Weight Watchers Review

Friday, March 5th

2021 Popular Diet Reviews

Weight Watchers

• Cost: $3.07/week for Digital (Online-Only) plan
• $6.92/week for Workshop + Digital (in-person + online) plan
• $12.69/week for Personal Coaching + Digital (online + personalization)
• Prices may vary depending on where you live

When you think of a popular diet, chances are good that Weight Watchers is the first name that comes to mind. And, rightly so: for more than 50 years, this program has helped people around the world to lose weight and improve healthy habits.

You may also know that Weight Watchers - recently rebranded as WW - has gone through several formats over the years. Your parents may remember the days of weekly weigh ins, while your friends might have used it during the days of "points". How is WW approaching dieting now?

As their website puts it, "WW welcomes anyone who wants to build healthy habits - whether that means eating better, moving more, developing a positive mindset, focusing on weight...or all of the above!" The company says that you can look forward to more changes in the upcoming weeks and months that will incorporate that more holistic approach to health and weight.

Ideal for those who:

• Want a reliable program with a long history of success
• Are looking for flexibility in what they eat and when
• Might want some face-to-face accountability and encouragement

Not ideal for those who:

• Want a prepackaged meal system
• Aren't willing to track what they eat
• Have not had success with Weight Watchers in the past

WW's current structure uses the SmartPoints system, which will guide you to eat more fruits, veggies and lean protein, and reduce your consumption of sugar and unhealthy fats. You'll get a certain number of SmartPoints in your daily food budget and can use them on any food you want to eat. And, just like some mobile phone plans, you can "roll over" your unused daily points to another day (like a special occasion meal out or birthday party). Plus, WW has a database of more than 200 "ZeroPoint" foods that you can eat without tracking or portioning.

Weight Watchers has three subscription levels to choose from. Pricing may vary depending on where you live, so take the amounts below as a general idea:

• Digital-Only. Not interested in group meetings and just want access to WW tools? This is the plan for you, at $3.07/week. You'll be able to track your food and activity levels, set personalized goals, sync with fitness trackers, get 24/7 online chat support, and access to the WW online community.
• Workshop + Digital: Workshop is what used to be known as "meetings" and are weekly group get-togethers designed to give you in-person support and accountability. You'll still get all of the online tools in the Digital package, but you'll also get guidance and private check-ins with a Wellness Coach, plus guidebooks and other printed materials. This plan costs $6.92/week.
• Personal Coaching + Digital: maybe group meetings aren't your thing, but you still want some one-on-one encouragement and gentle prodding. This package removes the "Workshop" component while adding in a dedicated coach of your choice, unlimited 1:1 phone sessions, plus personalized action plans and skill training. This package is priced at $12.69/week.

If you're thinking about signing up for WW, look for a promotion called the "Triple Play". At the time of our review, they were offering a free month, free cookbook, and no $20 joining fee when purchasing a membership plan. That's a great way to try out the WW program and see if it fits your life, and 30 days is long enough to decide if it's a program you can use for long-term lifestyle changes.

One part of the new Weight Watchers diet that is truly exceptional is their WellnessWins rewards program. As you develop healthy habits like weigh-ins and meal tracking, you'll get "wins" (they don't call them "points" because that's used in your food tracking!) that can be exchanged for prizes. For example, 1500 wins gets you a 90-day starter membership to Aaptiv or a 24-oz tumbler, while 4000 wins lets you choose among prizes like a 9-cup box from Daily Harvest or custom-fit insoles from Wiivv. We haven't found any other popular diet plan that gives you tangible rewards for accomplishing your healthy goals, and we love it!

Weight Watchers is one of the best diets for changing your eating habits and making lifestyle changes once and for all. It does require you to have the discipline to be honest about what you eat, but this diet has all of the tools and support you need to make that easy. This is a fantastic choice for weight loss and overall health improvement.