The Four Pillars: Food
By The Weight Watchers Research Dept. | 1/1/2005

It is often said that different paths can lead to the same destination and nowhere is that more true than eating for healthy weight loss. Each person is unique when it comes to having foods that provide eating satisfaction, preferred meals and times of day to eat, and "style" of making food choices for sustained weight loss. Weight loss success depends on finding a method that fits within one's lifestyle and preferences. The Weight Watchers food plans are designed to make this happen.

Two Approaches, Two Plans
Through our research we found that there are two distinct approaches to controlling calories. One of the approaches is based on tracking and controlling how much you eat. The other approach is based on focusing on a group of wholesome foods without counting or tracking.

Weight Watchers TurnAround® offers two different food plans based on these two distinct approaches to eating for lasting weight loss. People can use these two approaches to structure their eating in a way that fits their life. We have found that the "best" way to lose weight is for a person to pick the approach that makes sense for him or her.

Here is a snapshot of the two plans and the approaches they are based on:
• The Flex Plan is based on Weight Watchers patented POINTS® Food System. This approach is designed to allow you to eat any food as long as you keep track and control how much you eat. Every food has a POINTS value – a small, easy to remember number (e.g, 1, 2, 3). The number is based on the calories, grams of total fat and grams of dietary fiber of a specific portion of the food. The system does not require exact weighing and measuring, but instead encourages people to focus on the bigger picture by building awareness of the food choices they make and eating reasonable portions. The POINTS formula gently guides food choices by encouraging selection of healthy foods with a lower energy density because that's where you get the most food for a given POINTS value. Based on a person's current weight, a POINTS Target is established, that is the total of POINTS values for the day. Choosing foods to meet the Target ensures a healthful rate of weight loss. On the Flex Plan, tracking and controlling your food intake allows you to lose weight while having the entire variety of foods available.

• The Core Plan controls calories by focusing eating on a core list of wholesome nutritious foods without counting. The list is comprised of foods from all the food groups: fruits and vegetables; grains and starches; lean meats, fish and poultry; eggs, and dairy products. We pre-selected these foods to provide eating satisfaction without empty calories. They are low in energy density and have a low potential for overeating based on our research. For that occasional treat, you can also eat foods outside of this list in a controlled amount. This approach allows you to eat healthfully and lose weight without counting or tracking.

Flexible Restraint
Developing the skill of flexible restraint, which is the ability to put a moderate level of control on your eating, is important to weight-loss success. The key is to find the balance between control and flexibility in an eating plan that is not so rigid that it is impossible to stick with. To help build this skill, both the Flex Plan and the Core Plan include a feature called the Weekly Allowance. The Weekly Allowance provides a system for having treats and indulgences without sacrificing weight loss. By using this feature and experiencing the ability to incorporate the day-to-day food challenges into a method that provides weight loss without rigid food rules, the invaluable skill of flexible restraint is learned.

Whatever approach is used, there are some fundamental food choices essential for good health and nutrition. Weight Watchers covers these in its Healthy Eating Guidelines and includes the daily recommendation to:
• Include at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables.
• Have at least 2 servings of milk; 3 if you are a teen or over 50 years old.
• Drink at least 6 glasses of water.
• Get a serving or two of a protein-rich food.
• Take a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement.
• Limit added sugars and alcohol.
• Have some healthy oil, like olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, or flaxseed.
• Choose whole grain foods whenever possible.

Finding an eating approach that works is key to weight loss success. The Weight Watchers food plans are designed to reach the objective of a healthy weight loss, but do so by empowering the person to make food choices in a way that suits his or her preferences and lifestyle.