Please Note: Weight Watchers has changed it's program again. Click here to learn more about Weight Watchers latest program for 2020.
Some Successful Weight Watchers Struggle with Transitioning from Points Plus to Smart Points
I ran across this post over at Drizzle Me Skinny, where Kate, a successful Weight Watchers Lifetime Member, explains why she made the decision to switch back to PointsPlus after testing out the new SmartPoints Plan for three months.
She basically sums it up with this assessment:
After about a month of getting into the swing of the new point system I noticed my moods at the end of the day were different, and I was finding myself in the kitchen eating all sorts of snacks I normally never would have, a little of this, a little of that and next thing you know I am easily 10-20 points over my daily allowance of 30SP. This is because I wasn't buying or making the things I was so accustomed to on my points plus journey… because most things were about ⅓ of my allotted daily allowance. This new habit I had picked up was something I never did on points plus and I can sum that up to "restriction."
A lot of folks left comments expressing similar frustration that was tapping into feelings of deprivation leading to bingeing and weight gain. Not a good thing! And I'm sure not what Weight Watchers intended. Weight loss is such a mental game!
I know being told I can't have something is a real problem for me. I have this really spoiled inner child that rebels when told, NO.
So, I've learned to appease her by telling her that nothing is off limits provided she is willing to plan/budget for it. Most of the time it works.
This is why Weight Watchers is the only plan that works for me longterm. I can't live without bread, wine, chocolate, sweets, fat, sugar, pizza or potato chips forever. It's unrealistic for me and the way I want to live.
Other Weight Watchers Are Seeing Greater Success with SmartPoints
Another commenter's experience was just the opposite. SmartPoints is working for her:
For what it's worth, PointsPlus is what knocked me off of my goal weight. I loved the old original points plan and I could NOT make PP work for me. I found myself doing a lot of what you were doing and eventually, I quit WW in frustration of not having any good tools. I happened to join WW again just as they were rolling out SP (I had avoided it because I resented the PP plan). SmartPoints is working really well for me. I think the experience of many of us is: we have made one lifestyle change to embrace a program (Weight Watchers or otherwise) that works for us. We have success, and we find goal. If we are summarily pushed to a new mindset, when we like the one we have — and it’s working for us — we probably won't like it.
I think this is why I still have good feelings about the old WW exchange plan I followed to originally lose weight and achieve lifetime status. It was very restrictive, but the joy I felt getting slim and reaching goal is what I most remember.
Why Do Some Weight Watchers Programs Seem to Work Better Than Others?
As my leader explained during Friday's meeting: Weight Watchers has been around for more than 50 years and has changed the program dozens of times to stay in alignment with current dietary understanding, which continues to evolve.
Each and every program worked for the members that followed it. Many of us who have been with WW through the decades have witnessed this first hand.
The key is to lasting success is adjusting the program to best meet our individual needs. Question any group of successful Weight Watchers members and you'll discover that they're all doing things differently.
We all know what we are supposed to do - eat more fruits and vegetables and avoid sweet treats. The difficulty begins with actually doing it, as Mindless Eating expert Brian Wansink explains in this interesting article about tricking yourself into eating better:
The thrust of his research directly contradicts the prevailing wisdom in nutrition circles—that the way to improve America's diet is to teach people about the dangers of trans fats, refined sugar, and white flour. In Wansink's view, that's a losing battle—if we were rational eaters, the snack food industry would already be out of business. "There are a million nutritionists out there that tell you to eat an apple instead of a Snickers bar," he says. "I want to meet people where they're at."
Here's another great article that sums up why Weight Watchers is struggling as a business - because sensible eating and portion control can be boring and hard work. It's not extreme or sexy. It's not a silver bullet promising unrealistic results!
Can thinking differently help those struggling with SmartPoints?
I recently had this realization... with Weight Watchers SmartPoints, you can never hit your daily target and still lose weight!
Say What? The SmartPoints Target is a number designed to reflect OPTIMAL/NEAR PERFECT HEALTHY EATING FOR WEIGHT LOSS. So, it's possible to go way over your target and still lose weight...
I Regularly Exceed My WW SmartPoints Target While Managing to Maintain My 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.
I've been successfully maintaining for several years now the goal weight I set back when I was 28. Could I eat healthier and meet my SP 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!!
