This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Please Note: Weight Watchers has changed it’s program again. Click here to learn more about Weight Watchers latest program for 2022!
If you are a Weight Watcher® you have probably heard that Weight Watchers® is retiring their PointsPlus® program in 2016 and introducing a brand new SmartPoints® system and plan, called Beyond the Scale.
Since I’m a Lifetime Weight Watcher® and include points with my recipes and meal plans and realize that many of you also follow Weight Watchers®, I wanted to highlight some of the major changes to the new SmartPoints® plan and also share about how it will affect things here at Simple Nourished Living.
Weight Watchers Programs – Old & New
If you’ve been a Weight Watcher® for any amount of time, you know that the company changes its plan every few years.
Weight Watchers® is more than 50 years old and consistently shows up on top of US News & World Report’s list of Best Diets for Weight Loss for good reason!
Each and every WW program works, from the very first one introduced in the 1960s by founder, Jean Nidetch, to the most current one, as they continue to adopt the latest in the world of nutrition and weight loss science.
You may recall a while back I wrote about why I thought the Old WW Quick Success Plan, on which I originally achieved WW Lifetime Status, was better for teaching its members how to eat healthy.
I believe SmartPoints™ better addresses those concerns.
A few weeks ago I was contacted by the folks at Weight Watchers® and asked if I would like to take a sneak peek at new program and provide feedback on a private Facebook page, along with about 30 others 🙂
I happily accepted but was not paid in any way for my time or effort.
I was able to test out both the beta version and release version of the new APP and SmartPoints® calculator ahead of time.
I am grateful for the opportunity to familiarize myself with the new program ahead of time so I can be a helpful resource as you begin, or shift to SmartPoints®.
Discover For More Weight Watchers Friendly Recipes
Introducing SmartPoints – The Highlights
Let’s start by looking at some of the major changes to the plan, including Weight Watchers® SmartPoints® and FitPoints®:
- Focus on Healthier Eating
All calories are not equal, which I try to illustrate in this followup post and video. The SmartPoints® plan is based on the latest in nutritional science, nudging you toward a pattern, not only of weight loss, but of healthier eating with more fruits, vegetables and lean protein, and less sugar and saturated fat. While the PointsPlus® formula went farther than calories to factor in different nutrients, like calories, it only focused on a food’s impact on your weight. With SmartPoints®, you can not only pinpoint the choices that help you lose weight, but you shift to a healthier pattern of eating overall.
- SmartPoints® have replaced PointsPlus®
SmartPoints® are calculated using calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein. Foods with higher amounts of sugar and saturated fats have higher SmartPoints® values. Foods with higher amounts of lean protein have lower SmartPoints® values. Many lean proteins like chicken and seafood are now lower in points and sweet treats like muffins, cookies and sugar sweetened beverages are higher. And about 40 percent of foods have stayed the same.
- New Daily SmartPoints® Allowance
You have a daily Target based on your height, weight, gender and age. You’ll get this Target online or in your meeting. The minimum daily SmartPoints® target is now 30.
- Weekly SmartPoints®
Under the PointsPlus® plan, everyone was given 49 weekly points to use however they wanted. With SmartPoints®, this number is adjusted according to your height, weight, age, gender ,activity level and weight loss goals. They are designed to add leeway to your plan. You can choose to use them or not!
- FitPoints® Activity Goal
Activity Points are now FitPoints®. You have a personalized FitPoints activity goal based on your preferences and lifestyle. FitPoints focuses on overall movement, not just formal “exercise.” Exercising as a means for earning more food points is discouraged.
- Tracking
Tracking is still an integral part of this plan. You can use your online tools and your Mobile app (if you are a subscriber.) But old style, with a paper and pencil will still work.
- Fruits and Vegetables are Zero in the Recipe Calculator
All fruits and vegetables are now calculated as zero in the recipe builder calculator. The one exception is when you use them to make a blended beverage by placing a checkmark in the recipe builder calculator to indicate the fruit is being blended for a drink.
- Good Health Guidelines are Gone
Because healthy choices are now embedded into the SmartPoints® formula, you no longer need to focus on these guidelines or power foods separately. SmartPoints® takes care of it.
