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Weight loss programs for men & women
WW's science-backed weight loss program will help you learn healthy habits as you lose weight and keep it off. Designed to fit around your lifestyle, discover a simple approach to long-term health and weight loss.
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A sustainable weight loss program for real life
What exactly is a weight loss program?
A weight loss program is a set of nutritional guidelines for both men and women to follow that are designed to reach healthy weight loss.
A sustainable weight loss program should include a holistic approach looking not only at what you eat but other lifestyle factors such as the amount of activity you are doing, the quality of sleep you are getting and your mindset.
What is the fastest way to lose weight?
Highly restrictive eating plans may cause rapid weight loss, but that weight loss may not be sustainable because of the extreme habits you need to practice to reach and maintain results. What’s more, it could lead to adverse health outcomes and set you up for unhealthy eating habits.
The nutritional imbalances wrought by some fad diets have been found to lower immunity and potentially increase the risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and gallbladder disease. Rapid weight-loss plans often invite weight regain once people abandon stop restrictive eating habits, leading to a cycle of yo-yo dieting that can mess with your morale.
On the other hand, an approach to weight loss that does not require extreme restriction and leads to a recommended weight loss of 0.5 to 1 kilogram per week can help you build healthy and sustainable eating habits that deliver ample nutrients from a range of food groups and help you reach optimal health.
How does diet impact weight loss?
Your food intake directly affects weight. Generally speaking, consuming fewer calories (kilojoules) than your body burns leads to the loss of body weight. But factors can influence the pace at which your body burns calories. It's important to understand the impact healthy eating has on controlling your weight. It's not about consuming “diet” foods—it’s about being mindful of how and what you eat, and other lifestyle factors that influence your appetite and food decisions.
Do I need to exercise to lose weight?
Regular physical activity is another critical component of weight loss programs. Staying active helps burn calories, and improve heart, bone, and brain health, says dietitian Ben Tzeel.
Making time to engage in physical activity can boost your motivation—which can improve your commitment to productive behaviours. Australia’s Physical Activity & Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week. Don’t have time for fitness? Multitasking can often be a game-changer: “Listening to a book, podcast, or music you love can be inspiring enough to get you to keep walking on the treadmill or take another lap around the block just to finish a chapter,” says dietitian Jackie London.
“Ultimately, incorporating more movement more often into your daily routine is what will help you make healthier habits more consistently—and help you feel more confident about finding new ways to do so within your current day-to-day.” If you really can't reach the recommended movement benchmarks, cut yourself some slack. Some exercise is better than none; a few trips up the stairs still beats being completely sedentary.
How do lifestyle factors affect weight loss?
Research has surfaced a variety of links between certain lifestyle factors and weight: More screen time and insufficient sleep is correlated with an increased risk of being overweight. Chronic stress or symptoms of depression and anxiety can lead to eating more and people who live further from stores that sell healthy food are more likely to be overweight. Your social circle, family, and cultural traditions also affect your weight because they influence your eating patterns and exercise habits. Additionally, some medications (like some antidepressants, antipsychotics, and some birth control options) may slow your metabolism or increase your appetite, dietitian Brocha Soloff, says.
Why is weight loss support important?
Fostering ties with others working towards weight loss goals can help you stay inspired, and accountable. Who you know greatly influences your health behaviours, so consider including more people in your circle who encourage your efforts.
Online communities and in-person workshops, exercise classes, personal coaches, and walking groups are great ways to widen your healthy social network—but feel free to get creative. Maybe an active coworker can be your new walking partner.
Weight loss tools
Weight loss FAQs
People following the WeightWatchers program can expect to lose up to 1kg per week. That's a safe and sustainable rate for losing weight and keeping it off.
*Research shows WW members lose 2x more weight than doing it on their own.
On the WW program you can eat your favourite foods and still achieve your weight-loss goals.
Certain foods are linked to a pattern of long-term loss. These foods include: vegetables, whole grains, fruit, nuts and yoghurt.
Yes
Our diabetes program is clinically backed to help diabetics lose weight in a healthy and sustainable way.
Our program, developed by scientists and backed by research, has been shown to help those with diabetes lower their blood sugar and lose weight.
To achieve a healthy eating diet that will set you up for optimal health, it’s important to look beyond counting calories.
It's best to eat a diverse range of fruits, vegetables, lean proteins like; fish, chicken, eggs, legumes, low-fat dairy products, and healthy fats like; nuts, avocados, and olive oil.
While you don't need to cut them out completely, it's important to lower your intake of saturated fat, red meat, processed foods, and added sugars, which can reduce your risk of adverse health outcomes like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, and heart disease.
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