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!
The Correct Mindset is Critical to Lasting Weight Loss
Weight loss is a MIND - BODY challenge. It's as much psychological as it is physical. The correct mindset, thoughts and beliefs are just as important (or maybe more important) than what you eat.
Lasting weight loss happens with little incremental behavioral changes.
It takes awareness. It takes time. It takes patience. It takes practice. It takes creating new habits and changing your environment. It has to be a priority. You have to really really want it. You have to be willing to do the work. You have to be willing to learn from your mistakes and be kind to yourself.
There Are Lots of Ways Other Than Weight Watchers to Successfully Lose Weight
And the truth is that there are lots and lots of ways to lose weight. Heck, here's an example of a college professor who lost weight and got healthier on the junk food diet! You know yourself best so do what's best for you!!
Personally, I hate that you can no longer use a recipe's nutritional information to accurately calculate SmartPoints. Recipes must be run through the WW Recipe Builder to accurately determine SmartPoints which is time consuming.
I'm still a huge fan of the overall Weight Watchers model, with the accountability and support it provides. I believe Weight Watchers success is in their structure as a support network.
For me WW meetings are 30 minutes of sanity in an out of control food world. And I love the new WW Connect feature.
What do you think? Has Weight Watchers gone too far with Smart Points? Is it too restrictive? Or sustainable once you get used to it? Is it easier for new members than for those transitioning from Points Plus to SmartPoints?
Please share your thoughts. I really want to know so I can help be part of the solution to our weight loss and healthy eating struggles!
I'll also continue to provide both SmartPoints and PointsPlus for all new recipes for those of you sticking with the old plan.
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!
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
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Gina Bruce
Hi, I too am frustrated with SP. I don't eat a lot of processed foods, if any. I haven't had a Coke in over 3 weeks and those use to be my "must have" food. I'm cutting back on sugar etc.. I think that SP upset me mentally. I felt that I was being restricted and I was told by my leader that SP was the new game in town and I could follow it or not.. I basically felt like she was saying, " we don't care about your feelings and questions... just get on the band wagon" After that I gained over 20 lbs before I could get back on PP. Like I said, I'm not eating processed foods or much sugar at all.. But I feel freer on PP and I think that makes a difference for me. I lost 63 lbs on PP and I am loosing on it again. I was told there would be no support for me in the meetings for PP anymore so I stopped paying the monthly fee and joined another group thats free. We meet weekly and weigh etc and I have lost 10 lbs... To sum up, I guess its not that I'm against SP but they way the company handled the transition, at least in our meetings..
Martha McKinnon
Hi Gina,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I think ultimately, we all need to lose weight in our own way and create our own perfect "recipe for weight loss success." I've been studying weight loss and experimenting with myself for over 30 years and the one thing I know for sure is there is NO ONE RIGHT WAY to lose weight. Only the right way for you! I'm glad you have found the support you needed to get back on track 🙂
VSP
I had great results with PP and gained weight on SP. Does anyone still go to the meetings who is on PP and how does that work?
Melinda
I agree with the scattered comments that have to do with diets that are either vegetarian or close to it. I eat meat maybe twice a week at dinner, three times at most, with fish and totally vegetarian meals making up the balance. Although I have been ok on SP (I lost the majority of my goal weight on PP last year, but have lost some weight since on SP), I don't like the emphasis on animal protein over vegetable protein like legumes and other high quality sources like nuts. Is this really good science? Another issue, I think, is the amount of "good" fat that is necessary in a healthy diet and how to get it from non meat sources. Again, this is made more difficult when foods like nuts, olive oil, and cheese have gone up in points (I do eat fatty fish like salmon and sardines,as well as eggs, which helps, but this is infrequent). What I'm struggling with right now, is - is my diet actually well-balanced? And I don't see anything on the website (at least, I can't find it, anyway), that would provide some guidance (I don't attend meetings, and I haven't had much luck with on-line help). Also, as an aside, although it makes it easier for me to track when fruits and vegetables are zero points in recipes, I liked that they had recipe points in PP. There's a big difference in calories, carbs and sugar between, say broccoli and butternut squash.
