Weight Watchers New Points Plus Program - FAQs

With Weight Watchers  rolling out its new weight watchers points plus program on November 29th, I thought that I would do a quick post that covers some of the most frequently asked questions regarding Points Plus.  According to Weight Watchers, the new points system will promote eating foods that “fill you up, keep hunger at bay, and help you lose weight in a healthier and more nutritious way”.

Some FAQs on the new program:

Do calories count? Sort of.  Calories are still important.  In a nutshell, burning more calories than you consume is the cornerstone to losing weight.  With the new point system, where the calories come from makes the biggest difference.  After all, even if two foods have the same caloric content, if a food is rich in protein and fiber, it will fill you up more than one that is laden with empty calories. 

Which foods have higher point values? Calorie dense foods that are higher in simple carbs and fats are valued higher.

Is it true that I can eat unlimited fruits and veggies on the new WW points plan? Well, yeah, but don’t go overboard!  Weight watchers has assigned all fresh fruits (aka not dried fruit or in juice form) and veggies zero points in order to encourage dieters to eat more of these foods.  And since fruits and veggies are among the lowest calorie and most filling foods you can eat, that makes sense.  But still, you don’t want to eat six bananas or a bag of apples just because there’s no point value to them.  Use common sense and good judgment with zero point food items.

What’s with the points for “real living”? A feature to the points program allows for the occasional dieting faux pas or indulgence.  Each dieter gets 49 points each week to do with what they wish – but when those 49 points are used up, they’re gone!  A perfect addition just in time for the holidays, don’t you think?

Why are the point allotment higher in the new WW points program? Simply put, you’re getting more points because food values (some of them) have also gone up. Think of it as inflation, WW style! 

When will grocery store packaging and restaurant menus catch up with the new points plan? Good question. I certainly hope that this will happen soon, but I would imagine that items that have already been packaged prior to the program change will have to be depleted from the inventory of your favorite stores before new packaging is rolled out.  For this reason, refer to the new points plan in order to determine the true point cost for foods until everyone is in “sync” and products are packaged correctly to reflect the new points plan!

Do let me know if you have more questions and I'll try to answer them in a future posting.

Enjoy!
Juliet

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