My Weight Watchers Success Story

Over my lifetime, I've been on many diet plans, but finally found my way to the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus Program. I want to share my experience with the program, contrast it to other diets I've tried, and say that this has been, by far, the EASIEST weight loss journey I've ever embarked upon! I now feel Weight Watchers will be my diet guideline for life!

Early in 2012 I began the Weight Watcher's PointsPlus Program and am thrilled with my results! In a little more than four months, I've lost thirty pounds and over 21 inches, which includes a loss of 9 1/2 inches around my waistline! I now have fifteen pounds to go to reach my ultimate goal.

The Weight Watcher's Program is based on a "points" program, wherein every food or dish eaten is given a points value, based on their formula. Weight Watchers explains that this formula uses the Glycemic Index, whereby members enter the grams of fat, carbohydrates, protein and fiber into a calculator to determine "points" per serving. I loved this concept, because over the years I had become very confused about where to focus my attention, i.e., fat, carbs, calories?

On Weight Watchers, I'm allowed 26 points a day, and an additional 49 bonus points weekly. I have found this allowance very easy to live within while still enjoying life. I now track and apply portion control. I make better daily food choices without feeling deprived at all. When I log-in a high point day, due to a family celebration or such, I don't fall into an "I've blown it" mentality that often derails a diet. The psychology of the Weight Watchers Program works!

This is it for me. I even started a blog, "Watching My Weight with Weight Watchers" which I plan to maintain for many years to come. I am convinced that this will work for me for life. No more "dieting" for a few weeks or months like I've done before. This is an eating plan, not just a short-term diet!

As the years piled on, I found it harder and harder to maintain a healthy weight. Granted, other programs helped me lose weight, but they were either so restrictive or complicated that it was almost impossible to stay on them very long, and more importantly, keep the pounds off after losing the weight. While not an entire list, here's a sampling of diets I've tried over the years:

Atkins: A little over ten years ago, I decided to try Atkins. It works, and the extra fifteen pounds I wanted to lose came off fairly quickly. BUT...I had to eat differently than my family, co-workers, party friends, etc. After a year of following the Atkins guidelines, I found it very hard to continue to limit carbs and not feel cheated during the inevitable life events that I wanted to be a part of. The weight slowly crept back on over the next decade plus a bit more.

Medi-Weightloss: Then there was Medi-Weightloss. On The Medi-Weightloss program, I ate 500 - 900 calories a week (depending on the stage of the diet I was on), visited a clinic weekly, weighed in, got a Vitamin B shot and a week's worth of diet pills and my new list of foods to eat that next week. I couldn't continue to pay the weekly fee, eat that level of calories or take diet pills forever, so I decided I was done after I'd lost 45 pounds. However, I found integrating back into mainstream eating confusing...could I add this food now? How much more of that food now? How many calories now? I had lost 45 pounds, but eventually gained 30 of those pounds back within two years

17 Day Diet: Then last year, I joined the The 17 Day Diet Program craze, which I still consider a good diet plan. I lost weight following Dr. Mike Moreno's eating guidelines and learned some very helpful dieting and cooking tips. It also got me into a regular exercise habit. But for me, I see this as a good diet to lose weight quickly, but a little too complicated for a long-term weight loss journey.

That brings me to today, and Weight Watchers. WHY didn't I try it earlier? I can't tell you, but I'm thankful I finally decided to join. I've considered it before, but thought I'd have to go to meetings and confess my dieting sins, and I didn't like that idea. When I realized I could join their online program and weigh at home, I joined! My daughter did as well and we have both been very successful. She's surpassed my success, having lost forty to my thirty!

The Weight Watcher's PointsPlus program allows me to eat the things I love in moderation, participate in special life events, and lose weight at a healthy, sustainable rate. But best of all, it's helped me to adjust my food choices, recipes, and lifestyle so that I can continue to eat healthier once these last fifteen pounds are off. I vow to weigh myself weekly the rest of my life, and if I see a gain of even a few pounds I know how to correct that quickly, and I will! Thank you Weight Watchers!