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WW (Weight Watchers)

Weight Watchers Reviews

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About WW (Weight Watchers)

Formerly known as Weight Watchers, WW sells memberships that include online tracking, in-person meetings and one-on-one personal coaching. The app helps you track food intake and activity, find recipes, join local meetings and locate support within the online community. It also offers SmartPoints and FitPoints programs to help dieters stay on track.

Pros & Cons

  • SmartPoints Budget System
  • Digital WW app tracks progress
  • Personal support
  • In-person aid not always available
  • Most meals must be prepared at home

Featured Reviews

I've been using WW for a month now and have had a very good experience. I've already recommended the service to two friends, one of which said he's signing up this week. The only ...

I’ve joined WW twice in the past, but find this plan the best they’ve ever had…The meeting I go to is amazing… it makes me feel part of a community, and supported. I love this pr...

About Weight Watchers diet

WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers) is a global weight loss and health management program for both short-term and long-term dieters. WW Freestyle programs use the SmartPoints Budget system, which allows members to follow the WW diet easily. WW provides more than 4,000 recipes that can be made at home, plus guidelines for how to eat out on the program. The company also lets brand ambassadors earn a commission through an affiliate program when they share WW with others.

How does Weight Watchers work?

The key to success in the WW program is a specially designed SmartPoints system. Every food and drink item is assigned a number based on its calories, saturated fat, protein and sugar content. Members are then given a weekly and monthly “budget,” taking into consideration their activity, health goals and lifestyle. Dieters track their food, exercise and progress to make sure they're on target with their health goals.

With the points system, up to four daily unused SmartPoints can roll over into the next weekly budget. There are also 200+ Zero Points foods, such as eggs, salmon, chicken breast and beans, which don't need tracking while in the program.

WW keeps members motivated through its free rewards program — WellnessWins — where members celebrate creating healthy habits. Rewards include fitness class passes, wine tumblers, and take anywhere organizers. All WW memberships include a private online community and 24/7 support from a WW Coach, which is accessible through the digital app.

Weight Watchers programs

WW currently offers three membership options: Digital, Workshops + Digital, or Personal Coaching + Digital. WW Freestyle is the core program followed in all three of WW plans.  

  • Digital: For those just starting, the Digital plan gives dieters 24/7 support through an app and website. Members get access to WW’s database of more than 4,000 recipes and access to Connect, a private online community. The app also syncs with fitness trackers.
  • Workshop + Digital: For dieters who prefer a more personalized program, WW offers in-person sessions in addition to their digital plans. There are more than 3,000 studio locations nationwide offering about 14,000 workshops a week. With the help of certified coaches, members learn how to manage and maintain weight loss through healthy strategies. Memberships also include weekly check-ins with WW coaches.
  • Personal Coaching + Digital: The WW Personal Coaching + Digital plans provide tailored one-on-one coaching as part of its premium packages. The Personal Coaching + Digital plan doesn't include private check-ins, but it does include personalized action plans that help members meet weight loss goals.

Compare Weight Watchers pricing options

How to use the weight watchers food scale.

The WW food scale comes pre-programmed with a database of more than 500 foods. It also gives you the option of adding in calories, protein, sugar and saturated fat for the scale to calculate, making it easy to weigh foods at home or on the go. The WW SmartPoints kitchen scale can be used to weigh foods and can save up to 10 favorites for future reference.

Foods to eat on Weight Watchers

Generally, WW dieters eat foods that are rich in whole grains and fiber.

  • Greek yogurt
  • Leafy vegetables

Foods to avoid on Weight Watchers

WW dieters generally avoid foods that are high in sugar, salt, fat and calories.

  • Fried foods
  • Starchy vegetables

Weight Watchers FAQ

All WW members get access to the digital program, which includes a database of 4,000+ recipes, a private online community and 24/7 support from a coach. All memberships include access to WW’s app, where members can track daily activity and food intake to see your progress. Some members opt to attend in-person sessions or work one-on-one with a WW coach.

WW encourages weight loss through a healthy diet and exercise. WW uses the SmartPoints Budget system, where food and drink items are given a number. Based on your weight loss goals, you’re then given a weekly and daily “budget” of points.

WW diets are flexible enough that you can almost eat anything you want (in moderation). With the SmartPoints system, you can create foods at home that fit into your weight loss goals or eat out with family and friends.

Programs start around $3 per week, and the standard monthly cost for the introductory plan is approximately $19.95 before tax.

Most people on the WW program see a weight loss of 1-2 pounds per week. How quickly you lose weight on WW depends on your goals, activity level and lifestyle.

SmartPoints calculators for the freestyle program can be purchased through WW’s online store.

No, WW does not provide food. Members are responsible for all their grocery shopping.

Occasionally WW offers exclusive online specials when members can sign up for $0 and get 2 months free.

Is Weight Watchers worth it?

Yes. WW services are excellent for individuals looking to be part of a healthy community and get accountability on their journey. For a low monthly cost, members get access to WW’s website and app, which includes their WW Freestyle program and guidelines on their SmartPoints diet. Freestyle gives members a flexible approach to healthy eating, allowing for a personalized approach to weight loss.

WW (Weight Watchers) Reviews

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Reviewed Jan. 13, 2024

I joined WW in 2019. I lost weight and I've kept it off because back then they provided a lot of motivation and support. They have completely gutted everything that made WW a great program. No more motivational e-mails, no more WW food products, no more reward program. On top of that, they closed so many meeting locations, that I am forced to travel almost 40 miles in the dark this time of year. I'm a lifetime member and more than 20 pounds under the top of my goal weight. I couldn't possibly put on 20 pounds in a month. I asked if they would allow me to attend once every three months instead, but they told me I'd be charged $12.00 a month to use the app if I did that. WW is no longer the great company it once was that cared about its members.

Reviewed Nov. 15, 2023

I signed up for 6 month promo $10/mo. I set my calendar to remind me to cancel. I tried to cancel online but WW billed me $26. I tried to email and call with great difficulty because THEY DON'T MAKE IT EASY to get to the correct customer service. Finally spoke to a rep and complained. They refused to refund. She assured me that my account was cancelled. A month later, CHARGED ME AGAIN!!!! I called and complained - rep said she would reverse that charge. Haven’t seen any confirmation of this happening. This has got to be ILLEGAL!!!! Do not sign up for WW!!!! BUYER BEWARE.

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Reviewed Sept. 19, 2023

WW takes your money and gives you no grace period. The app does not work well, the program cannot even look up easy words. When I spoke to someone about canceling, they pretty much told too bad, it is going to deduct until January of 2024. I will never use WW again. 20 years ago they were much better but now they are just money hungry and steal money out of your account for a service that they don't provide.

Reviewed Sept. 18, 2023

I signed up for WW not realizing I was committing to 6 months. Life got in the way, and I am not able to attend any meetings. I never once used any service, and WW refuses to stop charging me. Their argument is, "You should have paid attention when you signed up, we can legally take your money, so we will." What a disgusting, self-serving organization. They are supposed to be helping people who obviously have eating issues, yet they don’t care at all. They just want your money. Every month I see that charge, I get a little sickened. Shame on you, WW.

Reviewed Aug. 26, 2023

This company has a very old and good reputation, however, they put you on auto-renew, and, when it renews, it is typically for 3 to 6 months at a time. You cannot get a refund once they start billing, or re-start billing. They do not send notifications that they are re-booting your billing, either. As far as the "new" program goes: The points system makes little sense and I found it to be not effective. You can think of calories as "points" just as well as the WW system and keep control of your weight in a much more efficient manner - no charge.

Reviewed March 7, 2023

I couldn’t cancel this fast enough after sign up, and first look at the program. It lists groups of foods that are zero points - but never could find the recipes or supposed community support they advertised. There was no how-to or guidance on the program, and no explanation where the advertised resources are. Even the billing was sketchy on what you’d be charged but I was able to dig that out (it wasn’t clearly stated - that should be looked into by the US attorney general). Within 30 minutes I decided to cancel. Per their terms, I had a right to within 3 days without any charges. It does state that clearly. I requested immediate cancellation and a deletion of my account data. According to my emails, it’s cancelled for the day after I signed up, which to me says I won’t be charged anything (my first month was no charge).

You simply don’t advertise services that you can’t find. They didn’t even have a walk thru on the features like water or health tracking - other things you’re supposed to do. I'm glad I cancelled. I suggest others keep looking. WW has lost all their communication and customer service which before, with community recipes, is why so many joined. There are free apps if you want to log your food and not count the nine groups they say are free. I wanted to get recipes to learn how to keep my weight off. Used to once you met your goal you were allowed to stay and maintain. That benefit is gone too. I know many who left because of that one change. The company seems to no longer care. They seem to only want people who sign up and maybe forget they have a subscription. Deplorable.

Reviewed Nov. 12, 2022

I purchased a lifetime membership at a great price. Unfortunately, 18 months later, I was a victim of credit card fraud and was given a new credit card number. As it happens, I had forgotten to update some automatic payments and the companies I dealt with were understanding and reversed any fees or reinstated my membership immediately. Weight Watchers had absolutely no understanding and said that they had no ability to reinstate my membership at the lifetime membership rate I had purchased. I went through my inbox and junk email to see if there were any emails regarding this; but, I have nothing, yet a weight watchers representative said that they had.

I find it very hard to believe that a company this large does not have the ability to reinstate a membership. I was completely willing to pay for the missed payment and give them my new credit card number; but, it was met with no understanding. The offer they presented was almost double what I was paying and it would only last for 6 months. This is terrible customer service, in my opinion.

Reviewed Feb. 19, 2022

69 year old, 6'4" 260 pound male who joined online WW program 5 years ago. Two years ago, I set a goal to get to my high school weight (195 lbs). Combined WW w/6 days a week workout program (weightlifting 3 days/Jogging 3 days). Achieved my goal in 6 months and reached 195 lbs, and have since, settled in nicely at 205. Waist dropped from 42" to 36". Chronic morning back pain disappeared. Could not have lost the weight with either WW or exercise program alone. Everyday tracking of calories (points) was critical in opening my eyes to how much I honestly could eat to meet my goal.

I quickly learned that in order to have my nightly "reward" G&T (6 points of a daily 31 point allotment) I was going to have to eat fewer points for other meals. Exercising 6 days a week does give you some leeway in overall daily points, but not as much as you would think while trying to drop 65 pounds. Overall, WW was critical in helping me lose my weight, and is just as critical in helping me maintain the weight loss. It has become an integral part of my everyday eating regimen. Strongly recommend WW if you're struggling with weight and overall health issues.

Reviewed Feb. 17, 2022

Weight Watchers was just a couple of words to me in the past...that's until my wife got me interested in it. Well...I went on this "purple plan". For over 40 years, I've had a hell of a time trying to lose weight. Every one of my old pictures show me with a gut. And I just couldn't take it anymore...I started on this WW purple plan with the help of my wife and that was the end of my weight issue! I lost 30 lbs+ and I never put it back on. Currently, in my 60's, I'm in the best shape of my life!

I havent tried any other WW plans besides the purple. It worked for me because it allowed me to eat "any" type of food which I desired as long as I didn't exceed my 16 points a day..."so it does take a bit of will power". WW makes buying the right types of foods a breeze because of their food points program on my wife's cellphone. You can scan the bar code on any type of food in the grocery store and it'll state the "points value" per serving. I can then use this information towards my food intake management program every day... I absolutely think this WW plan is phenomenal and would recommend it to anybody who wants to lose weight. Thank you so much to Weight Watchers...!

Reviewed Feb. 16, 2022

I have been a Weight Watchers lifetime member since the 80's. Unfortunately I had to return. I returned to my goal weight in 2019 and remained at goal through the pandemic. WW permanently shut down the WW studio I attended. As a Lifetime member at goal, you did not pay unless you were over goal weight. When they shut down in person meetings/studio, they offered online meetings. I chose not to attend. Then WW decided they would change their policy and require you to sign in and report your weight despite lifetime status. They then charged my Credit Card for not signing in and recording my weight. When I caught on to this scam I called and cancelled my membership with a live representative, who apparently did not cancel my membership. I asked for a refund for the charges and was told a manager would contact me. Surprise they never did. However now they claim a manager contacted me via voice mail.

They did not charge me for a couple months after I canceled May 2021. Then in October 2021 they decided they needed to resume charging me the monthly fee. When I called they said they had no record of me canceling and couldn't explain why they didn't charge me for 5 months but resumed for 6 months. They are now saying they can't help me from 2020 because I didn't return their voicemail. It is unfortunate because the program is great, however the management is very poor.

WW (Weight Watchers) Company Information

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WeightWatchers Diet Review 2023: Does It Actually Work?

Can one of the oldest and best-known weight loss programs help you?

Updated Feb. 24, 2023 8:13 a.m. PT

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  • Carl R. Greer/Andrew D. Hepburn Award for Best Nonfiction Essay (Miami University, 2020)

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CNET’s expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services each month, building on more than a quarter century of expertise. Read how we test products and services .

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WeightWatchers is a well-known weight loss program with a decades-long history. For over 58 years, this program has helped millions of people lose weight, including influential celebrities like Oprah Winfrey . 

Losing weight  can be a daunting task, and it can be even harder to know where to start. If you want to begin a weight-loss journey, WeightWatchers may be the push you're searching for. Follow along to see if their program is right for you. 

Editors' note: Always consult with your health care provider before making any changes to your diet.

What is WeightWatchers?

You know the name, you've heard the talk, you've known someone who's tried it or you've seen the commercials -- maybe even one from the 2015 Super Bowl . 

WeightWatchers is among the most popular dieting programs around. Millions of people have been members.

Membership plans

WeightWatchers offers two membership plans that seek to meet the needs of anyone looking to lose weight. Memberships don't include actual meals but offer support, a plan and recipes you can follow.

The two memberships you can choose from are: 

With the Core membership, you get a personalized food plan paired with recipes to help you reach your goals. You can also access meal, water, activity, weight and sleep trackers so you can stay on top of your progress. Even though this is WW's basic plan, you also get workouts for all levels and 24/7 live chat sessions. Workshops are not included with this membership. 

The Premium membership includes everything under Core, as well as access to coach-led workshops. You can attend these workshops virtually or in person and learn behavior change techniques and connect with other WeightWatchers members. Workshops are available seven days a week, day or night. 

The WeightWatchers experience

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When you enter the WeightWatchers site for the first time, you will be prompted to take a quick quiz to personalize your program. The quiz asks questions about your home life, reasons why you want to lose weight, sleep cycle and even your mindset going into the program.

Once finished, WeightWatchers will recommend the membership plan best suited for you based on your answers. It will also suggest areas of your life that you can improve to reach your weight loss goals, whether that be nutrition, activity, sleep or mindset.

WeightWatchers then provides -- based upon your membership plan -- resources to make strides toward your goals. If you struggle with reaching your desired amount of sleep each night, there are guided meditations you can listen to before bed. If you would like to be more active during your day, there are workout classes you can join virtually. 

Points system

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WeightWatchers assigns each food a number of points. Foods higher in saturated fats or sugar, like potato chips or chocolate, tend to be high in points. Meanwhile, healthy whole foods such as fruits and vegetables or foods high in protein or fiber are low in points. 

Depending on your personal Points Budget, you will be given a set number of points that you can use daily. This means that every meal you eat will subtract from your budget. Please note that you will not be penalized if you go over your points budget. Those things happen! 

One nice feature is that your points roll over, so you never have to feel like you are throwing away points if you don't reach your daily budget. For example, if you eat only 15 points on Monday (out of a budget of 16 daily points), you could potentially eat 17 points on Thursday. The rollovers happen automatically in the WeightWatchers app.

Keep in mind that WeightWatchers pushes well-balanced meals full of protein, fruits, vegetables and nutrients, but the company is adamant that no food is off-limits.

Do note that WeightWatchers also offers a diabetes-tailored plan. This food plan is specifically for those who have been told by a doctor that they have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. It will offer all the same benefits of the WeightWatchers program, but it will be tailored to their health condition. 

ZeroPoint foods

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ZeroPoint foods are everyday nutritional foods that aren't counted toward your daily points budget. All members are given the same 200-plus ZeroPoint foods list. The ZeroPoint foods include:

  • Non-starchy vegetables
  • Chicken breast

A day in the life of a WeightWatchers user

This is an example day of 16 daily points. 

Breakfast : Omelet with cheese, ham and bell peppers (2 points)

Lunch : Pesto chicken sandwich with a side of Italian arugula salad (8 points)

Snack : Plain fat-free cottage cheese with fresh peaches (0 points)

Dinner : Italian turkey sausage and pepper pasta (3 points)

Dessert : Sugar-free ice cream bar (3 points)

After counting all of these meals, you would have totaled 16 points. Keep in mind that you have the power to create and plan your meals. 

Depending on the plan you choose, your costs using WeightWatchers can vary. Keep in mind that your membership cost doesn't include the price of food. Here's a breakdown of the weekly costs:

Core : Starts at $23 per month 

Premium : Starts at $45 per month

WeightWatchers is currently offering the  first three months for free . 

Note: A $20 starter fee will be added to your membership the first time you sign up. Pricing may vary depending on the length of commitment you choose. 

The WeightWatchers app

Track your meals right in the app.

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The WeightWatchers app has pretty solid ratings on the App Store and Google Play store. 

4.8 out of 5 stars on App Store

4.4 out of 5 stars on Google Play store

The user-friendly app is one of the best parts of the program. Since you bring your phone everywhere, your dieting plan can come, too. 

