Weight Watchers Diet for Weight Loss - Score Table, Reviews and Results

Nadezhda Primochkina, nutritionist - 05.15.2021

In 2021, the Weight Watchers Diet took 4th place in the international ranking of the best diets in the world. The list is compiled annually by the authoritative publication US News & World Report, taking into account the opinions of health experts. American doctors consider the diet effective for losing weight, consolidating the achieved results and good for health. And such a nutritional system is easy to follow, because you don’t have to give up your favorite foods.

The history of the Weight Watchers Diet

The Weight Watchers Diet (also called the Weight Watchers Diet or Weight Watchers Diet) is a nutritional system for weight loss that originated in the United States in 1961. Its creator was Jean Nedich, who called her friends, who, like her, were overweight, to her home and suggested that everyone start losing weight together. They met every week to share their results and impressions.

By the end of 1962, Jean was able to lose 32 kg. This result excited many people who dreamed of losing weight, and it is not surprising that many people wanted to lose weight using her method. In 1963, the Weight watchers company was created, which currently has 31 official representative offices around the world.

Principles

The diet is based on translating food into points. Each food product is assigned a certain number of points. The higher the initial weight of a person, the more ratings he has, which means he can eat more food throughout the day.

The secret to losing weight on the Weight Watchers Diet is gradual weight loss. A person who is losing weight gradually moves into a lighter weight category. As a result, there will be a decrease in points, and therefore a decrease in food consumption.

The table below shows the optimal number of points for daily use.

This is what the initial norm of the weight watchers scheme looks like, when the calculation was carried out only taking into account the calorie content of food and its fat content.

In 2011, Weight Watchers revised its scoring standards to take into account the fat, carbohydrate and protein content per 100 g of food product (BJU ratio), including the amount of fiber and glycemic index value. The points of some types of food have also been recalculated.

Now the person losing weight must keep a weight loss diary, in which they write down their initial weight and independently determine the size of the acceptable limits. Also, the diary should include all the necessary information and a list of foods that a person eats during the day.

The duration of the diet is determined by the person losing weight, based on what results he wants to achieve. As a rule, you can get rid of 1-2 kg of excess weight in a week.

Rules and principles of weight watchers

The Weight Watchers Diet is easy to follow.
If in standard weight loss schemes it is necessary to calculate the calorie content of individual products or ready-made meals, then here the entire count of food eaten is calculated in points. The amount eaten is recorded in the diary each time, and at the end of the day the accumulated and remaining points are counted. The main principle of the weight watchers diet is a gradual reduction in body weight and a transition to a lighter weight category without serious restrictions on food. There are a number of rules that will help make the diet easier:

1. Fasting is unacceptable. If you feel hungry and it's not time for lunch or dinner yet, treat yourself to foods that contain zero points but still satisfy your hunger.
2. You need to eat a balanced and varied diet. The optimal number of meals per day is 4–5 times. All food points must be distributed evenly between breakfast, lunch, afternoon snack and dinner.
3. Advantage should be given to plant foods that contain a large amount of fiber. Such products have a beneficial effect on the digestive system, help cleanse the intestines, remove toxins from the body and normalize metabolism.
4. Refusal of fatty, fried foods, sweets and yeast baked goods is welcome, but not mandatory. The optimal proportions of products are 50% plant foods, 25% protein, 25% grains.
5. The minimum volume of liquid you drink per day should be between one and a half to two liters. This does not include tea or coffee. In the hot season, with severe physical exertion or an upset stomach, the amount of fluid should be increased to three liters of water per day.
6. Any type of physical activity is welcomed and encouraged. The number of “premium” points for each sport is described in the table below.
7. It is imperative to organize meetings with like-minded people, share your successes, and provide moral support to newcomers. If you can’t meet, you can visit special forums for adherents of the weight watchers diet.

What are “points” and how to count them

The Weight Watchers Diet assumes that each food product will be assigned its own “calorie” point. These are, in fact, the same points, the sum of which is calculated based on the person’s initial weight. The higher your initial body weight, the more points you should “eat” per day. As you lose weight, the number of points will decrease. This allows you to achieve a smooth transition to minimal portions, without compromising your health and prolonged fasting.

