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Weight Watchers diet program is a healthier way of life By
Haylie Norr "Next!" Men and women smile uneasily as coordinators call out for the next person in line. One can almost hear, "Think skinny... think skinny," coming from the minds of most of the individuals standing in the weigh-in line. The scales cannot lie and if one has been a bad girl or boy this week the Weight Watchers coordinators will be able to tell. Julie Hodges takes her place in line and tosses her shoes into the small pile that has accumulated as the weigh-in line has grown. Participants shed whatever layers possible because one less pound can make or break you. Hodges nervously jokes with those around her and with the coordinators as she steps up to the scale. Hodges and the coordinator exchange some words while the weight is recorded. The coordinator offers a little encouragement and sends Hodges to the back room for the weekly Weight Watchers meeting. "I should have taken of my necklace," Hodges says, indirectly revealing she was not at her optimal weight for the week. At one point weighing more than 200 pounds became overwhelming to Hodges and she didnąt know what to do. "I had tried almost every other diet in the book," she said. "None of them had worked for me, and the results never lasted long." Hodges said that she started coming to the Weight Watchers meetings with her sister, and claims it is much easier to be disciplined with the diet if you have someone to go to the weekly meetings with. After six months of meetings with her Weight Watchers group, Hodges reported losing 35 pounds. She says it is a very encouraging and rewarding program. "Other diets focus on the end result. This (Weight Watchers) is a way of life," she said. "It is an easy program to stick with." Hodges says Weight Watchersą main focus is to eat less and exercise more. Participants are encouraged to eat all foods and not have any restrictions. Weight Watchers does not tell participants what they can and cannot eat. It claims to provide knowledge, information, and motivation to help their participants make healthy eating decisions. The Weight Watchers diet is based on a point system. Each food is worth an assigned point value. Depending on weight, age, and projected weight-loss goal, a participant will be given a range of points that it is recommended to stay within each day. As the participant loses weight the number of points allotted also changes. Consistently exercising will also allow an individual to add a few points to his or her daily allowance. "The exercise has to be consistent for it to count toward your amount," said Hodges. "Just because you exercise one day you are not given the extra bonus points that day." These practices help develop the goal of a healthier lifestyle. If a participant wants the extra points for his or her day they will develop an exercise plan. Members are also given a journal where they are to record everything they eat throughout the day. "It makes things so much easier to use the journal," Hodges said. "It is easier to remember what you have eaten and how many points you have left each day." Weight Watchers is a forgiving program and does allow for some mistakes. "Just because you have a candy bar and use all of your points before noon one day it doesnąt mean that you canąt eat for the rest of day," Hodges said. "The directors recommend that you look at that day and learn from it and 'budget' your points better next time." They teach the importance of good food for your diet but do not encourage over eating. For more than 40 years, Weight Watchers has helped millions of people worldwide lose weight and build healthier lifestyles. Members believe that dieting is part of a long-term weight-management effort. Weight Watchers says that a healthy body is really the result of a healthy lifestyle. "You have to know that it is a successful program if it has been around for so long," said Hodges. One of the coordinators, Sandy, has been with the Weight Watchers program for 15 years. She teaches the Tuesday night classes with the energy of a rambunctious teenager. She speaks about the importance of eating healthy, exercising properly, and throws in some humorous stories about her grandchildren and being chased by dogs while exercising, to entertain and teach. "Today there are so many conveniences," Sandy remarks. "We need to exercise to compensate for some of the conveniences." Sandy suggests taking the stairs instead of an elevator or escalator. She also recommends parking at the back of the parking lot and walking a few extra steps to get to the store. "This (parking at the back of the lot) will be easy, especially if you are going to Wal-mart," Sandy laughs. The Weight Watchers program recommends that you have smaller portions and snack on healthy treats throughout the day. It claims it is better for your body to have a constant fuel of food to speed up your metabolism than to eat three large meals each day. Eight glasses of water are recommended per person, per day. Sandy also reminds everyone to be drinking water as he or she exercises. "I always feel so much better when I drink my water, it just cleans out my system," said Hodges. To become involved with the Weight Watchers program one is required to pay a $30 registration fee, and for the first seven weeks a weekly fee of $10. After the first seven weeks, the weekly fee decreases to $8. Each dieter is also given one booklet per week for the first 12 weeks. The booklets include tips, recipes, and success stories from other Weight Watchers dieters. When one reaches a projected weight-loss goal and remains stable for three months one becomes a lifetime member of the Weight Watchers group. After becoming a lifetime member, if the participant can stay within 3 pounds of his or her goal, the individual will not be required to pay the weekly fee. Lifetime benefits also include not having to pay the registration fee, should one decide to start the weight loss program again. The money from the weekly payments and the registration fees is used to pay for the staff at the meetings, as well as for the rewards that are given for weight loss. There are also rewards given for losing pounds. Rewards range from bookmarks and magnets for the first pounds, to key chains and charms for the larger amounts of pounds lost. "You will also feel personal rewards as you begin to lose weight," said Hodges. Employees of Weight Watchers must have been through the program and maintain their weight. Hodges thinks it helps to have an instructor who knows what you are going through, and, "not one of those skinny things in spandex who has never been overweight." At the beginning of each twelve-week session, Sally brings a picture of herself before she joined Weight Watchers. "You would never believe that she is the same person," Hodges remarks. To find a Weight Watchers meeting group near you, check for a listing in your local yellow pages or visit the Weight Watchers website at www.weightwatchers.com. Some of the most common problems people complain about with diets include the effort it takes to stick with the diet and also the discomfort of always being hungry. "For me, this program has been okay, they donąt tell me that I canąt eat things," said Hodges. "This program changes the way you eat, they encourage you not to be hungry." Hodges also says that the point system hasnąt taken too much time and adjusting to get used to. "I just have to plan my meals ahead of time," she said. Hodges is a proud, two-year member of the Weight Watchers dieting program. She feels that both she, and her family have benefited from her experiences with the group. "My kids and my husband are eating better, too," she said. Men and women alike are encouraged to join the Weight Watchers group. "This is a way of life," said Hodges. "I feel so much better about myself because I am a healthier person."
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