Amy
I really really appreciate this post and comment thread, more than I can say. I lost about 15 lbs last year, using Points Plus. Then my entire experience/progress just stalled completely once Smart Points was rolled out. I literally have been plateauing for months, gaining and losing the same 4 lbs. I have come to the conclusion that the new plan is somehow a bad fit for me. Like others, I feel like there is little flexibility, you are penalized heavily for having foods high in fat or sugar, and it feels like a serious diet, not a 'lifestyle change' as we talk about at meetings. I'm not sure why Points Plus was so successful for me and Smarts Points is the opposite, but I suspect that it is because of the things your other readers brought up... especially the sense of deprivation and feeling extremely limited in choices in the Smart Points program. With Point Plus, I enjoyed eating and I loved eating well and healthy. The whole program was so pleasurable, and my success contributed to the feedback loop of more pleasure and more success. I could have my yogurt, I could have my dark chocolate, I could have a handful of olives or nuts or dried fruit. (I eat in a Mediterranean-inspired way.) With Smart Points, I hate it. I often feel like I am pushed to be 'good' and stay away from healthy foods that I enjoy, simply because their point values skyrocketed. That is a negative, unsustainable mindset. I'm going to try Ultimate Food Tracker and see if returning to Point Plus will be more effective and enjoyable. Diet and nutrition are highly individual, and I guess that the low glycemic, high protein Smart Points diet isn't working. Now that I have read these other stories, I don't feel crazy anymore, at least! 😉
Martha McKinnon
Hi Amy, I'm so glad this post has helped you realize you are not crazy! Weight loss is very tricky, as you explain so thoroughly with your comment! If it was easy to eat healthy and lose weight our country wouldn't be suffering from an obesity epidemic. I'm a big fan of Dr. Brian Wansink, who likes to say that the best diet is the one you don't know you're on! Once you feel like your are dieting and depriving yourself it's only a matter of time before you succumb to your cravings. If PointsPlus helped you lose weight in a way that was pleasurable, that was a big part of its success for you. My favorite yoga teacher always says that you should only do as much yoga as feels good. I'm coming to understand that it may be the same with trying to lose weight. The magic recipe is losing weight in a way that feels good, so you experience the feedback loop that spurs you on to further success 🙂 Best of luck getting back on track with the Ultimate Food Tracker 🙂 I'm cheering for you!!
Gillian
I have enjoyed reading the comments here. Thanks for having this great discussion on your blog.
I started WW in January, and so I'm only used to Smart Points. I can't compare it to Points Plus. SP has worked really well for me in terms of weight loss - 27 lbs in 13 weeks. At this rate, I'll reach my goal by the end of June, and I am so pleased.
Having said that, I think SP feels pretty restrictive. If I'd been on the Points Plus system and then had to switch, I'd be frustrated. I'm glad I started when I did, because I think that having to switch would make me feel even more deprived.
One of the reasons I didn't join under the old Points Plus program, though, is that it didn't line up with my nutritional thinking. I was (half-heartedly) into Paleo eating. I even did the Whole 30 twice. Maybe that's why I'm mostly okay with Smart Points; a diet that emphasizes protein and vegetables, and avoids processed foods and sugar, is familiar to me after those Whole 30s! Once I've reached my goal weight, I might try to maintain it with a more Paleo-ish approach than WW permits. For example, based on my reading of current nutritional research, I think that many forms of saturated fat aren't bad for us, and are even deeply nutritious!
So I have mixed feelings about SP. I joined WW because I *knew* it would work, and it has. I'd probably have loved PP because it's less restrictive than SP, but I'm not suffering on SP because it's familiar to me, and it's really worked for me! (And unlike on a Whole 30, I can have wine!) I'm just afraid that once I've hit my goal, I'll turn around and eat everything in sight, much like I did after my Whole 30s. I'll do my best to avoid a boomerang reaction like that, but I know it will be challenging!
