FAQ - Weight Watchers 2022 - Part II

Recently I had a questionnaire on my Instagram page asking if anyone had WW questions, and here is my FAQ – Weight Watchers 2022 – Part II!

Q: How drastically different is the new plan compared to green? I don’t pay for app but wanted to track things.

The old plan (purple, blue and green plan) can’t be compared to the new plan, because basically everybody’s plan is completely different. Even if you and I had the same zero point foods, our daily points might not be the same if I had let’s say 80 pounds to lose and you only needed to lose 20 pounds. The green plan was around 30 points if I remember correctly. If you want to try to track without losing the app, 30 points is about 1500 calories, but I am not sure how accurate that would be without using the app.

Q: What’s your comparison with the personal point plan and the blue? Which do you like better?

When the plan was purple, blue and green, I was on the purple plan, so I can’t compare the blue to the new plan. What I love about the personal plan is that you can actually choose the zero point foods you like. I can remember in 2017 when the plan changed and chicken breast and greek yogurt became zero points, a woman at my meeting declared that she hated the new plan because it forced her to eat foods she didn’t like. What? That being said, unless you eat the zero point foods you choose nearly every day, you may not eat enough food – because your daily points value takes into account the zero point foods you pick to round out your day.

Q: Do you ever go negative for the week and still lose?

In the past I have lost weight if I was negative points, but not by much – maybe .2 or .4. But before this year I was a HORRIBLE tracker. I’d go on a string of tracking days for maybe 3 or 4 days, then not track at all. Since December 26, 2021 I have tracked every single day and I have yet to go negative points all year.

Q: Is there way to track veg and water without getting points added to your total?

From what I can tell, no. But it only tracks water and vegetables every day, then resets. You don’t get to roll those over to your weeklies. So if I know that I get 25 points a day, and I “earn” 4 points for drinking water and eating veggies, I just keep that 25 in mind. In the beginning I would think “I have 4 points left to spend!” and then look for stuff to eat just because I earned the points, but then I realized I wasn’t really even hungry so I decided for myself that I wouldn’t eat those earned points. But that’s just my personal preference, I know a lot of people who do eat those points and are successful.

Q: Does WW work good for type 2 diabetes?

That’s a difficult question to answer, but the quick answer is yes. The WW program steers you towards eating healthy food (i.e. lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, low saturated fat foods) which is a great way to manage Type 2 diabetes. When I filled out the application I stated that I was diabetic, so I will never have stuff like potatoes, whole wheat pasta, or non-starchy vegetables as zero point foods. I also have to count points for fruit as well.

Q: You don’t snack much?

Nope! And the reason is because I think my meals are filling enough. I don’t typically eat breakfast until around 10:30 or 11. Then lunch around 3:00 and dinner around 7. I can go 4 hours without eating in between meals. I also have to take shots every time I eat food, so two less snacks in a day is 2 less shots I take each day.

Q: Do you have a discount code for WW?

Yep! Click here to join – you get a free month and I get a free month too. #winwin ❤️

Q: Do you find WW works better for you than calorie counting?

I double tracked for many months and it drove me crazy. Yes, in the end it’s a consistent calorie deficit that will ultimately lead to a loss on the scale. But sometimes I would question why my 20 calorie coffee creamer cost me 2 WW points, and think “I am not going to track that – that’s bullshit!” Since December 26, 2021 I have honestly tracked (even wine when I drink it!) and that has been the game changer. All of those 20 calorie and 30 calorie things I was eating and not tracking because I didn’t agree with it added up. I don’t track macros, but I do know the amount of carbohydrates in everything I eat so that I know how much insulin to take. Other than that, I just track my WW points.

Q: If you do online meetings do you pay like you do when you go to a meeting? It’s been years.

There are different tier payments based on what you want. I have the full WW experience, which means I can attend any in studio meeting, any virtual meeting and have access to online coaches. You can pick based on your budget, but there is a digital membership only. You would only get access to an in person studio when you get close to your WW goal to achieve lifetime status and not pay.

Q: Are you counting fruit? And what are your 0 point foods?

Once I filled out the questionnaire and declared I was diabetic, every fruit that I eat has a point value. There are some fruits that are better (lower glycemic) for me such as strawberries, grapefruit, blueberries and apples. Mangos have the highest point value for me – 7 points for 1 cup! So I eat that in moderation.

Q: Is everyone on the same point system now – but we have different free stuff?

Nope! Every plan is different. Once you fill out the questionnaire you answer questions about age, what your current weight is, how active you are, etc. Then based on the zero point foods you choose, you are given a daily point value. Even if you have the same zero point foods as someone else, they may be 20 years older than you, or maybe only looking to lose 20 pounds, or not very active which would customize the plan for each person. We are all different. ❤️

Q: I would rather WW work for me. Or shall I say I need to work the program.

