Weightwatchers online UK – is it worth the money

WeightWatchers onlineWeightwatchers online is a web based suite of tools for people participating in the weightwatchers program.  Weightwatchers international was founded in the United States in the early 1960’s and is now established in over 30 countries.

The program relies on a science-based approach to weight loss that is realistic, flexible and simple.  It addresses support, behaviour, food, and exercise as components of a weight loss plan.

Weightwatchers online UK brings the resources and support of the weightwatchers program to a virtual environment and tailored to the British consumer.

How does it work?

The easiest way to describe how the program works is simply to say it works the way you need it to.  There are a multitude of options and customizable features including an online assessment and approach to weight loss, weightwatcher plan options and sign up, when and where – or even if- to attend meeting for support, and how to eat successfully whether you cook from scratch or need to make smart choices in a restaurant.

Weightwatchers

Weightwatchers differs from other weight loss programs in its realistic approach to diet.  It does not restrict or forbid any foods, require complicated colour schemes or food combinations.  Instead each food is given a value – a certain number of points – and participants are given a budget of points which they can spend as they see fit.  A new approach, featured prominently on weightwatchers online UK is the ProPoints plan.  It addresses what they term the overloaded environment and help participants overcome real-life weight loss challenges – like what to order in a restaurant.

success story from WeightwatchersThe program is also known for providing comprehensive support.  Traditionally, this has taken the form of weekly meetings where attendees take a private weigh-in, and associate with fellow, like minded customers.  The groups are counselled by someone who has successfully lost weight with the program.

In the online environment, the support continues and is mobile.  Features include tools for customizing an individual plan for healthy food choices, tracking tools, detailed recipe databases, fitness and exercise tips and instructional videos and food choice and tracker mobile tools.

What are the pros & cons?

The main strengths of Weightwatchers online UK could also be viewed as its main weakness, at least at the beginning.  Namely, the site is chock full of information!  It is well organized and pleasantly presented but there is no denying, this is a lot of content.  Visitors to the site can learn about weightwatchers philosophy, how the program works, receive fitness and exercise tips and even get specific recipes.

WeightWatchers3

Of course the site encourages you to join the program, but it is not a hard sell approach or one that aims to strong arm potential customers through guilt or shame.  Instead   There is information on the traditional meetings, as well as how to use the program wholly online.  Consumers can also learn about a hybrid approach that incorporates in different aspects of each like person meetings, online support and mobile apps.  And this is all in the non-member portion.  One can only imagine what else is available to members once they log in.

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For the novice who appreciates an abundance of resources, this website is a dream come true.  There is support for every aspect of weight-loss behind each click.  Some people though may be intimidated or overwhelmed by so much.  If this is the case, consumers would do better to approach it a small bit at a time, rather than take it all in at one sitting.   Perhaps just learn about a single aspect, like fitness, one day then leave it and return the next day for another small session.

For the experienced weightwatchers members, everything they need is at their fingertips; a definite pro.

What are the costs?

For full, completely online access to the ProPoints plan, participants will pay around 12pounds per month. There are single or three month plan periods available.  The joining fee about 30 pounds, but may be waived depending on various special offers or promotions.

For customers that wish to attend in-person meetings, the meeting plan offers a pay as you go option. Pay as you go has a regular joining fee of around 11 pounds and costs about 7 pounds per week.  For this price participants get weekly meetings, a weekly magazine, guidance from an experienced counsellor and group support. Special offers and promotions can see the joining fee waived and a first week either free or discounted.

The monthly pass incorporates the best of both options for customers.  The cost is usually a little more than 21 pounds per month.  In addition to the pay as you go, in-person benefits, monthly pass participants also get a mobile app, access to weight watchers e-source for point tracking and environment management, and access to a points value and recipe database.

Lipo Slender Review – Green Coffee, Is It A Scam, Positives and Negatives

Lipo Slender with Green CoffeeLipo Slender is another supplement promoting itself as a weight loss miracle.  The product makes some strong claims on its website.

In fact, the single page site is chock full of promises.  Not are you supposed to lose weight automatically, you will also burn fat, keep your muscle and not suffer from hunger in the process.

It all seems too good to be true, so is it?

Official Lipo Slender websiteClaims:  To reduce cravings, increase energy levels and provide a fact acting antioxidant formula

Positives: Contains green coffee (although not enough and not Svetol based)

Negatives: Many, many complains from a company perspective – customer service is pretty much non-existent

Diet pills not to buy

What Is Lipo Slender And How Does It Work

Lipo Slender is a pill comprised of a blend of supposedly powerful weight loss aids. Although the ingredients are described according to how they aid in weight loss, there is no further information given, such as how many pills to take, how often to take them or how much of each ingredient is contained in the formula.