Thanks again for your great blog, recipes, and discussions!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Gillian, First congratulations on your impressive 27 pound weight loss! Obviously SP is working for you and I'm very happy for you. I appreciate you sharing your thoughts with us here. I think it's helpful to everyone caught in the weight loss struggle to learn from and support one another. I've never done Whole 30 but have friends who have who seem to struggle with the same boomerang reaction when it's over that you describe. The same thing happened to me years ago when I first became a WW lifetime member on a much more restrictive plan. I celebrated by going out to one of my favorite restaurants for a cheeseburger, fries and chocolate shake. I ate too much and felt sick for hours afterward! While I'm a big believer in healthy eating, I've found that the only thing that really works for me over the long haul is a moderate, balanced approach, where nothing is completely off limits. Once it is I begin to obsess about it! But everyone loses weight their own way. I hope you find your perfect recipe for losing the weight and keeping it off. I'm cheering for you 🙂
Crystal
I agree !00%. I did so well on points plus, two weeks after starting smart points I gained 8 pounds and I was miserable. I had keep off 25 pounds for 10 years now I'm so upset with myself. I now do pp with out any support and I'm getting back on track. wish they would give you a choice.
Kimberly O.
I've been on various versions of Weight Watchers since back when they wanted you to eat liver x times a week. (I was 10.) The last time I was on WW, I think the 360 Turnaround program was in place, so... six years ago? I had weight loss surgery (sleeve - where they removed 85% of my stomach) in July 2012 and was able to lose 163 pounds. I've kept that weight off but joined Weight Watchers in January to help me lose a few more pounds.
Personally, I really like the new SmartPoints program. I've already put in the hard work of revamping how I eat, so the new program really fits for me. Prior to joining, I had noticed that candy was starting to work its way into my day. That really scared me because I know where I was, and I don't want to return. I have about 8 lbs to hit my goal, having lost 10 lbs. (I tend to have a downward trend on the scale, but the weight bounces around some.)
For anyone who really likes the sweet treats, try the Yasso ice cream bars. They are 3 - 5 SPs, depending on the flavor. The chocolate fudge tastes like a fudgesicle. I budget one of these in for a nightly treat. Pillsbury also makes a sugar free cake mix. If you make a cake with a diet soda with this mix, 1/12 of the cake is only 3 SP. (Granted, if you stay away from artificial sweeteners, this won't work for you.)
I can see how all of the calculations for SP would seem more difficult for someone who was on a previous program. Realistically, that's the same feeling anyone totally new to Weight Watchers on ANY of the programs feels. It's all new to them too. (360, PointsPlus, even the exchange system.) I'm happy to read that some folks have totally embraced the new program. I gave myself a good month or so to learn the system. It definitely isn't something a person can pick up in a day. (I still don't care for a lot of cooked vegetables, but I do work on it. At least I like roasted or raw veggies.)
Regardless, if PointsPlus works for a person, just go back to that. There are good apps out there that you can use - I'd suggest getting one of the paid apps because they seem to have better food databases. $4 for a good Android or iOS app isn't bad. Just do what works for you.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Kimberly, So glad SmartPoints is working for you! Thanks for sharing your thoughts, experiences and suggestions!
Debby
I've been a lifetime member since 2004. I've always loved the PP program. I tried the SP and felt deprived. I'm not ashamed to say I have a sweet tooth and like carbs, but I do count each and every point and do for the most part eat a heathy balanced diet. But with SP I was way out of points at the end of each day and it was demotivating, so I switched back to PP because I know it works for me. I think everyone is different and once you find what works for you, then stick with it.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Debby, Thanks for "weighing-in" with your thoughts! Glad you have found what works. I think my new mantra around here is "lose weight your way!" 🙂
Kasey
This was an awesome read! I am so glad to hear others are having the same issues as I am. I was on the original WW plan years ago and lost 35lbs. Unfortunately, when PP came around I was on a downward spiral and gaining. I couldn't seem to figure out how to make the switch from points to PP. SO I quit for a few years and gained all of my weight back and then some. I started SP almost 4 months ago and have lost 25lbs. However, it has been much slower than I was anticipating and I feel deprived all the time. On the original WW program I knew I could have a piece of Birthday cake and not gain weight. On SP I feel like I look at a piece of cake and I gain. I have tried lowering the points to 15-20 and of course I was losing, but I know I can't eat like that forever and when I am closer to 30 I either lose next to nothing or gain. I eat healthy meals and cook at home most of the time, but SP doesn't seem to be working for me. Don't get me wrong I am happy I have lost 25 lbs, but now I seem to be at a plateau and I am only half way there. I am sticking with it and hoping things will get better, but I don't see how I can maintain this or stay on it forever.