Will Weight Watchers Fit My Lifestyle?

By Jackie Stinson

Lifestyle! Why change it if you are satisfied with it? Weight Watchers respects your lifestyle, your tastes, your culture, the way you live, what works for you, all aspects of your daily living.

Weight Watchers is made for human nature. It’s designed to fit any lifestyle. Your lifestyle.

Weight Watchers easily fit my own lifestyle. Here is why it can fit yours, too:

1. Weight Watchers is NOT a Diet

We throw around the word “diet” in a lot of different ways. It can refer to the kinds of foods we consume, but more often than not, it’s used to describe a method of losing weight. Specifically, it means restricting yourself to a tiny amount of food or a certain type of food to drop pounds. There are usually tons of restrictions—no carbs, no dairy, low-fat, low calorie, nothing processed, only green foods on Tuesdays. I’m exaggerating, slightly, but you get the idea.

You’ve probably also heard “diets don’t work.” I never understood quite what that meant, even as I struggled to lose weight. I get it now. I had been battling to fit these diets into my life. I assumed that’s what I had to do. I had to feel deprived or like I was exercising a crazy amount of willpower. I’d maybe lose a few pounds here or there, but it wasn’t sustainable and I certainly didn’t keep off any weight I lost. I’d usually gain back that weight and a little more for good measure.

So, what does it mean that Weight Watchers is not a diet? Well, I didn’t get it until I joined. I immediately wanted to know what foods were off limits or what special foods I’d need to buy. There weren’t any. I could have what I wanted. I still didn’t really get how that could work. Think about it. There are foods you like that you’ve always considered “bad” or “guilty pleasures”. For me, it was ice cream and pizza. For you, maybe it’s French fries or Chinese take-out. Whatever it is, you can still eat it.

When you join, you’ll get a PointsPlus budget based on your height and weight. Every food has a point value. Every day you’ll eat your budgeted points. That’s it. You will lose weight if you do this. It’s so hard to believe at first. But it works.

You can easily fit Weight Watchers into your life. You don’t have to buy pre-packaged foods. You don’t have to skip a night out to dinner with friends because you can’t eat anything on the menu. You don’t have to eat something different than what your family is eating. These kinds of things are isolating and they are part of the reason that diets don’t work. With Weight Watchers, you don’t have to stop living the way you already do.

2. Weight Watchers Meetings are almost Everywhere

I find motivation in groups. What I mean is that when I’m with people who can relate to me in some way, I tend to feel inspired by what they have to share. This is why I chose to attend Weight Watchers meetings as part of my program.

You can find a meeting by going to the Weight Watchers website and entering your zip code or city and state. They are everywhere. Chances are you’ll find several meeting options with various times that will fit easily into your schedule. At the time I was attending meetings, I was working and going to school. I found a Saturday morning meeting close to my house that worked out perfectly.

The best part of the meetings, in addition to the motivation I got from the group, is that all Weight Watchers meetings are led by a member who’s had success. You’ll be inspired for sure.

3. Weight Watchers is Online, Too

If you can’t attend meetings or if meetings aren’t your thing, you can use Weight Watchers Online with eTools. You can also use these tools in conjunction with meetings for an even greater level of support.

If you decide to go this route, you will have a constant companion to keep you on your road to weight loss success and health. You’ll login each day to track your food and exercise. It keeps track of your points for you, so you don’t have to do math. You’ll weigh yourself weekly (just like with meetings) and be able to see your progress. It is truly motivating to have a visual of your daily and weekly successes!

In addition to tracking what you eat, you’ll find a whole bunch of other tools to use. There are PointsPlus values for over 40,000 foods, so you can plan out meals and be prepared. There are also recipes and meal ideas. I used this feature often to keep me from getting bored and eating the same things over and over. The Recipe Builder is also a fun tool. Enter in your favorite foods or what you have in your fridge or pantry and it helps you create a great meal.

There are apps for your iPhone, iPad, and Android too, so you’ll literally never be without the support you need to stay focused on your goals.

4. Weight Watchers Works with Your Busy Schedule

Maybe you have a job with odd hours, or, maybe you work long hours sitting behind a desk and don’t get to move around much. Click here to see real people who had success on plan. There are meetings at all hours of the day and on the weekends, so you’re sure to find one. And, don’t forget, you can get online anytime. Weight Watchers online is available 24 hours a day. So, don’t let your schedule prevent you from success.

When I joined, I worked full-time and went to school full-time. My schedule was hectic to say the least and I still found a meeting time that worked.

5. You Can Check out a Meeting for Free (in participating areas)

If you’re not sure about making a commitment, just go and check out a meeting. You can sit in on one for free to see what they’re all about and to hear what members have to say. Maybe you’ll discover it’s what you’re looking for.

Why it Worked for Me

Once I stopped trying to fit a square peg into a round hole—that is, a totally inflexible, restrictive, and impractical diet into my food-loving lifestyle, I had success. Weight Watchers helped me lose 67 pounds*. I’ve kept it off for over five years. You really don’t have to give up the things you love to have success. It’s closer than you might think.

Weight Watchers will fit your lifestyle as it fit mine.

*(People following the Weight Watchers plan can expect to lose 1-2 pounds per week.)