Maintaining a healthy weight is not just a woman’s prerogative. Men have been under pressure (both self imposed and from society) to get that great physique, low body fat, and chiseled abs. While I am still away from my goals, using the Weight Watchers® App has propelled me to a lower body weight.
The genius of Weight Watchers® App
Long known for its meetings and weigh-ins, Weight Watchers® mainly appealed to women. Then the higher ups at the company realized that there was a market for men too. Yet, getting a guy into a Weight Watchers® location to get weighed and receive one on one counseling was a barrier.
Using a sleek app available on the web, smartphones, and tablets, men on Weight Watchers can easily enter their physical information. Once current weight and height are entered, a user can easily tailor his/her goals to ignite rapid but healthy weight loss.
At the root of Weight Watchers® is portion control. Over the years, I lost sense of realistic portions. I never measured how much pasta was in my bowl. Now, thanks to the app tapping into my inner obsessive-compulsive impulses, I measure everything I eat. Every food item has a point value. For example, a serving of my gluten free oatmeal is five points. My daily total is in the thirties. Eleven almonds are two points. And if there is anything that is not listed in Weight Watchers’® huge food database, the user can enter nutrition label information directly into the app and get the point equivalent.
Weight Watchers®, understanding the challenge of eating lettuce and grilled chicken all the time, allows for the consumption of a complete range of foods. But as one becomes accustomed to the various point values for certain foods, he/she starts to make smarter choices. That five point cup of oatmeal is much more appealing that the twelve points for a blueberry muffin.
I should also mention that exercise is a valued component of the program. The user earns points for completing exercise. Your workouts get converted into extra points, just in case you over eat a bit.
My Success
Since beginning the program, I have dropped from my initial weight of 213 pounds to my current 190. Being 5 feet and 11 inches tall, I still have some ways to go. But using the app has allowed me to lose weight with dignity. I don’t have to join any meetings and I can privately document my weekly weight loss or gain.
Despite these benefits, some guys may openly mock the need to record every single morsel one consumes. My Dad laughed as I calculated how many points that extra glass of wine with dinner would cost me. His advice? “Just eat half of what you normally eat,” he said with a smirk on his face.
The genius of his advice lay in simplicity. No need to measure – just cut your portions in half! The trouble is that I had difficulty doing just that. I needed an extra boost and a guide. I needed my app.
Is my dependence on the app a potential danger?
I hate being dependent on anything but I do believe that I am now dependent on using this little tool to help my weight loss. When I reached my lowest weight of 178 almost two years ago, the chorus of people saying that I look too emaciated contributed to me letting go of my trusty app. This lapse in judgment caused me to gain weight until I reached 203 once more. I was distraught.
As with the first time I snapped into action, something in my head lit up. I was not happy with the weight gain and so I turned to using the app to monitor my voracious appetite. And doing so has worked like a charm.
Perhaps I could maintain a healthy weight without the app. Or perhaps I need it to keep me honest. Regardless, maintaining a healthy weight should be something we all strive for. By eating a balanced diet in limited portions, one can seize control of the reins on weight-loss and gain. To that end, Weight Watchers® has set me on the correct path.
