The Weight Watchers Approach.
John S., a business executive who lives in Queensland,
Australia, has lost over 20 kilos since he joined Weight Watchers a few months
ago.
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He credits the programme with helping him to achieve his
ideal weight.
He also feels that he has more energy and is healthier as a
result of his experience with Weight Watchers.
Thanks to Weight Watchers, he's no longer self-conscious
when taking family photos and he has received many compliments from his family
and friends as a result of his weight loss.
Weight Watchers has been a part of the American vocabulary
for many years.
The organisation has become synonymous with weight loss.
All across America people are designing their daily menus in
line with Weight Watchers’ innovative system, which assigns a certain number of
points to different foods based on calories, fibre, fat, and serving size.
For instance, 1 / 4 Pounder with cheese from McDonald’s is
thirteen points; corn on the cob is three.
There are a number of advantages to the Weight Watchers
programme, for instance, the Weight Watchers system is straightforward and easy
to follow, much easier than counting calories,
also the program represents a rounded approach which does
not solely promote or rely on sound nutrition but recommends a realistic
exercise program.
In addition, dieters get a chance to meet with others who
can form a network of support.
By following the Weight Watchers system, few people complain
of feeling tired or hungry.
A number of nutritionists happily endorse the Weight
Watchers program because of its sensible
approach.
Interestingly enough, no food is banned under the Weight
Watchers program, however, if you want to indulge in a piece of banana cream
pie, you might not have many points left for the rest of your day.
Yet another advantage to the Weight Watchers program is that
you can easily buy Weight Watchers food at your local store and that is
especially attractive to some people.
Certainly, some people, such as John S. and the Duchess of
York, Sarah Ferguson, have lost an appreciable amount of weight using the
Weight Watchers program.
However, the vast majority of people only lose about six
pounds—hardly enough for an individual who is considered to be obese.
That’s a fact that you won’t see advertised in any Weight
Watchers literature and, in fact, only about 5% of dieters are able to maintain
their weight loss over five years using the Weight Watchers system.
Other people find the Weight Watchers program too expensive
follow.
In addition to the registration fee, there is an additional
weekly fee you must pay and some people
are uncomfortable with the weekly meetings, they feel that others in the
meetings become too competitive rather than offering the support they need.
Also the Weight Watchers points system may cause dieters to
become preoccupied with food, hurting their relationships with other people.
Once you leave the Weight Watchers program, you could find
that it’s not so easy to maintain your desired weight loss and if you don’t
succeed in losing weight in the first few weeks, you may become frustrated and
quit the program altogether.
Another advantage to the Weight Watchers program is that you
can find the point values of a number of fast foods online, this means that you
are not choosing your food in the dark, you have some idea what these foods can
do to your waistline.
Any weight loss program that improves your knowledge of
nutrition should be considered helpful.
Choosing a weight loss program is a very personal call, one
that should not be taken lightly.
You will need to weigh the advantages and disadvantages of
the Weight Watchers programme so that you can decide if it’s right for you,
however, if you are going to choose Weight Watchers, make sure to stay
committed to it for a minimum of six months to give yourself the best chance at
maximising and maintaining your weight loss.
Losing Weight, the Jenny Craig Way.
Actress
Kirstie Alley made headlines when she lost over 20 kilos following the Jenny
Craig weight program and as a result, Alley has become an outspoken advocate of this
nutrition system.
While Alley’s weight loss may be surprising, you may be
wondering whether you could duplicate her success.
But, to begin with, you need to have an understanding of
Jenny Craig, the company’s claims, and whether the weight loss program is a
sure-fire way to lose weight.
The company website tells us that Jenny Craig is one of the
biggest weight loss programs in the country.
Company managers say that the program stresses good
nutrition and moderate activity and as a result, company executives say, individuals
can achieve their weight loss goals by carefully following the program.
Jenny Craig has more than 600 locations in North America,
Australia, New Zealand, and Puerto Rico, if you enrol in the programme you
will receive a weight loss instruction book and you’ll be able to locate a
weight loss partner through an online bulletin board.
The program offers two general approaches to weight
loss.
With the first approach, you report to a Jenny Craig Centre,
where you’ll receive individual consultations, the consultant will work with
you to develop daily menus and you buy the diet food directly from the
company.
The second approach is an at-home program in which you have
phone conversations with your consultant, you order your food every two weeks,
with menus and other materials delivered to your home, within five to seven
days after your order has been placed.
Your consultant will take you through the program, answer
any questions you may have and attempt to ensure that your experience with Jenny
Craig is a positive one.
Calorie counts on Jenny Craig depend on your individual
requirements, but the daily calorie level will be at least 1200.
Under the program, you should lose at least a pound a week
or one percent of your total weight.
The menus are designed according to the specifications of
the Department of Agriculture’s Food Pyramid, you can select from at least
seventy different foods and all the food has received the seal of approval from
Jenny Craig’s Medical Advisory Panel.
In her autobiography, entitled The Jenny Craig Story, Craig
wrote, “When somebody makes a decision to go on a diet…they become almost
totally preoccupied with food, we decided that if we provided the food, it
would let the clients focus on their own bodies.”
According to dietitians at Northwestern University, the
Jenny Craig system does have its drawbacks, for instance, it offers little in
the way of fibre, and those who follow the program may not consume enough iron
and zinc.
Consequently, the program may be difficult for women of
child-bearing age who need a great deal of iron in their diet in order to
prevent anaemia.
Also, since Jenny Craig supplies the food, clients do not
learn how to prepare their own low-calorie meals and as a result, once you stop
using Jenny Craig you could find yourself packing the weight back on.
Moreover, dietitians say that the company’s counsellors have
limited training, meaning that the individual consultations with clients are
less effective than they could be.
In addition, there’s little in the way of a support network
for Jenny Craig clients, since there are no regular support group meetings
because nine out of every ten Jenny Craig members are women, men may not be
comfortable taking part.
Jenny Craig’s weight maintenance program is also
expensive, currently $200 a year.
Is the Jenny Craig program appropriate for you?
The answer depends largely on your personal
preferences.
If you do not want the hassle of having to shop for and
prepare your own food Jenny Craig offers an attractive option, also, if you
believe in a go-it-alone approach to weight loss you may find Jenny Craig perfectly
acceptable, however, if you want professional weight loss advice, you do not
like the idea of buying company food, and you want to meet and talk with other
men or women who are trying to lose weight, another program might be more
appropriate.
As always, talk at length with your doctor before beginning
any serious weight loss program.
PS Don't forget to leave your comments below, we' all like to hear what you think.
PS Don't forget to leave your comments below, we' all like to hear what you think.
