Weight Watchers weight loss program has been around for about six decades. In 2018, it rebranded to WW and revamped its program. This diet is favored because it initiates a lifestyle change. Look at patriciaandcarolyn.com for guidance on the WW diet and to learn more about the changes. The site also highlights those who managed to lose and keep the weight off over the years.

You should know that weight watchers uses a simple calorie-counting system using your weight, age, height, and sex. You note what you eat, drink, and your workouts. WW gives PersonalPoints that match with what you eat and drink. Healthy foods have zero points. Unhealthy foods add up the points.

The PersonalPoints, formerly SmartPoints, help you understand meal choices and the consequences. The more points you accumulate, the unhealthier your diet, as well as your lifestyle. Foods like proteins lower the PersonalPoints, while sugar and saturated fats raise the points. If you meet your daily smart points target or stay below that number, you should lose weight.

How Weight Watchers Works

Weight Watchers (WW) is a diet plan that doesn’t restrict what you should or shouldn’t eat. However, it shows you the impact of your choices and what happens when you choose healthier meals. The idea behind WW is to guide you to consciously choose healthy meals over foods that are causing you to put on weight.

When joining WW, you will answer a series of questions regarding your eating habits, lifestyle, activity levels, age, goals, and so much more. The system will then conduct a personal assessment and suggest total points and food values. You will then be given three programs, color-coded purple, blue, and green.

 The Purple Plan

This plan has more than 300 foods that earn you zero points. These foods are the healthiest, so you need not keep track of them. However, the plan also gives you the lowest daily points limit should deviate from the zero food points.

You will be accountable for eating foods not listed in the zero-points plan if you choose the purple plan.

 The Green Plan

The WW Green plan has a little over 100 zero-point foods. However, you also get the highest daily PersonalPoints. Unlike the purple plan, where you don’t keep track of everything that enters your mouth, the green plan is the opposite. Since you have the highest daily points, you need to track everything you eat to tell if you are eating below or beyond the target points.

If you stay below the limit, you should lose weight. However, if you go beyond the highest daily points limit, you risk maintaining your current weight. You may also put on more weight if you keep eating above the PersonalPoints limit.

 The Blue Plan

You get over 200 zero-point foods in this plan. Additionally, you also get a middle point daily PersonalPoints which gives greater flexibility to eat what you want, but within the given points. However, you are encouraged to eat zero-point foods and those with low PersonalPoint values.

In all meal plans, the zero-point foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, avocadoes, fish, oats, poultry, eggs, low-fat yogurt, and cottage cheese.

You can also earn bonus points for exercising, drinking water, and eating non-starchy vegetables like broccoli, spinach, and carrots.

How To Choose The Best WW Plan

WW gives you the freedom to choose the green, purple or blue plan, depending on the one that works best for you. If you find one plan unsuitable, you can always switch to another. However, WW recommends sticking to one plan for at least two weeks before switching to another.

The WW green plan is ideal:

  • If you eat lots of zero-point foods and tend to overeat them.
  • If you don’t mind tracking your meals.
  • If you prefer having higher daily limit points.
  • If you eat junk food.
  • If your weight has plateaued and you need to do more to lose weight.
  • If you eat out a lot.

Choose the purple plan if:

  • You prefer more zero foods and fewer daily points.
  • Your diet is mainly whole foods.
  • You often eat home-prepared meals.
  • You hate tracking everything you eat.

 Choose the blue plan if:

  • You enjoy eating zero-point foods but don’t overeat them.
  • You don’t mind tracking but may not track all that you eat.
  • You want a balance of zero-point foods and daily PersonalPoints.
  • You prefer white over whole foods.

The weight watchers diet plan has a learning curve, but once you get it, it will be easier for you to determine the WW plan that works for you. Fortunately, all the plans lead to weight loss. However, one plan is likely to result in more weight loss because it suits you more than the others.