proven results in non-conforming controlled trials, considered the “gold standard” of modern medical research.

Weight Watchers Diet Score Chart

The tables below present the main types of food products and their corresponding numerical values.

Sugar containing products

Cereals and flour products

Meat, meat products and eggs

Vegetables and fruits

Dairy

Fish

Ready meals

The Weight watchers network provides point value information for prepared meals.

Sports activities

The Weight Watchers diet encourages sports and physical activity, which can bring bonuses. But only on condition that the duration of physical activity is at least half an hour.

Weight control table for losing weight

The Weight Watchers Diet has no restrictions on the number of servings or caloric content of food. The only existing condition is strict adherence to the table, which shows the main points according to the body mass index. It is calculated based on height and weight. The initial system of total points for consumption per day was calculated based on the table of caloric content of foods and fat content, and looked like this:

Since 2011, the company, which has been developing and improving weight-loss methods for weight watchers, has revised the norms of items taking into account carbohydrates, proteins and fats per 100 grams of product, fiber and glycemic index. The final version, which Weight watchers experts recommend sticking to, looks like this:

Exercise Bonuses While Dieting

If you lead an active lifestyle, move a lot or play sports, this will only be a plus and will speed up the weight loss process. At weight watchers, there is a special reward system for people who go to fitness, swim or other sports. Its essence is that during exercise you will lose calories, expend more energy, which means you can afford to expand the number of points.

If you play sports for at least 30 minutes, you will be awarded bonuses in the following amounts:

Weight Watchers diet menu for the week

Anyone who is losing weight should make their own menu based on their weight and individual taste preferences. While following the Weight Watchers diet, there are no strict restrictions on the foods consumed. But you must adhere to the allowed daily number of points.

The menu presented below is designed for people weighing up to 70 kg.

Products that are recommended to be consumed

Although the Weight Watchers points system encourages the use of whole, natural, unprocessed foods, including vegetables, fruits and sources of protein, no food is off limits.

While healthy choices are more encouraged, participants can choose any foods they want as long as they continue to meet their daily points goal.

Weight Watchers is making healthy eating more tempting for those losing weight by creating a list of more than 200 healthy zero-mark foods. Foods recommended in this diet plan include:

• Soft proteins such as fish, skinless chicken, seafood, tofu, eggs, shellfish and low-fat yogurt.
• Non-starchy vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli, leafy greens, peppers and cauliflower.
• Frozen, fresh and unsweetened canned fruits.
• Healthy carbohydrates such as brown rice, sweet potatoes, oatmeal, whole grains, beans.
• Healthy fats such as nuts, avocado and olive oil.

Dish recipes

Below are recipes for dietary dishes according to the weight watchers system.

Greek salad

You will need:

• Chinese cabbage - 100 g;
• cucumber - 1 piece;
• onion - 1 head;
• tomato - 1 piece;
• yellow, green, red paprika - 1 pinch each;
• feta cheese - 45 g;
• black olives - 2 pcs.

For the sauce:

• spicy herbs - 1 tsp;
• olive oil - 1 tsp;
• lemon juice - 2 tsp;
• black pepper - to taste;
• garlic - 1 clove.

How to cook:

1. Chop the garlic, add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
2. Finely chop all the vegetables, cheese, black olives and lay them out in layers.
3. Pour in the sauce.

Roast veal with mushrooms

You will need:

• lean veal - 125 g;
• vegetable oil - 1 tsp;
• champignons - 200 g;
• water - ½ cup;
• sour cream 10% - 1 tbsp;
• flour - 1 tsp;
• cauliflower - 250 g;
• salt with herbs - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Lightly beat the meat, add salt and pepper, fry in a frying pan, then remove the veal.
2. In the same frying pan, fry the mushrooms, add water, salt, sour cream, and flour.
3. Place the meat back into the pan and fry until done.
4. For garnish, simmer the cauliflower in broth.

Stewed zucchini with beef

You will need:

• lean beef - 125 g;
• carrots - 1 piece;
• onion - 1 head;
• vegetable oil - 1 tsp;
• salt, pepper - to taste;
• zucchini - 500 g;
• tomatoes - 2 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Wash the zucchini, then cut them into cubes.
2. Finely chop the carrots, onions, meat and fry in oil.
3. Salt, pepper, add a little water, chopped zucchini, tomatoes.
4. Simmer for 2-3 minutes without stirring.

Cabbage and potato casserole

You will need:

• cauliflower - 250 g;
• boiled potatoes - 3 pcs;
• milk - 150 ml;
• processed cheese - 30 g;
• green onions - 10 g;
• mustard - 5 g;
• nutmeg, salt, pepper - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Finely chop the potatoes.
2. Simmer the cabbage in a small amount of broth until half cooked.
3. Mix cabbage and potatoes into layers in a saucepan.
4. Boil milk, melt processed cheese in it, add salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard. Pour the prepared mixture over the mixture of cabbage and potatoes.
5. Place the prepared mixture in a baking dish and place in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

Grilled chicken with vegetables

You will need:

• broiler leg - ½ piece;
• fresh cucumber - ½ piece;
• champignons - 100 g;
• apple - ½ piece;
• tomatoes - 1 piece;
• Chinese cabbage - 100 g;
• paprika - ½ pcs.

For the sauce:

• vegetable oil - 1 tsp;
• natural yogurt - 50 ml;
• lemon juice - 2 tsp;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Finely chop the vegetables, mix, season with the prepared sauce.
2. Separately, grill the chicken.

Grilled fish

You will need:

• fish fillet - 2 pieces;
• low-fat margarine - 5 g;
• dill - 10 g.