Food diary

To constantly monitor the number of points and weight, followers of the weight watchers diet recommend keeping a diary. In it you need to record each product or dish eaten by points and in grams, and define a separate column for weight. You can determine the duration of weight loss yourself, depending on the desired results. On average, in a week of eating this way you can lose from one to three kilograms. A table for recording weight loss results should always be in a visible place.

Advantages and disadvantages

The Weight Watchers Diet has its pros and cons.

The advantages include:

• versatility - you can exercise while on a diet and it does not affect your eating habits in any way;
• ease of counting points - you can find a lot of information on the Internet about the numerical indicators contained in each individual food product. There are even special applications for phones that make life much easier for those losing weight;
• keeping a food diary - detailed lists of meals and proposed dishes in the menu with points indicated eliminate the feeling of hunger;
• strict adherence to the rules of the tables and basic recommendations ensures a calorie deficit for the purpose of further weight loss;
• accessibility and good tolerability - anyone can follow the Weight Watchers diet, it won’t break the bank and is well tolerated by the body;
• improving the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract due to the fiber contained in the foods consumed;
• availability of psychological support provided by group members.

The disadvantages of the weight watchers diet are:

• the impossibility of accurately counting points contained in ready-made food and dishes when visiting cafes and restaurants;
• cost of the program - as a rule, within Russia and the CIS countries they use a free version of the Weight watchers program. The official method of losing weight using this method is available for a fee; it consists of many different materials, books, brochures and booklets. They present ready-made diets, recipes, product databases with the number of points indicated. Participation in the Weight watchers program is paid;
• In order for the result of the diet to be noticeable, it is necessary to process a large amount of information, prepare special tables indicating the “cost” of food, and this takes a lot of time.

How easy it is to follow

Not all the people I counsel are able to follow the basic principles of this diet. Most people encounter the first difficulties at the initial stage: when calculating points individually. If a person wants to get acquainted with the original diet, he needs to register and pay for participation in the program.

Despite the difficulties that arise, I note the following advantages of the weight watchers diet :

• improvement of dynamics in the presence of a history of cardiovascular diseases;
• reducing the risk of developing metabolic disorders, insulin resistance, diabetes;
• a complete, balanced diet that includes essential vitamins, microelements, fats, dietary fiber;
• opportunity to achieve sustainable results.

After restoring body weight, the results obtained are easy to consolidate. For most of my patients, the Weight Watchers diet becomes a way of life. There are no strict restrictions in the diet, so this type of diet can be followed for a long time.

How to make water a source of health, not disease

Diet rules

Before you start following the Weight Watchers diet, it is important to familiarize yourself with its requirements:

1. Regular and balanced meals, fasting is prohibited. You should eat 4-5 times a day at regular intervals, evenly distributing points for food products. Food should be varied and moderate. Food that was not eaten at one time cannot be transferred to the next. Regular “undereating points” can cause your metabolism to slow down.
2. It is forbidden to overeat at night.
3. In rare cases, it is permissible to “save points” - if you are planning a visit on the weekend, then you can increase their number that day by what you were able to “save” during the week.
4. Most of the diet should consist of fermented milk products and plant foods that contain fiber.
5. Every day you need to eat several servings of fresh vegetables and fruits, but keep in mind that they are not all calculated as 0. Preference should be given to vegetables; only the first vegetable or fruit weighing less than 0.2 kg is considered zero. Each subsequent 100 g is calculated as 1 point.
6. You should drink up to 1.5-2 liters of pure still water per day. Coffee and tea are not counted, but milk is.
7. It is forbidden to abuse sweeteners. It is also advisable to avoid foods containing sugar.
8. You should remove fast foods, carbonated and alcoholic drinks, sausages, fatty meats, flour and confectionery products from your diet. If you don’t have the strength to give up such food, then you should take into account a strict limit on it - no more than 14 points per week, and you cannot spend all the points on one “harmful” product.
9. It is permissible to take oils of plant and animal origin - no more than 2 points every day.
10. Recommended proportion of food intake: plant foods - 50%, grains - 25% and animal products - 25%.
11. The importance and necessity of keeping a food diary - in it you need to record the foods you eat with the number of points, types of physical activity, achievements and results when weighing (no more than once every 7 days).
12. For a comfortable psycho-emotional state while losing weight, it will not be superfluous to meet like-minded people.
13. Carrying out constant work on yourself, self-knowledge and self-development.
14. Any half-hour physical activity allows you to earn additional marks as bonuses.

