Weight Watchers Review

I went to WeightWatchers in Colorado Springs, and Killeen, TX. In both states, I found the leaders to be very well informed and personable. Even the beginner leaders that only had a few meetings under their belt were great!

I like the support group aspect of it. It's good to be with people that have shared the same struggles and hear from people who have overcome those. They have great tools for getting past a plateau and other common weight-loss issues. When you go to an in-person meeting, they often share great recipes. They also have great local supermarket finds that help you shave off the points. I really enjoyed it. It may sound funny, but I loved it when I lost 5 pounds and got a sticker and everyone clapped for me. I also loved seeing people shed their weight and applauding them too! It was inspiring to see someone reach goal or shed that baby weight.

They have the two plans, points and core. I have done both. The points one is where you are allotted a certain number of points per day, and you use a manual or calculator (you need to purchase these) to find point values for certain foods and add them up. You do get a free handout with point values and a pointsfinder cardboard slider tool so you can figure out the points of any item with a Nutrition Facts label. I thought purchasing the manual was easier, and I eventually invested in the calculator.

On core, there is no counting, you are just restricted to certain food categories, but you can eat as much as you want until you are satisfied. That's the thing you need to get used to. You'll tread water until you find your "Comfort Zone." I lost weight on both plans.

Sometimes people get this attitude that one plan is better than another, and it almost becomes like a political leaning. I just dismissed those weird people. It was sometimes annoying to hear people pledging their allegiance to one or another. it's not the Alamo, it's a frickin' food plan!

At the meetings, they sell snacks, bars, oatmeal, measuring tools, cookbooks and such. I found the food items to be overpriced. The cookbooks were great, but sometimes the printing run was limited and they sold out.

WeightWatchers in-person meetings can be cost-prohibitive. I was on the cheapest monthly auto withdrawal plan and it was almost $40/month. You get your money's worth, but it is just expensive, especially if you include a gym membership to aid in your weight loss. I switched to weightwatchers.com when the money ran a little thin. That's great too, but you don't get the camaraderie.

In the Springs, I went to a dedicated WeightWatchers storefront. They had a ton of meetings every day of the week. In Texas, they only had meetings on two days a week in my immediate area. I could go to a meeting further away if I wanted options of other days. In Texas we met in the meeting hall of a local Catholic Church. The hall was too big and the acoustics were horrible. If someone was rudely having a conversation during a meeting, or if someone's infant started making a fuss, you couldn't hear the leader. Sometimes the church was using their meeting hall, so we actually used the part they held Mass in! I'm not Catholic, but it felt untoward and a little disrespectful to tack up recipes on the wall and stand near the altar talking about who has a great ambrosia recipe with a big crucifix behind you. But if I didn't go, my fees were paid monthly whether I went or not, I paid. They have other payment plans, but for most, they end up being a lot more than the monthly one. When you go with the monthly, you also get weightwatchers.com eTools for free.

I did well. I lost a lot of weight there. I didn't reach goal with them, I kind of finished on my own, but I do attribute my discipline to my time in WeightWatchers. It's really great. If you are a man though, be prepared for the estrogen. None of my meetings had many men in them.

Oh and lets get rid of a myth: You do not get weighed in front of everyone and have it announced. It's private.