In 1997, Weight Watchers made up the “points system” which helped people to count calories.  This effectively created a weight loss company that profited from teaching people ineffective ways to lose weight, driving them to spend more money losing weight. It was bad for people but good for the revenue stream.  Nutrasweet (aspartame) uses the same business model.  It is marketed as a zero calorie sweetener with the implication that it will make you lose weight  (even though evidence shows that it makes you gain weight.)  Convincing people to keep doing something that doesn’t really work allows them to spend a lot more money than they would if you sold them something that fixed the problem right away. Fast forward 14 years from the time Weight Watchers began deceiving people, and the President of Weight Watchers now says, “Calorie counting has become unhelpful.” There is no news yet about whether hundreds of thousands of still-obese middle-aged people (mostly women) will sue Weight Watchers for misleading them for so long.  

The truth is that you can lose 20lbs in a month. If you don’t lose weight that quickly, odds are you’re just not using the right techniques.  I know countless people who have done it and gained new found energy and mental clarity in the process.  I figured this out in 1995 when I lost 50lbs in 3 months with a program much less efficient than the ones we have now. Price Estimates For A Moving TruckThe former Weight Watchers method of slowly starving yourself while training your body to digest its own muscle mass is unacceptably cruel.Used Outdoor Furniture Virginia Beach The new Weight Watchers program advocates for eating natural, unprocessed foods to lose weight…exactly the same foods you’ll find on my plate.Black Net Curtain Wire

The main mistake that Weight Watchers is (still) making is to allow an unlimited amount of fruit.  Fruit is full of fat-creating, liver-destroying fructose.  So, the new Weight Watchers diet is better, but it has a loophole to let carbohydrate addicts stay fat on the program, keeping margins higher than they would be if fruit was limited in the diet. I would argue that Weight Watchers suggests too many carbs in general. Their current guidelines for macronutrient breakdown are: I think that’s too many carbs and not nearly enough fat. In contrast, the Bulletproof Diet recommends: And it’s important to note that if you’re following the Bulletproof Diet, most of those carbs will come from vitamin- and mineral-rich vegetables, not fructose-laden fruits or grains that are full of lectins, phytates, and other antinutrients. While our opinions still differ significantly, I do think that Weight Watchers has taken a step in the right direction by suggesting that people interested in losing weight look at quality of food, not quantity of food. 

If this capitulation by Weight Watchers isn’t enough evidence to help you stop counting calories and start counting food quality and composition, I don’t know what is.  If you eat normal-calorie or even (like me) a high-calorie healthy meals, you’ll find your need for sleep decreases, your endurance goes up, and you’ll feel more energy throughout the day.  That’s what life is supposed to be like!Helpful Weight Watcher Tips to Lose Weight 1. Keep a Food Journal – Record everything you eat and drink immediately including the sugar in your coffee. You will start noticing where your bad eating habits are and how to change them. Write down the points next to everything you eat so you can monitor how many points you have consumed. 2. Drink 6 Cups of Water a Day – I find it helpful to always have a glass of water near me at all times. 3. Eat More Greens – There are so many nutrients in leafy greens like carotenoids, folate, calcium, and fatty acids. Put them in salads, soups, dips, or eat them as a side dish.

They are delicious cooked or raw and they are zero points. 4. Cook With Fat Free Broth – I like to keep chicken broth stocked in my pantry. I can make a quick soup by adding vegetables, or I use it in place of oil when I cook vegetables or rice, to give food extra flavor without the added points. 5. Eat Whole Grains – Switch to brown rice, oatmeal, whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta whenever possible. These foods are loaded with nutrients and fiber. 6. Measure Everything – Know your measurements or you will be consuming more points than you think. The only way to get an accurate point count is by measuring everything. 7. Use Skim Milk – You should have 2 servings of milk a day. Using skim milk instead of whole will save you half the points. 8. Take Your Time Eating – Cut your food in small portions and enjoy each bite. It takes 20 minutes before the stomach can tell the brain it is full. You will eat less if you take your time. 9. Use Smaller Plates – This tricks your brain into thinking you are eating more food.

10. Exercise – Exercise doesn’t have to be boring! Take a Zumba class or if you aren’t comfortable with lifting weights take a weight lifting class. You’ll burn lots of calories, build muscle and feel great! The more you exercise, the easier it becomes and the more calories you burn, which means you can deduct points for food you can eat! Make sure to eat the amount of points recommended. If you burn 5 – 7 points during an exercise session, make sure you eat. 11. Eat More Seafood – I was so happy to learn that shrimp and scallops are low in points. Get the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids when eating fatty fish such as salmon. 12. Use Meat as a Condiment – You don’t have to give up meat to lose weight. Use lean meat as a flavoring instead of the main ingredient. Make stir-fries with lots of vegetables. 13. Eat More Fiber – Eating fiber is key for weight control because it fills you up with fewer calories. Foods like beans, plant foods, whole grains are all high in fiber.