- Simply Filling (No Count Option) is Still an Option
As a longtime fan, I was very happy to learn that the WW Simply Filling Technique is still an option. It’s a No-Count Option for those who don’t want to calculate and keep track of SmartPoints®. To follow it, eat from the list of Simply Filling Foods in your Pocket guide. You’ll find the details on page 62 of Your Plan Guide. If your tracker is set to the Simply Filling technique, foods marked with a green circle icon are Simply Filling. Any food you eat that shows a SmartPoints® value (like the chicken thigh on the screenshot below) would need to be deducted from your weekly allowance.
Click Here to Find All My Simply Filling Recipes!
)See How SmartPoints® Stack Up Against PointsPlus®
- Latte with whole milk (8 ounces): 3 PointsPlus, 5 SmartPoints
- Cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast (3 ounces): 3 PointsPlus, 2 SmartPoints
- Cooked broccoli (1/2 cup): 0 PointsPlus, 0 SmartPoints
- Glazed yeast doughnut: 7 PointsPlus, 10 SmartPoints
- Cooked tuna (3 ounces): 3 PointsPlus, 1 SmartPoint
- Fat-free fruit-flavored yogurt (1 cup): 6 PointsPlus, 11 SmartPoints
- Egg: 2 PointsPlus, 2 SmartPoints
- Cooked oatmeal (1 cup): 4 PointsPlus, 5 SmartPoints
- Breyer’s coffee ice cream (1/2 cup): 3 PointsPlus, 5 SmartPoints
Ten of My Favorite Foods and Their Associated SmartPoints®
- Fruit, especially bananas, apples, grapefruit and berries – 0 SmartPoints®
- Vegetables, especially tomatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, baby carrots, zucchini, onions, bell peppers – 0 SmartPoints®
- Eggs – 2 SmartPoints
- Turkey Breast – 3 ounces, 1 SmartPoint®
- Chicken Breast – 3 ounces, 1 SmartPoint®
- Peanut Butter – 1 Tablespoon, 3 SmartPoints®
- Plain Nonfat Greek Yogurt – 1 cup, 3 SmartPoints®
- Potatoes – 6 ounces, 5 SmartPoints®
- Tuna fish – 3 ounces, 1 SmartPoint®
- White Wine – 5 ounces, 4 SmartPoints®
Recipes, Nutritional Information & Calculating SmartPoints®
One big change is that zero point fruit and vegetables are no longer no longer included in the calculation of SmartPoints Values, unless you puree or liquify them and turn them into a beverage such as a smoothie.
This means that if you use a recipe’s nutrition information to calculate the SmartPoints instead of Weight Watchers recipe builder you might end up with a value higher than expected because the nutrition information for recipes will include ALL ingredients.
Click here to read more about calculating your SmartPoints correctly
Moving forward all NEW recipes here on Simple Nourished Living will include the SmartPoints value as well as the nutritional values required for calculating them (calories, saturated fat, sugars and protein).
But keep in mind, the fruits and veggies will still be factored into the total calories, fat, etc.; they just won’t be included in the SmartPoints value.
I’ll also be working to make this information available for older recipes, but it’s going to take some time.
Search For Your Favorite WW Friendly Recipes
4/16 Update: Now more than four months since it’s launch, the feedback is mixed, especially with folks who were happy with PointsPlus.
Of course, change is never easy, but some folks have experienced a serious backlash and gaining weight.
Read my post: Weight Watchers SmartPoints: Struggle or Success???
What have the first three weeks on the SmartPoints Plan been like for you?
One of the members of our Private Facebook Group asked us to answer the following questions, which you may find helpful…
1. What’s one thing you were concerned about with moving to a new program that turned out NOT to be an issue?
How it would affect my habits and routines. I’m a creature of habit and can be resistant to change, which also means I can get stuck in a rut 🙂 It turns out that the changes have had little impact on how I eat day to day.
2. What’s one challenge you’ve identified with the new program?
The biggest challenge I face is with getting all the recipes on my blog updated to include the new required nutritional values of saturated fat and sugars! For those who are used to consuming sweet treats daily, some rethinking/re-prioritizing will be required.
