How Long Should You Stay on the Weight Watchers Diet?
While many fad diets pose health risks over the long term, Weight Watchers offers dieters a long-term, flexible and healthy alternative. With smart maintenance plans and food education, you can keep the weight you lose off and stay healthy and in shape. Once you reach your weight goal, you can become a lifetime member of Weight Watchers. If your weight does creep up, simple diet changes can quickly resolve the trend.
Function
The Weight Watchers plan works by cutting calories and fat and increasing fiber. Points are calculated based on this information and a daily point goal set to create a weight loss around 1 lb. per week during active weight loss. Better food choices, including lean proteins, plenty of fruits, vegetables and whole grains prepare you for a lifetime of healthy eating, rather than just a short-term diet.
Time Frame
You may spend only a few months during the active weight loss stage on Weight Watchers, or you may spend much longer, depending upon how much weight you have to lose. The diet is the same for individuals working to lose 15 lbs. and people looking to lose 150 lbs. Expect to spend around one week on the Weight Watchers diet for every pound you need to lose. Maintenance is a lifelong issue, whether you stay active by attending meetings or just use what you have learned.
Considerations
The Weight Watchers diet plan is, unlike many diet plans, suitable for long-term use and ideal for individuals who need to lose a great deal of weight and may be on the diet plan for quite some time. The plan relies upon real food, available at your local grocery store. You can make food choices that fit into your budget and preferences.
Prevention/Solution
Weight Watchers offers a long-term maintenance plan individualized for each person. Typically, once the goal weight is achieved, food is added to the daily diet and weight is monitored weekly until a maintenance point goal is found that prevents both additional weight loss and gain. Usually, maintenance goals on the plan are about 500 calories higher than weight loss totals. Stick to these goals for a lifetime, adjusting as necessary for activity, to stay healthy and strong.
Benefits
Staying at a healthy weight is key for good physical health for life. Sticking to the Weight Watchers program is the ideal way to keep track of your weight, make healthy food choices and prevent a variety of illnesses associated with excess weight. Continuing on your journey with Weight Watchers will also allow you to share the positive food education provided with your family, improving eating habits in your children.