The WeightWatchers app allows you to:

  • Track points, sleep, activity and water intake
  • Communicate 24/7 with customer support and other people using the app
  • Access prerecorded coaching sessions and meditations
  • Scan barcodes to see points for specific foods
  • Find recipes based on what is in your fridge
  • Plan all your meals for the week
  • Track your weight and reflect on your goals

What do studies say about WeightWatchers?

Recent research has a lot to say about the relationship between WeightWatchers users and weight loss. There are plenty of tempting fad diets to choose from, but evidence seems to suggest that WeightWatchers is the real deal. 

A study from 2017 found that, out of a test group who struggled with obesity, 57% lost weight on WeightWatchers compared to 42% on another weight-loss program.

Another study from 2016 found that WeightWatchers and another popular dieting program, Jenny Craig, were effective in helping a test group lose weight. The study concluded that health physicians could recommend either program to patients who are looking to lose weight.

Benefits of the WeightWatchers diet

There are a lot of benefits to the WeightWatchers program, such as:

  • A big emphasis on overall wellness, including exercise, not just dieting
  • Little restrictiveness
  • User-friendly app
  • Never have to skip meals or fast
  • Not a fad. Could be sustainable for you
  • Motivation within virtual classes
  • Lots of other resources

Potential drawbacks

The cons of this dieting regiment seem to hit in two main categories: nutrition and money.

  • Low points don't always equal high nutritional value.
  • Could potentially encourage poor eating habits in the future or trigger  binge eating . Being on a calorie deficit may activate your hunger levels, which in turn can lead to overeating or yo-yo dieting.
  • If you want to attend workshops, you'll have to pay for the more expensive plan. 

The bottom line

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WeightWatchers is not a one-size-fits-all program. It is not recommended if you don't have the time to plan or track your food each day. It's not for those who deeply struggle with self-control and portion sizing. It is great if you're looking for overall wellness advice. There are few restrictions when customizing a dieting plan fit just for you. 

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WeightWatchers Diet: Reviews, Costs and How It Works

What is weightwatchers, how does it work.

  • Non-starchy vegetables .
  • Poultry. 
  • Eggs. 
  • Fat-free yogurt .

What Else You Should Know About WW

Can i lose weight on weightwatchers, short-term weight loss, long-term weight loss, weight maintenance and management.

Grocery shopping with a child

Do: Load up on fruits and veggies.

reviews and weight watchers

How to Get Started on WeightWatchers

What does weightwatchers cost, what costs are related to weightwatchers.

  • Starter fee. All new members pay a $20 starter fee and select a program that fits their needs. WW occasionally offers reduced monthly rates for a few months or waives the starter fee if you agree to pay for several months in advance.
  • Core Plan. Includes a customized nutrition plan to help you eat healthier, with online tools, trackers and 12,000 recipes. Starts at $23 per month.
  • Premium Plan. Includes all the benefits of the Core plan, plus in-person and virtual workshops. Starts at $45 per month.
  • WW foods (optional). None of the plan costs include food, as the program requires no specific food purchases on the program. Instead, WW encourages members to choose the foods they want, which helps make the program sustainable. However, you can order snacks and other branded foods from WW online, and they’re widely available in stores.

Is WeightWatchers Easy to Follow?

  • Vegan or vegetarian friendly. Recipes can be easily modified for a vegan or vegetarian diet .
  • Gluten-free friendly. Recipes can be easily modified and still follow a gluten-free diet .
  • Halal friendly. Recipes can be easily modified and still follow the diet.
  • Kosher friendly. Recipes can be easily modified and still follow the diet.
  • Low-carb. WW’s Points system encourages many low-carb choices.
  • Low-fat. The eating pattern is low in saturated fats .

Who Should Not Try the WeightWatchers?

Nutritionally sound.

Diverse foods and flavors.

Coaching and/or group support available.

Filling – it's rich in high-fiber foods.

No off-limit foods or food groups.

Convenient – grab and go options.

A clearly defined plan with recipes.

Has proven health benefits.

Unsafe for some people.

Lots of rules to remember.

WeightWatchers Rankings & Reviews

WeightWatchers ranked No. 6 in Best Diets Overall . 30 diets were evaluated with input from a panel of health experts. See how we rank diets here .

WeightWatchers is ranked:

  • # 6 in Best Diets Overall
  • # 20 in Best Plant-Based Diets  (tie)
  • # 6 in Best Fast Weight-Loss Diets  (tie)
  • # 13 in Best Diets for Bone and Joint Health  (tie)
  • # 13 in Best Family-Friendly Diets
  • # 1 in Best Weight-Loss Diets
  • # 16 in Best Heart-Healthy Diets
  • # 5 in Best Diabetes Diets  (tie)
  • # 1 in Best Diet Programs
  • # 11 in Best Diets for Healthy Eating  (tie)
  • # 5 in Easiest Diets to Follow

U.S. News Expert Reviews:

Success Stories and Tips From Real People

For Tyisha N. Jenkins, Mother’s Day 2022 brought a personal wake-up call. After seeing a photo her friend had taken of her at a church event, Jenkins was surprised by what she saw.

“I was just mortified,” says Jenkins, an educator, author and life and writing coach. “I could tell I gained a lot of weight.”

Jenkins turned her dismay into action. Realizing she needed motivation, she took the advice of another friend who had been through the WW program and took advantage of a special offer.

Rather than a specific weight loss goal, Jenkins sought to build discipline and self-control. She wanted to resist mindless snacking and emotional eating, like dealing with work stress by reaching for nearby goodies.

“Chocolate or random snacks – I would just overindulge, ” she says.

Her daily WW Points system helped put food choices into perspective. “OK, you can have that piece of chocolate, but that’s maybe 8 Points,” she says. “I only have 23 Points – there’s no way I’m going to eat that piece of chocolate.”

Challenges exist, though. Staying within allotted Points can be tricky, even when eating a salad.

“You don’t realize how many Points there are, even for things like ranch dressing or croutons,” Jenkins says.

Eating out requires planning, and sometimes packing snacks ahead when she’s on the go, instead of grabbing whatever’s fast and convenient. But her discipline paid off. Two months after starting WW, Jenkins had already lost 10 pounds. She still follows the WW plan, but says she isn't as disciplined as she was at the start.

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Why Trust U.S. News

With the help of our Best Diets panel of nationally-recognized experts in nutrition, obesity, food psychology, disease management, we developed a survey in partnership with The Harris Poll. The survey asked the panel to carefully compare diets for their nutritional completeness, health risks and benefits, long-term sustainability and evidence-based effectiveness. You can see our full methodology here .

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This article is based on reporting that features expert sources.

The U.S. News Health team delivers accurate information about health, nutrition and fitness, as well as in-depth medical condition guides. All of our stories rely on multiple, independent sources and experts in the field, such as medical doctors and licensed nutritionists. To learn more about how we keep our content accurate and trustworthy, read our  editorial guidelines .

Cardel is director of global clinical research and nutrition for WW (formerly Weight Watchers).

Palmer is a registered dietitian and food writer in the Los Angeles area. She's the author of the books, "The Plant-Powered Diet" and "Plant-Powered for Life," and also writes "The Plant-Powered Dietitian" blog.

Vanderwall is a registered dietitian nutritionist with the School of Medicine and Public Health at the University of Wisconsin at Madison.

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WeightWatchers (WW) Review 2023: I Tried It for 30 Days

  • By Katie Simpson , CPT Updated On June 16, 2023

weightwatchers-review

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As someone who stays active, I've consistently tried to prioritize my health and well-being. Getting to the gym has always been the easy part. But eating healthy? Not so easy. With summer coming to an end and the fall season approaching, I knew it was time to establish a solid routine. I decided to try out WeightWatchers (WW)  to help me achieve a goal of losing around 5 pounds and building healthier habits overall.

So, how did I like the program? And was I able to reach my goals? In this WeightWatchers review, I'll break down everything you need to know about getting started, as well as my personal experience on WW.

product block weight watchers

How I Tested

I rated the WeightWatchers program based on eleven different factors, assigning a score to each one, with 1 being the lowest score and 5 the highest. Here's a breakdown of each factor I considered:

  • Value: How expensive is the program? Is it a good deal?
  • User experience (UX): Is there an integrated app? How easy is the app to navigate? How functional is the app? Can you use it on desktop, mobile, etc.?
  • Quality of information: How good of a job does this app/program do at teaching you proper nutrition? What's the depth of information they provide on nutrition? What kind of advice and information does this program provide about activity levels, exercise, etc?
  • Personalization: Does the program accommodate dietary restrictions? Do they make suggestions specific to each person regarding nutrient needs they should have to reach their goal (based on things like age, weight, sex, activity level, etc.)? Can you customize the diet to fit your needs?
  • Nutritious value: Are you getting all of the nutrients you need like protein, carbs, fat, etc.? How accessible/available is the nutrition information for each meal or recommended meal?
  • Convenience: What's the level of effort needed to adhere to the nutrition program? Is this program easy to incorporate into your daily routine? For the recipes they give, how many ingredients do you need to buy? Do you need a lot of tools/kitchenware or are the meals simple? How easy is it/how much time does it take to prepare the meals?
  • Easy to follow: How easy is the program to follow? Is it restrictive? Does it allow for treats/indulging that reflect realities of everyday life with socializing?
  • Accessibility: Are there different plans you're able to choose from, offered at different price points? How much variety in plans/packages is there?
  • Goal attainment: How effective was this program in helping me reach my 30-day target?
  • Community: Is there a network of people you can connect with for support, inspiration, guidance, etc.? Are there social media groups you can join to connect with other users?
  • Customer support: If you're having trouble accessing or using the app, can you connect with a representative to troubleshoot?

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WeightWatchers Pros and Cons

What i liked.

  • Community (5/5): WeightWatchers' community was a great source of motivation and support for me. It allows you to follow along with other members' journeys: Inside the app, there's a "Connect" feature which functions similarly to a social media feed, where you can follow people's journeys and are able to interact with other members by posting and commenting about all sorts of things including encouraging stories, recipes, polls, questions and weight loss progress or food photos. Should you choose the Premium plan (the one I tested), along with the digital community, you also get access to thousands of in-person and virtual workshops with 24/7 access to a WW Coach.
  • Personalization (4/5): For those who have dietary restrictions or want to customize their meal plan to their goals, WeightWatchers offers numerous ways to personalize your experience. When you first get started, you complete a quiz that asks you what your focus is (weight loss or healthy habits), how often you eat vegetables, if you have diabetes, and which foods you enjoy eating most.
  • Affordability (5/5): Compared to comparable weight-loss and nutrition programs, WeightWatchers offers a great value, which is why I scored it a 5 in this category. Starting at just $10 per week, WW is the most affordable option compared to similar programs like Noom  ($60/month), Profile ($49/month), and MetPro ($49.99/month). Even with the cheapest and most basic plan, you get access to plenty of great features like recipes, an individualized meal plan, workouts, and 24/7 chat with a coach.
  • Easy to follow (4/5): I like how WeightWatchers preaches that their program isn't a diet but instead a lifestyle (WW’s mission is to promote and inspire healthy habits for real life). The program allows—and even encourages—you to still eat foods you enjoy by promoting a more balanced approach to nutrition rather than an all-or-nothing mindset. This makes WW easier to stick to because it's more sustainable.

What I Didn't Like

  • User experience (3/5): The app comes equipped with numerous tools to aid you in your journey, but I found the overall set-up and design difficult to navigate, and the amount of information overwhelming. I would've appreciated a more simplified app that clearly displays each function the subscription offered. It seemed like every day I found a new feature on the app, and then I'd forget how to navigate back to that same spot again.
  • Convenience (3/5): The entire premise of WeightWatchers is centered around tracking every piece of food you ingest. While this level of tracking did hold me accountable, I also found it a bit tedious at times, and also inconvenient when attending social events where I had a few bites of different foods rather than an entire meal. For these reasons, I scored the program a 3 for convenience—not bad, but not exactly the most convenient. However, WeightWatchers does encourage the use of zero-points food which are foods you don’t have to track (more on this later). The app also comes with a barcode scanner and a database with the nutritional information for hundreds of foods. I did find these features helpful as it makes the tracking process a bit less tedious.

What is WeightWatchers?

Founded 60 years ago, WeightWatchers, or WW, is a weight-loss program that offers a more sustainable solution to weight management and overall well-being. Instead of promoting rapid weight loss, WW advocates for a balanced approach to weight loss through its Point system.

The WW program begins with an in-depth assessment of your personal goals and health stats to gauge your set amount of points. By calculating your starting weight, goal weight, and individual food preferences, WW then assigns you a specific number of daily and weekly points to consume.

How Does WeightWatchers Work?

Getting started.

Start by downloading WW's free weight loss app . Then, you have a choice between two different membership plans. I used Premium, but I like how you have another option to choose from based on your budget, personal goals, and needs, which is why I scored WW a 5 in accessibility.

Membership Plans and Cost

  • Starts as low as $3/week*
  • Access to the app and 24/7 chat feature with a real WW coach
  • Includes individualized plan, weekly progress report, recipes , virtual workouts, and meal planning functionality
  • Starts as low as $5/week*
  • Access to the app, which includes everything in the Digital plan, plus the ability to attend in-person and virtual meetings and workshops with a WW coach and other members

*Price is based on the 1-month plan option, but you're able to choose from a 1-month, 3-month, and 6-month plan subscription.

Points System and Food

weightwatchers-sample-app-screens

After you've selected your plan, you'll fill out detailed information regarding your current weight, goal weight, other health questions (if you're breastfeeding, etc.), and finally what your ultimate goal is: to lose weight or develop healthier habits.

Once this initial questionnaire is complete, the questions get more personalized based on your responses. You'll answer how often you eat vegetables, fruit, etc. every week, as well as your favorite foods to enjoy. Then, you answer which is the highest priority for you: enjoying more food options, tracking everything you eat, more go-to foods to choose from, or the ability to limit the measuring of food every day.

From here, you'll arrive at a customized plan and daily allotment of points. One of my favorite parts was the zero-point foods list—i.e., nutritional foods that don’t count towards your daily points budget. The foods on this list are full of lean protein, fiber , and healthy fats, so they serve as the foundation of healthy eating and are generally critical to your overall health. A few of mine were grilled chicken, eggs, and avocado.

Once you've completed this step and have access to your personalized plan, you're then directed to the main page in the app called, "My Day". This is where you can input your daily food intake, plus other activities that influence weight loss and health like your sleep routine and typical exercise regimen. The tracking page is typically where I spent the most time because it helped me monitor how many points I had left each day.

My Experience on WeightWatchers

So, what was a typical day like for me on the WeightWatchers program? My daily points budget was 21 points which I found relatively easy to spread across all three meals, plus a couple of snacks. I also regularly earned a few extra points a day thanks to my regular physical activity and water intake.

To give you an idea of how I allocated my points with the WeightWatchers diet, below is a sample menu that shows the point amounts for some of my favorite WW recipes and snacks:

  • Breakfast: Sweet potato breakfast bowl (6 points)
  • Lunch: Egg, refried beans, and avocado wrap (5 points)
  • Snack: Protein lover's snack plate made up of almonds, strawberries, and swiss cheese (4 points)
  • Dinner: Cheeseburger dogs (7 points)
  • Dessert: Apple slices with chocolate and peanut butter (4 points)

Total Points for the Day: 26

Physical Activity

In addition to these meals, I kept up my normal exercise regimen which includes weightlifting for at least one hour. I also tried to walk around 10,000 steps during the day since I work a sedentary job. This afforded me a couple of extra points, which I used on dessert, of course. 

My WeightWatchers Do's and Don'ts

I compiled helpful lessons from my coach, plus my own tips and tricks, into a list of do's and don'ts when following the WW program. A lot of the "do" behaviors can also add points to your budget.

  • Plan ahead: It's easier to stay on track with your points budget if you plan meals ahead of time. This also allows you to adjust your daily allotment based on upcoming social events where you may want to use more points (birthday dinners, happy hours, etc.).
  • Take advantage of your zero-point foods by incorporating them into your daily meals.
  • Drink plenty of water (WW advises at least 60 oz. throughout the day)
  • Stay active throughout the week.
  • Increase your daily step count.
  • Adapt an all-or-nothing mindset. If you've gone over your daily budget by a few points, try not to view that as an opportunity to go completely off track. Just try to be better the next day. Or, you can add points to your budget by completing one of the many WW activities that contributes to healthy weight loss (walking, chores, drinking a cup of water, etc.).
  • Blow all of your points on one meal, snack, or dessert.
  • Fall behind with tracking. When you're busy or in a rush, it's all too easy to skip tracking for a meal or two, but really try not to do it. This creates inaccuracy, which ultimately prevents you from seeing the results you want. Most of the days where I exceeded my points was largely due to inconsistent tracking on my part.

My Final Score

So, how did WeightWatchers measure up? I gave the program an overall score of 4.1 out of 5. Here's a quick look at the individual breakdown so you can see how I arrived at the total score:

  • User experience (UX): 3
  • Info quality: 4
  • Personalization: 4
  • Nutritious value: 4
  • Convenience: 3
  • Easy to follow: 4
  • Accessibility: 5
  • Customer support: 5
  • Community: 5
  • Goal attainment: 4

Does WeightWatchers Work?

After a month of following the program, I didn't quite lose 5 pounds, but I did notice an improvement in my overall physique. I had less bloating, and felt healthier and stronger overall. I found that the number on the scale means less than how I physically feel, and the balanced, nutritious meals I learned to create through WW were a key part of this learning.

