What is it?
Weight Watchers Diet is a diet plan based off a point system, where each food has a value, and you’re allowed only a certain amount of points a day. You can eat any foods you want, as long as you don’t pass the allowed points for the day.
The points offered are called SmartPoints, and the amount allowed is based off one one’s own body and individual weight loss goals. Healthy and low calorie foods have much less value, so it naturally steers people into eating more wholesome foods instead of eating high amounts of junk food. In this review you’ll hear customer reviews, the science behind Weight Watchers, and whether or not it can promote weight loss. The highest rated diet plan of 2024 was found to be the 18 Shake Diet. It’s a combination of a natural metabolism booster and high protein meal replacement. Learn more about the 18Shake diet plan by following the link provided here.
Do You Know the Best Diets of 2024?
Weight Watchers Diet Ingredients and Side Effects
Ingredients:
No pre-packaged foods are required, it’s advised to cook one’s own meals at home. An app and guide is offered with over 287,000 different foods which have a stated number value.
High fiber, non-processed, and sugar free foods have a much lower point number. Processed foods and highly saturated foods tend to be the highest in points. So the diet focuses on introducing more healthy foods, which is already known as a practical way to lose weight.
There are also 4,000 recipes offered as well as optional support for meetings, online coaching, and dietary tips. Mobile apps are also offered to help people calculate their total points.
There isn’t much information provided by the company to showcase exactly how their approach is scientific, or how they choose specific foods to have higher points than others. The top 10 list found here offers the best diet plans that our experts have reviewed.
EDITOR’S TIP: Combine this diet with a proven meal replacement such as 18 Shake for better results.
Weight Watchers Diet Quality of Ingredients
The quality of the ingredients can vary on what’s purchased, since no foods are off limits, what one purchases will determine the overall quality. The high points that processed foods have will force people to be more conservative in their food options.
No proof is provided by the makers of Weight Watchers to show why this diet has been formulated in the point system it offers.
It’s clear that by eating less processed foods and focusing on quality meats, high fiber, and filling foods that naturally weight loss is possible. However, no evidence is provided as to why their coaching system would be any better than not paying for this system and simply eating healthier,
One study by the Annals of Internal Medicine found that:
“Weight Watchers participants achieved at last 2.6% greater weight loss than those assigned to control/education”
This was in a 12 month period, and there were only slight increases in weight loss in comparison to people who were allowed to diet without control.
2.6% for someone weighing 200 pounds would be 5.2 additional pounds. This means that every month, a person can expect an additional 0.43 extra pounds of weight loss more than those who dieted on their own and made their own decisions without a points system.
This is a very poor amount of weight loss considering the amount it costs to pay for the online support. A list of the very best diet plans has bene reviewed by our experts.
Another major issue with the plan was that no official information is provided to show the points system before one buys into the plan. This makes it impossible to calculate if one is even capable of keeping up with this plan. Certain foods are not preferential for people, and it might require extreme changes in dieting in some.
Even with online support, there’s no guarantee that the advice offered will help one lose weight safely and effectively.
The Price and Quality of Weight Watchers Diet
There are different plans offered such as:
OnlinePlus: $4.30 per week when a 3 month long plan is offered. This amounts to $64.50 for the total 3 months.
Meetings + OnlinePlus: A 3 month plan is offered for $8.30 a week. This amounts to $124.50 for the full 3 months.
Coaching + OnlinePlus: Like the other plans, if 3 months is selected, the full price is $10.15. A full 3 months is $152.25.
These prices can vary, as it depends on what one chooses as their meals and how much support they want. No information is provided on what kind of background the people who give advice are, and whether or not they are certified diet or nutrition experts. Since they fail to mention this, it’s important to be cautious of the support offered.
A $20 fee is mandatory for every first time member. Web MD discusses the pricing of this diet by stating:
“Be prepared to spend some cash to get the full benefits”
Many customers also agree it’s incredibly pricy to keep the online support available. As you’ll see in the “Customer Opinions of Weight Watchers Diet”, many felt it wasn’t worth the price.
