The Weight Watchers plan uses a points system to simplify a lower calorie diet. To lose weight, you must stay under or meet your daily points allowance. With each food being assigned a point, based on its fiber and calorie content, you know which foods are healthy and which are not. If you find yourself constantly going over your daily points allowance, you should adjust the way you follow the Weight Watchers plan.
Step 1
Plan your meals ahead of time so you're less likely to stray. Calculate your points at the beginning of the day so you'll know exactly which foods you can eat to stay under your points allowance. For example, if you know that you typically get hungry in the late afternoon and crave a snack, pack one in your bag that is within your points budget so you don't find yourself looking to the vending machine.
Step 2
Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, both which are considered 0 points in the 2011 Weight Watchers points system. Because the nutritional benefits of fruits and vegetables outweigh the caloric content, you can eat as much as you want on Weight Watchers, without using up points. An apple, a few celery sticks or an orange can help prevent hunger and cravings without adding to your daily points.
Step 3
Record all your daily foods and their points value in a diet journal. While you may think you eat perfectly and according to the Weight Watchers plan, you may be missing the handful of chocolate chips you ate or the spoon of batter that you tasted while baking. Small tastes and treats can add up and make you go over your points, so keep careful track of every food that passes your lips and adjust your daily points tally accordingly.
Step 4
Exercise daily to add points to your Weight Watchers points budget. Calculate activity points by multiplying your weight by the minutes you exercised, then multiplying that number by a certain number, depending on the intensity of your workout. For a light workout, you'll multiply by 0.000232. Moderate activity means you'll multiply by 0.000327 and heavy activity means you multiply your number by 0.0008077. Subtract the resulting number from your daily points tally to get a more accurate representation of your daily points and to stay under your daily allotment.
Tips and Warnings
- Calculate your points realistically. You'll receive more or fewer points depending on your age, weight, whether or not you're breastfeeding and your activity level. You may be tempted to fib to your Weight Watchers counselor to get a lower number for faster weight loss, but this can set you up for failure. Go to your Weight Watchers meetings or join an online Weight Watchers support group. There, you can talk with others who are living with the points system for ideas to stay under points and support for when you're tempted to stray. The weekly support and weigh ins can help you stay on track so you're more motivated to be disciplined when it comes to the points system.
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