I scored WW a 4 in goal attainment because although I didn't reach my numeric weight-loss goal, I still think the program is geared toward successful weight loss and goal setting. I wasn't as disciplined with tracking or with sticking to my points budget on the weekends, which ultimately prevented me from the weight loss I was seeking. However, my coach was very helpful in pivoting in the actionable plan she gave me, and in offering helpful advice and tips for how to get back on track.

Final Takeaway

All in all, my experience with WeightWatchers was a positive one, and I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a sustainable, balanced approach to either weight loss or healthier eating. I found the recipes tasty and easy to make, and the level of community and personalization useful. WeightWatchers also offers a couple different plan options, all of which are more affordable than most other weight-loss programs on the market.

However, if measuring your food, counting calories, or monitoring each and every thing you eat is triggering for you or simply unrealistic, I recommend a more intuitive approach. For example, one that focuses on how to build well-balanced, nourishing meals instead of food tracking might be more beneficial in that case.

Still, I found that the WeightWatchers program truly reflected the values they preach: to eat well, connect with others, celebrate victories, and overcome challenges. So if you think this program might be right for you and your lifestyle, give it a shot.

Why Trust Us?

At ACTIVE.com, we're passionate about bringing you products that we trust and would personally use. That's why we developed an 11-point evaluation system to determine the quality, effectiveness, and usability of the training programs we feature in our reviews. We test each program and vet it against our system before arriving at an overall score. Additionally, we consulted with ACTIVE's Advisory Board, which includes nutritionists, competitive athletes, coaches, and certified trainers to make certain that the products that we feature are of the highest standards.

Disclaimer: The health and safety of ACTIVE's readers is of the utmost importance to us which is why we recommend consulting with a doctor or physician before partaking in a new weight loss or nutrition program.

FAQs About the WeightWatchers App

Is weightwatchers worth the money.

Due to the more affordable price points than competitor programs, I did find WW to be worth the money. You get a lot of features (personalized plan, recipes, workouts, access to a coach) in the free app, and if you adhere to the program, you'll most likely see the results you're seeking.

But it's also important to be honest with yourself about your level of discipline and commitment; if you know you won't be able to consistently track your meals and stick to a daily budget of points, it might be best to try a different program.

How long does it take to see progress with WeightWatchers?

While everyone differs in the time it takes to see progress based on genetic and metabolic factors, most people can expect to see progress within a few weeks or a month. Their program is effective, but only if you stick to it. Your level of adherence to the program, as well as other helpful weight loss-oriented activities like physical exercise , walking, and planning ahead, can all contribute to seeing progress sooner.

Is there a free version of WeightWatchers?

While there isn't a free version of WeightWatchers, the Digital plan (WW's most basic package) offers a 30-day free trial. This allows you to try out WW with no risk to you. If you find that it's working for you, you'll be automatically signed up at the monthly rate at the end of the trial. If you want to opt out, you can cancel at any time.

Also be on the lookout for the various deals and specials WW runs where you can snag a plan for less.

About Katie

As a former competitive swimmer and avid weightlifter, Katie has always understood the importance of staying active. But it wasn’t until she started studying for her ACE personal trainer’s exam that she learned just how important proper nutrition is. In order to build on her knowledge of diet and nutrition, as well as reach her weight loss goal, Katie decided to try WeightWatchers with the hopes of learning more about how to fuel her body the right way.

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What Is Weight Watchers?

Mia Syn, MS, RDN is a registered dietitian nutritionist with a master of science in human nutrition. She is also the host of Good Food Friday on ABC News 4.

reviews and weight watchers

Getty Images / Grace Cary

How Does Weight Watchers Work?

WW, previously (and still more commonly) known as Weight Watchers , is a points system weight loss program that calculates your personal nutrition needs based on your height, weight, age, and activity level. Your assigned daily points are designed with the goal of tracking what you eat. Every food as a point value—members are instructed to use the allotted points per day, without going over or under.

WW prides itself in being a wellness brand, but at its core, it's still a diet with the goal of weight loss. In a world where the dieting market is endless and healthy is the new skinny, one of the world's most popular diets had to do something to reimagine itself.

In 2018 Weight Watchers went through a rebranding initiative with a new slogan to boot, "Wellness that Works." While the point system remains, the system is now marketed as a personalized weight loss (and wellness) program.

Gone are the days of weekly weigh-ins and group meetings; instead, log your food digitally and find support virtually through the WW app. Another big change—some major high-cost point foods (like beans, avocado, and potato), which are energy dense, are now zero. While this sounds like a win, it can be confusing to someone who's trying to limit their calorie intake.

On the other hand, the points system is restrictive in nature and can potentially lead to binging or saving up points to overeat later in the day. All of which is probably why WW changed their system to allow "ZeroPoint" foods, though it's unclear whether this is better or worse for the program.

Weight Watchers, now called WW assigns point values to food and drinks which you add up to meet your daily points budget. There are no off-limits foods but due to the limiting points budget, you will likely need to choose lower calorie, higher volume, fiber, and protein foods that have a lower point value.

If you're considering trying WW, reviewing the pros and cons may help make your decision.

Balanced and flexible

Teaches lifelong skills

No foods are forbidden

Slow and steady weight loss

Tons of support and resources

Promotes exercise

Can be costly

Counting points can be tedious

Weekly weigh-ins are necessary

Too much freedom for some people

May lead to unhealthy dieting

Balanced and Flexible

Cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all diet plans certainly don't work for everyone. That's where WW is different. Swapping out a meal plan for points allows you choose foods you want to eat and portion them out as you see fit. The ability to eat more of the foods you love while on a diet improves adherence to the program.

WW has made some changes, like the ZeroPoint list, that's designed to make flexibility even more achievable throughout the diet. Choosing what you eat throughout the day from a list of balanced foods makes WW more flexible and is a likable aspect of the program.

Teaches Lifelong Skills

Diets are meant to be temporary. However, WW aims to teach lifelong healthy habits and skills, like measuring portions and tracking your food , that you can continue to incorporate into your daily routine even when you're not following the program.

Studies show that tracking your food intake is associated with long-term weight loss success.

While measuring portions is important to avoid overeating, learning to eat larger portions of low energy-dense foods (as in ZeroPoints foods) and smaller portions of high energy-dense foods is more important for sustained weight loss and weight management.

WW also offers a library of healthy eating tips, advice, recipes, and more that encourage you to cook at home and teach the skills to make it happen.

No Foods are Forbidden

Off-limits or forbidden foods have a tendency to lead to disordered eating behaviors including binge eating. You may notice this in your own experience—the more you tell yourself you can't have a certain food or food group, the more you crave that food. Giving yourself permission to eat anything has a nuanced way of giving you more control over what you eat.

Studies show that when dessert foods or common off-limits foods are served with a family meal to children, they end up eating less overall at that meal regardless of the portion size served. Instead of a list of foods you can and can't eat, WW gives you "PersonalPoints" to count and FitPoints that allow you to gain more PersonalPoints as you workout.

Slow and Steady Weight Loss

WW is designed to help you lose 1-2 pounds per week—the same rate that the National Institute of Health recommends as safe weight loss.

Anecdotally, there are countless stories on the WW website and through a quick internet search. Scientifically speaking, a variety of studies have come to the same conclusions.

For example, a 2017 study published in Lancet compared weight loss among those using self-help materials, Weight Watchers for 12 weeks, and Weight Watchers for 52 weeks. The 52-week program led to better results than the 12-week program, and the 12-week program had better results than the self-guided program.

Another 2015 systematic review in  Annals of internal medicine examined several commercial weight-loss programs. The study found that those on Weight Watchers lost 2.6 percent more weight compared to control groups.

Rapid weight loss results in a greater likelihood of weight regain over the long term—it's ok that this weight loss method sticks to a "slow and steady" mantra. If you want to lose weight and keep it off, slow and steady wins the race.

Tons of Support and Resources

A solid support system is necessary for successful weight loss. WW offers support by way of virtual coaches, in-person and online support groups, and a members-only online community available 24/7. Studies show that almost any weight management program will be more successful if accompanied by support services.

WW has a large library of recipes and on-demand workouts that are included with every membership. There's a barcode scanner for easy meal tracking and the ability to create and save your own recipes. And if you have an activity tracker you can easily sync your device with the WW app for seamless activity and nutrition tracking.

We've tried, tested, and reviewed the best fitness trackers . If you're in the market for an activity tracker, explore which option may be best for you.

Promotes Exercise

The National Institute of Health recommends adults aged 18-64 do at least 150-minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity throughout the week, or 75-minutes of vigorous aerobic physical activity throughout the week. In addition, muscle-strengthening activities should be performed two days a week.

WW helps you create daily and weekly activity goals and then encourages you to meet those goals by giving you additional PersonalPoints for every workout added to your weekly budget. WW keeps it light and encourages you to choose workouts that you enjoy.

Included with your WW membership is an on-demand workout program that includes instructor-led cardio, core, yoga, Pilates, and stretching workouts. You're also encouraged to try local workouts in your area with free trial class offerings.

Can Be Costly

When you sign up for WW, the first thing you'll do is choose the duration of the program and cost per duration (6-month, 3-month, or 1-month). From there you'll choose your add-ons like one-on-one coaching or instructor-led workouts, all of which come at an additional fee.

Be sure to consider how much you'll pay each month for the duration of the program before deciding if it fits within your budget.

To make it slightly more affordable, opt to pay upfront for several months or lock in a promotion. Also, be sure to check with your insurance provider—many insurance companies will offer a discount or reimburse you for participating in Weight Watchers.

If you're still unsure, a 2019 study analyzed the cost for a group of women to lose 5 percent of their body weight using Weight Watchers, which came in at a total of $1,610.  While this sounds like a lot, this amount was still far less than the other weight loss program studied, Curves Complete, which cost a total of $8,613 to achieve the same goals. It's worth mentioning this cost was collected for a 2-year period. This brings the cost to around $67 per month.

Counting Points Can Be Tedious

Many people find it annoying to count points and track their nutrition. It can also become stressful trying to stay within your daily points budget. Not to mention, for some people, focusing so deeply on what they're eating throughout the day can lead to an unhealthy relationship with food and create disordered eating behaviors—quite the opposite of what is necessary for sustained and healthy weight loss.

Weekly Weigh-Ins Are Necessary

To track your progress you'll need to weigh in once per week at an in-person meeting or virtually. For some people, this can create unnecessary stress surrounding the number on the scale, while others may feel uncomfortable being weighed in front of other people.

If you find yourself having a bad day based on your weight on the scale, weighing yourself often is probably not a wise habit to form. On the other hand, some people find weekly weigh-ins helpful and encouraging to monitor their progress and keep them accountable and on the right track.

Too Much Freedom

For some, unlimited access to zero points foods may prove to be too challenging at this stage in their weight loss journey. If you think you'll find yourself overeating zero points foods or saving up PersonalPoints for less nutritious foods later in the day, finding a more structured weight loss plan may suit you better.

May Lead to Unhealthy Dieting

Avid dieters can vouch for the stress that comes along with counting points and following a program. If your diet program is interrupting your social life or taking over your thoughts, it's becoming unhealthy for you. Many of the components of WW can absolutely contribute to unhealthy dieting including tracking foods, counting points, and saving points for overindulgent foods.

Weight Watchers. How it works .

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Ingels JS, Misra R, Stewart J, Lucke-Wold B, Shawley-Brzoska S. The Effect of Adherence to Dietary Tracking on Weight Loss: Using HLM to Model Weight Loss over Time .  J Diabetes Res . 2017;2017:6951495. doi:10.1155/2017/6951495

Rolls BJ. What is the role of portion control in weight management? .  Int J Obes (Lond) . 2014;38 Suppl 1(Suppl 1):S1-S8. doi:10.1038/ijo.2014.82

Mathes WF, Brownley KA, Mo X, Bulik CM. The biology of binge eating .  Appetite . 2009;52(3):545-553. doi:10.1016/j.appet.2009.03.005

Avena NM, Murray S, Gold MS. Comparing the effects of food restriction and overeating on brain reward systems.   Exp Gerontol . 2013;48(10):1062-1067. doi:10.1016/j.exger.2013.03.006

Huss LR, Laurentz S, Fisher JO, McCabe GP, Kranz S. Timing of serving dessert but not portion size affects young children's intake at lunchtime . Appetite . 2013 Sep;68:158-63. doi: 10.1016/j.appet.2013.04.013.

Finkler E, Heymsfield SB, St-Onge MP. Rate of weight loss can be predicted by patient characteristics and intervention strategies .  J Acad Nutr Diet . 2012;112(1):75-80. doi:10.1016/j.jada.2011.08.034

Ahern AL, Wheeler GM, Aveyard P, et al. Extended and standard duration weight-loss programme referrals for adults in primary care (WRAP): a randomised controlled trial [published correction appears in Lancet . 2017 Jun 3;389(10085):2192].  Lancet . 2017;389(10085):2214–2225. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30647-5

Gudzune KA, Doshi RS, Mehta AK, et al. Efficacy of commercial weight-loss programs: an updated systematic review [published correction appears in Ann Intern Med. 2015 May 19;162(10):739-40] .  Ann Intern Med . 2015;162(7):501–512. doi:10.7326/M14-2238

Hall KD, Kahan S. Maintenance of Lost Weight and Long-Term Management of Obesity .  Med Clin North Am . 2018;102(1):183-197. doi:10.1016/j.mcna.2017.08.012

Management I of M (US) S on MW.  Weight-Loss and Maintenance Strategies . National Academies Press (US); 2004.

Information NC for B, Pike USNL of M 8600 R, MD B, Usa 20894.  Recommended Population Levels of Physical Activity for Health . World Health Organization; 2010.

Johnson A, Maiberger M, Donegan S, Kaplan NC, Kinner P. Cost effectiveness of two lifestyle interventions in the Vermont WISEWOMAN program . Prev Chronic Dis . 2019 Mar 21;16:E31. doi: 10.5888/pcd16.180417

By Shoshana Pritzker RD, CDN, CSSD, CISSN Shoshana Pritzker RD, CDN is a sports and pediatric dietitian, the owner of Nutrition by Shoshana, and is the author of "Carb Cycling for Weight Loss." Shoshana received her B.S in dietetics and nutrition from Florida International University. She's been writing and creating content in the health, nutrition, and fitness space for over 15 years and is regularly featured in Oxygen Magazine, JennyCraig.com, and more.

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Weight Watchers (WW) Review (2024): Is It Right for Me?

  • WW offers an affordable weight loss program that provides motivation from coaches and WW members.
  • The program costs $23–$45 per month, plus a $20 startup fee.
  • The Points system is helpful for keeping track of your food intake each day, but it’s hard to use once you’re no longer a WW member.

Our Reviews Team conducts in-depth research so we can provide a thorough, comprehensive review of the products and services we test. We spent two weeks testing various weight loss platforms and carrying out extensive research on nutrition, fitness, and overall healthy living to give you the most accurate review. To make our selections we:

  • Consulted with dietitians, nutritionists, and psychologists
  • Spent two weeks testing each platform to become familiar with associated apps and/or websites
  • Participated in logging meals, preparing recipes and pre-packaged food, and interacting with health coaches and customer service representatives
  • Completed the sign-up processes and questionnaires
  • Surveyed 600 people who have used weight loss platforms
  • Conducted a focus group with weight loss platform users
  • Interviewed 20 experts in nutrition, weight management, and nutritional psychology
  • Read thousands of verified customer reviews from the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and Trustpilot

Maintaining a healthy weight is important for lowering your risk of chronic disease and lengthening your lifespan. [1] Fontana L, Hu F. Aging Cell. March 2014. Optimal Body Weight for Health and Longevity: Bridging Basic, Clinical, and Population Research. Found on the internet at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12207 And if you’ve tried losing weight any time in the past 50 years, you’ve probably heard of WW (formerly known as Weight Watchers). The New York-based company grew out of a small group of friends led by Jean Nidetch who met weekly to support one another in reaching their weight loss goals.

Roughly 5 million people worldwide are WW members , and the program has helped many more lose weight since its beginning. In our poll of weight loss program customers, more people had tried WW than any other program. [2] Weight Loss Programs Survey. 300 respondents. Conducted using Pollfish. Launched October 2023.

The company has gone through a number of changes in the past several decades, with the current format offering a simple food tracking system, in-person and online group sessions, and an app to help you record everything.

But is WW the right weight loss program for you? Read our review to learn about the features, costs, and drawbacks of WW before you sign up.

Pros and cons of Weight Watchers

Noom Logo

What is Weight Watchers?

WW is a weight loss program that uses a combination of simplified food tracking and support from coaches and other members to help people lose weight. The company claims you can lose 1–2 pounds per week on the program, which is a safe rate of weight loss according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). [3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Losing weight. June 15, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html

But our review of a study that analyzed weight loss among WW members for 12 months revealed a slower rate of just 0.2 pounds per week (or 9.7 pounds throughout a year). [4] Tate D, et al. JAMA Network Open. August 2022. Efficacy of a Commercial Weight Management Program Compared With a Do-It-Yourself Approach. Found on the internet at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2795182 This is quite a bit lower than the weight loss advertised on the WW site. But keep in mind even a small weight loss can be beneficial for health, as long as it’s coupled with healthy habits . [3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Losing weight. June 15, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html

WW doesn’t promote a specific diet, but rather, the program offers education and support for behavioral changes that can help you lose weight. And you don’t have to buy specific foods, making it a good option for people on a budget or those with special dietary needs.

