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Effective 11/2021 WW has a new Program: WW PersonalPoints
Built around the latest nutrition and behavior change science, but most importantly, it’s built around you. Your life. Your favorite foods. To make sure you live the life you love AND lose the weight you want.
Effective 11/2019 WW has a new Program: myWW
The program includes Blue, Green, and Purple plans. According to WW, “You’ll have the opportunity to try an entirely new plan—Green or Purple—or stay on Freestyle—now called Blue.”
Have you caught any of the scuttlebutt regarding changes to the WW Freestyle Program for 2018?
The internet and social media are buzzing with rumors and speculation about the changes that Weight Watchers will unveil here in the US on December 3, 2017.
Image source: Weight Watchers
One big clue that this year’s change is significant is that all meeting room cookbooks have been deeply discounted. Always a sign of changes to come.
The latest Weight Watchers Program has been released in UK where it’s called Weight Watchers Flex. According to this article in Good Housekeeping UK…
‘WW Flex expands our range of zero Points foods to guide members toward a healthier pattern of eating,’ says Zoe Griffiths, Head of Programme and Public Health at Weight Watchers.
‘It offers the freedom and flexibility they need to make significant lifestyle changes that have positive benefits beyond just weight loss. The results are the best we’ve ever seen for a Weight Watchers programme in a clinical trial.’
This video provides a bit of a sneak peek into what to expect…
Changes mentioned in this video include…
- Over 200 zero points foods including lean proteins such eggs, chicken, turkey, fish and seafood, lean plant proteins like lentils, tofu, and beans (Click here to take a look at the UK Zero Points food list)
- The ability to rollover up to 4 daily SmartPoints
Rumor has it that “Flex” will be called “Freestyle” here in the US. According to Danica from Danica’s Daily , WW filed for that Trademark earlier this year and I’ve just met with a very reliable source who confirmed it.
New 2018 Program: Weight Watchers Freestyle Details
According to many online sites the new Weight Watchers program for 2018 will be called Freestyle and will be rolled out beginning December 3, 2017.
An updated version of SmartPoints that will expand zero points foods beyond fruits and vegetables (including corn and peas) to include lean sources of protein such as beans, chicken breast, eggs, fish, lentils, shellfish, turkey breast, tofu and nonfat plain unsweetened yogurt.
Interestingly, the current issue of Weight Watchers magazine includes a detailed article about the power of protein for weight loss.
Continuing with the focus of WW SmartPoints & Beyond the Scale launched in 2015, it appears that the plan changes will go even further to encourage people to make healthier choices and nourish their whole selves.
How SmartPoints Work
- For those of you not already familiar with SmartPoints, the SmartPoints system uses the latest nutritional science to make healthy eating as simple as possible. It nudges you toward making healthy choices so eat better and lose weight.
- Every food and drink has a SmartPoints value: a number that is based on calories, protein, sugar and saturated fat. The baseline SmartPoints value is based on the food’s calories. Protein lowers the SmartPoints value. Saturated fat and sugar increase the SmartPoints value.
- Every day you get a SmartPoints Budget to spend on any foods you want.
- Your Daily SmartPoints Budget is calculated based on your age, height, weight and gender with a minimum daily value of 23.
- You only need to track the foods that have a SmartPoints value.
- You don’t need to weigh, measure or track 0 SmartPoints foods.
- Enjoy a greatly expanded list of 0 SmartPoints go-to foods.
- Every week you also get a Weekly SmartPoints Budget that you can think of as “overdraft” protection. They are there to use when you go over your Daily SmartPoints budget.
- You can roll over up to four (4) unused Daily SmartPoints into your Weekly SmartPoints. Use them or not as you see fit.
Weight Watchers Rollover Points
Most sources, including the WW UK website say that on the new Weight Watchers plan for 2018, you will be able to roll over up to 4 SmartPoints daily if you do not use them.
I love this idea since it means you could adjust your points to match the natural rhythms and fluctuations of your appetite.
Weight Watchers New Products to Include Meal Delivery and Wine
There’s talk of a SmartPoints friendly home meal delivery system similar to those offered by companies like Blue Apron or Hello Fresh, several variations of which are being tested in various regions of the country.
And just today Weight Watchers unveiled its new line of diet wine called Cense, starting with a sauvignon blanc.
Lower in alcohol and calories, the new white wine is “is rich in flavor” but contains only 85 calories per a 5 fluid ounce serving (the equivalent of 3 Weight Watchers SmartPoints), while many other white wines contain about 120 calories (4 SmartPoints) per the same serving size.
“We’re not about diet. We’re about living life to its fullest,” says WW. “Wine is the No. 2 tracked beverage in our app.”
