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Jan 22 2009

Does Weight Watchers Consider Inches Lost or Just Pounds?

It’s come to my attention that Weight Watchers does not track inches lost over the week, but rather focuses squarely on the scale, giving no credit to a gain in muscle. Does weight watchers understand or even promote an active lifestyle? and if they do, they simply MUST understand that a body building muscle is going to drop inches as it burns more fat, which wouldn’t register on the scale.

Imagine the psychological impact of a man or woman who’s been increasing their exercise frequency and intensity, watching what they eat, counting the points and proud of what they’re accomplishing as they get stronger, only to be totally discouraged at a weight gain a week later.

I Question The Weight Watchers Approach

Does Weight Watchers take into account an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in inches as a successful week? or is it just the reading on the scale that counts?

weight watchers inches or pounds

Muscle weighs the same as fat, let me be perfectly clear about that.

1 pounds of muscle is equal to 1 pound of fat, just as 1 pound of hammers is equal to 1 pound of feathers.

A pound is a pound.

However, a pound of muscle is more dense than fat and takes up less space.

As one exercises, he or she begins to stimulate the body to compensate for the work load and it does so by building more muscle. That muscle in turn is metabolically active, and begins to burn more fat, even while sleeping. As the body burns the fat, it becomes smaller in size because a pound of fat takes up more space than a pound of muscle. The body burns the fat as long as the body remains in a calorie deficit each day.

We shrink, yet it’s possible to weight the same, trading 1 pound of fat for 1 pound of muscle.

[Read more…]

Written by Rob · Categorized: Weight Loss · Tagged: burn fat, Diet, Fat Loss, nutrition, Success, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

Dec 03 2008

53 pounds sustained weight loss over two years

Research Study Produces Unprecedented Results – that a high nutrient dense diet may be the most health favorable and effective way to lose weight.

Comparison: Weight Watchers “proudly” reports that their users average a 3% (three-percent) weight loss over two years. That equated to just 4.5 pounds for a 150lb person.

A research study was conducted by Dr. Barbara Sarter PhD., University of Southern California of and Dr. Colin Campbell PhD., Professor, Cornell University and author of The China Study on the effects of the “Effect of a High Nutrient Density Diet on Long-Term Weight Loss.”

broccoliA High Nutrient Dense Diet means incorporating foods into your diet that have high level of nutrients per calorie like: vegetables, beans, fruits, nuts and seeds.

Conclusion: “A high nutrient dense diet (HND) as demonstrated with this group may be the most health-favorable and effective way to lose weight for appropriately motivated patients.”

*This article contains unpublished data, scheduled for publication in the May/June 2008 issue of Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine. Fuhrman J, Sarter B, Campbell TC. Effect of a high-nutrient diet on long-term weight loss: a retrospective chart review. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2008;14(3) publication pending

[Read more…]

Written by Rob · Categorized: Health, Weight Loss · Tagged: Health, Healthy Eating, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

Jan 28 2008

Poll: Does Weight Watchers Really Work?

I’m wondering if Weight Watchers actually works, if it teaches health or just portion control. Weight Watchers was my first experience with dieting and I went as early as grade 5. I was 175 pounds at the time and my mother thought that I shouldn’t be so heavy. She first took me to the doctor who told her that I would “grow into it” as I got older. She didn’t think that was the right answer and so we joined Weight Watchers together.

[UPDATED: see my note and link at the bottom]

I barely remember the food program as my mom handled that part, but I did go to the weekly weight ins. I remember taking more and more pieces of clothing off each time we went in, and even began removing my keys, my wallet, my belt, shoes and socks to get that extra quarter pound.

I know little of Weight Watchers now, but I’ve heard that it’s mostly about portion control and little about health. I admit, I do not know their current program, so I want to ask the question. Does Weight Watchers work? are you currently following the program and are you getting results. More importantly, are you learning anything about health and nutrition, or just about portion control.
does weight watchers really work
It’s my belief, and the basis of what I teach my clients, that a successful program should educate the user about health principles that they can take with them wherever they go. I believe that it’s more important to fully understand how digestion works, how to support the colon and manage blood sugar as well as making nutrient dense foods the primary focus of your meals.

So what about Weight Watchers? I know it teaches portion control, but what else? If you’re following the program, are you happy with the results and if you’re a former member of Weight Watchers, why? Did you lose weight and leave the program or get pissed off at them?

In the poll below, please choose any and all answers that apply to help myself and others understand.

{democracy:2}

If there is more to Weight Watchers, either good or bad that I’ve not included in the poll options, please leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Update: I have a few friends and clients who use weight watchers for support and accountability where they are in the world. They’ve been filling me in on some of their experiences.

First: have a read of Does Weight Watchers Consider Scale Weight vs Inches Lost and the psychological impact the scale has, when weight watchers clients are exercising and gaining muscle weight.

Second: I just learned some alarming things about the beverages weight watchers recommends. I’ll be writing a post on that soon.

Written by Rob · Categorized: Fun, Weight Loss · Tagged: Poll, Weight Loss, Weight Watchers

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