We tried out the program to uncover the pros and cons, with a particular emphasis on whether this would be a safe weight loss option for older adults.

Our Weight Watchers experience

Our testers signed up as WW members for two weeks. During that time, we tried everything: tracking food, activity, and sleep on the website and app; attending workshops and a KickStart session; joining online communities; taste-testing WW food and recipes; reading educational content on the website; contacting customer service for help by phone and chat; and, finally, canceling our membership.

By the end, we had mixed feelings about our time with WW. We liked the motivational weekly workshops with coaches and other members. Discussions focused on problem-solving, encouraging one another to reach goals, and celebrating successes. What we felt was lacking in these sessions, though, was education on healthy eating and exercise. We found a lot of cheerleading and not enough teaching.

For people who are new to weight loss and healthy eating, learning about the importance of food choices, physical activity, sleep, and stress management for reaching a healthy weight is critical.

Research shows we lose muscle mass naturally as we age , but regular physical activity can help maintain or build muscle for faster metabolism and protection of joints. [5] National Institute on Aging. How Can Strength Training Build Healthier Bodies As We Age? June 30, 2022. Found on the internet at https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/how-can-strength-training-build-healthier-bodies-we-age But WW specifically says its program is meant to result in weight loss without exercise, a statement that doesn’t adhere to CDC guidelines for physical activity for older adults . [6] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). How much physical activity do older adults need? April 13, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm

Also, diet plays a bigger role in body weight with advanced age , so learning all you can about healthy food choices, portions, and cooking methods becomes increasingly important. [7] National Institute on Aging. Maintaining a Healthy Weight. April 7, 2022. Found on the internet at https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-eating-nutrition-and-diet/maintaining-healthy-weight We would like to see more of a focus on education for WW members.

WW features

Features of the WW program include:

  • Weekly workshops offered in-person and online where you can find a workshop near you and attend as many times a week as you would like, at no extra charge
  • 24/7 health coaching through the app or website
  • WW app that provides the ability to: track your food intake, sleep, and activity each day; search for recipes; look up the Points values of meals at restaurants; buy WW foods and other products; join online WW communities; and attend weekly workshops

The WW app provides a number of functions, such as:

  • Tracking food intake, sleep, and activity
  • Finding menu items in an extensive list of restaurants
  • Finding recipes to make at home
  • Joining online WW communities
  • Accessing 24/7 coaching
  • Getting help from customer support
  • Buying WW products
  • Canceling your membership

You’ll be assigned a daily points budget based on your answers to an intake quiz when you sign up for the program. As you log food into the app throughout the day, points will be subtracted. When you run out of points, you can either stop eating that day or eat ZeroPoints foods, which are like “free” foods, according to WW.

WW app with points budget and ZeroPoint foods

Our Reviews Team found the app and website easy to use, for the most part. But one tester noted that the WW app requires more steps to enter each food into your daily log than other food tracking apps.

Also, unlike other programs that use calories and other nutrient parameters to track your intake, WW uses a separate point system it has developed. WW points don’t correlate directly to calories or the nutritional value of foods, so it’s impossible to tell exactly how many calories or nutrients you’re eating each day.

As mentioned above, ZeroPoint foods don’t have points assigned to them. We’ve listed these foods in the table below.

Table 1, WW ZeroPoints foods

You don’t have to track ZeroPoints foods unless you’re on the diabetes-tailored program , in which case you’ll need to track corn, popcorn, fruit, cottage cheese, and yogurt due to their impact on blood sugar.

The ZeroPoints approach gives people encouragement to make healthy eating choices, but it also results in key nutrient-dense foods not being accounted for in your daily food log. They get lost because you’re not tracking them, and thus not focusing on them. We feel that this deserves mention for older adults in particular, who need to focus on a healthy, nutrient-dense diet for sustained good health and prevention of chronic disease and infections, in addition to maintenance of a healthy weight.

The other issue with ZeroPoints foods is that it’s possible to eat more calories than you need, even with these food choices, which may keep you from losing weight.

Along with using the app for points tracking, we also entered sleep and activity. We found that to be an easier process than tracking points for food intake.

Person sitting on the floor in front of computer

WW workshops

Workshops are held weekly, both online and in-person at studios across the country. You can attend as many as you’d like. In-person workshops include a weigh-in before the meeting starts. They include teaching from coaches, interaction with other members, and tips for maintaining your progress or getting back on track.

How to sign up for Weight Watchers

You can start a WW membership from the website by following these steps:

  • Choose between the Core plan or Premium plan. See Table 2 below to learn more about the features of each plan. Briefly, the Premium plan offers workshops and weekly behavioral change tips that aren’t included in the Core plan. WW also offers a 30-day free trial , so you can try it out before committing to a longer membership.
  • After choosing a plan, you’ll be asked to complete a short quiz. It asks questions about your age, gender, current height and weight, activity level, and whether you have diabetes.
  • Based on your answers, the WW system calculates a daily points budget. By tracking your food on the website or in the app, it subtracts points throughout the day. The idea is to stay under your daily points to lose weight.
  • Download the WW app on your phone. WW is one program that can be used without an app (you’ll track points on the website instead), but we found the app much easier to use for tracking purposes.

Cancellation policy

One advantage of WW is you can cancel at any time with no fee. Other programs like Noom require you to subscribe for a certain number of months, which can be a problem if you decide the program isn’t for you before that time period is up.

How much does Weight Watchers cost?

Weight Watchers offers three types of plans, based on features and level of support.

Table 2, WW plans and pricing

As referenced above, WW offers a diabetes-tailored program that allows you to combine the WW program with a Libre blood glucose monitor to keep track of your blood sugar in the WW app.

Weight loss medication option

WW offers a program through Sequence , a company acquired by WW in April 2023 that provides telehealth appointments with physicians and prescription GLP-1 agonists (type 2 diabetes drugs such as Wegovy and Saxenda) for weight loss, to use along with the WW Core program.

It’s important to consult with your doctor or other health care provider before beginning any weight loss program. They may want to do a physical exam and bloodwork before you make changes to your diet or exercise regimen. If you’re considering weight loss medication, it’s crucial to see a health care provider in person rather than relying on a virtual platform like the one WW provides.

Customer reviews

WW has a Better Business Bureau (BBB) customer rating of just 1.02 out of 5 stars based on 87 reviews. And its Trustpilot rating is about the same, at 1.6 out of 5 stars from 117 customer reviews.

Common complaints include trying to cancel a WW membership but getting charged for months afterward, which is a complaint we’ve also seen with other weight loss programs. Some customers have also ordered products that didn’t arrive, but they were still charged for the items.

Legal filings

In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed and settled an action with the platform. [8] Federal Trade Commission. FTC Takes Action Against Company Formerly Known as Weight Watchers for Illegally Collecting Kids’ Sensitive Health Data. March 4, 2022. Found on the internet at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/03/ftc-takes-action-against-company-formerly-known-weight-watchers-illegally-collecting-kids-sensitive The FTC alleged that WW marketed a weight loss platform for children and gathered their personal information without parental permission. As part of the settlement, WW had to delete the information illegally obtained from users under age 13 and pay a $1.5 million fine.

How we research and evaluate weight loss platforms

Based on our expert consultations, research, and testing, we determined the following factors to be important for our readers when signing up for a weight loss platform:

  • Education in nutrition and weight management
  • Accountability through progress tracking
  • Recommendations and tips for physical activity
  • Access to clinical support
  • Availability of mental health resources
  • Ease of use of the app or website

We had all of our reviews medically reviewed by an expert in the field to ensure the information is appropriate for NCOA readers’ needs.

Bottom line

WW is a well-established weight loss company that’s not without its strong points. The encouraging community of members, regular workshops, 24/7 coaching, and simple approach to food tracking are all advantages.

But the lack of education when it comes to nutrition and learning about why and how the foods you eat affect your weight, along with the fact that you can’t follow the points system outside the WW program, causes us to recommend other programs like the Mayo Clinic Diet rather than WW for a weight loss solution, which would allow you to learn healthy habits that you can sustain for the rest of your life.

Frequently asked questions

WW can help you lose weight at a rate of about 0.7 pounds per week over the course of three months, based on studies conducted by the company.

WW meetings, called workshops, are held in person and virtually once a week. If you want to attend more than one meeting per week, you can also do that.

WW offers motivational coaching and communities (online and in person), nutritious recipes, and educational content to help you stay on track with your health and weight loss goals.

Weight Watchers lacks education when it comes to nutrition and learning about why and how the foods you eat affect your weight. You also can’t follow the points system outside WW, making the plan hard to continue after canceling your subscription.

Have questions about this review? Email us at [email protected] .

  • Fontana L, Hu F. Optimal Body Weight for Health and Longevity: Bridging Basic, Clinical, and Population Research. Aging Cell. March 2014. Found on the internet at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/acel.12207
  • Weight Loss Programs Survey. 300 respondents. Conducted using Pollfish. Launched October 2023.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Losing Weight. June 15, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/losing_weight/index.html
  • Tate D, et al. Efficacy of a Commercial Weight Management Program Compared With a Do-It-Yourself Approach. JAMA Network Open. August 2022. Found on the internet at https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2795182
  • National Institute on Aging. How Can Strength Training Build Healthier Bodies As We Age? June 30, 2022. Found on the internet at https://www.nia.nih.gov/news/how-can-strength-training-build-healthier-bodies-we-age
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). How Much Physical Activity Do Older Adults Need? April 13, 2023. Found on the internet at https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity/basics/older_adults/index.htm
  • National Institute on Aging. Maintaining a Healthy Weight. April 7, 2022. Found on the internet at https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/healthy-eating-nutrition-and-diet/maintaining-healthy-weight
  • Federal Trade Commission. FTC Takes Action Against Company Formerly Known as Weight Watchers for Illegally Collecting Kids’ Sensitive Health Data. March 4, 2022. Found on the internet at https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2022/03/ftc-takes-action-against-company-formerly-known-weight-watchers-illegally-collecting-kids-sensitive

Cara Everett, MS, RDN, LDN

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I Followed WeightWatchers for 30 Days: Here Are My Results (2024)

By Kate Meier NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1

Expert Verified by Nicole Davis, CPT, PN1-NC

updated October 13, 2023

We test and review fitness products based on an independent, multi-point methodology. If you use our links to purchase something, we may earn a commission. Read our disclosures.

Let’s cut to the chase: Over the last few years, I’ve gained weight. I’m a competitive weightlifter who has outgrown the weight class I prefer to be in. On top of that, I train very heavy four or more times a week. So while I need to get to my fighting weight, I need to do it in a way that doesn’t sacrifice my strength. Perhaps more importantly, I noticed my joints hurting more and my runs getting harder, and I really wanted to feel better.

I turned to one of the most popular and best weight loss programs , WeightWatchers, to see if it would make a difference. I trusted WW because it’s a program that the registered dietitians we work with at Garage Gym Reviews favored. In this WeightWatchers review, I’ll share the ups, downs, and everything else on my 30-day journey with the program.

Editor’s Note and Medical Disclaimer: This article is intended for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Weight loss programs are not recommended for people with a history of disordered eating. For health advice, contact a licensed healthcare provider. If you need help with disordered eating, contact NEDA .

Experts Who Favor A Food-First Approach 

I’m a certified personal trainer, so I know a thing or two about fitness in general. I’ll share my personal experience with WeightWatchers in this diet review, but it’s important to recognize that this is solely my experience. 

When it comes to expert nutrition advice for the broader population, I trust the certified nutrition coaches and registered dietitians we consult with daily on Garage Gym Reviews. I sought the in-depth advice of registered dietitian Perry Nix for this review, asking her to take an honest look at WeightWatchers with me to determine the pros and cons of the program.

WeightWatchers

reviews and weight watchers

Product Highlights

  • Designed specifically for weight loss
  • Targeted quizzes to find the right plan for you
  • Two membership options, starting at $23 per month
  • Online-only or hybrid memberships available
  • Works on a point budget system—no “off-limit” foods
  • 24/7 support chat

Pros & Cons

  • Point system allows you to tailor the plans to your preferences
  • Online or hybrid options provide more flexibility
  • Can choose a plan that works within your budget
  • Includes an app for easier tracking
  • Assigning Points to food is hard to translate to real-world eating when off the plan
  • Tracking can be tedious
  • Requires weekly weigh-ins, which can be problematic for some

Bottom Line

WeightWatchers is a flexible weight loss program that allows you to tailor your diet and lifestyle to your needs and preferences. There are two membership options: one for those who prefer in-person support, and one for those who are looking for an online program.

  • A Quick Look at WeightWatchers

WeightWatchers is an affordable program that uses a patented Points system to help you meet your goals, whether that’s weight loss or maintenance. You don’t have to count calories; the formula behind Points does that in a sneaky way to keep you on track while gently prompting you to load your diet with whole foods.

You do, however, have to keep track of everything you eat and drink. The more honest and accurate you are, the better the program can work for you. The easiest way to do WeightWatchers is to download the app on a smart device and track your food as you go; however, you can go old-school with a pen and paper if you need to. 

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Before You Buy

  • This is a commitment. Taking a food-first approach to weight loss is a healthy way to do it, but it isn’t a quick fix, so if you do WW, keep in mind that you may lose 1 to 2 pounds a week.
  • To get the best results, be precise with food measurements; having a food scale will help ensure accuracy.

snapshot of WeightWatchers app: Daily tracking food

  • Is WeightWatchers Worth It?

According to a recent clinical trial 1 of nearly 400 adults, people using a commercial weight loss program lost more weight and were more likely to achieve a 5% weight loss at 3- and 12-month timeframes compared to those who tried to lose weight on their own.

WeightWatchers may be one of the most affordable diet programs out there. It starts for around $10 a month if you commit to a year. The cost is typically structured as a per-month rate plus a $20 starter fee. There are also flash deals throughout the year (I noticed these often happen around holiday sales ).

I’ve done my share of meal programs, delivery services, and customized fitness programming, and I believe $10 a month is a fantastic deal for what you get with WeightWatchers. In addition to access to its comprehensive app, you also unlock a world of program-friendly recipes. Beyond that, this is one of the most popular weight loss programs out there, so just search the web and you’ll find endless unaffiliated websites, forums, and more where tips and tricks for success abound.

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However, that doesn’t mean this program is for everyone. You do have to track your caloric intake, which can be problematic for some people, especially those with a history of disordered eating.

  • People looking to gradually lose weight 
  • Those looking to improve dietary habits and make lifestyle changes
  • Those who don’t mind tracking food

Not recommended for:

  • People with a history of disordered eating
  • People looking for customized meal plans
  • People with very specific dietary restrictions who may be better off working with a dietitian or nutritionist
  • WeightWatchers Specs
  • Signing Up: Membership Options

There are two types of memberships: Core and Premium. 

The Core membership is the more basic of the two. You get access to the app, around 11,000 recipes, and around-the-clock virtual support from a WeightWatchers Coach. This starts at around $10 a month if you choose to do the program for a year. If you want to do a shorter time frame, there are a few options, including $23 for just one month (plus a $20 activation fee).

The Premium membership includes all the benefits of Core but also adds on virtual or in-person workshops you can attend. The Premium membership starts around $25/month for a full year, or you can choose shorter timeframe commitments, with one option at  $65 for just one month (plus the $20 activation fee).

I signed up for the Core membership; I think the workshops are a great option, but I personally didn’t feel that I would make time to go to them. And, for me, the workshops didn’t feel like they were vital to my success, though reviews online rave about them.

  • The Points System: How It Works

The entire WW system revolves around Points. (WeightWatchers has a registered trademark on the word Points. That’s why you’ll see it with a capital “P” throughout this WeightWatchers review.) According to the WW website , Points are assigned to foods based on six factors: calories are factored into the equation, and then there are two factors that increase Points and three that decrease Points.

Factors That Increase Points 

  • Saturated fat
  • Added sugars

Factors That Decrease Points

  • Unsaturated fats

The point of Points is to encourage you to eat foods that are low in added sugars and saturated fat in favor of foods high in fiber and protein.

“Weight Watchers uses the Points system to encourage participants to eat foods that provide long-lasting energy, enhance satiety, and boost metabolism without high amounts of saturated fat and sugar, which can make you feel sluggish and fatigued,” says Perry Nix, registered dietitian. 

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ZeroPoint Foods

To further push you toward eating nutrition-packed foods, WW has dedicated ZeroPoint foods             that include the following:

  • Non-starchy vegetables
  • Yogurt and cottage cheese (plain, unsweetened, and fat-free varieties only)
  • Fish and shellfish 
  • Chicken and turkey breast (plain, 98% fat-free or higher)
  • Beans, peas, and lentils
  • Tofu and tempeh
  • Corn and popcorn (plain and air-popped popcorn only)

Clearly, the app wants you to eat a lot of fruits, vegetables, and lean sources of protein. Most diet programs have this kind of base, and for good reason.

“Weight Watcher’s ZeroPoint foods are rich in vitamins, low-calorie, and packed with fiber and protein,” Perry explains. “When the bulk of your diet consists of a variety of these nutrient-dense foods, you’re likely to feel energized and fuller for longer, which could reduce mindless snacking throughout the day.”

snapshot of WW app: ZeroPoint foods

Daily Points and Weeklies

Every day, you receive a certain number of Daily Points. (In 2022, WW revamped the Points system from a “PersonalPoints” allocation to simply a Points allocation.) Your daily allowance is based on your age, gender, height, and weight—and notably NOT your activity level.