How to cook:

1. Coat the fish with margarine and sprinkle with herbs.
2. Wrap the fish in foil and bake in the oven or on the grill.

Recipes for preparing dietary dishes

A huge plus of the weight watchers diet is that the menu can be built at your discretion. There is no limited list of allowed products, so it is possible to vary the recipes. You can cook stewed vegetables with meat, bake chicken. French fries with cheese in the oven and diet pizza are very tasty. For breakfast, you can treat yourself to pitta with chicken from Mediterranean cuisine.

French fries in the oven

This recipe is completely dietary, because the potatoes will simmer in the oven. The calorie content of 1 serving of fries according to the weight watchers system is 2 points. To prepare 4 servings you will need:

• potatoes - 2 large tubers;
• salt – 1 pinch;
• grated Cheddar cheese – 65 g;
• paprika or black pepper - to taste.

Cooking method:

1. Turn the oven to 200 degrees to warm up.
2. Grease a baking sheet with olive or vegetable oil.
3. Cut the potatoes into cubes and place on a baking sheet.
4. Season to taste with salt, paprika or other spices.
5. Bake for 40 minutes. After a while, sprinkle the potatoes with grated cheese and place in the oven for another 5 minutes.

Chicken sandwich

This sandwich originates from Greece. There it is usually called Souvlakya. The recipe assumes that you will cook tender chicken in soy sauce in pitta bread. The calorie content of the dish is 5 points according to the weight watchers diet. To prepare 4 sandwiches take:

• lemon juice – ¼ tbsp.;
• soy sauce – 2 tbsp. l.;
• liquid honey – 1 tbsp. l.;
• garlic – 3 cloves;
• olive oil – 2 tsp;
• aromatic spices – 1 tsp;
• chicken breast – 500 g;
• homemade yogurt – 150 g;
• cucumber – 1 pc.;
• chopped dill – 1 tsp;
• pitta bread – 5 pcs.

Cooking method:

1. Turn on the oven to preheat at 200 degrees.
2. Cut the chicken into small pieces.
3. Separately mix lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce. Marinate the meat for 10-20 minutes.
4. Place the chicken on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
5. Bake for 25 minutes, occasionally basting the meat with the remaining sauce.
6. Separately mix homemade yogurt, grated cucumber, dill, a little garlic, and spices.
7. Once the chicken has cooled, toss the fillets with the cucumber dressing and place among the pittas.

Diet pizza

If you really love hamburgers, nuggets or Italian pizza, you shouldn’t deny yourself the pleasure of enjoying these dishes. Even at home, it is quite possible to prepare diet pizza, which will turn out no less tasty, but will contain a minimum amount of calories. On the Weight Watchers scale, eating 1 slice of this pizza costs you only 3 points. To prepare the dish you need:

• granular cottage cheese – 300 g;
• eggs – 3 pcs.;
• flour – 8 tbsp. l.;
• carrots – 1 pc.;
• baking powder – 2 tsp;
• tomato sauce – 2–3 tbsp. l.;
• lean ham – 3-4 slices;
• pickled cucumbers – 2 pcs.;
• champignons (finely chopped) – 200 g;
• grated cheese – 100 g;
• seasonings – 1 tsp.

Cooking method:

1. Place cottage cheese in a bowl, add eggs, flour, grated carrots, baking powder.
2. Knead the dough thoroughly with your hands.
3. Roll out the finished base to 2–3 cm thick and place on a baking sheet.
4. Spread tomato sauce on top, add mushrooms, cucumbers, and ham.
5. Add spices and cover with hard cheese.
6. Bake at 200°C for 10–15 minutes.

Reviews

Alina, 25 years old

I was on the weight watchers diet for 12 months. During this period I lost 19 kg, almost achieved my goal, I wanted to lose 25 kg.

Maria, 32 years old

The Weight Watchers diet is suitable for those people who are used to being in control of everything. Yes, you can lose weight on this diet, but personally, counting points tired me. I lasted only 2 months and lost 6 kg.

Svetlana, 41 years old

I was on the Weight Watchers diet for only 2 weeks. I didn't like this diet at all. I lost 3 kg, but it would be better if I went in for sports at this time, the effect would be better.

The Weight Watchers Diet is an effective weight loss system, but only if you follow the recommended menu correctly. In some cases, following the basics of proper nutrition and active exercise helps to quickly eliminate excess weight without the need to diet. Therefore, before you start losing weight, first think about whether you are ready to constantly limit yourself in food and count points, or whether it is easier to change your lifestyle in order to constantly be in great shape.

Compliance with official Weight Watchers guidelines

Fats : The amount of fat in the diet does not exceed the recommended 20-35% of calories from fat

Protein: Within the recommended 10-35%

Carbohydrates: Within acceptable range

Salt: There are no special recommendations for it, so its quantity is controlled personally.

Other nutrients

Plant fibers: Although on a weight watchers diet a person creates his own diet, the calculation of PP points is structured in such a way that products with fiber cost less, which means they are consumed more often. For example, an orange has 3 grams of fiber and has less PP than having 0.5 grams. vegetable fiber, a glass of orange juice.

Potassium: How much potassium you get in your diet is up to you. But the company recommends adding potassium-rich foods to your meals, such as avocados, dried apricots with rice, or orange juice.

Calcium: Calcium deficiency can be compensated for by dairy products and juices and cereals enriched with them.

Vitamin B12: The amount of vitamin depends on your diet, Weight Watchers provides the opportunity to replenish it through food.

Vitamin D: Low-fat dairy, sun and fortified cereals will help.

Addition: The Weight Watchers Diet requires taking a daily multivitamin.

A 2008 study published in the journal Nutrition compared several diets, including Weight Watchers. After two months, those following it experienced a decline in daily values ​​of riboflavin, niacin, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc, although the decline was not always below the recommended level.