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Kasey, Thanks for sharing your experience!!First, I'm here to say that 25 pounds lost in 4 months is AWESOME weight loss! And I think it's natural for the whole process to get slower and slower the closer you get to your goal. I think sometimes our bodies need time to adjust to all the changes that are happening as we lose weight and eat differently. Learning to lose weight and keep it off is like learning any new skill such as speaking a new language. It takes time and practice and lots and lots of patience. For me the key to lasting weight loss has been learning to lose/maintain weight in a way that I could live with for the long term. I had a friend who took the slow and steady approach with weight loss, losing on average about 0.2 to 0.3 of a pound each week. Keeping it off was so much easier for her than it was for others who lost more quickly. I might ask myself how do I want to eat for the long term and begin practicing that style of eating and see what happens to my weight over 2 to 3 months. Hope this helps. I'm cheering for you 🙂
Erin P
Hi Martha, I am so glad you are talking about this. Although it was an adjustment, I love SP and so does my body. I lost 7 lbs easily, bringing me to below my goal weight and the lowest weight I have ever been as an adult. I know (as a Weight Watchers leader) that many of my members are really struggling with SP. I haven't quite figure out why some members thrive while others struggle to the point of quitting altogether. I hope that with patience and tenacity, members can get in the groove and reap the health benefits SP can offer.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Erin, Thanks! So glad that you and your body are loving SP, now that you have adjusted. That's so awesome. I too am intrigued by why some folks are struggling while others are thriving. It's an interesting study in human behavior and psychology. I think you are right that patience and tenacity are key. One thing I would want to stress to as many folks as I could is that the daily SP target is just that, a target, for optimal healthy eating. You can exceed that number and still be successful and lose weight. I think folks are going over their target, feeling defeated and then giving up and/or self-sabotaging, instead of just working to find their own groove. Learning to eat better, lose weight and then maintain is a skill that takes time. Most of us just give up too soon. I know that was my case for years until I finally embraced WW as a lifestyle and not a diet.
Linda
I did the old points program (pre-Points Plus), and I have to say that I love the new Smart Points program. At first I was put off, because bread and sweets are a ridiculous amount of points now. I didn't think I'd be able to stick with it. But then a funny thing happened. My cravings for those foods vanished after the first couple of weeks. I never had that experience on the old program--I always had to grit it out through the cravings. Now I'm rarely even tempted to go off program. The new plan is brilliant.
Martha McKinnon
Thanks, Linda! Love to hear that after a couple of weeks your cravings for sweets vanished 🙂
Vanessa
I'm super new to the SP program. I'm just finishing my first week and will have my first weigh in tomorrow. I've done various incarnations of WW over the years and never really saw much success. That was mostly on me though since I was bad about sticking with it and didn't find that the groups in my area were very supportive. I did lose 40 lbs a few years ago counting calories and working out a ton, but an injury derailed me and I ended up gaining it all back, and then some. So now I'm at my highest adult weight ever and needed something to get me back on track, and I knew WW had revamped things. Personally, I'm loving the new "Beyond the Scale" materials. I love that it's not all about the scale. I know it wasn't before, but now it seems more apparent. I love that they didn't immediately set a 5% or 10% goal the second I walked in the door.
As for the SP themselves...I'm happy with it so far. I'm sure I'm still in the honeymoon phase, but a big reason I'm at WW is because I was eating too much, and particularly too much fat and sugar, so a plan that helps me limit those better is good for me. One thing I didn't like about PP was that half of the meetings seemed to be spent either selling WW products like smoothies or candies, or members swapping ideas for how to have the most junk for the least points, usually desserts. I like that with SP, there's still nothing off limits, but it's a lot harder to make things like dessert a daily occurrence and instead makes it what it should be, which is an occasional treat that you enjoy and then move on. Personally, I'm planning to give SP a fair shake. Maybe I'll feel differently in a few months but right now I feel like I can work with this plan. That said, if people saw better success with PP, then I think sticking with whatever works for them is the smart way to go. It's just unfortunate that they can't do that and still have the same support from WW (online or meetings or whatever).