On top of that, you also start the week with a bank of “Weeklies,” which are additional Points you can use throughout the week when you exceed your Daily points. Therefore, if you want to have pizza on Friday night, have the pizza on Friday night (I sure did!). I never once ran out of Points and still enjoyed a hamburger, wine, beer, and cheese—lots of cheese.

Points and Calories

So, how many calories a day do you eat on WeightWatchers? That completely depends on how many ZeroPoint foods you eat. You could eat 2,000 calories worth of bananas and still use no Points (although you’d probably feel unwell after doing so, 10/10 advise against doing this). Also, the point of the program is that you don’t have to know how many calories you’re eating, so it’s even harder to say how many calories you’ll consume.

I did an experiment where I tracked my food in the WW app and then also in MyFitnessPal to see how many calories I was getting in a day with my 23-Point allotment. Most days, I would be around 1,400 calories total if I stayed at 23 Points, which I never did. I always dipped into my Weeklies, so I would end up consuming at least 1,600 calories a day. That’s where I felt I had energy to exercise, though I still focused on getting most of my calories from the ZeroPoint and 1- or 2-Point foods.

As Perry points out, “Eating 1,200 to 1,600 calories per day may result in quick weight loss, but it can also cause the metabolism to slow and hunger to increase.”

RELATED: The Best Protein Bars for Weight Loss

I found the WW App to be incredibly easy to navigate, because I’ve used similar tools like MyFitnessPal. When you open the app, there is a screen with how many Points from your Points Budget you have left as well as how many Points are in your Weeklies. 

Tracking Food

You can probably get accurate results tracking food by guessing your portion size, but I highly recommend having a food scale. The good thing is that you don’t have to weigh or measure lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, so you’re mostly just tracking fats and carbs. I have spent time with other weight loss plans tracking every little thing, so chopping that workload in half is fantastic.

To track your food, you simply:

  • Click on the meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner, or snacks)
  • Search for the food you need to log (you can type in the name or scan the barcode)
  • Select how many servings you had 
  • Click “Track Food”

If you can’t find the food, you can enter the information for it yourself. I had to do this with the protein I was using, Momentous Grass-Fed Whey , because it wasn’t in the system. So I clicked “Create” and added the protein based on the nutrition label.

Snaptshot of tracking food for WeightWatchers review

Special Settings on the App

There are a few important settings you can make on the app:

  • If you are diabetic, you can track blood sugar and receive a more tailored program.
  • If you are nursing, turn on that setting to receive extra Points.
  • You can choose a reminder to do your weigh-in, or choose to turn that off.
  • You can choose to use Siri to track food and keep track of your Points.
  • My 30-Day Experience With WeightWatchers

I committed to doing WeightWatchers for 30 days. Over the last few years, I tried a lot to lose the extra weight: I increased my cardio workouts and my step count; I drank more water and ate more protein; and I completely burned out on calorie counting. None of it moved the needle in the direction I needed it to go. So as I started my work with WeightWatchers, I continued to look for help from doctors to determine why I was having issues with losing weight.

Spoiler alert: I lost around 5 pounds in 30 days. I do credit WeightWatchers with giving me a really good foundation of healthy eating habits. However, halfway through the 30 days, I was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which is associated with insulin resistance and creates issues with processing carbohydrates, especially refined sugars.

Fortunately, I was already in a habit of avoiding refined sugars, thanks to WeightWatchers. For the last two weeks of my program, I increased vegetables and lean proteins, swapped white rice for brown rice, white flour tortillas for whole grain wraps, and I continued to see a drop in my weight.

“It can be challenging to lose weight for a variety of reasons, including hormonal changes, a damaged metabolism, and underlying medical conditions. If you’ve hit a plateau or your weight continues to increase despite making healthy lifestyle changes, speak with a doctor or registered dietitian for guidance,” Perry suggests. 

I believe that combining WeightWatchers with an accurate diagnosis is the reason I lost the weight, and I urge anyone struggling to lose weight to work with medical professionals to determine if there are underlying issues.

snapshot of WeightWatchers app: Weight loss

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Weeks One and Two

I signed up for WeightWatchers and immediately downloaded the app. I filled out my personal information, set my weight loss goal (I wanted to lose 15 pounds, but of course, I didn’t expect to do that in 30 days).

One of the first screens you’ll see on the app features the “ZeroPoint Foods.” It’s an encouraging image; you can eat all the lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and even air-popped popcorn without incurring any Points. This would be easy!

Well, no. Day One, my breakfast totalled 7 Points, which was about one-third of my total Daily Points. What do you mean that canned peach slices are 3 Points? Brutal.

I expected weekly “check-ins” on the app to prompt me to weigh myself, but there weren’t any because I didn’t enable that in my notifications (which is actually kind of nice; I’ll step on the scale when I’m ready to). I decided to only weigh myself once a week. At the end of the first week, I stepped on the scale, and I had gained 2 pounds. However, I’m a menstruating woman who was weighing herself at the worst possible time in my cycle, so I didn’t get discouraged and stuck with the program.

At the end of the second week, the scale showed progress: I was down 4.5 pounds from my last weigh-in, which was a few pounds lost overall. During this time, I made a trip to Washington, D.C., with my son, so I was traveling and tracking the whole time (more on that below). 

Weeks Three and Four

Following my PCOS diagnosis, I started taking advantage of the many recipes you can find on the WW app. I needed whole-grain and lower-carb meal options, and those make up the majority of what you find in the recipe library. 

Some of my favorite meals include:

  • Four-ingredient tuna (I put in pickles instead of celery)
  • Bacon-and-egg breakfast cups
  • Smoothies (I make a fruit-and-protein smoothie every day)

As of this writing, I’ve been “done” with WeightWatchers for more than a month, but I’m still using a lot of the recipes. I still start my day with a protein smoothie with tons of fruit and chia seeds, and I pre-make those breakfast cups on Sundays to eat throughout the week.

Tracking food in WW app

  • Non-Weight-Related Successes on WW

I’ve been happy to lose a little bit of weight, especially because I never lost strength, which meant I wasn’t losing weight too quickly. However, there are a lot of “wins” I had that had nothing to do with the scale:

  • I now eat way more fruits and veggies than I did before.
  • My energy levels improved.
  • I started sleeping better.
  • I felt great during my workouts.
  • I developed good routines for prepping foods and having meals ready to go for when the HANGER would hit.

I don’t track my food at all anymore; I think WeightWatchers got me to a good place with understanding what portions work well for me. But also, I am not against popping back into WW once in a while if I need a reset; my aunt has used this approach with WeightWatchers for years and loves it.

  • Where WeightWatchers Can Improve

As far as a diet plan goes, WeightWatchers is pretty sound. It encourages you to eat a lot of whole foods without restricting you from eating anything. 

The few small criticisms I have are:

Lack of Macro Insight

By design, you don’t know how many calories you consume each day with WeightWatchers. I like that part of it. However, you also have no idea what your macro breakdown is, meaning you don’t know how many grams of carbs/protein/fat you have consumed. In general, this probably isn’t a dealbreaker for most people. However, for those looking specifically to hit certain protein goals, like myself, this means having to use another app to track food.

“While WeightWatchers doesn’t track macros, it’s still beneficial to eat a source of protein with every meal and snack,” Perry advises. “Protein helps maintain and build lean muscle mass, promotes satiety, and improves blood sugar regulation, all of which may make weight loss easier.” 

RELATED: Macros for Weight Loss : A Magic Formula? 

Not Incredibly Intuitive

I found the app to be incredibly easy to use; however, I have also used apps like MyFitnessPal for years, so I knew how to weigh and measure my food to track it. I did have to do some reading and digging in the app and online to fully understand how the program works. 

For the average person who uses tech and fitness apps often, this is a breeze; but for those new to these types of platforms, I can see how it could be overwhelming and a little confusing. Thankfully, there are countless online forums and a WW Coach to help you navigate issues.

Weight loss is a personal journey. Diet history, activity level, medications, and genetics are just a few factors that impact a person’s ability to lose weight. Perry Nix, registered dietitian

“Customized” Nutrition

WW claims to offer customized nutrition plans. I think this is misleading; your Points may be customized to you (though the few people I know who do this also received 23 Daily Points), but you don’t receive detailed meal plans, macro breakdowns, or individualized suggestions. For the most part, everyone on WeightWatchers is following the same formula. It’s a good formula, but you shouldn’t go into it thinking this is a 1:1 program.

“Weight loss is a personal journey. Diet history, activity level, medications, and genetics are just a few factors that impact a person’s ability to lose weight,” Perry says. “While many people may find success with WeightWatchers, that doesn’t mean it will work for everyone.”

There is a “WW Coach,” which is intended to appear like personal coaching, but it isn’t the same as someone digging into your health history, doing blood work, understanding any underlying conditions you have, incorporating dietary restrictions, or any of a dozen other things that true 1:1 nutrition coaching would be. 

User-Submitted Errors

Because anyone is able to create foods and recipes in the app, it leaves substantial room for someone to get the Points wrong. My favorite salsa, for example, is in the app under its mild and medium versions, both of which have identical nutrition labels. However, one entry gives you 1 Point, while the other (correctly) gives you 0 Points. This is small potatoes, I know, but worth pointing out that you may find these discrepancies.

Sleep Tracking

I love that WW acknowledges how important sleep is, and the app even tracks your sleep. How it does this, I have no idea, because I don’t wear my watch at night but the tracker seemed to have a good grasp of when I was in bed. However, the tracker doesn’t seem to be incredibly accurate (especially if you’re like me and refuse to wear a watch at night). I wake up multiple times throughout the night, but the app thought I slept just fine. So I’d say approach the sleep tracker with a grain of salt. 

  • Traveling and WeightWatchers

During my 30-day run with WW, I took two trips: One to Washington, D.C., and one to the beach. I was apprehensive about being able to take vacations and still make progress, even with my commitment to travel workouts , but it ended up being completely fine as long as I stuck to the program.

My tips for being successful on WW while on the road:

  • Plan meals ahead of time: Look at restaurant menus before you go to make sure there are healthy options. If you know you’re going to really enjoy the heck out of a meal, load it into the app ahead of time so you know how many Points you have to work with.
  • Have ZeroPoint foods readily available: We had a refrigerator in the D.C. hotel, so I ran out to a convenience store and got bananas, strawberries, and apples to keep in the room. I also brought one of the best protein powders to make shakes.
  • Maintain your activity routine: If you can do nothing else, walk! We walked all over D.C., logging 10 to 12 miles a day, which added 6 to 8 Points to my Weeklies each day.
  • WeightWatchers and Restaurants

Yes, you can absolutely go to restaurants. In fact, there is a “Restaurants” section on the app where you can search one of two ways:

  • By Points: If you know how many Points you want to use, you can search by that point amount to find restaurant food, i.e. 5- to 7-Point meals include Chick-fil-A Nuggets and a Starbucks Turkey, Bacon, Cheddar and Egg White Sandwich.
  • By restaurant name: I don’t know how many restaurants are in the app, but if I had to guess, it’s in the hundreds. Most appear to be chains, but I’m sure there are some niche places in there as well.

If you’re able to find the exact place and the exact meal to log, great. If not, take your best guess at logging the individual foods, and remember that most places add more oil/fats than you think.

If I knew I was going to a restaurant, I’d look up the menu, find what I think I’d be ordering, and log it before I went. That helped shape the rest of my day. 

snapshot of WeightWatchers app: Restaurants

  • WeightWatchers and Activity Tracking

Activity is great; it can boost your mood, improve energy levels, build strength, and it may help you lose weight, though experts almost unanimously agree that exercise alone won’t do it.

“Consider combining your WeightWatchers nutrition plan with resistance training to build muscle and boost metabolism,” Perry advises. “Lift weights, use resistance bands, or practice bodyweight exercises regularly to gain lean muscle mass, which burns more calories than fat.”

You have two options for tracking your activity in the WW app: by steps, or by minutes. My best friend, who was on WW at the same time I was, chose to do it by steps. She is a marathon runner and knew that steps would be an easy way to log her activity. I chose to go by minutes, because while I do walk a lot and go for the occasional run, I spend more time lifting weights.

You can choose to sync the WW app with a device like one of the best fitness trackers under Settings->Connected Devices. As of this publishing, you can sync the app with:

  • Apple Health
  • Amazon Halo
  • WW Bluetooth Scale

I connected my app with my Apple Watch; my best friend connected hers with her Garmin (she also tried to sync it with Apple Health, but said that she had difficulty connecting more than one device).

Points for Activity

The more you move, the more Points you add to your weekly total. I can’t figure out the formula for how WW determines how many Points an activity is worth; I took 25,000 steps one day and earned 4 Points; but another day, I took 12,747 steps and earned 3 Points. 

RELATED: Do You Need 10,000 Steps a Day?

The app must factor intensity level somehow, but it isn’t clear. I did HIIT training for 52 minutes one day and received 4 Points, and did a weightlifting workout one day for 84 minutes and only received 3 Points.

In any case, those points all go to your Weeklies. This was important for me because, as a strength athlete, if I don’t eat enough to support my activity, I will start to lose muscle. Seeing those Points in my Weeklies was a reminder that I could—and should—eat more. 

snapshot of WW app: activity tracking

  • WeightWatchers Coach

There is a function of the app I didn’t use, which is WW Coach. This is a 24/7 service that starts with a virtual assistant who can help you with basic questions. If the virtual assistant can’t answer the question, you will be connected to a live person over the chat.

I didn’t have any questions that a quick Google search couldn’t resolve. There is so much information on WeightWatchers all over the Internet, that I could open my browser and find answers almost immediately.

  • WeightWatchers vs Noom

reviews and weight watchers

  • Uses a psychology-backed approach to weight loss
  • Provides behavioral guidance more than nutritional guidance
  • App supports food, weight, and activity tracking
  • Multiple membership options available
  • A stress-relief plan is also available
  • Gives you freedom to make your own choices
  • Helps you identify patterns and behaviors that may be connected to your weight
  • Flexible payment options
  • 1:1 coaching plans are available for purchase
  • Doesn’t offer much nutritional guidance
  • May not be the best option for those who need a more structured plan
  • Expensive on the month-to-month plan

Noom is built on the psychology of weight loss. Instead of specific nutritional guidance, you’ll get lessons that are designed to help you break habits that may be contributing to your weight gain.

I haven’t personally used Noom , but a few people here at GGR have. Similar to WeightWatchers, Noom has a no-food-is-off-limits approach to weight loss. Both programs use apps to track food, weight, and activity. 

Where they differ is that Noom focuses much more on your behaviors and habits rather than WeightWatchers, where the main focus is tracking food. One of our team members who tried Noom said they did like how empowering the program is in terms of learning how to eat in a more balanced way.

However, Noom requires you to weigh yourself every day. While it could be a good fit for people looking to change overall behaviors and patterns, it may not be a good fit for those who prefer not to be on the scale every day. We would recommend WeightWatchers for most people.

  • Customer Reviews

Without exaggeration, millions of people have used WeightWatchers. My aunt uses it multiple times a year when she just wants to check in on her healthy habits. A woman I train in my gym raves about how helpful it was for her years ago. 

I checked a few different sites, including ConsumerAffairs and the WeightWatchers Facebook page to find out what other people were saying. The average review between the two sites is about 3.8/5 stars. 

Any negativity I found seemed to be linked to people who couldn’t understand how the program works or who canceled their membership but were still charged for it. 

Review from Consumer Affairs about WW

  • Final Verdict of Our WeightWatchers Review

I think WeightWatchers is one of the best diet programs out there in terms of its food-first approach to weight loss. It is reasonably priced and may provide a good framework for people looking to change their habits. 

It does require tracking your food, which could potentially cause issues in people who have a history of disordered eating. I, myself, prefer not to track my food constantly. However, doing this for 30 days gave me a really good foundation, and I would recommend it to people who want to kickstart a change.

Editor’s note: Weight Watchers utilizes telehealth services as part of their platform that may have affiliations with GLP-1 agonists; we aren’t evaluating or condoning that part of their program, just focusing on the whole-food approach the brand takes to weight loss.

  • WeightWatchers Rating

reviews and weight watchers

We followed the WeightWatchers weight loss program for 30 days. Did it work? Find out in our in-depth WeightWatchers review.

Product Brand: WeightWatchers

Product Currency: USD

Product Price: 43.00

Product In-Stock: InStock

  • WeightWatchers Review: FAQs

What are the negatives of Weight Watchers?

While WeightWatchers is a fantastic program, there are a few things you should know before diving in.

First, you are expected to track everything you eat. This is a digital plan that operates mostly through an app, so you should be comfortable with tracking food on that type of a platform. Also, this is a gradual weight loss program, not a quick fix. On this type of weight loss journey, you can expect to lose only about a pound or two each week. That’s not a negative thing by any means, and in fact, it’s a very smart way to approach weight management.

Does Weight Watchers really work?

WeightWatchers can help people with weight-related goals because, at its core, it’s a program that encourages people to load their diets with fruits, vegetables, and lean protein, and encourages them to also reduce the amount of refined sugars and saturated fats they consume.

Additionally, this is a no-food-off-limits program. Yes, you can eat ice cream and drink wine, and you can still hit your goals as long as you operate with the Points (formerly known as SmartPoints) system.

However,  nothing is guaranteed, and I strongly recommend that people trying to lose weight also work with a medical professional to determine any outstanding issues that may need to be addressed.

