What Is a Weight Watchers Stone?

The battle of the bulge is one that many of us have been fighting for most of our lives, trying everything from 24-hour fad diets to extreme exercise regimes, joining and leaving multiple weight-loss clubs throughout the years. One group that seems to have staying power is Weight Watchers.

• Weight Watchers can help you lose weight.

What is Weight Watchers?

• Weight Watchers approaches weight loss not as a diet, but a way of life. It gives you the required tools so that you can make appropriate dietary decisions. This is not the Hollywood starlet diet of the moment; Weight Watchers is a lifelong commitment to healthier eating and taking care of your body. It's not just about losing a stone, a British term for for the weight equivalent of 14 pounds, but about keeping the weight off by changing your habits.

Points

• Weight Watchers operates on a system of points. Each watcher is assigned a set number of points that they are allowed to eat each day. Every food and drink item has a set point value. When you have reached your set amount of points for the day, you are not allowed any more food. Ideally, you would space out the consumption of the points over the course of the day so that you are not left dissatisfied.

Moving

• The other side to Weight Watchers is moving more. While it is true that you can lose weight just with diet alone, it is a long accepted truth that diet and exercise together yield much more effective results. Thus, the second pillar to losing a stone or more with Weight Watchers is "Move More." Just increasing your daily activity by small steps, such as taking the stairs instead of the elevator, will aid in your quest for weight loss.

Accountability

• How many times have you started a diet with the best of intentions, but get swayed by treats at a party or too many cocktails after work? And after you have slipped up once, it only becomes easier to write off your attempt at dieting altogether. In order to safeguard against such an event, Weight Watchers holds weekly meetings at various times to promote accountability. Each member is weighed and given a chance to talk to the group at large. Encouragement is offered to those who need it, and motivation as well. Shedding stones in the long-term is much easier with a support network. Having these weekly meetings and weigh-ins are a way to keep you on track and hold you accountable to your plan.

Considerations

• Losing a stone or more with Weight Watchers can lead to a healthier, happier and more active lifestyle for anyone. By following the proposed tenets of the program and eating more consciously, moving more and staying accountable, weight loss can be easier than you ever imagined. But it is important that you realize that it is not a fad diet, this is a lifestyle change. Once you have shed the weight that you want to, you will still need to maintain your new lifestyle to keep it off. Speak with a medical professional before beginning Weight Watchers or any other diet and exercise program.