Martha McKinnon
Hi Vanessa,
Thanks for weighing in with your views. The more perspectives we are able to share the better. I'm so glad you are loving the new "Beyond the Scale" materials. I agree that making the scales less important is key to lasting weight loss success. I wish you much continued success 🙂
Kristen
I'm new to WW so I haven't used anything except Smart Points and I don't understand why people are saying it's hard. I eat pretty much what I want and many times, I don't even use my points for the day. I have no idea what any other point program was like but I think SP is great and I KNOW I can lose weight this way because I don't feel deprived. I don't even know what people were eating before if now they're eating 50-60 points on the SP plan by eating the way they did on their old points system plan. Sure, it cuts back on sugar but other than that, I don't see it cutting back on anything else and we could all do with a limit to our sugar.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Kristen, Thanks for sharing your experience. So glad to hear that WW is working for you and that you know you can lose weight because you don't feel deprived! That is so awesome!! A huge part of weight loss is our mindset and yours seems like it's exactly where it needs to be. I wish you much success 🙂
Shannon
I just re-joined WW after being gone for three years. I was a lifetime member back in 2011 and reached goal when they rolled out points plus. I loved WW so much, I even became an employee as a receptionist for a few years. WW really works. I have returned because I haven't been at goal for over two years. I quit working for WW when I started working full time. I am only 7 pounds from my goal weight, but I can't do it on my own. I was completely thrown off at first, but I am starting to realize (as I did the first time around), that I can't keep trying to eat what I did before and make the points work. Bad food will never work on any point system. I am taking some time to look at some blogs for new ideas and your recipes look fabulous! I am excited to start on this next phase of my WW journey.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Shanon,
Thanks for your thoughtful comments. Congrats on your decision to rejoin WW! Your story sounds so much like mine - a lifetime member and former employee 🙂
I think I used to feel bad about myself that I couldn't figure out my weight issues on my own. Now I know that I need the discipline and support that WW provides and I'm not ashamed. It's smart to do what we need to do to take care of ourselves!
You are so right that it's impossible to make bad food work with any point system or healthy way of eating. The key is to gradually replace the not so healthy choices with better ones in a slow and steady way.
Best of luck.
I'm cheering for you!!
DC
I started SP a week ago and am really concerned about this new program. About ten years ago I lost 50 pounds on WW. I started gaining it back a few years later after an injury prevented me from running, then the following year new job and city, and then the following year a bad emotional breakup. I now have about 100 pounds to lose. At 5'3" and well over 200 pounds I still only get 30 SP. with the new point system foods that used to help me, like lean cuisine, are now 9 points, nearly a third my daily total. I know some of my food choices aren't as healthy, but they have helped me practical ways, like running around all day, coming home at 10 and being too tired to cook. This plan doesn't seem to be as flexible, and also I can't calculate points on my own because the formula is so mysterious. I only lost 1.5 pounds my first week. I thought heavier people lost faster than that and I'm feeling like I won't be able to do this program.
Martha McKinnon
Hi DC,
Thanks for sharing your experiences so far. 1.5 pounds is still a great weight loss. I believe that the slower you lose the weight, the easier it will be to keep it off. It's important to remember that with SmartPoints there is no real correlation between points and the calories. It's possible to exceed your SmartPoints budget and still be on track calorie wise depending on your choices. You may want to track for a few days with the free app MyFitnessPal and see how it compares to SmartPoints for you. It's extra work but can be very informative. Hope this helps.
Jill
The new smart points program seems very restrictive. No sweets it seems like or u spend all ur points! The best program was the old points! Someone needs to get in there and change it back!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Jill,
Smart Points is definitely more restrictive than points are points plus!
Jennifer
I really lost years ago on the Momemtum program. But about 10 pounds from my goal weight the scale wouldn't budge. Just wouldn't move! I had left the program since then trying to go it alone. I've gained it back of course. I did try the points plus last year but didn't like it at all. I've now just ordered the smart points and I'm excited to see how it goes.
As far as the less sugar, that's great news! I feel like it's wise as sugar is actually a drug! That's right, studies have shown its more addictive than cocaine. If you leave sugar out of your diet, in a few days, you won't even want it. My husband isn't on any program and he's been cutting back sugar saying that sugar causes pain in his joints. Since he's cut back, the pain is gone. Wholesome, clean, sugarless, foods are best for all of us.