What is the success rate with Weight Watchers?

The WeightWatchers website lists quite a few claims regarding its success, including: 

“… 63% of the weight lost in a 52-week WeightWatchers program was maintained at two years. In addition, almost 40% of people sustained a clinically significant 5% weight loss from baseline at two-year follow up.”

The site has a long list of references pointing to its accomplishments in reducing cravings, aiding diabetics in blood sugar control, and helping prevent the development of prediabetes.

There is also a WeightWatchers Science Center where you can learn about the program’s approach and read studies about the program’s successes.

How much weight will you lose in a month on Weight Watchers?

According to the program itself, WW members can expect to lose 1 to 2 pounds per week, which would be 4 to 8 pounds per month. Personally, I did find this to be true, as I lost 6 pounds over the course of 30 days. Of course, your success with WeightWatchers is dependent on your adherence to the WW plan.

  • Tate, D., Lutes, L., Bryant, M., et al. Efficacy of a Commercial Weight Management Program Compared With a Do-It-Yourself Approach . JAMA Netw Open. 2022;5(8):e2226561. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.26561

Kate Meier NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1-snapshot

Kate Meier NASM-CPT, USAW-L1, CF-L1

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reviews and weight watchers

WeightWatchers (WW) Review: Will This Weight Loss Program Work For You In 2024?

  • Author: Alex Ginos, RD

WeightWatchers review

The products featured in this article have been independently reviewed. When you buy something through the retail links on this page, we may earn commission at no cost to you, the reader.  Sports Illustrated editorial staff are not involved in the creation of this content. ​  Learn more here.

WeightWatchers is well known as a weight loss program . In recent years, celebrity spokespeople and WW members like James Corden and Oprah Winfrey have helped keep WW in the news. This article will review the WW program, how the program works and if the WW app or program might be a good fit for you in 2024.

What To Know About WeightWatchers (WW)

  • Cost: Price will vary depending on the plan you choose and current offers, but will range from $10 to $50/month ( SI readers get an exclusive 50% discount )
  • Key features:  Individualized plans based on lifestyle and food preferences, food tracking and community support
  • Best for: A   generally healthy person who has moderate weight loss goals and doesn’t mind eating similar foods frequently. (More on this below.)

If you have a history of eating disorders, disordered eating or any underlying health conditions it is important to discuss your weight loss goals with a doctor first. Always consult with a medical professional before starting a new diet, exercise routine and/or weight loss program to ensure it’s right for you.

What is Weight Watchers (WW)?

WeightWatchers is a commercial weight loss program. WW was created in May 1963 in New York when the founder, Jean Nidetch, became frustrated that there was no peer support in a weight loss program she participated in. Nidetch started a support group with some of her friends to share weight loss tips, and WeightWatchers grew from there.

With six decades of experience in behavior change, WW inspires millions of people around the world to adopt healthy habits for real life, thereby allowing people to live the life they love while losing the weight they want. WW was named the #1 recommended weight loss program by a 2020 IQVIA survey of 14,000 doctors who recommended weight loss programs to patients.

For the past four decades, more than 130 published papers and randomized controlled trials have examined the efficacy and impact of the WW program, over 35 of which are rigorous, randomized control trials.

What is the WeightWatchers Program?

There are three options to participate in WW currently. All options include full access to the WW app.

The membership options include:

  • Digital only: Includes full WW app access
  • Unlimited Workshops + Digital: Includes full WW app access plus access to virtual or in-person workshops depending on local availability and your preference
  • One-on-one Coaching + Digital: Includes full WW app access, plus weekly 15-minute check-ins with a personal WW coach who will help you review your progress and set goals for the next week

WW app

What Features are Included in the WeightWatchers App?

  • Individualized plans, built for each member based on their lifestyle and food preferences
  • PersonalPoints Budget and individualized ZeroPoint foods list
  • Food and water tracker
  • Barcode scanner for easy shopping
  • A database of 12,000 recipes and 355,000 foods
  • On-demand exercise videos (for all levels)
  • 24/7 access to chat with a Coach

The WW app is available on both Apple iOS and Android devices. Within the WW app, you can sync with other health apps and smartwatches to pull in workout-tracking, such as the Apple Watch, Apple Health, Fitbit, Google Fit, Garmin, MapMyRun and Daily Burn .

Getting Started With WeightWatchers

Choose a plan that fits into your lifestyle, answer questions about your demographics and weight loss goals, complete WW’s proprietary assessment to determine your ZeroPoint foods and Points budget, explore the app and begin your journey.

Choose a plan between the three options:

  • Unlimited Workshops + Digital
  • One-on-one coaching + Digital

Create your account

As you create your account, you’ll need to answer some questions about demographics as well as foods you love and activity level. WW utilizes this information in order to develop your unique PersonalPoints Budget and ZeroPoint foods list.

After completing the initial questions, you can immediately start using the WW app or a desktop browser to log foods and exercise, make a meal plan or learn more about the WW program.

WW food

Key Components of WeightWatchers

Customization.

The WW program is personalized and designed to provide a unique experience for each member. WW's current program is called the PersonalPoints Program because the plan is based on how you answer the questions in the initial intake and set-up process. Based on answers to questions about your activity level, desired weight loss and preferred types of foods and snacks, you'll be given a Points Budget and ZeroPoint foods list made just for you.

Additionally, vegetarian and vegan-friendly options are included when picking ZeroPoints foods; and if you’re living with diabetes, there is a diabetes-tailored plan available.

Point values instead of calorie counting

On the WW program, every food and beverage has a number value based on calories, protein, fiber, unsaturated fat, saturated fat and added sugar. Points make knowing what to eat simple, by boiling down complex nutritional data into one easy-to-understand number. This framework makes knowing what to eat even easier, guiding you towards a healthier pattern of eating while still keeping everything on the menu.

Not all calories are created equal: 300 calories of broccoli will give you greater health benefits than 300 calories of soda, because different types of nutrients impact our health differently. This is why WW looks beyond a food’s calorie content and takes into consideration all relevant nutrition information.

WW tracking

Daily food tracking is a hallmark quality of the WW program. In addition to tracking food, the app also encourages users to track daily water intake, sleep habits and daily physical activity. Weighing yourself weekly is an encouraging component of the weight loss plan, but users have the option to skip weigh-ins and still participate in the program.

Community support

WW is grounded in community, from their in-person and virtual workshops to digital community within the WW app. All three of the current WW membership options offer human support from WW coaches if desired. The app includes a chat function where you can request to chat with a WW coach, and users have access to Zoom or live coaching with the Unlimited Workshops or one-on-one coaching plan. In addition, there is a WW members-only social network, Connect, wherein people participating in WW post encouraging stories, recipes, polls, questions and weight loss progress or food photos.

Does WeightWatchers Work?

The WeightWatchers website has an extensive research page that lists publications from the last 44 years that support WW programs and methods. There is a science team within WeightWatchers that includes registered dietitians, clinical psychologists, behavioral scientists and other weight-loss experts. WeightWatchers is also advised by a Scientific Advisory Board composed of credentialed third-party nutrition and weight loss experts.

Further to the proven success of the science-backed program, there is a claim that users can expect to lose one to two pounds per week while following the WW program.

Most of the studies listed on the references page seem to be based on previous versions of the program rather than the current PersonalPoints program, but most of the key parts of the program remain the same. When launching the new program, WW tested it internally with members for two years. Then WW's PersonalPoints program was studied with a six-month independent clinical trial at the University of Connecticut with 150+ participants.

Participants have had some doubts about the long-term maintenance of weight loss, but many studies have shown weight loss while using WW.

WW food

What Will I Eat While Using WeightWatchers?

WW does not give you a calorie goal or a set meal plan, and a key feature of the program is that no foods are off-limits. Instead of a rigid plan, you are given a daily PersonalPoints budget and an additional weekly allotment of points to stay within.

The program gives you a daily PersonalPoints budget based on your answers to questions and the ZeroPoints foods you choose. My budget for PersonalPoints was 18 at the start of the day, without factoring in exercise or adding any additional PersonalPoints. This number felt quite low when I started tracking my typical foods at breakfast and lunch.

The program emphasizes that your ZeroPoint foods should be “go-to” foods that you can frequently and consistently lean on, without measuring or tracking. Your ZeroPoint foods list is specific to you; these foods are described as "hearty, everyday foods" in the app and are partially based on foods you say you like in the initial intake process. For instance, my ZeroPoint foods included avocado, eggs, tofu, fruits, beans, potatoes and non-starchy vegetables.

Your ZeroPoint foods can be adjusted at any time. Options include:

  • Fiber-rich non-starchy vegetables prepared in any manner – spinach, squash, eggplant, cucumbers, peppers, beets, green beans
  • Fruits – all fruits, such as apples, bananas, peaches, berries (this option is only available for members not following WW’s diabetes-tailored plan)
  • High Protein foods – eggs, poultry, fish, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh
  • A higher carbohydrate food – options include oatmeal, brown rice and quinoa, whole wheat pasta, potatoes and sweet potatoes (these options are only available for members not following WW’s diabetes-tailored plan)

Foods that are of higher point values tend to be high in carbohydrates, low in fiber, higher in simple sugars and contain fat. Members can add an additional point to your daily points budget by eating one cup of non-starchy vegetables an unlimited number of times. If you track 60 ounces of water daily, you also get one point added to your daily points budget. There are no "red" or off-limit foods, and there are several ways you can add Points to your daily or weekly budget - from getting in movement, to eating more non-starchy vegetables, to reaching a daily water goal. You can also rollover up to 4 unused Points each day.

There's a library of 12,000+ recipes and more than 355,000 foods listed within the app with a good variety of types of foods. The points values for a serving of the recipes are displayed. You can search the recipes by foods you have on hand at home to give you ideas on what to cook for a meal or snack.

What We Liked About WeightWatchers

The current WW program strongly focuses on eating more non-starchy vegetables and fruits, which most Americans struggle with, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ( CDC ). I liked that there are no calorie amounts in the app and that the emphasis is on eating healthier, more protein-rich foods instead of only restricting foods. There's no villainization of a food or macronutrient group.

The WW app encourages many healthy habits, like drinking more water, exercising regularly and getting more sleep. The language used for the education lessons is light and encouraging. Lessons are short, though longer-form podcasts and videos are available in the WW app.

The in-app exercise videos would be helpful for those who do not already have an exercise program in place or would like new content to try. There was a good variety of different levels of exercise abilities, from stretching videos to more high-impact cardio and HIIT classes .

Food tracking was easy within the app. You can easily switch between portion sizes and types of portions (tbsp, cup, serving, pound, bunch), and the barcode scanner worked very well and quickly after allowing access to the phone camera. While logging foods, I didn't come across any items that weren't already in the database, but I still found the barcode scanner to be a fun and quick tool to use for packaged items.

There's a nice community support element to the WW program, even if you choose the most basic and cheapest option, the Digital-only program. I used the 24/7 chat with a Coach feature and was connected to a human coach within a few minutes. She gave me creative meal ideas with ZeroPoint foods when I asked a question about what I could eat for dinner after running out of points after an afternoon snack. I liked that she said to "track your food and move on" if I didn't hit my targeted points for the day, even though I didn't ask what would happen if I ate more than I should have for my daily goal. No shaming or guilt language was used even though I was on track to consume more than my allotted points for the day.

What We Didn't Like About WeightWatchers (Drawbacks)

Though WeightWatchers was intended to change to more of a wellness-based program, it's still a diet mostly focused on weight loss and calorie restriction.

Some flexible weekly points can be used, but you may still feel hungry if you don't eat a diet primarily based on ZeroPoint foods. On one day, a healthy and balanced breakfast meal that I entered (one serving of oats, 1.5 tbsp peanut butter and a handful of blackberries) was half of my Daily Points allotment since I didn't choose oats as one of my ZeroPoints foods when I started the program. After eating lunch with white rice, non-starchy vegetables and lentils and a snack of crackers on this same day, I didn't have enough points left to eat a satisfying serving of foods outside of my ZeroPoint foods for dinner. To meet my daily goal, I would either need to exercise, eat more non-starchy veggies to add more points, or only eat ZeroPoints foods for the rest of the day to stay within my daily allotted points.

One other potential drawback is that it may be challenging for some to eat intuitively on this plan because your points budget for the day changes as you eat more non-starchy foods, drink water or exercise. While the program helps promote flexibility (e.g. you can dip into your Weekly Points each day, rollover unused Points, etc.) I found if you don't eat a similar pattern of foods every day, it might be hard to manage your points budget from day to day.

With any weight loss plan that relies on tracking food and behaviors, the process can become tedious and hard to stick to long-term. That said, the WW app's interface is easy to use, so it requires less willpower than some other competitors to track all meals, snacks, exercise and other activities.

Finally, when using the WW program, I felt that there were too many additional opt-ins for related but unnecessary purchases, especially since users pay for the program. I was offered "expert-recommended tools" to buy right after signing up for the program that consisted of packages for items like a WW branded scale , WW cookbooks, a water bottle and WW branded foods. In-app purchases and links to options to buy are included right on the main tracking page of the app, like a trial of additional obé fitness classes, and WW branded foods and drinks.

If you're interested in Noom and how it compares to WW, check out our Noom vs WeightWatchers review. 

Who is Weight Watchers Best For?

  • A generally healthy person who has moderate weight loss goals
  • People who desire accountability and support from an external platform and online community or digital coach
  • A person who doesn't mind eating similar foods frequently and using them in different combinations
  • People who would like to avoid counting calories or monitoring specific macronutrients like carbs, protein, or fats
  • People who have tried some of the free food and exercise tracking programs like MyFitnessPal and would like more support, community engagement or a different counting approach to weight management

Who Shouldn't Use WeightWatchers?

As with all weight loss programs, WW should be avoided if you've ever had issues that include disordered eating, an eating disorder or orthorexia . Though the program doesn't require you to weigh yourself to participate, it does suggest weighing in weekly, so it should be avoided if weight-focused talk or weight-based goals cause you distress. If you have a complex medical history, diet restrictions or medical conditions, it would be best to work with a physician and/or registered dietitian for one-on-one care that's specialized for you based on your medical history.

The Price of WeightWatchers

WW was shown to be the most cost-effective of the commercial weight-loss programs in research by Duke University. Seasonal promotions (for example, 3 months free) are available throughout the year. Right now,  WW is offering an exclusive 50% off offer for SI readers .

The WW weight loss programs increase in price with the personalized coaching you receive. At the time of this article, the Digital only option starts at $5.29 per week, the Unlimited Workshops + Digital starts at $10.37 per week and the One-on-one Coaching + Digital program starts at $13.83 per week.

Charges are incurred monthly and auto-renew. There is an early termination fee of $65.90 if you cancel within the first three months, or $42.95 within the first four to five months of a six-month commitment. Be sure to read the fine print containing automatic renewal and cancellation information when signing up.

Here's everything else there is to know about WeightWatchers (WW).

Why am I not losing weight on WeightWatchers?

This may depend on a variety of factors. Check in with yourself: are you accurately counting your points? If so, you may need to re-evaluate the foods you've chosen for your ZeroPoints list to ensure you are properly nourishing your body. Additionally, ensure you are taking care of yourself with proper rest, hydration and movement.

What is the cheapest way to join WW?

Not sure if you're ready to commit to WeightWatchers? You can try a Core membership free for 30 days. You can also keep an eye out for seasonal membership discounts. Right now, WW is offering an exclusive 50% off offer for SI readers .

Is WW just counting calories?

While WeightWatchers doesn't involve calorie counting, it still does require you to track your food intake. Every food and beverage has a number value based on a variety of things including calories, protein, fiber, unsaturated fat, saturated fat and added sugar. 

How many points are you allowed per day on WW?

Your personalized daily points allowance will depend on a variety of factors including activity level, desired weight loss and preferred types of foods and snacks. You'll start by filling out an intake form, and from there you'll receive a custom plan, which will include a Points Budget and ZeroPoint foods list.

Is WW hard to cancel?

You can easily cancel your membership via the WeighWatchers site, and cancellation will be processed right away.

The Bottom Line

WW might be a beneficial weight loss program for people who wish to lose weight without counting calories. Less expensive or free diet tracking options are available if you won't use the additional features, like the WW coach, workshops, or Connect feature. If you have a medical condition or a complex relationship with food or exercise, working with a physician and/or registered dietitian before using WW would be best.

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WeightWatchers (WW) Review: Does It Work?

We spent two weeks subscribed to a WeightWatchers program to evaluate its features, plans, and efficiency. Here’s what we learned after over 1,000 hours of hands-on testing, interviews with over 20 healthy living experts, and surveys of more than 600 people.

Man making a meal in his kitchen

These products & services are researched and tested by HelpGuide’s independent consumer reviews partner. When you buy through the links, we earn a commission.

The Handbook Team’s top findings

  • WeightWatchers (WW) is a popular weight loss program designed to help users track food intake and build healthy habits. While the program has its benefits, WW lacks nutrition education and doesn’t result in sustainable weight change.
  • WW has three weight loss plans starting at $23 per month plus a $20 starter fee. There is also a plan with weight loss medications for those who qualify, which costs $99 per month with a $49 consultation fee.
  • Despite studies and claims from the company, sufficient evidence proving WW is a successful weight loss program is lacking.

Maintaining a healthy weight is essential for both physical and emotional wellness. Studies link obesity to a number of other health conditions, like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression , and substance abuse . But knowing this doesn’t make keeping your weight in a healthy range an easy goal to reach. 