Girl on Weight Watchers Diet

List of approved products

According to the Weight Watchers system, there are no prohibited foods on the list. Each product is assigned an individual number of points; the total number of points is adhered to when preparing the diet.

Animal products: source of protein, amino acids:

Dairy products: protein, fats, beneficial lacto- and bifidobacteria for the normal functioning of the gastrointestinal tract:

Simple carbohydrates: the amount must be limited; alternatively, use fresh fruits, berries, dried fruits:

Products with 0 points:

Additional products:

There are no strict dietary restrictions, but the same cannot be said about contraindications. The weight watchers diet is not recommended for pregnant and lactating women, children under 12 years of age, people with underweight, exacerbations of chronic diseases, nutritional deficiencies, and severe disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.

The nature of appetite, what affects it

Weight Watchers Diet Score Chart

The tables below present the main types of food products and their corresponding numerical values.

Sugar containing products

Cereals and flour products

Meat, meat products and eggs

Vegetables and fruits

Dairy

Fish

Ready meals

The Weight watchers network provides point value information for prepared meals.

Sports activities

The Weight Watchers diet encourages sports and physical activity, which can bring bonuses. But only on condition that the duration of physical activity is at least half an hour.

The benefits of exercise while dieting

Any physical activity, especially sports and dancing, is welcome. In addition, they help you burn calories and take points away from your daily diet, allowing you to add your favorite dishes to the menu. So, for example, aerobics, dancing, swimming, cycling or skating, and playing tennis remove 3 PP every hour. Fast walking and skiing will allow you to remove 4 PP. Strength training, horse riding, and cleaning the house or gardening remove 2 PP. But the most effective was climbing up the stairs, thanks to which the number of “eaten” points can be safely reduced by 5 PP.

Weight Watchers diet menu for the week

Anyone who is losing weight should make their own menu based on their weight and individual taste preferences. While following the Weight Watchers diet, there are no strict restrictions on the foods consumed. But you must adhere to the allowed daily number of points.

The menu presented below is designed for people weighing up to 70 kg.

Menu

Taking into account weight, individual taste preferences and the number of allowed items, you need to create your own daily menu. With a weight watchers diet, there are no strict restrictions on the foods you eat; you just have to stick to the recommended daily number of points.

For a week

A sample menu for the week is presented below. This version of the Weight Watchers diet is designed for people weighing 81-90 kilograms.

Monday:

• breakfast - muesli with milk - 100 g. Peach juice - 1 glass, can be replaced with fresh fruit. Only 4 points. Coffee – 1 cup with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 point;
• snack – 1 banana with melted dark chocolate – 1 teaspoon (3 points);
• lunch – boiled couscous – 1 glass. Stewed vegetables - sweet peppers, garlic, tomatoes, onions, herbs. Smoked salmon – 60 g. Total 6 points;
• snack – low-fat fruit yogurt – 180 g (3 points);
• dinner – a cup of cocoa (3 points), Brazil nuts – 1 handful (2 points).

Tuesday:

• breakfast – croutons fried in egg-milk mixture – 2 pcs. To prepare the mixture, you need to combine 0.5 cups of milk, 1 raw egg and cinnamon (at the tip of a knife). Orange juice – 1 glass (4 p.). Coffee with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 cup (1 point);
• snack – hamburger – 1 pc. Vegetable salad with Italian herbs, orange – 1 pc. (5 points);
• lunch – rye flour bread – 1 pc., apple – 1 pc. Salad with raisins and carrots – 3/4 cup grated raw carrots, 2 tbsp. Sprinkle spoons of raisins with low-fat mayonnaise (1 tablespoon). Salt and pepper - to taste. Only 4 points;
• snack – popcorn without butter – 100 g (2 points);
• dinner – rice with fried pork – 120 g, boiled broccoli – 1 glass (6 points).