The top 10 list featured in the link here has the best diet plans.
Business of Weight Watchers Diet
Weight Watchers International is the official company name. Their contact information is as follows:
Phone Number: (800) 651-6000
Further contact information is provided to those who subscribe to the online system. There are currently 339 negative reviews on their Consumer Affairs page. Here are some direct quotes from customers:
“thought I was signing with a reputable company… Weight Watchers continued to withdraw money from my bank account for 3 months”
“I have been requesting my account to be closed for the past 3 months”
“No one is ever there when you need them”
“Weight watchers are total thieves. I cancelled my account 3 years ago and they have billed my credit card”
Hundreds of people claim that they continue to be charged by the company even after they’ve cancelled the online support, and no longer logging into to their profiles.
There are also 279 complaints on their Better Business Bureau site, mostly for the same reasons. People complained often about being constantly billed even after months or even years of no longer using their accounts. Customers were frustrated since they were told their account was cancelled, only to see billing from Weight Watchers appearing on their credit card statements.
People also said that when their accounts were active, that there wasn’t much support offered. To see a list of the top 10 diet plans click on the link offered here.
EDITOR’S TIP: The top 10 list of the best diets is available here.
Customer Opinions of Weight Watchers Diet
Here is what some users had to say:
“just got de-motivated as I could see this wouldn’t work for me anymore”
“I tried it, but I didn’t have too much luck”
“helped me at first but I failed later on”
“it did not work… felt the meetings were very one sided, and it was like a chat”
People said that the offered meetings and support weren’t really helpful, and that it didn’t cater to people’s needs. It was more just general advice people were given such as obvious weight loss advice.
Another major issue was that people often said that they couldn’t keep up with the diet, and that many common foods had too many high points where they couldn’t eat comfortably.
Users had issues as well with the foods with fewer points, as its common sense what foods are allowed and which aren’t. The top 10 list features the best diet plans out now, click on this link to learn more.
Conclusion - Does Weight Watchers Diet Work?
When making a decision on a diet plan like Weight Watchers, it’s important to examine customer reviews, what’s offered, and whether or not weight loss is likely. The plan offers a point system which is meant to make dieting easier. However, hundreds of people have complained about a lack of food options, as well as being forced to limit many common foods. There were also hundreds that complained the company continues to charge them long after they’ve cancelled. Both on Consumer Reports and the Better Business Bureau people mention they continue to be billed.
The 2024 diet plan of the year was found to be the 18Shake Diet. It offers a high protein, appetite suppression meal replacement alongside a metabolism booster made with natural extracts with no added stimulants. There are no artificial additives, colors, binders, fillers, or harsh ingredients. Many customers have left testimonials and review showcasing their own weight loss results. People have said that the meal replacement can help suppress appetite for hours, and that it mixes well and has a pleasant taste.
The 18Shake Diet offers a diet pill and meal replacement that are both backed by full 30 day money back guarantee. Returns are offered with no questions asked, risk free. To discover more information about the 18Shake Diet, click on the link provided here.
User Feedback
(Page 25 of 41, 805 total comments)whitneymak
+I enjoy doing Weight Watchers. I was on it years ago when I was at my lowest weight. I quit and was quickly sucked back into the way I ate before, and then I went to college it it got WAY out of hand. However, I started getting serious about it again a couple weeks ago and I have lost about 9 pounds since I started. I am not hungry ever since I snack a lot more than I did before. I am young, so it's hard for me sometimes when I go out with my friends. After a 40 hour work week, it's hard to say no to a martini (or two). But those points add up fast.
posted Oct 15th, 2009 4:10 amI am a vegetarian on top of that, so I really enjoy WW because I can choose what I eat and calculate points accordingly.
I'm starting Alli in about a week and a half, after I cleanse. I'll be posting about that sometime in the next couple of weeks.