Key Ingredients

Lipo Slender lists its key ingredients as green coffee, ginger, psyllium husks, green tea, caffeine and chlorogenic acid.

Ginger is commonly used for upset stomach, nausea and digestive ailments and some inflammatory conditions.  It is not clear on what information the website is basing claims that ginger burns fat and speeds metabolism.

Green coffee, green tea and caffeine have each been shown in published, peer-reviewed studies to aid in weight loss.
Ginger is commonly used for upset stomach, nausea and digestive ailments and some inflammatory conditions.  It is not clear on what information the website is basing claims that ginger burns fat and speeds metabolism.
Psyllium husks are the outer covering of seeds from the Blond psyllium herb. It is highly fibrous and absorbs water in the intestines. It is used to treat both constipation and diarrhoea, and in certain doses may help reduce cholesterol.
Chlorogenic acid is a phenol found in green coffee bean and numerous other plants and herbs.  Its inclusion in the ingredients list seems redundant.

Although  green coffee, green tea and caffeine have scientific studies to back up their weight-loss claims, it is significant to note that this product does not clearly state how much of each is contained in the formula, how much of the formula is in each pill, nor how many pills are to be taken daily.

Without this information it is impossible to know whether the amounts of these ingredients equals or even approaches the effective dosage.

Product Media Focus

Lipo Slender advertsLipo slender has been the subject of numerous consumer complaints and scam-alerts.  The vast majority of complaints concern the auto-ship feature.

Apparently, the company promises a free bottle and 14 day trial period, after which customers are automatically charged a substantial fee and enrolled in an automatic shipping and billing plan that incurs subsequent monthly fees.

Although some people are likely guilty of not reading the fine print when signing up for a free bottle, several claim that the product did not arrive at all or that it arrived after the 14 day trial period had already expired and they were charged anyway.  There are also numerous complaints from consumers who attempted to cancel the auto-ship plan or get refunds.

http://www.scambook.com/company/view/130714/Health-Products-LLC-Natural-Cleanse-Lipo-Slender-Green-Coffee

Any Success Stories

The website contains canned testimonials that would be believable to only the most desperate, and vulnerable of consumers.

Any Side Effects

Ginger can affect blood clotting abilities.  This can increase bleeding and bruising when taken in combination with clotting medications like aspirin, heparin and warfarin.  It can also affect blood sugar and blood pressure by lowering both.  Taking ginger along with diabetes or blood pressure medication can result in blood sugar or blood pressure dropping too low.

Psyllium husks can cause significant allergic reactions.  It can lower blood sugar in type-2 diabetics and interfere with blood sugar medication.  It also interferes with other medications like warfarin, lithium, digoxin, and a form of estrogen called ethinyl estradiol.

Consumers taking any of these medications are strongly advised to consult with their healthcare professional before taking products containing psyllium husks.  Additionally it can increase the risk of choking in people with swallowing disorders.

Pregnant or nursing women should not use this product.

Should You Buy It

Short answer: No.  This product is trying to ride the coattails of GCBE to promote its too-good-to-be-true claims of effortless weight-loss.  It is not transparent in the formulation or dosing instructions prior to purchase.

The website is a clone of a similar product, even using the same pictures of a man in a lab coat, and a woman holding a scale.  Because it is not clear who the Lipo Slender parent company is, it’s not clear whether they are just copying this other product, or if they offer both products and are just recycling images and layout. Neither answer bodes well for consumers.

Additionally, the dubious auto-shipment program and consumer complaints regarding charges and disputes should be a warning to potential consumers.

Diet pills not to buy

Where To Buy Lipo Slender In The UK

Can be ordered online from the official website – there does not seem to be a high street stockist.

Recommendation

Buy Svetol green coffee tablets onlineAlthough have advised against Lipo Slender we can thoroughly recommend green coffee bean extract as a weight loss ingredient.

One the best examples is Svetol Green Coffee from the UK’s leading health supplement stockists Evolution Slimming.

Read our review on Svetol Green Coffee Extract

Forza Raspberry Ketone 221 Review – is it really the UK’s number 1 choice

Forza Raspberry Ketone reviewForza Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1 are fat burning capsules designed to assist weight loss by harnessing the natural power of raspberry ketone. The product is manufactured in the UK, by Forza Supplements.

The company was established in 2007 and already enjoys a good reputation for producing quality sports and fitness supplements.

Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1 is a relatively new addition to their range and the use of predominantly pink packaging suggests this blend is being marketed towards female dieters, but there is no reason why the product should not be used by dieters of either sex.

Website for Forza Raspberry KetoneClaims:  To be the most popular raspberry ketone in the UK.

Positives: Made by a company with good track record and does contain legitimate ingredients

Negatives: We have to reject this on the grounds that if you are going to buy a raspberry ketone product then anything other Evolution Slimming own brand is a compromise.

Diet pills not to buy

What Is Forza Raspberry Ketone

raspberry ketone capsulesThe company offer a refund or exchange police for faulty goods, but it is not clear whether their guarantee of a refund also applies if customers feel the product has failed to provide results.

Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1 can be bought directly from the manufacturer’s website, but is also available from some third party retailers or from the Amazon marketplace, and—depending on where purchased—a bottle of 90 capsules should cost between £17 and £23.

Dosage and Promised Benefits

Forza recommend an initial dose of one to two capsules each morning, until tolerance has been established, after which the dose can be increased to two capsules in the morning, followed by a further capsule in the afternoon. The capsules should be taken with a glass of water and the daily dose should never exceed four capsules.

Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1 is primarily a fat burning product, but any form of dieting process can lead to fatigue, so the formulation has also been designed to boost physical and mental energy levels and may also provide a health boost by functioning as a general tonic.

Forza also produce: Forza Fat Burner and Hydratrim

What Does It Contain

The capsules rely on three main ingredients, blended in a 2:2:1 ratio (two parts raspberry ketone, two parts caffeine, one part resveratrol).

  • raspberry ketoneRaspberry Ketone (200 mg):  As the product name suggests, raspberry ketone is the most important ingredient. Raspberry ketone is a natural compound extracted from raspberries, but it can also be found in some other fruits as well. The ingredient received a lot of media attention after it was endorsed by the American TV personality Dr Oz, and it has an enviable reputation as a fat burner. It is also an expensive ingredient; so many manufacturers use synthetic raspberry ketone, which is cheaper, but lacks some of the power of naturally sourced raspberry ketone. Forza fail to state which type is used in their blend.
  • Caffeine (200 mg):  The natural stimulatory effects of caffeine should help to provide the promised boosted energy levels, and may also help suppress the appetite, but caffeine is known to be problematic for some users and may cause side effects including, restlessness, heart palpitations, and the jitters.
  • Resveratrol (100 mg):  Normally extracted from red grapes, resveratrol is a known antioxidant that offers many health benefits, but its reputation as a fat burner is far from proven.

Celebrity Endorsements

celebrity diet pillsThe official website’s “Press Coverage” page reproduces an article from OK! magazine, in which the former Emmerdale Farm actress, Roxanne Pallett, states Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1 helped her lose over a stone in weight when she needed to slim down for a theatre production of The Rocky Horror Picture Show. Luisa Zissman (runner up in The Apprentice TV show) also endorses the product and calls the capsules “willpower in pill form”.

Customer Feedback

Although the company website shares some positive testimonials attributed to Forza’s T5 product, it shows no customer feedback for Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1.

Independent reviews are available though, and the vast majority of users report positive results:

” I have been using this product for a while and have lost 1 stone 2 pounds.”
“I’ve lost over a stone since August! I’m really pleased and will definitely be purchasing this product again!”

Possible Side Effects

Fruit-based ingredients are seldom problematic, so the main ingredient should not prove to be of issue as far as side effects go. Resveratrol is also unlikely to be problematic, but the caffeine content may be an issue for some users, and the product should be avoided by pregnant and nursing mothers. People with existing health issues are recommended to seek medical advice before use.

Is It Recommended

Raspberry Ketone 2:2:1 appears to be a quality product. All ingredients and inclusion rates are provided, and there is every evidence that this will be an effective blend that should help the user attain their weight loss goals if used in conjunction with a calorie controlled diet and regular exercise.  It is possible though, that some users may encounter problems due to the caffeine content, so a little buyer discretion is advised, but overall this appears to be one of the better raspberry ketone products on the market.

Customer feedback is also very good, and the celebrity endorsements provide extra credibility, but . . .

Recommended Alternative

Raspberry Ketone Plus UKAs we have mentioned above Raspberry Ketone Plus from Evolution Slimming is the best example of a natural fat burner in our opinion.

When the news story first broke that raspberry ketone my be something quite special it was the Evolution Slimming brand that featured in the high profile news stories.

To find out why we rate it so highly click here