Changing your diet, exercise routine, and lifestyle to support positive weight change is a journey that takes sustained commitment, and joining a weight loss program can help you along the way. Our Handbook Team tested WeightWatchers, one of the country’s most popular weight loss programs , to provide you with firsthand insights so you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

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HelpGuide Handbook for WeightWatchers (WW) weight loss platform

If you only need to know five things about the WW weight loss platform, this is what you need to know.

About WeightWatchers (WW): Does it work?

WW, also known as WeightWatchers, has been in the business of helping people lose weight for 60 years. Tracking food intake and establishing healthy habits is the primary focus of WW, and it has helped people achieve weight loss —as long as they stay in the program.

Research shows that logging food intake and having a support system to help you stay on track are both key factors in weight loss. WW does well in these areas with its points system and community-building activities to sustain motivation and encourage mindful eating .  But it falls short in educating its members on nutrition and how to continue healthy eating habits once they leave the program.

WW is well-known worldwide, and it’s not hard to find studies supporting the company’s success in helping people lose weight. However, many of these studies are funded by WW and authored by researchers who are also WW employees, shareholders, and/or advisory board members, making it difficult to know just how objective the findings are. 

The WW website claims that you can expect to lose 1–2 pounds per week by following the program, a rate that’s in line with recommendations from the United States Department of Agriculture . 

However, data from studies on the website that demonstrate its success reveal much slower weight loss rates. For instance, one large study followed nearly 15,000 people enrolled in WW for seven months . Only half of the participants lost weight while in the program, and those who did achieved an average weight loss of just 0.2–0.4 pounds per week.

A second study revealed similar results of 0.3 pounds lost per week over six months. And a 2022 study that serves as the basis for the company’s advertisement that “WW members lose 2x more weight than doing it on their own” showed an underwhelming weight loss rate of 0.2 pounds per week over 12 months.

Based on these studies, we would expect a realistic weight loss goal of around 0.5 pounds per week rather than the 1–2 pounds advertised.

According to Jillian Allen , a registered and licensed dietitian and full-time research dietitian for the U.S. Army’s Military Nutrition Division, this can actually be a positive. “A slower weight loss is also a safer approach to changing body composition, and no single diet can be prescribed to all people with obesity or recommended as the best fit-for-all diet without strict individualization.”

Finally, the WW site has a page titled: “ 16 Simple Weight Loss Tips From People Who’ve Lost More Than 100 Pounds .” But pay attention to the disclaimer stating, “Members lost weight on a prior program and are continuing on WeightWatchers.”

Despite claims on the WW website, we just haven’t seen widespread evidence that WW is indeed a sustainable weight loss option. We found in reviewing WW studies there’s a lack of follow-up with people who are no longer members. We’d like to see how long people keep the weight off after they cancel their membership. That said, the simplicity of the points system and the program’s focus on coaching and being part of a positive community may be what some people need to help them get started on their weight loss journey.  

Legal filings

In 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) filed an action against WW for illegally marketing to children as young as eight and collecting personal information without their parents’ consent. The FTC ordered WW to pay a $1.5 million fine and delete the information they had collected. 

Why HelpGuide cares about healthy eating

Healthy living, including a balanced diet and regular physical activity, is directly related to your mental health and overall wellness. Eating a well-balanced diet can help reduce symptoms of depression , lower your risk of chronic diseases , like heart disease or type 2 diabetes, and strengthen your bones and muscles . 

We understand that weight loss can be a difficult subject. It’s often fraught with negative emotions that can directly impact your healthy living journey. Research shows that feelings of shame, self-criticism, and social comparison can make it difficult for us to manage our weight and regulate our eating habits. Some weight loss programs can even exacerbate these feelings. Our Handbook Team is here to offer our guidance and to help you find weight loss platforms that are supportive, positive, and fun to use.

The relationship between weight loss and mental health is often overlooked. For some, weight loss can bring positive experiences of confidence and accomplishment. For others, weight loss can lead to feelings of anxiety, despair, and hopelessness. It is important to consider how your mental health can be affected as you embark on a weight loss journey. Karin Evans , registered dietitian nutritionist at Top Nutrition Coaching

There are considerable mental health benefits associated with healthy eating. But we know that with so many weight loss programs out there, it can be hard to know which one to choose. That’s why we’ve made it our mission to share the best information about the tools available. We’re invested in helping you find a weight loss plan that’s safe, encouraging, and supportive.

Through hands-on testing, interviews, surveys, and insights from healthy living experts, we’ve formulated a strongly informed perspective that we’re sharing with you here.

If you’re affected by an eating disorder or experience patterns of disordered eating, we suggest talking to a dietitian, therapist, or counselor who specializes in eating disorders before you enroll in any weight loss program. 

Our testing experience

Our Handbook Team members spent two weeks subscribed to a WW program. During that time, we did the following:

  • Became familiar with the website and app.
  • Learned how to track food intake with points.
  • In addition to food intake, tracked activity, sleep, and weight.
  • Ordered WW brand food from the company and tasted eight different products.
  • Cooked WW recipes.
  • Attended coaching meetings, a KickStart session, and two workshops.
  • Contacted customer support with questions.

From our tester

“One thing I noted in the meetings were people who joined multiple times. There’s a pattern of people joining and losing weight, falling back into old patterns, re-gaining weight, and coming back full circle.”

How does WeightWatchers work?

The WW program supports members in reaching their weight loss goals with various tools. Let’s walk through them all to see if this program is a good fit for you.

WeightWatchers Points

Upon signing up for the program, we were asked to complete a short quiz to enable WW to assign us a daily points budget. Questions asked for information about age, gender, height, current weight, and weight goal.

This is not enough information to create a meal plan for an individual. Many factors are left out, such as activity level, access to food, etc. Aside from the points not being accurate, the overall calorie RX is likely inaccurate as well. Jillian Allen , a registered and licensed dietitian and full-time research dietitian for the U.S. Army’s Military Nutrition Division

The points system is a simplified way to track food intake. Rather than counting calories or carbs, you simply enter a food and portion size into the app, giving you a corresponding points value. The drawback of this simplicity is that it lacks accuracy. 

For example, 2 cups of unsweetened Silk coconut milk and 1/4 cup of walnuts both equal six points, but the nutritional content of these two foods is very different, as you can see below.

I found the point system to be a convenient and beginner-friendly way to track food intake, although it lacks accuracy compared to other calorie-counting methods. For example, with my recipes like vegan chickpea salad, the caloric intake varies based on ingredients, and sometimes the points were not an exact reflection. I’d recommend it as an easy introductory system for those unfamiliar with nutrition and fitness. Madhuram Prabhakar, former WW member

No food is off-limits: You can eat anything as long as you stay within your daily points budget. You also get a certain number of weekly points to use whenever you want. So if you go to a birthday party, for instance, and eat a piece of cake that puts you five points over your daily budget, you can use five of your weekly points. It’s a nice way of learning that it’s what you eat over time, not every single day, that matters.

ZeroPoints foods

Over 200 foods are ZeroPoints foods, which means they don’t take up any of your daily points and don’t need to be tracked. According to WW, you can eat as many of those foods as you want and still lose weight.

WW app showing ZeroPoint foods

Do WW points work?

The trouble we have with the points system is two-fold. First, as mentioned above, there isn’t a clear link between the points for each food and their nutritional value. This leads to a disconnect between food choices and weight loss.

“I don’t like the lack of connection among calories, nutrition, and points. I suppose the premise is to simplify food tracking, but educating people about WHY the foods they eat affect their weight is important.”

We asked Barbara Kovalenko , a nutritionist in the San Francisco Bay area, for her opinion on WW. “On the positive side, it offers a structured program that can provide clarity for individuals managing their diet, and the emphasis on community support aligns with the importance of motivation and accountability. But the program may not place sufficient emphasis on the consumption of whole, minimally processed foods, a key aspect often prioritized by dieticians for overall health.” We also think the program doesn’t place enough emphasis on creating a healthy relationship with food.

We searched the WW site and listened to a virtual coach in a KickStart session explain the points system to see whether we could figure out if healthier foods were actually worth fewer points and vice versa. But the points formula is a highly kept secret. From studying nutrition labels on the WW foods we tested, we can confidently say that one point equals 30–40 calories, although that varies based on factors like protein, sugar, fiber, and fat content. 

The company’s website claims that “lower points = more nutritious,” but we found that isn’t always true.

A box and one bar of WeightWatchers Chocolate Caramel Mini Bars on a table.

Case in point: WW brand Chocolate Caramel Mini Bars tally up to only two points per bar. The first ingredient? Sugar. Second ingredient? More sugar. These small candy bars also contain gums and other fillers that are decidedly unhealthy. But in a world where only points matter, I could theoretically eat 11 of these bars in one day, rounding my meals out with ZeroPoints foods, and still clock in under my total points budget for the day. 

That leads to our second concern with this system. Some of the ZeroPoints foods are misleading because people may not understand what they’re eating and how it may affect their weight. 

To illustrate, I tracked a day’s food that looked like this:

  • Breakfast : Two eggs and 3 cups of nonfat yogurt.
  • Lunch : Five bananas and one apple.
  • Dinner : 6-ounce chicken breast and 4 cups of corn.

This total day’s intake adds up to roughly 2,000 calories. The number of points? Zero. But most adults won’t lose weight on 2,000 calories a day unless they are very active. So you could potentially stay under your points every day and not see weight loss, depending on the type and amount of ZeroPoints foods you’re eating.

WeightWatchers app

Person tracking food intake with the WW app

The WW app is free with a membership. It allows you to do all of the following:

  • Track food intake using points.
  • Track weight, activity, and sleep.
  • Access a collection of more than 12,000 recipes.
  • Use the Restaurant feature to find the point value of foods from your favorite places.
  • Join online groups of WW members. Much like other forms of social media, you can post comments, read and react to others’ comments, and share photos. 
  • Listen to audio sessions and read articles about healthy eating habits and stress management , with meditations and music from Breethe.
  • Find virtual and in-person workshops (available only for premium members).
  • Shop for WW products, including cookbooks, meal planners, scales, and food.

Tracking Points on the WW app

WW customers and our team members have had varying degrees of success with the app. While some people find it easy to use, others don’t like the multiple steps involved in tracking food, activity, and sleep. One team member who also tested the Noom and Cronometer apps found the WW app time-consuming and bulky to use. It takes several steps to log each food, for example, and if you need to change the portion size, that’s another few steps. 

We also didn’t like that the food database isn’t as extensive as many other food-tracking apps. And because points don’t correspond directly to calories or nutrition, it’s impossible to choose a similar brand or food product and know that you’re inputting the correct amount of points. 

Coaching and community support

Premium members can access virtual and in-person workshops and weekly tips to help them achieve positive behavioral change. Remember that coaches aren’t dietitians, doctors, or other certified health professionals, but they have reached their goal weight and maintained it for six months. They have personal experience with weight loss but aren’t qualified to give medical or nutrition recommendations.

We joined online WW communities in the app and on Facebook, attended virtual workshops and meetings led by coaches, and signed up for a KickStart session (designed for people new to the program or members who haven’t tracked points in a while and want to get back on track). We noticed a positive, supportive atmosphere in every group and acceptance of everyone, regardless of where they were on their weight loss journey.

“These meetings are very inspirational and do not veer into any sort of body shaming or fat-phobic talk.”

Workshop attendees shared they found support at the WW meetings that they didn’t always get at home, and they learned how to celebrate victories that weren’t necessarily reflected by a change on the scale. Keep in mind that in-person workshops do include a private weigh-in before the meeting starts, and this may produce anxiety in some people. Although evidence is inconclusive, one 2015 review of 20 studies found that frequent self-weighing can be associated with poor body image and adverse psychological outcomes.

One thing we noticed in the KickStart session was a minimal focus on nutrition. The leader said, “I’m not going to spend much time talking about healthy eating, because we all know what that is.” We found this concerning for a group of people new to a weight loss program, and it reinforced our misgivings about the lack of nutrition information provided for WW members.

That said, community support is one of the most positive aspects of WW, and it can be a powerful way to stay motivated and find accountability as you make significant changes to your eating habits .

WW brand foods

WW food products on a table

On the website, app, and at in-person workshops, you can purchase WW brand food and kitchen products. The company also advertises that its products are widely available in stores, but we checked a number of grocery stores in different states and couldn’t find any WW foods. We didn’t give up, though, and ordered eight WW products from the website. Our taste test revealed mixed reactions among team members.

Across the board, no one liked the Chocolate Caramel Mini Bars, Fudge Nut Brownie Bars, Better’N Peanut Butter, Nacho Tortilla Chips, or Nut Butter Bites. They all left an artificial, starchy aftertaste and were unpleasant in both flavor and texture.

“The Fudge Nut Brownie Bar isn’t anything like fudge or a brownie. It just has an ‘off’ taste. And the Better’N Peanut Butter is definitely worse than peanut butter, with a glue-like consistency.”

But most of us did like the Peatos, Instant Oatmeal, and Iced Cinnamon Puffs. Aside from the Chocolate Caramel Mini Bars discussed above, the other foods were generally healthy regarding ingredients and nutritional content.

While we weren’t impressed with the food from WW, the recipes gave us a much better experience. One that we really liked and will make again was the Sheet Pan Veggie Frittata . The instructions were clear and the flavor was great, although it could have had more seasoning (which we added after cooking). Overall, we enjoyed it and learned a new way to make a frittata with less cleanup than the usual stovetop method.

Ingredients and a computer on a table

Cost of WeightWatchers

WW offers three types of weight loss plans.

  • $23 per month plus a $20 starter fee.
  • Save money by paying up-front for a three- or 10-month plan.
  • Personalized daily points limit.
  • WW app with all the features listed above.
  • Access to online WW groups with the app.
  • 24/7 virtual coaching.

Premium Plan

  • $45 per month plus a $20 starter fee.
  • All the features of the Core Plan, plus in-person and virtual workshops and weekly behavioral change techniques.

The cost of WW is affordable compared to other weight loss plans. Noom , for instance, costs $17–$70 per month, and others like Nutrisystem are much pricier at $300–$450 per month. 

Core Plan + weight loss medication

For those who qualify through an online quiz, WW also offers the addition of GLP-1 agonist weight loss medications to the Core Plan via a telehealth company called Sequence, which WW acquired in April 2023. The cost includes a $49 consultation fee, followed by a membership fee of $99 per month. According to the Sequence website , this plan “includes follow-up appointments, access to a dietitian, fitness coaching, our companion app, weight loss lessons, an insurance advocate, and more.”

We answered the quiz in such a way as to qualify for the medication plan, which triggered a weekly email advertising Sequence and asking us to join the program. Some people may not appreciate the added pressure to take medication from this type of marketing. Losing weight can be a stressful journey without additional stressors. “They may also not be a good candidate for taking medication, in which case this kind of advertising could potentially be harmful,” adds Allen.

We’re also concerned that the risks and side effects of GLP-1 agonists, which include Ozempic and Trulicity, aren’t listed on the website. These drugs appear to lower hunger cues by slowing the movement of food from the stomach to the small intestine. But they can cause serious side effects, so you should discuss them with your health care provider before considering whether medication is a good choice for you.

For people with diabetes, there is also a Diabetes-Tailored Plan that allows you to track blood glucose. This plan also has a different set of ZeroPoint foods to help your blood sugar stay even.

Key features of WeightWatchers 

Here are some of the more positive features of WW.

Pros and cons of WeightWatchers

As with most weight loss programs, there are pros and cons, and WW may or may not be the right fit for you. Here are the high and low points from our testing process.

What we like

  • Personalized Points system : Points, which roughly correspond to the calorie level you need to achieve slow weight loss, are tailored to each person’s needs and weight loss goals.
  • Coaching and community : Helps improve motivation and encourages positivity.
  • Recipes, barcode scanner, and restaurant database : Makes it easier to fit the WW program into your lifestyle and provides inspiration for cooking at home.

What we don’t like

  • Limitations of the points system : As noted above, points don’t necessarily encourage healthy eating habits, and they oversimplify food choices by hiding the nutritional factors of foods that may affect weight loss or gain. 
  • WW app : It’s clunky and time-consuming compared to other food-tracking apps we’ve tried, such as My Fitness Pal, Noom, Cronometer, and Joggo .
  • The push for positivity : While we’re all for focusing on the good, we noticed in both the workshop and KickStart session a tendency to gloss over people’s struggles and get back to happy topics. Leaders would even cut off members while speaking to turn the conversation back to something positive. We worried about how those people felt not having their concerns heard and listened to.

Can you lose weight on WW? 

It’s possible to lose weight slowly on WW, as long as you keep tracking points and stay in the program. But if all you know about weight loss and healthy eating has come from WW, it will be hard to lose weight outside of the program because there’s no way to know exactly how points correspond to calories or other nutrition parameters.

Our final verdict 

We have significant reservations about recommending WW as a long-term weight loss solution. The program’s positive aspects are the motivational coaching, community support, and online health content. 

But the company’s secret formula for calculating points and the encouragement to eat whatever you want, as long as you’re tracking your points, leave a glaring gap in the education that’s vital for long-term weight loss success and lasting health. 

If you want to keep excess weight off for the rest of your life, it’s essential to learn what constitutes a healthy diet and why certain foods contribute to weight loss or gain, regardless of their calorie or points value. And that should be the “point” of a weight loss program—to empower you with information so you can go forth outside of the program and maintain a healthy weight on your own. 