3. What’s one food you were SO excited to see go down in SP value?
Protein. I love lean protein and am excited to see it go down. I see myself indulging in more shrimp cocktails and fewer cookies this holiday season!
4. What’s one food you’re bummed went up in SP value? Do you have a plan for how to make it work going forward?
Sweet treats went way up so I’m going to have to me more judicious. One strategy that has worked for me is to be really selective and seek out the highest quality treats possible. I’ve found that for me the higher the quality, the less I need to be satisfied. This is especially true with good dark chocolate.
5. What’s one piece of advice you would give others starting the conversion to SmartPoints®, now that you’ve had nearly two weeks with the program?
Don’t panic. Give yourself time to adjust and evaluate the plan on it’s own merits. It may be just what you needed to shake things up and get yourself out of a rut. I’ve found I’m having fun in the kitchen, experimenting with new foods and recipes that I might not have tried otherwise, including a surprisingly satisfying tofu scramble.
What I’ve Learned During My Initial Experiments with Weight Watchers Smart Points
Black coffee is a nice eye-opening change to lattes some days of the week. I’ve also gone back to making my lattes at home with unsweetened soy milk to keep the SmartPoints value @ 2
Check out this morning’s beauty…
Eggs fuel me really well all morning. Rod agrees.
The less sugar I eat, the less I crave.
I feel better when I eat more fruits and veggies. I know this but I forget.
This little SmartPoints test run was the push I needed to up my veg game with smashing results.
I feel energized. Lighter. Satisfied.
Many of the old foods I used to love and eat regularly don’t nourish me at 52. To feel my best and age gracefully, healthfully, vibrantly, I need to change what I eat and how I take care of myself.
I feel re-energized to attend meetings every week instead of just once a month for a while.
I love the more holistic discussions and increased emphasis on the importance of taking care of yourself.
For me it’s integral to successful maintenance.
The true success of WW has always been its meetings and the support and accountability they provide.
Losing weight is about so much more than a number on a scale.
If you’re committed to getting healthier, living happier and losing weight, I believe WeightWatchers Beyond The Scale program can provide the guidance and support to get you there.
4/16 Update: Now more than four months since it’s launch, the feedback is mixed, especially with folks who were happy with PointsPlus®.
Of course, change is never easy, but some folks have experienced a serious backlash and gaining weight… Click here to read my post: Weight Watchers SmartPoints®: Struggle or Success???
Search For New Weight Watchers Friendly Recipes
How Have Simple Nourished Living’s Recipes Been Affected by the Transition from Points Plus to Smart Points?
Based on a quick assessment of the recipes I’ve updated so far, I’d say that close to half of them have the same SmartPoints® value as PointsPlus®.
Most recipes, including lean proteins, and/or 0 points vegetables and fruits decreased by 1 or 2 points.
The biggest increases are in those recipes with significant amounts of added sugars, such as muffins, cookies, and other baked goods and sweet treats.
Just watch out for the sugary treats and you’ll be fine.
If you’ve got a sweet tooth, watch out. A tablespoon of granulated white sugar had a PointsPlus® value of *1… It now has a SmartPoints® value of *3.
Big difference!
This recipe, for Slow Cooker Chicken Thighs Ossco Buco from the Weight Watchers One Pot Cookbook (which has the nutritional information you need for calculating SmartPoints™) is a great example.
According to my calculations it has just 4 SmartPoints™, since the 0 Points vegetables aren’t included in the SmartPoints Calculation! And it’s delicious.
Your family will never guess they are being served a Weight Watchers recipe.
You can reduce the SmartPoints™ to 2 if you substitute boneless, skinless chicken thighs!
Or check out this Slow Cooker Chicken Gravy, a longtime favorite here on Simple Nourished Living. Made with boneless, skinless chicken breasts, this easy comfort food favorite dropped from 6 PointsPlus® to just 4 SmartPoints®!
First up was this yummy spicy turkey, apple, spinach panini that I made for lunch.
Why I Believe SmartPoints® May Be Better than Points Plus…
Many Weight Watchers members are unhappy with SmartPoints®, even before they try it. They are expressing their dissatisfaction and threatening to quit.