If I had a dollar for people who tell me on IG or connect that WW doesn’t work for them, and then I ask them if they track, and if they do track, do they track honestly? Are they consistent with getting 30 minutes of movement each day, getting enough sleep and the answer is no – then I tell them they aren’t working the program so it won’t work. I learned this year that I can’t “trick the system” trying to eat like I did when I was 211 pounds and still think I could lose weight. When I think of all the fast food I ate back in the day, the pop I drank, etc., and somehow thought if I had a couple “good days” that the scale would go down – so crazy! Have patience. We didn’t gain 50 pounds in two months, so don’t expect it to come off that quickly either. You’ve got this – just take it a day at a time.

Q: Are you ever just hungry? When I try to do a fresh start by 4 p.m. I am starving.

I eat about every four hours. I am not hungry when I wake up – just have a couple cups of coffee and eat around 11. My lunch is 3 and my dinner is 7 and I go to bed at 11. If you find yourself hungry during the day you are either not eating enough protein, or you are eating super low point breakfast and lunches (i.e. an english muffin with a tablespoon of sugar free jelly for 2 points, or a deli turkey wrap on a low carb wrap with an apple for lunch for 4 points). What happens is that you aren’t fueling your body during the day when you can actually burn off some calories, vs. stockpiling all your points for dinner and then going to bed a few hours later. Up the protein and space out your points between your meals.

Q: What is required to get a blue dot?

On the WW app, on the bottom left hand corner, the second icon is an icon that looks like a gift. Click on that and then scroll to the bottom. That will show your healthy point range. For me, my range is 17-35 points a day. The days that don’t have a blue dot mean I either ate below 17 points or over 35 points. I typically have 3-4 days a month where I am not in my healthy range, but I am okay with that. I’d rather enjoy a burger or a glass of wine on occasion, which makes this a manageable lifestyle, not a diet.

Q: No WW question, but do you still track calories on Lose It app?

Since December 26, 2021 I ditched the double tracking. It was messing with my head, so I decided to actually WORK the Weight Watchers program and not try to figure out a way to eat all the crap and still lose weight. That’s the hamster wheel I was on for so long of gaining and losing the same 5 pounds over and over again.

Q: I am 58 and gained 20 pounds in the last 2 years. I can’t get this off! Will WW work?

The short answer is yes, Weight Watchers will work. I am 54 and am down 20 pounds since January 1. That being said, you have to switch your mindset before starting any lifestyle change. I was the Monday through Friday person who did great, stayed on track, and then Saturday after my weigh in I would eat like crap the whole weekend, only to pump the breaks on Sunday night and then try to undo all the damage I did over the weekend. When I look at my week ahead, I see if there are any special events (i.e. going to a birthday party, maybe a BBQ) and the adjust my points according to that week.

This week for example I am going out to dinner with family tonight. I’ve already picked out something that is on the healthier side, but I have enough saved weeklies that if I wanted to have a 20 point burger, I can spend the points on it, track it and move on. I ditched the “good food and bad food” mentality. Some meals are just higher in calories than others, and that’s part of a healthy overall lifestyle, which doesn’t make this seem like a diet. Because when you reach your goal weight, are you actually done? Nope! You have to continue your healthy habits during maintenance as well.

Q: No question – you have been doing awesome! Thanks for the inspiration!

Thank you! I appreciate your support!

Q: If you eat 10 pp over personal budget every day, how aren’t you in the negative weeklies? I thought if you go over your daily points, it cuts into your weeklies?

My apple watch is attached to my weight watcher app. So every day I exercise I can earn an extra 6 points A DAY. I don’t pay attention to my weeklies, because I include my 25 weeklies into each day – so an extra 3.5 points a day. Or if I have a special event I may stockpile my weeklies. I don’t use 10 extra points every day though, so that’s probably why I don’t see a negative weeklies. I go by my month as a whole and I typically get blue dots 26 out of 30 days in a month.

Q: How do you add points when you go out to a big dinner and don’t know what you ate?

First of all, did you know that there are HUNDREDS of restaurants in the WW app. That’s a good place to start. Otherwise, let’s say you went out for a steak dinner. I would enter “steak dinner” into the search section, and see what pops up and then just make an educated guess from there. It doesn’t have to be perfect.

Q: Do I weigh in? I had to weigh in once a month or was charged for the app. I am lifetime.

Yes, to consistently be able to use the Weight Watchers app for free, you need to weigh in a studio once a month. If for some reason one month you are out of range of your goal weight, you get charged for that month, but once you get back to goal weight, you won’t be charged.

Q: I just started working with a personal coach – any suggestions to maximize this?

I am not sure if you mean a personal “life” coach, or exercise coach, or a D360 coach through WW? The D360 program is ending soon (if it hasn’t already) but I have never worked with a personal coach of any kind so I am not the right person to answer that question. That being said, I would maybe write down your top three things that you are trying to achieve (whether that is trying to get a better job, maybe incorporate weight training) etc., and see how that person can help you move in the direction you are going.

And that’s the end of the questions! As always, if I didn’t make anything clear