Weight Watchers 2018: What These Changes Mean & Thoughts
At this point, I’m taking a wait and see attitude, but it seems to me that this plan is more like Simply Filling (which I love) than any other program in recent history.
While I love the idea of more zero points foods to encourage healthy eating, I am not looking forward to having to update all my favorite recipes to reflect all the points value changes.
However, I am excited that many of my favorite recipes include lots of 0 SmartPoints foods so they will go down in value. In fact I just calculated the this favorite Skinny Slow Cooker Southwest Chicken Soup, which is now *0 SmartPoints (instead of *3 SmartPoints)!
Weight Watchers has been around for more than 50 years. There have been many changes to the program through the decades to reflect the latest nutrition and weight loss science.
The latest program is vastly different from the original plan from 1963 or the Quick Start Plan from the late 1980s / early 1990s that I followed to become a WW lifetime member.
What have you heard about the new plan? Please leave a comment if you have any details or insights to share.
More news about the new Weight Watchers Plan for 2018 from around the web…
- The New Weight Watchers Program (Danica’s Daily)
- New Weight Watchers Program (Snack Girl)
- New Weight Watchers Freestyle Program? (Slender Kitchen)
- Weight Watchers Announces Huge Changes to its Weight Loss Programme (Good Housekeeping UK)
- Weight Watchers New Program 2018 (Less of a Better Me)
- Emily Bites Who Had Early Access to Freestyle Weighs in with Her Thoughts (Emily Bites)
- Weight Watchers Ambassador, shares the scoop on freestyle and her experience with it (Daily Dose of Pepper)
- Weight Watchers Liberté – New Program 2018 (Weight Watchers France)
- Weight Watchers Your Way – New Program 2018 (Weight Watchers Germany)
- Weight Watchers Feel Good – New Program 2018 (Weight Watchers Austria)
- Weight Watchers Liberté – New Program 2018 (Weight Watchers Switzerland – French)
- Weight Watchers Your Way – New Program 2018 (Weight Watchers Switzerland – German)
- Weight Watchers Your Way+ – New Program 2018 (Weight Watchers Australia)
- Weight Watchers Your Way+ – New Program 2018 (Weight Watchers New Zealand)
Weight Watchers Girl Video…
Wellness that Works WW Program Changes 2019
Will the smart points change for individual foods. If a 3 oz. serving of breaded chicken was 4 points will a 6oz. Piece be 0?
Hi Suzanne, Only plain boneless skinless chicken breast will be 0. There will be points for the breading 🙂
Bless you…. I have wanted to slap the last 50 people who have asked if their daily points will change (which you answered all 50 without sass)…. but when people start thinking chicken fingers count as 0 point boneless, skinless chicken…. and you avoid (after the redundant things everyone keeps asking because they apparently cannot read…. ) a smart alec answer, I nominate you for sainthood.
PS. So are the bang bang popcorn shrimp at costco 0 points since is was 20 before?
Will the weekly points decrease too?
Hi Katie, I think just the dailies were adjusted down but not sure. We’ll know in for sure next week!
Will the fees change as well with the new Free Style plan? I see there is a black friday special 50 % off.
Hi Sherry, I really don’t know. I’m a lifetime member who gets to enjoy the benefit of attending free online access and meetings provided I weigh in once a month and am no more than 2 pounds over goal.
Thank you for sharing! I joined in 2015, just before the switch from PP to SP. I did really well and now I’ve stalled a little. Hoping this gives me the boost I need to get to goal! I am assuming though that with the possibility of lean meats, eggs and lentils being 0 points there will be a deduction in a persons daily points? There would almost have to be? Whatever it is, bring it on! WW is the only thing that has ever worked for me!
Hi Laura, yes there will be a deduction in daily points. The minimum daily target is going from 30 to 23.
Martha, do you know whether the daily Smart Points allowance will change too? For example, I currently am supposed to eat 30 Smart Points worth of food per day, with up to an additional 42 optional “weekly points” per week. Will those numbers stay the same for me and for everybody, or do they decrease? Thanks.
Hi Bruce, yes the daily Smart Points allowance is being reduced. The minimum daily allowance will go from 30 to 23. Hope this helps.
Will I need to buy a new points calculator with the new program?
Hi Elaine, I don’t think you’ll need a new SmartPoints calculator.
I lost 85 pounds, reached goal 6 years ago and at age 86 maintaining with very little difficulty. My health is excellent with no activity restrictions but am still looking forward to plan changes with great anticipatory desire.
That’s awesome Hod! You need to be featured as a WW success story! Would love to have you share your story with us here: https://simple-nourished-living.com/submit-your-weight-loss-success-story/
This scares me. I’m so afraid of gaining back the weight because I’d essentially be allowed to eat two to three times more than I’m eating in a day now… would be pretty astounding if I could do that and not gain.
