Why Oprah Shouldn’t MArry WEight Watchers

5 Reasons Why Oprah Shouldn't Marry Weight Watchers!

Earlier this week, Weight Watchers announced "Oprah Winfrey and Weight Watchers have joined together in a groundbreaking partnership to inspire people around the world to lead a healthier and more fulfilling life."

Oprah has joined Weight Watchers as a "regular" weight loss member, a Board Member and advisor, and a stockholder / owner.

Hang on, it gets worse!

In the press release, Oprah is quoted as saying, “Weight Watchers has given me the tools to begin to make the lasting shift that I and so many of us who are struggling with weight have longed for,” said Oprah Winfrey.  “I believe in the program so much I decided to invest in the company and partner in its evolution.” Source: WeightWatchers.com

Are you frickin' kidding me? Do you think we are so stupid as to believe that statement? Seriously! Have we somehow forgotten that Oprah has access to the best psychologists, nutritionists, chefs, trainers, coaches, etc?

Anyone over 40 probably remembers the day Oprah wheeled a wagon of fat onto the stage as she pranced around in her skinny jeans on The Oprah Show. Later interviews revealed that she didn't stay at that weight very long because of the unhealthy way she lost the weight.

America is fat and the diet industry rakes in billions of dollars year after year as our adult population pushes toward a 70% overweight / obese rate. I would have loved to see Oprah gain control of her own weight challenges before putting a stamp of approval on yet another diet.

Here are my top 5 reasons why Oprah chose the wrong bed partner:.

1. Tracking and Logging is Tedious.

Don't get me wrong, I truly believe that knowledge is power. For many of us, myself included, we gained weight because we had no idea how many calories we were eating. And in my case, I simply didn't care. I didn't even try to calculate the number of calories I was gorging on at Claim Jumper while guzzling down cocktails served in a schooner.

Calories matter, but that's not the be all and end all of weight loss and healthy living!

2. Weight Watchers Doesn't Teach Healthy Habits.

The main problem I see with Weight Watchers, which has been confirmed by my friends and clients who have failed to reach goal weight while using it, is that it doesn't teach healthy habits. It's all about the points. As long as you are within your points limit, you are an "A" student.

This is the equivalent of nutritional suicide. Sure, you can lose weight eating 1,200 calories of Twinkies, but you're going to feel like crap. If you want to lose weight and increase your health, you have to become educated on at least the basics of nutrition. Weight Watchers doesn't provide this education.

At EatTrainWin, we keep it simple. We're not here to overcomplicate or overwhelm our clients with a plan that's too difficult to follow. Check out our Winner's Plate:

As I mentioned before, it's important to know how many calories you're eating. But tracking and counting isn't required if you follow a simple plan and listen to your body's natural hunger cues.

You tell me what's healthier ... a plate filled with the right portions of whole foods or a pizza and an ice cream sundae that is the right number of points?.

3. Weight Watchers Promotes Processed Foods.

The healthiest diet is one that includes whole foods. It's important to eat plants, not foods that were made in plants. I like to tell my clients "if it grew, flew, swam or ran, it's probably a better choice than any processed food item.

But don't get me wrong, I'm not the food police and I don't follow a 100% whole foods diet. I'm on a continuous journey to eliminate as many processed foods as possible. In the meantime, I pick the healthiest options available and choose "minimally-processed" foods that don't have any ingredients that would kick me out of a spelling bee.

Any commercial diet plan that tells you it's healthy to eat a bunch of processed foods with ingredients you wouldn't recognize in nature, is lying to you. If you want to use a food delivery plan, check out all the incredible ones that deliver fresh foods directly to your door. They cost a little bit more, but you're worth it!.

4. Weight Watchers Creates an Unhealthy Focus on Food.

Points, points, points. Tracking, tracking, tracking. Hmmm, wouldn't it be more important to focus on why the dieter gained weight in the first place? Yes (that was a trick question)!  I didn't gain weight just because I loved root beer floats, french fries and m&ms.

And if I hadn't done the soul searching to find out why I was mistreating my body so badly, I wouldn't have been able to lose the weight. The most successful weight loss journeys start with one question: WHY? Why have I been overeating? Why do I want to lose weight? Etc.

Weight Watchers doesn't address these questions to the level that is needed for lifelong change. Weight loss starts in the mind, not in the belly! Oprah, of all people, knows the mental challenges of weight loss. Until the mind is really set, success cannot be attained..

5. There's No Such Thing as a Free Lunch!

Did you know that you can eat as much fruit as you want on Weight Watchers and never exceed your daily points? That's right, all fruit is F-R-E-E as far as the program is concerned.

Umm, hello, the last time I checked, fruit has calories and even though it's natural, fruit has sugar. Perhaps the theory is "nobody ever got fat eating fruit" but that is flawed thinking. We get fat because we eat too much. Calories always matter.

I wish Oprah well and I hope that millions of people succeed with Weight Watchers. Unfortunately, I just don't see that happening without some major overhauls to the 52-year old company.

~Cheers!

Coach Alane