I get it. Change is hard. I’m a creature of habit that can be resistant to change, even when it’s good for me.
When I first switched from my personal computer to a Mac, I was miserable and almost returned it.
The pain of learning the new system seemed unbearable. Everything took so long and I seemed so lost and confused.
I didn’t think I would ever adjust. Some days I was so frustrated I thought about hurling the machine against a wall.
But I stuck with it and am so much happier now.
I felt the same way the first couple of weeks on SmartPoints®. But eventually things fell into place, after more than my usual amount of self-talk to keep myself on track and I figured out how to adjust the plan to make it work for me.
My suggestion is just give it a chance. Keep an open mind. Try it for a few months.
Give yourself time to adjust.
And feel free to adjust the program to make it work for you.
Ultimately that’s what all successful Weight Watchers do.
They lose weight their way and you can to!
SmartPoints will help you achieve your goals!
But I get that losing weight is multi-dimensional and such a MIND GAME!
We may have to figure out how to make a game out of this and/or learn to talk/think differently, which will take time and patience, especially if a big part of our problem is emotional eating.
And we may have to figure out how to soothe our inner child who doesn’t want to be denied his/her sweet treats.
I’ve been playing with giving myself a “free” day to eat whatever I want.
I know it’s not endorsed by WW, but it seems to calm me down and make me better able to stick with SmartPoints® most days.
Promising myself I can have whatever I want on Saturday prevents me from diving head first into the bag of chips, carton of ice cream or cookie jar whenever I feel the urge.
One day of indulgence seems a lot healthier to me than 7.
But everyone is different so it’s a matter of experimenting until you figure out what works best for you.
4/16 Update: Now more than four months since it’s launch, the feedback is mixed, especially with folks who were happy with PointsPlus.
Of course, change is never easy, but some folks have experienced a serious backlash and gaining weight.
Click here to read my post: Weight Watchers SmartPoints: Struggle or Success???
Additional Perspectives on Weight Watchers New Program
It’s always helpful to get more than one opinion.
Here are links to posts by some of the amazing Weight Watchers members I had the pleasure of sharing with in this three week beta testing experiment.
Some of them you may know already, but others may be new to you and are definitely worth following.
Here are links to their reviews of the new program as well, so please stop by and show them some love!
- Melissa’s post on her blog, The Daily Mel (She is doing a weeklong series)
- Gina’s post on her blog, Skinny Taste
- Emily’s post on her blog, Emily Bites
- Alexis’s post on her blog, Trading Cardio for Cosmos (she’s also doing a week-long series)
- Jeana’s video on her YouTube channel, Simply Jeana
- Amber’s post on her Instagram feed
- Christina’s post on her Instagram feed
- Ashley’s post on her blog, The Pavement Princess
- Sophie’s post on her Instagram feed
- Serina’s post on her Instagram feed
A great video from The Skinny on Weight Loss girls talking about their first week on SmartPoints…
1/16 Update: How can I have used up all my SmartPoints® and only ingested 600 to 800 calories?
I’ve seen this question several times and people are angry about it.
They think that SmartPoints must be broken.
No! SmartPoints® isn’t broken; it’s designed to help you make “smarter” “healthier” choices 🙂
SmartPoints isn’t about counting calories…It’s about healthy eating.
If you have blown through all your SmartPoints® and only consumed 600 to 800 calories, it means that WW thinks that you aren’t making the smartest choices, which is really easy to do as I demonstrate here in my video!
If you eat and drink the way I used to, your daily SmartPoints can be gone by the time you finish your morning latte and scone 🙁
But, there’s good news!
You still have “calories” left to “save the day.” Even though your points are gone you can round out the day with healthy, good-for-you 0 Points fruits and vegetables and low Points lean proteins by using a few of your Weekly SmartPoints®.
This is what I had to do way back in the dark ages of Weight Watchers, after I had expended all my food group exchanges for the day!
4/16 SmartPoints Update:
One important thing to keep in mind with SmartPoints is that you can be way over your SmartPoints target and still lose weight!
When I first tested out SmartPoints, I began by just eating the way I regularly do to maintain my lifetime goal weight and was shocked to discover that I was consuming 50 to 60 SmartPoints per day!