I didn’t care so much for the WW plan that rolled out in 2015 (changing PP to SP). I just never felt satisfied and didn’t care for the fact that they raised the points on carbs. I used to look forward to my “cheats” on the weekend, or small servings of sweet treats (from recipes on their site) for a bit of dessert. Never had an issue with gaining when I was on maintenance and prior to that, lost the 15 lbs. I wanted to lose. With SP, it just didn’t work for me. Didn’t lose any weight. I just switched to the Simply Filling and I seem to be more satisfied (food-wise). Just switched, so I can’t tell you about weight loss yet. I’m wondering if this new Freestyle program will replace it? Either way, being able to eat beans, lentils, lean protein, and fat free yogurt, for zero points, is awesome. Looking forward to this new roll out!
Hi Tammy,
Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences. Though Freestyle is more like Simply Filling it doesn’t replace it. Simply Filling is still an option 🙂
What is Simply Filling?
Simply Filling is WW No Count Option. I love it. You can read all about it here: https://simple-nourished-living.com/i-love-weight-watchers-simply-filling-technique/
To me this new concept sounds Just Like simply filling. For people like me that don’t have that trigger in my mind to tell me when I’m full or satisfied this new concept isn’t going to work. I’m a life timer for many years now but I’ve never been able to do the Simply Filling concept. This is the first time I’m not feeling confident. I eat mostly all the new free foods on a regular basis anyway. Yet without the Points LIMIT of those items I know full well I won’t know how much to personally consume. I rarely eat things like beans etc for just that reason. I could put an entire can of black beans in my salad (for example) and not think twice about it. I really need something telling me exactly how many points worth I’ve taken BEFORE I can eat them.
I don’t understand what people are complaining about. I lost 15lbs in two and a half weeks and I never go anywhere near my 23 points. Most days I’m at 5-6 points total. I feel full and satisfied. I look at it like this. You can’t focus on what you feel you are deprived of. If you continue making unhealthy food choices you are depriving yourself of quality of life and more importantly life. Seems simple when you look at it like that.
Tammy,
I totally feel you on what you just said. I was not a fan of the recent change; I hardly ever stayed within positive numbers. It just felt so…restrictive? And I understand the science, and I believe in it. I just never felt satisfied personally…and I even worked out too, but that just made me hungrier. Of course I got wise and began embracing more protein – the eggs, the chicken, and my favorite – salmon 🙂
So I feel this new program will be the right one for me.
Erik
Hi Erik, I never stayed within my target either, but was still able to maintain my weight 🙂
I also didn’t care for the change to Smart Points. I was very successful in the two programs before that and struggled when they switched. Luckily I was at goal at that time. Unfortunately I have several things happen last year and gained 20 pounds. I’ve have met been able to get it off. I’m hoping this may be the switch that will work for me.
Hi WW fan,
I appreciate your concerns. The key is to remember to only eat until you are no longer hungry, not as much as you can/want. Also, in my experience it’s much more difficult to overeat/abuse lean proteins than it is carbs/fats so I’m excited that this will work well for most people!
How does this affect one’s daily points?
Will the daily points go down?
Yes, Annette, the daily points will go down.
Hi Annette, yes the daily points will go down. The minimum daily target is going from 30 to 23, a reduction of 7 points.
My pts are going from 34 to 26, that is 8 pts difference. So for someone who’s allergic to Dairy and does not eat chicken or beans, it is going to be very difficult to lose 8 points and not gain free foods. And I understand that the simply filling is a less structured plan which is why I elected not to do that as I need structure. And this new plan freestyle is said to be more like simply filling with no structure. So for someone like myself it’s a plan set up for failure. I am very unhappy and after just joining two months ago I don’t know if I would have. I just learned this program and have entered an adjusted so many recipes and spend so many hours doing so. I have wasted so much of my time. Feeling disgusted. I am lifetime I have changed many times in programs since 1999, change doesn’t bother me. But with this new change it really bothers me!!!
I agree. I have no interest in binging on protein. Lol. It’s usually Carbs I have tendency to overeat.
So true Yvonne! I feel better and have fewer cravings when I get enough protein, but never have the desire to binge on it. Therein lies the magic of this plan. Just read in a Good Housekeeping UK article… ‘The results are the best we’ve ever seen for a Weight Watchers programme in a clinical trial.’
I just have to disagree…it is really, really easy for me to overeat with eggs and beans and corn and peas. I gained 6 pounds in the 10 days after the program changed, and I was following the program. There are no guidelines as to how many servings of zero point foods to eat. I need more structure than the new program provides. With SmartPoints pre Freestyle, I tracked everything, and when my points were gone, I was done. Now, I can eat zero point foods all day, and still have all my points left, which allows me to overeat during the evening. Trust me, my body knows the difference.
