Weight Watchers started in the living room of founder, Jean Nidetch, in the 1960s. According to the Weight Watchers website, Jean invited a group of women into her home every week to discuss weight loss. From those meetings, one of the largest weight loss programs evolved. Weight Watchers has constructed a four-tier approach to weight loss: eat smarter, move more, develop helpful habits and get support. Part of the eat smarter plan is tracking your food intake based on the Weight Watchers' point value system.
Calculate Your Daily Target Points
Step 1
Calculate your target daily points based on your weight, height, gender, age and level of daily activity. This is how many points you should consume per day.
Step 2
Start with a score of 2 if you are female, 8 if you are a male. A nursing mother starts with 12 points.
Step 3
Use your age to figure the next part of your target points. If you are 17 to 26, score 4 points; 27 to 37, score 3; 38 to 47, score 2; 48 to 58, score 1 and over 58, score 0. Add this score to your starting point score in Step 2.
Step 4
Add the first two digits of your weight to your score. If you weigh 204 pounds, you would add 20 to your score.
Step 5
Adjust your point total based on your height. If you are under 5 feet 1 inches, score 0. If you are between 5 feet 1 inches and 5 feet 10 inches, score 1. If you are over 5 feet 10 inches, score 2.
Step 6
Calculate your activity level points. If you spend most of your day sitting down, score 0. If you are occasionally sitting, add 2 points to your score. If you walk most of the time, add 4 points. If you perform physically demanding work most of the time, score 6. Adding all the numbers from Steps 2 through 6 will give you your daily target points. Regardless of your score, it is recommended to not go below 18 points per day.
Calculate the Point Value of Foods
Step 1
Understand that the Weight Watchers points systems is based on a patented mathematical formula. The variables of the equation are the calories, fat grams and dietary fiber grams in a food.
Step 2
Go to the Weight Watchers' website or purchase a book to find some of the point values for certain foods. The Weight Watchers' website contains point values for popular restaurants and some foods. Books that list the value of many foods are available from the website and local meeting places.
Step 3
Join Weight Watchers or invest in a points calculator. When you join Weight Watchers, you receive a slide rule that will calculate the point value for any food based on its nutritional content. You can also purchase a points calculator that will provide the same information.
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