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WEIGHT WATCHERS HAS RELAUNCHED WITH AN EATING PLAN SO FOOLPROOF AND SATISFYING, YOU’LL LOSE HALF A STONE BY FEBRUARY. SO SAY BYE-BYE TO CRAVINGS AND HELLO TO A SLIM NEW YOU

By Jess Spiring

It's never been short of celebrity fans. Coleen Rooney, Patsy Kensit, Claire Sweeney, Natasha Hamilton and Sheree Murphy have all admitted to trying and loving Weight Watchers. It's the biggest diet organisation in the world, with over 1 million members in the UK alone. And now it's launching a clever new plan that will help you kick off 2009 in better shape than ever. So what's new?

The foundation of the plan is still the points system. It's a way of scoring food based on its nutritional content, which means you can spend your daily allowance of points on pretty much any food you choose. And yes, that does mean an Egg McMuffin for breakfast if you really want – it's seven points though, so you'd have to go easy for the rest of the day (you get around 18-22 points per day depending on your starting weight).

You're also still encouraged to attend weekly meetings, though there's an at-home option if you prefer.

The new bit is the focus on ‘Filling Foods', which give you satisfying meals without too many calories – such as cereal, lean meat and poultry, low-fat dairy, soups, fresh fruit and vegetables. Incorporating more of these into your day's allowance means you'll curb cravings and beat hunger while you slim.

The second new feature is the inclusion of techniques to help you combat emotional eating – by teaching you to listen to your body and control those urges.

OUR TESTER

Anna Smith, 27

Height: 5ft 3in

Starting weight: 11st 4lb

Current weight: 9st 4lb

Dress size before: 14 Dress size now: 10-12

"My weight has always been a bit up and down. Last year, I changed jobs and moved to Berkshire and I was so busy, I let my diet slide. I never measured my portions and found it hard to resist cheese, chocolate and red wine. I was eating out a lot with friends too.

In March I reached my heaviest weight – 11st 4lb – and none of my clothes fitted me any more. I felt so low I stopped going out so I wouldn't have to worry about having nothing to wear.

Then I decided enough was enough, and so I joined my friend Alessandra at Weight Watchers. I loved it immediately.

I used to have toast with butter and jam for breakfast, a sandwich and crisps at lunchtime and dinner would usually be a big bowl of pasta topped with lots of grated cheese. Some nights I'd then follow my dinner with chocolate and I loved winding down with a glass of wine.

Through the meetings I began to see how high calorie my diet was, so I switched to cereal, salads, soups and healthier versions of my favourite meals. The weird thing was, I was actually eating more than I was before – just healthier and more filling options. The fact I could still eat treats meant I didn't feel too depressed and helped me stick to the diet.

At first I joined a gym and swam every day to kick-start my weight loss, but now I've scaled it back and just take regular long walks.

When I tried on my size 10 jeans again, and they actually fitted, I felt amazing. I'm still a few pounds away from reaching my goal weight of 9st now, but I'm determined to keep going to meetings at least once a month to help keep the weight off. It's been hard, but I've started to get loads of compliments about my figure, which makes it worth the effort."

A TYPICAL DAY'S MENU

Yep, you can eat all this!

BREAKFAST

Poached egg, mushrooms fried in low-fat spray oil, 1 slice wholemeal toast, 1 low-fat fruit yoghurt and 1 chopped apple.

MID-MORNING SNACK

1 skinny latte.

LUNCH

Zero points Weight Watchers vegetable soup and a rocket and feta cheese salad.

MID-AFTERNOON SNACK

1 banana.

SUPPER

Zero points Weight Watchers vegetable soup, followed by a grilled salmon steak with parsley sauce (made with fresh parsley, low-fat soft cheese and skimmed milk), small portion home-made baked oven chips, carrots, courgettes, French beans, and 1tbsp peas. Plus a sugar-free jelly.

• For more information on the new Weight Watchers Discover Plan visit Weightwatchers.co.uk or call 0845 712 3000 to find your nearest meeting.

PHOTOGRAPHY: LANCTON, JUPITER, PHOTOLIBRARY HAIR & MAKE-UP: LIZZIE COURT AT TIME ANNA WEARS DRESS, TRINNY & SUSANNAH AT LITTLEWOODS; CUFF, ACCESSORIZE; SHOES, MISS SELFRIDGE