It's not just Weight Watchers. Most women who diet don't reach their goals, and many who do only stay there for a short time. My experience is that I never got to my final goal, usually gave up around halfway there. I would always gain at least some of the weight back, at varying rates.
About a year after having my son, I gave WW one last shot. I did well, aided by the 7 extra daily points I was given as a nursing mom. I lost 12 pounds over the course of several months, getting me close to the weight I was before giving birth (but still around 25 away from my original and ultimate goal weight of 140.)
After a few months I made a lunch date with a friend who was in the middle of her first Whole30. For those unfamiliar with the program, it doesn't require you to calorie count, or track food, but provides you with a limited list of foods to choose from. Most people I've talked to about it see the diet as unreasonable and too restrictive. I admit that I went into it thinking it would be 30 days of hell from which I'd emerge and resume eating my old favorites.
My experience with Whole30, and specifically with maintaince, was entirely different. I actually stretched my first Whole30 for 45 days because I was feeling so damn good. I slowly began reintroducing foods as suggested, for a while after following a modified Paleo diet, incorporating some honey and maple syrups, Paleo baked goods, even some gluten free beers.
My point here is that Whole30 changed my relationship with food. I more often choose healthy whole foods from processed packaged goods. Because of this, I lost 17 pounds and 5 months later have kept off 14 of them. At 152, I'm still about 12 pounds from my goal but teetering on the edge of a health BMI range for the first time in my adult life. It feels great.
My WWhole30 experiment starts tomorrow. Follow here and on Instagram (@wwhole30).
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