Since I'm wanting to put good things in this body I'm really hopeful this program is gonna work, and I'm only rejoining because they made it a more healthy mindful program!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Jennifer, thanks for your thoughtful input! All the best with SmartPoints 🙂
Jenny
This is a fantastic post! I have used WW 3 times. Twice in past on the PP system, and I just re-joined under the new SP program last week. I came back to WW because it has been the most effective program I have tried. In fact, my husband tried to encourage me to use the Lose It! app with him (calorie counter similar to MFP) and I declined saying I know what works for me. Here are the reasons I believed PP worked for me over the calorie counting app:
1. Free fruits and veggies. Because of this staple I knew I could NEVER really starve. After all, I can eat 0-point foods. And there are plenty of times where a fruit snack or rounding out a meal with fruits and veggies went a long way to making me feel satiated. Under a calorie counter those 3-4 servings can add up,
2. I really could eat what I wanted within moderation. And over the long term PP helped me to understand the relationship between food choices and how to manage them.
Here is the reason I am not loving SP vs PP:
1. I feel like the foundation on which WW rests (that makes it successful for so many) is that it allows for freedom of choice and lifestyle. SP is so restrictive that it doesn't really allow for that any more. Sure, you CAN eat that bread, chocolate and wine, but you won't be eating anything else. And here's the thing: while SP may be edging people in a healthier direction than PP did, PP still nudged you in the right direction. Moderately. You couldn't have loads of sugar and saturated fats with PP either - that would also rack up points. But you could choose to have some.
Where I think WW may have gone wrong:
It almost seems like PP could have been stage 1 of a weight loss program and SP could have been stage 2 (or likewise an alternative choice for people looking for more optimal, but restrictive eating standards). They took away moderation. And we all know, that is key.
What I am going to do about it:
I did find that PP had some pitfalls. Perhaps it awarded too many weekly points. I found that under PP I could eat my daily 28 plus the weekly 49 (all of 'em) and as long as I didn't dip into my earned activity points I lost weight at a steady rate.
I did not do any fancy calculating to compare points under the PP vs SP system, but here is what I intuit about it - I used to get 28x7=196 + 49 = 245 per week. Now I get 30x7=210 + 21= 231. That's automatically a difference of (-14) per week. In addition, the point values on MANY things have gone up. By my estimation (not actually calculated) it's about a 20% difference. 20% of my old PPV is 49 points. 49+14=63.
By my standards I am getting 63 fewer points per week - that is more than two days worth of food! So as I experienced with PP, I may need to adjust SP a bit to work for me. I can tell you I will definitely be consuming every SP I have in a week and I WILL be eating the equivalent in earned Fit points as well. If I need to add more points from there, so be it. But I am bummed because the psychology of banking unused points (PP) feels a lot better than adding on additional ones (SP)-whether I'm loosing weight or not.
Martha McKinnon
Hi Jenny,
Thanks for sharing your fantastic "insights" regarding PointsPlus and SmartPoints. Since so much of weight loss is "mental" some folks are really struggling with the more restrictiveness of SmartPoints. There's no doubt about it. I regularly exceed my SmartPoints allowance but don't worry about it as long as I am maintaining my goal weight. I realize it's not as easy for newer Weight Watchers who can get caught in feeling like "failures" when they exceed their daily or weekly budgets.
Jennifer
I think your comment above is bang on. You have to change the failure mindset of all or nothing when you practice SmartPoints. And once you do, it works. The plan makes so much sense. I don't understand people who find it restrictive. I don't at all, but I am okay with going over my points, too. I weigh myself every day and I can see the hills and valleys that occur in a daily basis and I can tell you that I've lost 20 pounds on this (with about 10 more to goal) and it's been easy. That's right. I will throw it out there and say it's been easy. But I cut myself so much slack and have the discipline to not use that as an excuse to lie to myself about what I am eating, but to just pay more attention to what I am eating overall. Sorry that this is stream of conciousness but I just think the new plan is so great!! (And as a disclaimer... It took me awhile to have this attitude. I lost weight on the old points program. And I hated hated hated points plus. And I gradually just stopped tracking when it rolled out and out weight back on. So I get it but I feel like it's workable if you back away from all or nothing mindsets. This is why your post really resonated with me.) so glad i stumbled across your blog this morning!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Jennifer,
Thanks so much for your thoughtful comment. Congrats on your impressive 20 pound weight loss! That's terrific. I love what you say about cutting yourself slack and using the SmartPoints as a tool to guide you through the hills and valleys, but not as an excuse to lie to yourself. I read a great comment in a British WW magazine years ago that really stayed with me. A leader there said that you should think of Points like training wheels, teaching you how to eat and that once you understood that you wouldn't have to depend on them forever. I loved that because it's a concept I never heard shared here in the U.S. 🙂 Best of luck with reaching your goal!!
