Diets are a dime a dozen during this season. Everyone is trying to shed those holiday pounds before the sun comes out for spring. I will be the first to say that I have done tons of these diets (mostly before I became a trainer). Does Weight Watchers REALLY WORK …. or are you just fooling yourself into a smaller size via a point system??
Most people have done weight watchers before. It seems to be one of the first diets people try. This is because weight watchers has a system that is pretty easy to memorize and you have support from other members who are trying to lose weight. Out of the millions of people who do weight watcher a year… very few seem to lose weight and keep the weight off. Why is it that people claim to love the “point system,” YET they can’t seem to keep their diet on track long enough to see REAL results?
POINT SYSTEM PROBLEMS…
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Points = calories. If you sat down and calculated the amount of points you are given into calories (like the crazy trainers at work do) then you would know that the average allowance of calories ranges between 1,200 – 1,500 calories a day (20-25 points). OUCH… how do they expect you to workout???
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YOU GET TO EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT! Ok, you can have that donut or piece of cake, but it might cost you points! THAT’S A BIG PROBLEM! The average overweight person doesn’t just eat 1 piece of cake or 1 hamburger…. sure, they might stop after 1 piece that day, BUT then they crave the bad food all week long and continue to eat the WRONG FOODS.
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YOU NEVER LEARN HOW TO EAT CORRECTLY. When you are so focused on points; you never really learn how to eat correctly. It’s not just about points and calories… it’s about eating the right food at the right times as well!
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POINTS DECREASE YOUR ENERGY AND YOU METABOLISM. If you only eat 1200-1,500 calories a day over a prolonged period of time… you might actually lose weight. HOWEVER, doing low calories for too long can decrease your metabolism. This decrease in metabolism can also decrease you energy and muscle mass. If you lose your muscle mass then when you get off the diet you will gain more weight back then before because you no longer have the muscle to burn calories.
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INCREASED FAT GAIN. Losing calories the wrong way without working out… can lead to an increase in your body fat. Chances are that most people on weight watchers are only watching their points. Very few actually work out while on this restricted calorie diet.
Although for some, weight watcher can get them started on the right path …. it’s not a long term fix. You need enough calories in your day to have energy to live and to workout. There is NO QUICK FIX if you want to maintain your weight loss. Find an eating plan that teaches you HOW TO EAT correctly, and a workout routine that you can stick to while you are making these long term life changes!
Adria Ali
Brenda says