weight watchers

Watching your weight? Go ahead and dig into that apple! Weight Watchers announced changes to its points system Monday, and veggie lovers can rejoice: fresh fruits and most vegetables are now zero points. But before digging into that bag of prunes, know that dried fruits and some vegetables, like potatoes and corn, still have points assigned to them.

Weight Watchers says the change is based on research and aimed at helping clients make smarter, more fulfilling choices. That's just the message spokeswoman Jennifer Hudson has shared about the program, saying, "I feel empowered with what I've learned, everything from portion control to what foods will help keep me satisfied. It's a lifestyle change, not a diet."

No matter what form it comes in, calories need to be counted and reduced for weight loss, but the promotion of fresh foods is always a healthy one. Have you used — or are you currently using — Weight Watchers, and if so, what do you think of the change?

• Warm yourself up with a healthy chickpea curry — Oh She Glows
• Weight Watchers using social media to raise money to help the hungry — Fit Celeb
• Power your next workout with this salmon and spinach saute — Tone It Up
• Superfoods to help you get your snooze on — That's Fit.ca
• Full of vitamins and flavor: green smoothie with chocolate — Peanut Butter Fingers
• Vegan cupcakes to help you eat animal free — MindBodyGreen
• DIY cookie dough cereal is good for the waist and the taste — Fitnessista

"I don’t want to lose any more weight, and you’re never going to see me skinny. I think this is a good, natural size for me."

— Jennifer Hudson talks to InStyle Makeover about being happy with her current weight. The actress, who is also the current spokesperson for Weight Watchers, has dropped from a size 16 to six since giving birth to her son last year. Jennifer credits Weight Watchers and working out with trainer Harley Pasternack for her amazing body transformation. It's totally refreshing to hear that Jennifer feels comfortable in her curves!

What goes up, must come down, right? That's been my philosophy as I tried to shed the last of my baby weight. Five months after my second lil one's arrival, I still found myself up a handful of pounds. Refusing to invest in an entire new Summer wardrobe, I was determined to shed the extra weight.

While LilSugar has been working with a specialized personal trainer to battle her baby weight, I decided to rely on my tried and true method from my first child – Weight Watchers (currently $20/month). The portion control-oriented weight loss program has been the diet of choice for postpartum mamas like Jenny McCarthy and Jennifer Hudson, and it helped me melt away my belly in mere months after my first son was born. After three months of counting points assigned to each item I ingested, measuring out my food, filling my plate with veggies and snacking on cups of air popped corn, I'm excited to be back in my skinniest white jeans just in time for grilling season. My weight loss goals met, I've completely overhauled my eating habits and am now changing the makeup of my family's meals. Did your postpartum weight loss change your family's eating habits?

• Watch Jennifer Hudson's inspiring new Weight Watchers ad — FitCeleb
• How weightlifting can get you over a diet plateau — Health
• Busy women can't find an hour to exercise — Diet Blog
• Dig into this healthy edamame dip recipe — Mind Body Green
• Move of the day: NCAA tourney-inspired lower body shaper — Fresh Fitness Tips
• Easter oatmeal topped with almond butter — yum! — Oh She Glows
• Does your family have healthy TV habits? — Daily Spark
• Three steps to getting Cameron Diaz's bod — Vitamin G

The battle of the baby weight is one the celebrities tend to fight on the cover of magazines and the rest of us are lucky enough to handle in the privacy of our own homes. While some women are lucky enough to shed the pounds without much work, most of us have to put some effort into losing it. Finding the inspiration to do so can come from something as simple as a favorite pair of prepregnancy pants to an upcoming event.

For new mom Jennifer Hudson, the inspiration came from her son. When announcing her new role as a spokeswoman for Weight Watchers, Hudson said:

How can I make a better me, or grow or do some changes, anything, just experiment, because I have me back now. And then at the same time, having the baby . . . it's like, OK, this is a good way of how I would want my child to grow up, because so many times in growing up, you gain really bad habits . . . so I want to make sure that he's going into this and I'm being a good example for him.

What inspired you to lose your pregnancy pounds?

The gorgeous and talented singer and actress Jennifer Hudson gave birth to a baby boy last August, and she looks amazing. You may be surprised to hear that her secret is Weight Watchers, and today she has revealed that she's the newest spokeswoman for this popular weight-loss program. You can expect to see ads coming out featuring Jennifer on Sunday. The 28-year-old Oscar winner says,

"With Weight Watchers, I am enjoying the weight loss because I’m doing it the right way — I feel empowered with what I’ve learned, everything from portion control to what foods will help keep me satisfied. It’s a lifestyle change, not a diet."

Jennifer appreciates how the program easily adapts to her busy life, saying, "I can follow the plan no matter where I am, still enjoy my favorite foods and even use the iPhone app to track my points." How tech-savvy of her!

This momma is no stranger to weight issues. When appearing as a contestant on American Idol, Jennifer was unfairly called "the big girl." And for her role as Effie in Dreamgirls, Hudson gained more than 20 pounds, then lost it before the premiere. By the looks of it, Jennifer seems to be loving her new healthier lifestyle, so hopefully Weight Watchers can help her stick with it.

Jennifer isn't the only celeb dropping pounds with this program. Both Tina Fey and Jenny McCarthy found success. Tell me, have you tried Weight Watchers, and if so, what did you think?