That’s way over my suggested SmartPoints target for maintenance!
And I’m okay with that. I eat a relatively healthy diet of mostly home cooked foods with occasional sweet treats.
I enjoy a glass or two of wine with dinner most nights.
Could I eat healthier and meet my SmartPoints target most days?
Probably.
Would I be happy?
Probably not.
And for me it’s all about me finding my happy/healthy balance.
>Remember that your daily SmartPoints is Simply a Target you are shooting for. You don’t have to hit it to be successful! You just keep aiming for it! You can never hit it and still lose weight!!
Ultimately, like it says on page 1 of the new Beyond the Scale Plan Guide, “The first step is to treat yourself with respect, patience and kindness. Because when you change the way you think, you change the way you feel.”
You know yourself best and you should do whatever you need to, modify the program however you need to, to take care yourself. This is your life and you know yourself best!
PS – If you are tired of calculating/tracking Points or calories, check out why I’ve shifted to Intermittent Fasting after reading Eat Stop Eat!
FYI: I was part of a special group who received early access to this program. I was not paid in any way for my effort or time.
Weight Watchers Success Stories:
Weight Watchers Success Story – Shari
I’m confused with the adding points for fruit in smoothies. I don’t have the recipe builder, so how do we figure how many points for the fruit we add.
Hi Jenny, without the recipe builder you’re going to have to guesstimate I guess. Back in the old Points days most fruit had about 1 to 2 Points per serving so that might be a good place to start. Hope this helps.
Good stuff
Thanks Marlana!
Thanks for the overview. My mom has liked Weight Watchers in the past and wants to start going to meetings again, but since she can no longer drive I have to take her and so I was wondering if it is worth signing up myself, but I find it very difficult to get useful information from the WW website – everything I click seems to be a “sign up!” Link and call me crazy, but I want to know what I’m signing up for first!
As it is, I am undecided. I really like that they are focusing more on protein as one of my complaints in the past about my mom’s diet on WW is she tended to not get enough protein (and your body can use protein for energy if it has to, but it can’t get amino acids from carbs or fat, so protein is REALLY IMPORTANT especially if you are exercising so your body can maintain your muscles properly) (sorry, pet peeve) but I’m not sure about the high points for saturated fats. Some saturated fats are actually good fats (like nuts) and fat is a big factor in feeling full.
Most diet programs and health eating approaches recognize some nuts and fruit or good peanut butter (not the kind with sugar added) and fruit as a pretty good snack option as long as you have a reasonable amount of the nuts/nut butter, but on the new WW system the point value for that would be relatively high because of the fat content. That doesn’t make sense to me. Plus, it seems likely to encourage people to look to more products that use saturated fat alternatives, and we now know that some of those (trans fats like in shortening and margarine) are really very bad for us. So I have reservations – if they’d focused primarily on the sugars angle and tried to allow better for healthy saturdated fats I think I’d find it a lot more of a modern and sensible approach than what it sounds like now?
Still, my mom likes the meetings aspect so I hope this new plan works for her. I hope they reformulate some of the WW foods, too, for more emphasis on protein – my mom has tried to use those in the past as emergency options (I.e. Have a cereal bar thing or whatever if she’s not had time for breakfast) but they tend to be full of artificial sweeteners and other “junk” ingredients.
I guess I’ll have a look at the no counting plan when I take her and see if that might work out for me. (I’ve lost weight successfully in the past without WW, just counting calories, but I get bored of counting everything.) Assuming the allowed foods follow the focus of the SmartPoints, it sounds like it might cover the types of foods I tend to feel best on anyway. (I have a lot of muscle naturally, so I feel REALLY awful and slow and dragging if I don’t get enough protein. I like vegetables just fine, but I must have enough protein.)
Anyway, thanks again for covering it so I have an idea of what the new plan is. 🙂
Hi Kris, Thanks for your thoughtful comments. I agree with you on the saturated fat question. This seems like an area that seems very contentious in the world of nutrition right now. WW always follows the current dietary wisdom, which is subject to change overtime. I eat a lot of nuts and nut butters and am able to maintain my weight just fine. Best of luck to you and Mom as you explore the new program. I, like your mom, find the meetings very helpful.