Wednesday:

• breakfast – a sandwich with low-calorie soft cheese, a couple of onion slices and smoked red fish (30 g) – 4 points. Coffee with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 cup (1 point);
• snack – 1 apple, yogurt – 180 g (3 points);
• lunch – puree soup with vegetables, sandwich with rye bread, tomato, basil and feta cheese – 5 points;
• snack – smoothie with low-fat yogurt (250 g), a handful of berries and a banana – 3 points;
• dinner – oatmeal with milk – 150 g. Raisins – 2 teaspoons. Natural honey – 1 teaspoon. Orange juice – 1 glass (6 points in total).

Thursday:

• breakfast – tomato juice – 180 ml (1 p.), ham – 2 slices (2 p.). Coffee with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 cup (1 point);
• snack – fresh celery – 1 stalk, soft cheese (3 items);
• lunch – Caesar salad – 6 points;
• snack – Brazil nuts – a handful (2 points);
• dinner – flounder with lemon sauce (fillet) – 4 points. Hummus with fresh carrots. Stewed red cabbage with 1 teaspoon of olive oil – 2 points.

Friday:

• breakfast – oatmeal with milk – 150 g, raisins – 2 teaspoons. Brown sugar – 1 teaspoon (4 p.). Coffee with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 cup (1 point);
• snack – marshmallows (35 g) or marzipan (25 g) – 2 points;
• lunch – salad with fresh tomatoes and herbs. Pasta with vegetable sauce and feta cheese – 6 points;
• snack – fresh berries – 1 cup;
• dinner – chicken fillet with balsamic vinegar – 150 g (4 p.). Boiled broccoli – 1 cup, vegetable oil – 1 teaspoon (1 p.). Fresh strawberries - 1 cup, low-fat whipping cream - 1/3 cup (2 points).

Saturday:

• breakfast – omelet with 1 egg, mushrooms, cheese and herbs – 4 points. Tomato juice – 1 glass (1 p.). Coffee with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 cup (1 point);
• snack – sliced ​​vegetables with cucumbers, tomatoes and mozzarella cheese – 2 items. Coffee with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 cup (1 point);
• lunch – grilled chicken fillet – 150 g (3 p.). Lettuce with cashews and tomatoes, topped with low-calorie dressing - 4 points;
• snack – tangerines – 2 pcs.;
• dinner – grilled sea fish fillet with herbs – 180 g (3 p.). Ricotta cheese and green beans (boiled) – 3 points.

Sunday:

• breakfast – soft-boiled egg – 0.5 pcs. (1 p.). Ham – 2 slices (2 p.). Coffee with 2 tbsp. l. cream and 1 tsp. sugar – 1 cup (1 point);
• snack – cottage cheese casserole with fresh berries – 100 g (3 points);
• lunch – salad with apples, shrimp and mayonnaise – 6 points;
• snack – berry mousse – 100 g (2 points);
• dinner – salad with vegetables and dressing (1 p.). Use carrots, tomatoes, sweet peppers, herbs, green beans. Grilled meat – 3 points, natural yogurt – 180 g (3 points).

Rating of food delivery for weight loss
Delivery of food with calculated calorie content, ready-made diets. No more cooking and counting calories!

Go

Go

Dish recipes

Below are recipes for dietary dishes according to the weight watchers system.

Greek salad

You will need:

• Chinese cabbage - 100 g;
• cucumber - 1 piece;
• onion - 1 head;
• tomato - 1 piece;
• yellow, green, red paprika - 1 pinch each;
• feta cheese - 45 g;
• black olives - 2 pcs.

For the sauce:

• spicy herbs - 1 tsp;
• olive oil - 1 tsp;
• lemon juice - 2 tsp;
• black pepper - to taste;
• garlic - 1 clove.

How to cook:

1. Chop the garlic, add the rest of the ingredients and mix.
2. Finely chop all the vegetables, cheese, black olives and lay them out in layers.
3. Pour in the sauce.

Roast veal with mushrooms

You will need:

• lean veal - 125 g;
• vegetable oil - 1 tsp;
• champignons - 200 g;
• water - ½ cup;
• sour cream 10% - 1 tbsp;
• flour - 1 tsp;
• cauliflower - 250 g;
• salt with herbs - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Lightly beat the meat, add salt and pepper, fry in a frying pan, then remove the veal.
2. In the same frying pan, fry the mushrooms, add water, salt, sour cream, and flour.
3. Place the meat back into the pan and fry until done.
4. For garnish, simmer the cauliflower in broth.