Susan123
-diet doesnt work
posted Oct 13th, 2009 7:48 amCharlene
+It's works for me me i lost 85lb i feel GREAT!!
posted Oct 1st, 2009 11:27 pmJenn
Just wondering if anyone out there can give me some tips on how to start. Do I just sign up and they send me all the materials I need to suceed? Thanks for all of your input!
posted Oct 1st, 2009 6:14 amWW user
I was on WW for a year and lost 10 pounds (which was really good for me; I am on the petite side and that's a lot on my frame). There were many things that I liked about it. The leader and meetings were really positive, the weekly weigh-ins were a good way to stay on course, and I learned a lot about the real caloric content of foods that I had previously thought were "healthy" and therefore could be consumed without limits, like pasta and potatoes.
posted Sep 26th, 2009 7:09 pmThat said, there were some things that I did not like, as well. I think that the pure emphasis on points wound up distracting me from other habits that I knew were healthy. As I got down to 18 points, I found myself drinking diet soda instead of milk, chewing sugary gum to stave off sugar cravings, and eating the WW-branded foods which are often high in sodium and transfats. After a while, I got tired of the points counting and quit WW. Instead of counting points, I decided to cut "unnatural" things like 100 calorie packs of snack crackers or WW candy bars out of my diet, and to rely instead on natural, home-cooked things, even if they are higher in calories. Two years later, I've lost 15 more pounds.
I think that my problem with WW was mostly psychological: on a program that says that you can still eat cheeseburgers and chocolate sundaes, I found myself always looking for a chemically-adapted lower-calorie version of junk food. Once I changed my focus to eating only natural foods, I found that my tastes changed, that I am less stressed out about "saving" points, and that I have a lot more energy. I definitely still rely on some of the things that I learned about food from WW, though.
JennyChow
I did the Weight Watchers Program, and with some discipline it works very well. I wishe there would be some more communivation between members, I also did a Marie France program, and there is a community site now where I got a lot of good tips.
posted Sep 26th, 2009 4:39 ambre
Hi all!
posted Sep 18th, 2009 2:06 pmJust wanted you to know that has an exclusive interview
with Florine Mark, who created Weight Watchers. She discusses her entrepreneurial journey as the largest franchisee of Weight Watchers International and overcoming life's key obstacles.
It's a really great video, please check it out!
Natalie
I did WW about 2 years ago back in the UK, I lost 3 stone in 6 months! It was amazing and encouraged me to introduce exercise into my life and gave me a reason - so I could have the odd treat! I used to use my activity points for a night out at the weekend with my friends, alcohol is actually my biggest downfall, so it is good that WW is realistic and doesn't say you CANNOT have something like ever it says ok, but in moderation and only if you earn it! I am back on WW now in Australia, this is my first week and yes I gained a bit of weight but in 2 years I only gained like 7 pounds not bad at all. Now I am having to work it all out in Kilos and I am starting at minimum of 18 points, finding it tougher this time, but I know it works!
posted Sep 15th, 2009 12:11 amVictoria
+This is a message for DLYNN!
posted Sep 4th, 2009 3:18 pmWeightwatchers is NOT a fad diet, which the statistics that you stated are aimed at. WW is a long-term healthy eating diet that does not eliminate ANY of the food groups. The reason why I love WW so much is because you can eat whatever you like within moderation. It is not a quick fix like many fad diets out there. Thus you lose weight slowly but it stays off in the long term. The slower you lose the weight the longer it stays off and that is a fact!
I would definately recommend WW I love it!!! I have never paid for a class in my life all points can be found by googling and you should stick to around 18 to 20 points per day.