Jennifer
Martha, funny that you would mention WW UK. I find their approach is SO much more in synch with how I see the plan. So much so that I subscribe to the WW UK magazine!!! Thanks for the reply and I love your blog!
Diane
So glad to find this conversation! In the past, I have lost 7 pounds the first week of Points; 5 pounds the first week of Points+ and 2 pounds the first week of SmartPoints. I am sure some of this is water weight; all of it actually with SmartPoints. I was NEVER hungry on Points; I am starving on this SmartPoints. I am a lifetime member and always bragged that WW was the best "diet" out there--it was a lifestyle that you could live with forever! Now I am not a believer anymore. It is the same as all the other diets out there--low carb--BORING!!!! I have a definitely sweet tooth and am not going to spend the rest of my life not eating any sweets to maintain my weight--LIFE IS TOO SHORT!!! I an switching back to Points+ I guess (since I no longer have my Points materials). Very frustrated. PS: Yes, I KNOW that sugar is not good for me, but in reality I am not going to give it up completely; I don't want to (and didn't have to in the past to lose weight on WW) Thank you for this thread!
Martha McKinnon
Hi Diane, Thanks for sharing your experiences with Points, PointsPlus and SmartPoints. You are right that life is too short to live in deprivation and it's about finding your own "just right." Best of luck with your return to PointsPlus!
sally
That you posted this over five months ago and are still getting regular responses speaks, I think. to the frustrations people are having with SmartPoints.
I'm definitely in that boat. I lost 50lbs. back with the old Flex plan about ten years ago, but I gained it all back after having a couple of babies. I tried Points Plus and it worked okay (though still not as well as Flex), but SmartPoints is just not working at all.
I think the reason is that SmartPoints is designed to solve a problem I don't have. I don't eat much processed food. I gave up soda when I was 9 years old. I don't need WW to tell me not to eat these things. And I don't need to be pushed to eat fruits and vegetables, I eat them all the time. My problem is, and always has been, portion control.
There also has been a lot of research that suggests you need a good amount of fat in your diet for satiety, otherwise you'll feel...well, binge-y. SmartPoints punishes fat just as it does carbs, meaning that some slices of avocado are as "expensive" as junk food. A theoretically infinite amount of lettuce and bananas won't get any healthy fat into your diet.
I'm a vegetarian, too, and other people have mentioned here what a challenge that is on SmartPoints.
I also really miss being able to walk into a store and pick up a product, or look at a recipe, and calculate in my head a rough estimate of the points. This made staying on-plan soooooo much easier.
I can't help getting a little mad at WW when I think about it, and I'm someone who evangelized the program for years after my success on Flex. I understand they want to come up with new plans on the regular to drum up business and seem cutting-edge, and I don't begrudge them this. But shutting off access to old plans that worked for people is a betrayal, honestly. It's not like these older plans are dangerous or harmful.
Martha McKinnon
Dear Sally,
Thanks for sharing your experiences. I agree that WW misses the boat with fat.I predict that a few years down the road this will change. In their last round of recommendations the scientists on the 2015 USDA Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee, for the first time in 35 years have sent recommendations to the government without any upper limit on total fat. In addition, "reduced-fa"t foods were specifically not recommended for obesity prevention. Instead, the committee encouraged consumption according to healthful "food-based diet patterns." Unfortunately these recommendations need to trickle down into the US Dietary Guidelines before WW gets on board.
I think WW caught a lot of flack from the dietary community over flex points since it was based strictly on calories and a person could effectively consume their whole allotment in junk. I hear all the time that people were choosing 2 Points worth of cookies instead of banana.
Now I go to meetings where people talk about eating 5-6 bananas a day, which equates to 500-600 uncounted calories!
Since you are a healthy eater and your issue is portion control, do you think you would have more success just counting calories?
I'm always trying out/experimenting with myself. When I'm in the calorie counting mode on it's own or to compare with Points, I use the My Fitness Pal app which is free.
It might be worth testing for a few weeks.
Thanks again.
Martha