I am a bit confused as far as how to count frozen (no sugar added) fruit & unsweetened almond milk smoothies. Is it 1 Smart Point for 1 cup of the almond milk + 0 Smart Points for the fruit – or is there a Smart Point Value for the fruit since it is blended?
Hi Bob, According to Weight Watchers Recipe Builder, the SmartPoints values for fruit that is blended and then drunk, as in smoothies, should be counted. Hope this helps.
My concerns with the new program involves financial outlay…for someone on a very resyricted buget the money I have put out for the WW electronic scale, the calculator & cookbooks, trackers, WW foods such as the peanut butter squares, carrot cakes, etc all become redundent…..this is extremely frustrating…I don’t have the money to replace all of these. I think this should have been taken into account. The other issue I have is that when I was able to attend merting I look forward and coolected all the weekly handout & often re-read them later,I no longet can attend so looking at online but they don’t provide the weekly pamphlets, why? Even if I had to print them myself it would be helpful. Thanks
Hi Kathy, These questions/concerns are probably best directed at Weight Watchers I’m just a member, not an employee “-) Of all the products you mention, the only one that seems necessary for the program is the calculator, which here in Arizona costs about $10. The rest of the things, while nice, are not necessary for success on the program. (At least, they weren’t for me.) I’ve been using the same old basic cheap scale for years (purchased on Amazon) and have never spent money on WW foods. I think your suggestion to make WW weekly available to online members is a good one! I’d contact them to see if they will. Best of luck!!
Hello!
Thank you so much for your post. I am strict Vegetarian (not vegan.) I eat eggs, dairy, and honey along with a vegetable-based diet. Is this new system possible for us Vegetarians?
I became a lifetime member in 2005 but was not able to maintain my goal weight with the PointsPlus system. I am thrilled to hear of the new SmartPoints system!
Thank you!
Nikki
Hi Nikki, I’m not a vegetarian, but know many successful WW members and leaders who are. The great thing about WW is that nothing is off limits. It’s up to each member to decide what they will and won’t eat. Hope this helps!
Will using my old calculator still serve its purpose to obtain new point values? Also, how do I calculate my new point allowance now?
Hi Cici, No, you will need a new calculator to determine SmartPoints. Alternatively, a calculator is built into the WW online app. You will need to take the survey on the WW online site or attend a meeting to determine your new points allowance. Hope this helps!
Thank you for the helpful info. My daughter and I have had success on ww and are planning to join again. I am wondering if you have any information about the points plus calculator and scale? Will they swap out for a new one or do I have to throw them in the trash along with my money?
Thanks again
Hi Janice, Thanks for your comments. I wish you much success as you transition to SmartPoints. I believe you’ll need a new calculator. However, with the online tools, it’s all built in to the App. Hope this helps!
Hello, Off and on I have been following your plans/menus for the week; thank you for sharing them. My question: I’d like to start following the new ww program with you…does that start Jan 2016 or will you start now following the new program w/ your menus? if so, which week do I start if I want to follow you? Thank you!
Robin
Hi Robin, I began following the new WW plan about 3 weeks before they officially launched it on 12/7/15. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek but was sworn to silence until the official announcement. All future meal plans will have the SmartPoints values instead of PointsPlus so you can begin whenever you want!
Here’s the plan I shared Saturday: https://simple-nourished-living.com/weight-watchers-weekly-meal-plan-week-59/
I’m happy that WW has focused more on lean protein – again, because the earlier programs(1970s/1980s) did just that. With PointsPlus, it was too easy to incorporate junk food while still staying on track with Daily & Weekly points.
I was an online WW member, but cancelled my account due to all the technical problems. I’m interested in the new plan, but won’t even consider rejoining until they fix all the technical problems. As an online member I relied completely on the accuracy of the website & apps. When neither was working, I couldn’t track or look up PP values, making the program unusable.
Hi Meg, I agree that these changes will make it easier for folks to eat healthier and lose weight. The technical issues should work themselves out over the next few weeks I would think. It makes me glad I’m able to attend the meetings and use a paper tracker/pocket guide. Technology is a wonderful thing when it works 🙂