Jane Connor
+I've been on weight watchers about four times. I have all the books and this time i am going to try it on my own. it works. you just have to stay disciplined. I am also going to curves 6 times a week and doing the Curve Smart program. I burn about 470 calories each time.
posted Aug 27th, 2009 11:29 pmkathy
+I'm a life time member since 1981 and have kept my weight off . There are times when you tend to gain a few , but you just go back on to your program. it is easy to drop them . That's the beauty of ww . Good luck to all.
posted Aug 25th, 2009 5:57 pmEmmii
-i dont like it because its not free... i dont think its fair to have to pay for letters on a screen and to try to lose wieght ...its just wasting money you would have a lot more people if it was free.
posted Aug 17th, 2009 1:44 pmTammy
+I've been on it for over a year and it's amazing. After 2 weeks you start to memorize the points and it gets much easier.
posted Aug 14th, 2009 10:35 pmCindy Kern
+Points system makes it very easy to keep track of what you are eating and calories. Going to meetings is a great support system and gives helpful information and camaraderie with others who are trying to lose using the same system.
posted Aug 14th, 2009 5:56 pmlori
WW is PERFECT for me. I have been trying for 3 yrs to lose weight. I was using my own version of portion control and excercising. The weight wouldn't budge, not even a pound. I have maintained my 37 lb weight gain for 3 yrs straight. I went to the dr to have my thyroid checked. It was normal. I joined WW based on my mom's suggestion. I FOUND my problem. I am eating WAY, WAY too much food. I went over my points the first week by almost 70 points. I was eating 50+ points in one day. This was NORMAL for me. I wasn't measuring until the day's end when I would log in my points, I'd be shocked. All day, I was conscious of what I was eating and thought I was doing a, "good job." WOW! I had a lot to learn about portion control and making better choices. For example, before WW, I would eat a grilled turkey sandwhich from DQ thinking it was healthy. Once on WW, I discovered this had 25 grams of fat. No wonder I was not loosing weight. WW also forces me to make sure I check that I had all my daily intake of fruits, veggies, water and whole grains ea day. I used to go days w/o eating these. Now I am aware of whether I am lacking in this very important area and I eat them. This is going to be a lifestyle change for me, not a diet. I am recognizing what a portion looks like and realizing what foods I thought were good are not so good. I am also finding healthy alternatives to my favorite foods such as instead of spaghetti sauce, I eat fresh chopped tomatoes and drizzle olive oil and oregeno over my whole wheat pasta. Yummy and more healthy .
posted Aug 5th, 2009 1:33 amdebby
To Lisa...Search online for exercises for wheelchairbound people. There are instructions online and DVDs that can be purchased.
posted Jul 17th, 2009 7:57 pmww'er for life
+WW is the best diet out there at helping you make a permanent lifestyle change. there are many good diets if all you look at are weight loss results, but i doubt there is any diet out there that can make the maintenance claims that WW can. the reason is that from day 1 they teach you that you are not on a diet. they help you address the problem you have eating healthfully by giving you guidance and direction in how to choose better, more nutritionally dense foods, but it's also realistic enough to recognize you will want to have a piece of pumpkin pie at thanksgiving, or go to happy hour after work w/ friends. and you can do all of that on WW and they show you how. the community support whether online or in meetings is also immensely helpful. most diets contain some method of tracking what you eat. this is necessary so that you can assess how flawed your assumptions about food are. before joining WW, i thought eating a bagel for breakfast was fine! now i know, that is many more calories than anyone needs for breakfast, and it's nutritionally lacking. now i never eat more than a half bagel at any one time and i am sure to include protein with every meal. it's little realizations like this that you make all along the weight loss journey on weight watchers that help you realize things you simply didn't know before, and knowledge is power!
posted Jul 10th, 2009 4:49 pmLisa Korth
I have read the numerous messages/comments trying to decide if I'm going to sign up for the Weight watchers on line program. Most of what I read about exercise is for able bodied people, my problem is I am in a wheel chair. So the conventional/standard exercises won't work for me. I need exercises for a person wanting to lose weight but stuck in a wheel chair. I realize this isn't a review but a question that I will keep asking until someone is able to answer it for me.
posted Jul 5th, 2009 12:17 pmterry harris
+I didn't have to count calories.
posted Jun 17th, 2009 7:41 amxxx
-ww sucks, lots of people post messages on their community board
posted Jun 8th, 2009 2:23 pm