Hi Terri, sorry to hear you are struggling with the new changes. I believe the program materials include instructions to eat until no longer hungry/satisfied, not stuffed. I think the key is to know ourselves and then do what we need to do to support ourselves in being successful. The Freestyle Program isn’t an invitation to eat when we are not hungry or game the system it’s designed to help us learn to nourish ourselves with healthy food in reasonable amounts. I’ve found that when I have the urge to eat when I’m not hungry, asking myself, “What are you really hungry for? What do you really want?” helpful.
I’m guessing our daily SmartPoints value will also go down!-
Yes, Laura, the daily SP allowance is going down. The minimum is going from 30 to 23, a reduction of 7 SP.
The minimum SmartPoints right now is 30 – with the new rollout it will 23 – I have only just been able to get the hang of smart points since it changed in 2015. Just hoping that my current protein intake equals about 7 points if it is more then I’m going to have to adapt my eating yet again! I sure wish they’d just quit playing with it.
I just joined Weight Watchers Online today for the Black Friday special. I hope that the new starter kit (plan) that I’m getting is not too different from the new plan that is coming out.
Unfortunately this new “Freestyle” program is more like a typical rigid “Atkins/Dukkan” diet than a lifestyle change. WW used to be about the science of the points based on real factors (sugar, fat, etc.) with all foods being fair game as a choice – but this new program is based on their “opinion” as to what people will (or won’t) overeat. They “gave us “free” points” (for THEIR food choices) but they aren’t really “free” because they took away a significant number of our daily points – so essentially we are paying for these free points upfront ( whether we eat their foods or not). What they have done is take away our freedom to choose which foods we want to spend our points on (no more swapping an egg for a piece of bread because that was what Would satisfy you at that time). Furthermore, it doesn’t make any sense. Before, a normal serving of steak might be worth four points and a normal of chicken might be worth three – A reasonable two point difference. Now, a normal serving of steak is still worth four points but you can now eat 10 chicken breast for zero points. This makes no scientific sense. It seems like they let their misguided opinions totally derail what weight watchers used to be about – i.e. Choices and recognizing the actual value of food and eating it in moderation. Disaster!
I totally agree with you! I am doing WW on line. I’ve been doing WW for most of my life I feel like. This plan is just not doing it for me. 23 points is a small amount. I try to stay within my range. I feel like the old version was better.
Hi Stella, I am in South Africa and I do not think we have Weight Watchers here anymore. I have been trying to go it alone without any guidance but would love some help as all the point charts I find still list items such as chicken, fruit etc as having points to be counted. I would love to get some up to date points charts if possible or find out from you how you follow the eating plan on line please?
Thank you!
are you really going to eat 10 pieces of chicken breast? I doubt you would eat two. I think they are just trying to encourage people to eat better options (chicken is better than steak). To me, the plan didn’t really change. Yes, there are fewer points, but you have options of 0 points foods if you “run out” of your points. Imagine if you ran out of points…now, are you going to “save” the day by eating 0 point food or will you say, screw it, and eat pizza? I’d definitely go for a 0-point food like egg(s) or chicken.
I don’t think that “chicken is better than steak” I think there is a time and place for red meat and for fish and poultry…. I also do not agree that this “freestyle plan” is better or has any science. I think it’s a whole lot of judgement based on opinion…. It may work for some …. but it does not work for me and it makes no sense to me either…. I feel like they made the change to ramp up marketing dollars again and not to think of the people.
I’m super excited about this! I’m optimistic about the changes because I’ll continue to work the program and do what works for me. Being a vegetarian, I will be able to eat beans and eggs for 0 points. Omlettes are going to be awesome!!! The only down side for me is that my boyfriend eats meat and doesn’t like eggs (he’s not on WW), so it’s going to be hard or take more planning to make two completely different meals. But I’m excited! I’m hoping that the UK List is going to be different than what we get in Canada. They include Quorn and we can’t get that here. So I’m hoping soy products, like Tofurkey, Yves products, etc. will be zero points as well. But if not, it’ll be a way to stop eating them so much. Or I might just completely switch to simply filling. My options are endless!
Hi Kelly Lynn,
I’m super excited for vegetarians too! I don’t think the processed soy products are zero, just tofu as far as I can tell.
Hi Martha. I just fell upon your website which is wonderful. Question for you… I would like to order your cookbooks and wonder if they will be converted to the new 0 points system? Thanks
Hi Michelle, the books have all been updated with the new WW Freestyle SP program parameters. Hope this helps!
what oils will be allowed or not allowed…..
Hi Trish, I’m not sure what you mean Trish. On WW, everything is allowed, provided you are willing to pay the “SmartPoints” price 🙂