Stewed zucchini with beef

You will need:

• lean beef - 125 g;
• carrots - 1 piece;
• onion - 1 head;
• vegetable oil - 1 tsp;
• salt, pepper - to taste;
• zucchini - 500 g;
• tomatoes - 2 pcs.

How to cook:

1. Wash the zucchini, then cut them into cubes.
2. Finely chop the carrots, onions, meat and fry in oil.
3. Salt, pepper, add a little water, chopped zucchini, tomatoes.
4. Simmer for 2-3 minutes without stirring.

Cabbage and potato casserole

You will need:

• cauliflower - 250 g;
• boiled potatoes - 3 pcs;
• milk - 150 ml;
• processed cheese - 30 g;
• green onions - 10 g;
• mustard - 5 g;
• nutmeg, salt, pepper - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Finely chop the potatoes.
2. Simmer the cabbage in a small amount of broth until half cooked.
3. Mix cabbage and potatoes into layers in a saucepan.
4. Boil milk, melt processed cheese in it, add salt, pepper, nutmeg and mustard. Pour the prepared mixture over the mixture of cabbage and potatoes.
5. Place the prepared mixture in a baking dish and place in the oven for 20 minutes at 200 degrees.

Grilled chicken with vegetables

You will need:

• broiler leg - ½ piece;
• fresh cucumber - ½ piece;
• champignons - 100 g;
• apple - ½ piece;
• tomatoes - 1 piece;
• Chinese cabbage - 100 g;
• paprika - ½ pcs.

For the sauce:

• vegetable oil - 1 tsp;
• natural yogurt - 50 ml;
• lemon juice - 2 tsp;
• salt, pepper - to taste.

How to cook:

1. Finely chop the vegetables, mix, season with the prepared sauce.
2. Separately, grill the chicken.

Grilled fish

You will need:

• fish fillet - 2 pieces;
• low-fat margarine - 5 g;
• dill - 10 g.

How to cook:

1. Coat the fish with margarine and sprinkle with herbs.
2. Wrap the fish in foil and bake in the oven or on the grill.

How are points calculated?

Reviews

Alina, 25 years old

I was on the weight watchers diet for 12 months. During this period I lost 19 kg, almost achieved my goal, I wanted to lose 25 kg.

Maria, 32 years old

The Weight Watchers diet is suitable for those people who are used to being in control of everything. Yes, you can lose weight on this diet, but personally, counting points tired me. I lasted only 2 months and lost 6 kg.

Svetlana, 41 years old

I was on the Weight Watchers diet for only 2 weeks. I didn't like this diet at all. I lost 3 kg, but it would be better if I went in for sports at this time, the effect would be better.

The Weight Watchers Diet is an effective weight loss system, but only if you follow the recommended menu correctly. In some cases, following the basics of proper nutrition and active exercise helps to quickly eliminate excess weight without the need to diet. Therefore, before you start losing weight, first think about whether you are ready to constantly limit yourself in food and count points, or whether it is easier to change your lifestyle in order to constantly be in great shape.

Scoring system

How does the Weight Watchers diet work for weight loss? The scoring system assigns different values ​​to foods based on factors such as how many calories, fat, sugar and protein they contain. When the program starts, each participant is given a certain number of daily points based on personal data such as height, gender, age and weight loss goals. There are no complete exceptions, but the diet plan does require you to maintain your daily food intake based on a set number of points in order to reach your goal weight. Healthier foods score lower than unhealthy foods (such as candy, chips, and sugary drinks).

For example, a 230-calorie glazed yeast donut is worth 10 points, but the same amount of calories in a yogurt with blueberries and granola is only 2 points. In 2021, the creators of the Weight Watchers Diet updated the SmartPoints program to make it more user-friendly and flexible.

The new system, called WW Freestyle, is based on a scoring system, but already includes more than 200 products with zero marks. This makes life easier for dieters because zero foods don't have to be weighed, tracked or measured, giving you more freedom when planning meals and snacks.

Foods with zero points include eggs, skinless chicken, fish, beans, tofu and low-fat plain yogurt, as well as many others that are high in protein and low in calories. Before the implementation of this program, only fruits and non-starchy vegetables were scored 0 points.

Now foods high in protein are rated low, while foods high in sugar and saturated fat are rated higher.