10 Reasons I love Weight Watchers

From the blog title and some of the things I've written it may sound like I work for Weight Watchers, but I assure you that I'm not getting commission! The truth is that I have never been successful with any other diet. When I started WW I couldn't believe it was true; it took me several weeks of consistent losses to stop being sceptical about it. I got to a point where I was even quite excited about the diet because I had started to believe, for the first time, that it was possible to make a difference to my body. I started to feel in control of my food and the fact that I was doing something about my weight made me feel less depressed about it when looking in the mirror or looking at clothes. I could think 'I love those clothes, I'll get some when I have reached goal' instead of 'I'm never going to be able to wear something like that'. I knew it would take a long, long time but the fact that it was no longer impossible was very encouraging. So, here are my top reasons why I love Weight Watchers...

1. Nothing is off limits. The biggest thing for me is that as soon as I can't have something that is exactly when I want it and obsess about it. If I want to have it I can or if it's too high I can wait until the weekend when I have my weekly points. If I can have it, I'm often not that bothered. 
2. It's gradual. Unlike other diets where you cut straight to 1200 calories or whatever, you start off at an amount that is equal to your size. If you're very overweight the likelihood is you're used to eating more food and if you're going to just drop to a certain amount you'll be hungry and give up. With WW however, you're on an amount that will sustain you and you slowly go down so that you almost don't notice the decrease. 
3. Plateaus are less likely. Your points decrease as you lose weight; because of this your body doesn't get accustomed to a certain amount of food or calories. If you've started on 1200 calories and your metabolism gets used to how much you're having and slows down you really have nowhere to go.  
4. You get 49 weekly points. Or on the old plan I would save points. Either way it's the same, I have a high day on a Saturday so I can go out. This means that your social life doesn't have to suffer. If I want to go for a night out, to a party, to a restaurant or just get a take away in I can. If it's a birthday or valentines day I can celebrate it without even having to take a day off my diet.  Your favourite restaurant has brought out a gorgeous cheesecake and everyone is raving about it? No problem. Work it into your weekly points. Chances are, once you've had it you realise it's not even worth the points and you don't crave it any more. On the other hand, I also found the odd thing that was worth the points and because I could only have it on a Saturday it became a real treat, something I looked forward to. 
5. Fruit and Veg are free. This means that I'm encouraged to eat it. I do love my fruit and veg but I don't have either much if I'm not dieting. Because I can snack on fruit for free and fill up a meal with veg I'm much more inclined to eat it. 
6. Everything is simplified. WW takes the science into account for you. Should I count fat? Should I limit carbs? What about calories? It's all done for you. Instead of obsessing about everything all I do is think 'what are the points?' and it works! 
7. Exercise is made just as easy. Most people assume that because they've been the gym, or gone for a walk that they can have a take away. It doesn't work like that. Doing exercise actually burns very few calories. WW does the maths for you. Your app or whatever takes into account the type of exercise, how much you exerted yourself etc and logs it. Then you can choose to swap it point for point for food or you can choose to leave them and have extra weight loss. 
8. It gives you flexibility. You've got a party, a birthday, a wedding this weekend? Sure, you can go off plan and hop back on on Monday or if you don't want to you can use your weekly points. 49 points not enough? No problem, you can work out all week to save up activity points. Simple. 
9. It's easy to keep track. Before long I know the points and can keep them in my head. That way I don't go over because I roughly know what I'm having before I have it. I do log also but if I wanted to just add in my head I could and often do. 
10. No one has to know. Some people like men I know don't want to share because of embarrassment. When I first started I was fed up of telling people I was on a diet and then getting nowhere. Because you can eat just like everyone else no one has to know and I went months before I finally told people.