It’s concerning that the structure of WW encourages members to stay in the program to maintain their weight.  We can’t recommend WW as a sustainable weight loss strategy, although it’s certainly helped many people lose weight in the short term.

Frequently asked questions

Is weightwatchers still a good weight loss program.

WeightWatchers can be a successful program for many people wanting to lose weight. The drawback is that you need to stay in the program to keep losing or maintain a healthy weight because it doesn’t go far in teaching members about nutrition, calories, or exercise, all of which are skills you need to keep the weight off on your own.

Is it easy to maintain weight lost on WW?

As with any weight loss program, keeping the weight off is proportionate to your amount of motivation and commitment. Staying in WW, tracking points daily, and continuing with the workshops for ongoing accountability from other members and coaches will improve your success in maintaining weight loss.

Does the WeightWatchers app help calculate points when going out to eat?

Yes, the WW app has a restaurant database with thousands of menu items. You can use the database to track points of what you’ve ordered or use it to look up points and help you decide what to order.

What is the downside of WeightWatchers?

The points system used in WeightWatchers doesn’t necessarily encourage healthy eating habits. Our testers believe the program oversimplifies food choices by hiding nutritional factors that can directly impact weight change. The WW app isn’t as intuitive as other food tracking apps, and the WW approach to positivity in both the workshop and KickStart sessions could invalidate people’s struggles with weight loss.

  • Sarwer, D.B. & Polonsky, H.M. (2016). The psychosocial burden of obesity. Endocrinology and Metabolism Clinics of North America. 45(3), 677-688. Link
  • Ross, K.M., Qiu, P., You, L., & Wing, R.R. (2019). Week-to-week predictors of weight loss and regain. Health Psychology. 38(12), 1150-1158. Link
  • United States Department of Agriculture. Interested in losing weight? Link
  • Agrawal, S., Wojtanowski, A. C., Tringali, L., Foster, G. D., & Finkelstein, E. A. (2021). Financial implications of New York City’s weight management initiative. PLOS ONE, 16(2). Link
  • Cleveland Clinic. GLP-1 agonists. Link
  • Tate, D.F., Quesnel, D., Lutes, L.D., Hatley, K.E., Nazami, B.T., Wojtanowski, A.C., et al. (2020). Examination of a partial dietary self-monitoring approach for behavioral weight management. Obesity Science and Practice. 6(4), 353-364. Link
  • Tate, D., Lutes, L.D., Bryant, M., Truesdale, K.P., Hatley, K.E., & Griffiths, Z. (2022). Efficacy of a commercial weight management program compared with a do-it-yourself approach. JAMA Network Open. 5(8), e2226561. Link
  • Pacanowski, C.R., Linde, J.A., & Neumark-Sztainer, D. (2015). Self-weighing: helpful or harmful for psychological well-being? A review of the literature. Current Obesity Reports. 4(1), 65-72. Link

Finding the Fearless Life

Finding the Fearless Life

Through Faith, Mental Wellness, & Self-Care

My Honest Weight Watchers Review 2024 (WW)

my honest review of the  newest weight watchers program

This post contains affiliate links. This means should you purchase a WW membership, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Read full disclosure here . OPINIONS ARE 100% MINE.

I have always carried a bit of excess weight, from the time I was an adolescent well into my adult years. And for many years I struggled with my confidence and body image.

I had tried unsuccessfully to lose weight at various points in my life. I’d maybe lose 10 lbs here or there but I would usually end up putting it back on.

Over the past several years (I am 52 right now) I have become much more comfortable in my skin and don’t focus so much on my size or appearance as much as my comfort level.

I have noticed though when I gain a few pounds I tend to feel uncomfortable, and bloated and just not my best. And ultimately doesn’t help my mental health either.

The Program

So a few years ago, I decided to make a change. Upon a recommendation from a family member, I signed up for the new (WW) Weight Watchers plan. I found that the program allows you a set amount of daily points that you use up as you eat each day.

You decide what you want to eat and then log the info on your WW app. It’ll show you how many points you have used up thus far, and how many remain for the rest of the day. But that was just the beginning.

As I said, I originally started this back a few years ago. I lost a total of 20 lbs in about 3 months and was feeling good. The weight loss made my body feel more comfortable but also the types of foods I was eating made my Mind and Body feel better overall.

I started to limit my sugar intake (I am a sweets lover) and I was eating more fruits and veggies and choosing more whole-grain options.

I found myself being more aware of what I was eating and actually enjoying my meals more. I wasn’t just mindlessly consuming food, I was being mindful and that helped me tremendously.

The accountability the program offered was a very helpful tool for me.

Then This Happened…

After several months, I had reached my goal so I went off of the Weight Watchers program . I got a bit complacent and ya know, life happened and I slid back into my old habits. But I am at the point, once again where I need to make some positive changes in my life and I am excited to restart the journey with Weight Watchers.

I really loved the program before and am excited about this latest incarnation. They have a NEW Updated App that is much more user-friendly with several wonderful features.

  • Bar Code Scanner

zero point foods

How Does It Work?

When you sign up for Weight Watchers , it takes you through a series of questions and determines which program will work best with your goals, eating habits, activity levels, and support needs .

They will then recommend a membership type: either Core or Premium based on your needs. But you are free to choose whichever you prefer.

Membership Plans

As I mentioned you will have 2 options for membership . The basic difference is the support you will receive. If you want more of a self-guided plan, Core is probably right for you. This is the membership that I have.

reviews and weight watchers

Once you decide on a membership, Weight Watchers uses science to provide you with a nutritional plan that includes a daily allotted amount of points (with weekly bonus points) that you can use however you want.

They even have incentives for you to earn more weekly points by being active. That is a great motivator for me.

reviews and weight watchers

Getting Started

After you sign up, you then use the app and/or the website to keep track of the foods you eat and your activities, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. WW has integrated so many other things into its program.

You also have access to

  • Meditations
  • Coaching & 24/7 Chat
  • Sleep Management
  • Social Platform to interact with other members if desired. (Premium plan only)

Zero Point Foods

Another thing I really like about the plan is that you are allotted a plethora of Zero Point foods . This means you can consume an unlimited amount of these foods without using up any points at all!

I try to get creative and use as many of the Zero Point foods to really fill up my meal. Allowing me to eat more, but keep my point level down.

It kind of becomes a game for me. And it’s not just fruits and veggies that you can choose from!

Extra Features

*With the newest Weight Watchers Program , you can also sync up your activity device. I had a Fitbit and I found that it was really helpful to have that synced up with my WW app. It could keep track of my steps and/or activities and I would be rewarded for it.

*The bonus points I earned via activities are then added to my allotted weekly bonus food points . For me, it is a great incentive. I often use the weekly bonus points for special meals, such as dining out or Sunday dinners.

*The other really cool thing is the optional social platform , that is available. It is set up kind of like Instagram or Facebook . This is available with the Premium Membership.

This platform allows you to connect with other WW members who share their stories and offer support, tips, and encouragement. For many, that can truly be helpful.

*Because I like to eat out a lot, I really appreciate the fact that I can track foods from my favorite restaurants . I find the restaurant and select the food I want and it’ll tell me how many points it will be. It really helps me to make the best decision for myself for that moment. How awesome is that !

As I said earlier, a couple of years ago I went off of WW after I had reached my goal and felt I now knew what to do and how to make better choices. And I did for a while. But then my old habits started creeping back in.

So I decided to rejoin Weight Watchers again. For me, accountability and support are very helpful in my health and wellness journey.

I enjoy using the program and I feel Weight Watchers is a good program for weight loss and for gaining (and/or) maintaining a healthier lifestyle.

Each year I select a WORD OF THE YEAR and this year is RESTORATION . After the past couple of years, I feel like it is a good one for me. My hope is for a healthy and restored body, mind & soul as we go into this year.

If you have tried the WW program or are thinking about it, I’d love to hear about your experience.

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7 self-care tips to improve your life today, behavior modification: how to change your behavior to accomplish your goals, 16 thoughts on “ my honest weight watchers review 2024 (ww) ”.

Great review of the new (2020) program changes!

I did WW many years ago and found it really good then but this sounds even better. I’m on a health and wellness journey with my husband so I will look into giving this a try! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks so much for sharing your journey here! It’s helpful to get this information first-hand before committing to a program like this one!

This is really good information. I wonder if they can tweak your program based off of specialty diets because of allergies. I eat mostly Low FODMAP, but like the accountability of WW. I did WW about 16 years ago and it was great.

They do ask you questions such as if you are diabetic, for example. But as far as the foods, You are the one who chooses what you eat. If it is something you are allergic to you simply avoid it. They tell you how many points work best for you to lose weight, and you decide what foods make up those points.

What a wonderful review. I had done weight watchers many years ago, if I remember correctly I did have success. I had the lap band 13 years ago and had a lot of success. However, when I became disabled I became more sedentary and now at 50 have gained my weight back. I am so happy to hear that you are doing great. Blessings.

This is such a helpful, in depth review of the new weight watchers. I know the cost for the program seems high, but I always wondered about how much support and return you really would get for that cost. This answers my questions and I am considering the program. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for checking it out. Yeah, I do find it to be worth the money. I have the cheapest plan and it is more than enough for me. It keeps me accountable and I make a game out of it. Let me know if you decide to join!

Interesting! I’m so happy to see a program that includes sleep management. Will surely recommend to my friends!

I’ve thought about trying the New Weight Watcher’s program, so this review with your personal experience is really helpful. Love the fact that the new program is much more personalised and integrated with technologies.

Insightful review

I provide tech support for my wife on the WW app. I think the app has a horrible user interface – it is so hard to navigate. We set it up to synch with her Fitbit – sometimes it does, sometimes it doesn’t. So in addition to the app she is logging her steps on paper and trying to supplement the Fitbit synch errors with her paper log. It took her 20 minutes to figure out how to delete or edit a steps entry she made to correct the Fitbit errors

Oh, I am sorry to hear that your wife’s experience with the app wasn’t a good one.

It has been something that I find super helpful, but am aware not everyone will feel the same.

So sorry that your wife didn’t find the app useful. I do enjoy it and it has helped me.

I have just started Weight Watchers again. I lost weight on it 10 years ago, and have gained it all back so I’m starting over. It was so easy to use back then. I am so confused by this new plan. I am using it on my computer. It said I was logged in, but when I went to a different page in the site, all of a sudden I was logged out and it was inviting me to join! After I already answered the survey questions! Can someone help me figure this out?

I was on weight watchers thirty years ago when it was set up as a bread, protein, vegetable, fruit and dairy. Having just finished nursing school it was easy to relate it to how a diabetic would have looked at food. The points throw me off, especially when I’m trying to figure out a value for dining out. I’ll figure it out, it’s just going to take some time.

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Everything you need to know about WeightWatchers

WeightWatchers can help you achieve your fitness goals with workshops, healthy recipes, and more.

reviews and weight watchers

Updated July 25, 2023

Recommendations are independently chosen by Reviewed's editors. Purchases made through the links below may earn us and our publishing partners a commission.

Staying on top of your health and fitness isn't easy, especially if you don't know where to begin. With seemingly infinite weight loss, diet, and fitness programs to choose from, the options can feel overwhelming and intimidating.

How does WeightWatchers work?

reviews and weight watchers

The WeightWatchers points system helps you stay on top of your healthy eating.

WeightWatchers uses a point-based calorie-counting system that is custom to the user. It takes into account the user's age, height, weight, sex, and personal health and fitness lifestyle and goals. Each food and drink has a corresponding points value and users are expected to log each meal to get an accurate points reading. Users will get a maximum amount of points they're expected to consume every day, and they'll be notified once they've reached their limit. They'll also have access to a list of ZeroPoint foods that don't add to their daily points.

WeightWatchers is meant to keep users on track of their health and fitness which allows them to live and eat healthier. Users are expected to lose weight if they don't consume more daily points each day than what's recommended. Over time, healthy eating should become continuous and eventually become an integrated part of their lifestyle.

How do WeightWatchers points work?

WeightWatchers

PersonalPoints are built around you and your goals.

Upon signing up for WeightWatchers, you're asked to complete an assessment to gauge where you are in your fitness journey and what your goals and intended outcomes are. The app will then use the results of your assessment to give you a personalized fitness program called PersonalPoints.

PersonalPoints is completely custom and is tailored to your personal health and fitness needs. You'll be given a Points Budget that calculates the recommended number of points you should consume each day. You'll also get a list of ZeroPoint foods that won't add to your daily Points Budget.

When using WeightWatchers, you have to be sure to track everything you eat and drink in the app so you can know how many PersonalPoints they're worth, and you'll be notified when you've hit your daily Points Budget. Once this happens, you're free to choose from the ZeroPoint foods list to ensure that you don't exceed your allotted number of points for the day.

One great thing about your PersonalPoints is that any unused points automatically will roll over to the next day. You'll also be given weekly points on top of your daily Points Budget, which is personalized to you and your fitness goals and needs. Points are taken from your weekly points budget if you exceed your daily limit.

What are the WeightWatchers plans?

reviews and weight watchers

WeightWatchers offers both virtual in-person support to help you meet your health goals.

The Core plan is best for those looking for a self-guided experience that is entirely digital. This plan includes a customized health plan that is backed by science to help you stay on top of your nutritional goals and lose weight over time.

You'll get access to 24/7 in-app support that allows you to chat with your coach and take part in the WeightWatchers members-only social network. You'll get food and activity trackers, access to 13,000 recipes, on-demand workouts, and sleep tools and tips. You'll even get a weekly progress report and you'll have the ability to set new health goals for the upcoming week, allowing you to visualize your fitness progress and achievements.

The Core plan is $10 per month for 6 months, $15 per month for 3 months, or $43 for one month.

Premium plan

The Premium plan is best for those who want the most support they can get through WeightWatchers. You'll have access to both virtual and in-person workshops with both your WeightWatchers coach and members of the WeightWatchers social network. The Premium plan includes the same nutritional and weight loss plan included in the Core membership. You can also choose from thousands of in-person and virtual workshops that are available both day and night every day of the week, and there's no limit to how many you're allowed to attend.

The Premium plan provides new nutrition and behavioral techniques that you'll learn from your WeightWatchers coach. You'll also be able to share your health and fitness goals, progress, and tips with other members to help each other in your WeightWatchers journeys.

The Premium Plan is $19 per month for 6 months, $30 per month for 3 months, or $65 for one month.

What are WeightWatchers ZeroPoint foods?

There are three ways to use ZeroPoint foods—to create a base, pump up a dish, or tame hunger. You can start with a ZeroPoint food then add other ingredients that do have point values. You can also add ZeroPoint foods to an already existing dish or you can use a ZeroPoint food as a quick snack to tame your hunger.

Does WeightWatchers work?

Yes, if you remain disciplined..

Over time, she's been able to lose 30 pounds, maintain a healthy weight, and develop a healthier relationship with food over time. WeightWatchers allows you to choose healthier options and it can even lead you to crave healthier foods over those that may not be as healthy. If you don't wish to use WeightWatchers forever, it can serve as a great starting point to give you the push needed to begin a healthier lifestyle.

WeightWatchers recipes

reviews and weight watchers

WeightWatchers offers over 13,000 healthy recipes that are easy to make.

Within each recipe, you'll get an estimated prep and cook time, serving size, and cooling difficulty level along with all ingredients needed and the amount of points the meal is worth. WeightWatchers has tons of great options for each meal of the day plus healthy and delicious snacks. There's truly something for everyone regardless of dietary needs and restrictions.

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Weight Watchers Before and After: Real Results from Success Stories

reviews and weight watchers

The Honest Brand Reviews staff works together to help bring you the information you need to make the best shopping decisions.

reviews and weight watchers

Colin Dempsey

I write about fitness, health, nutrition, fashion, and more. Sometimes I write about these topics well. Other times I write about them really well.

Edited on May 16, 2023

Table of Contents

About Weight Watchers

Weight Watchers Before and After: Real Results from Success Stories

Weight Watchers is a weight loss program that has been around for over 50 years. It is designed to help people lose weight by making healthy choices and developing sustainable habits .

The program works by assigning points to different foods and encouraging members to stay within a certain daily point range.

One of the most compelling aspects of Weight Watchers is the before and after stories that are shared by members of the program. These stories highlight the incredible transformations that people have experienced after following the Weight Watchers program.

From losing dozens of pounds to completely changing their relationship with food, these stories are truly inspiring. But are they too good to be true? In this article, I’ll take a closer look at Weight Watchers before and after stories to see what we can learn from them.

30 Weight Watchers Before and After

Weight Watchers Before and After: Real Results from Success Stories

How Does Weight Watchers Work?

Weight Watchers uses a science-based approach to weight loss . Members are assigned a certain number of points based on their age, weight, height, and gender.

These points are used to track food intake, with healthier foods being assigned fewer points and less healthy foods being assigned more points. Members are encouraged to eat more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains , while limiting their intake of processed foods, sugary drinks, and other high-calorie foods.

In addition to tracking points, Weight Watchers also offers support and resources to help members achieve their weight loss goals. This includes access to online tools and resources, as well as in-person meetings and coaching sessions.

Members can also connect with other members for support and motivation.

Weight Watchers Programs

Weight Watchers Before and After: Real Results from Success Stories

As someone who has been a part of the Weight Watchers program for years, I can attest to the fact that it is an effective weight loss program that has helped millions of people .

The program has evolved over the years, and there are now several different Weight Watchers programs available. In this section, I will go over the different programs and how to choose the right one for you.

Different Weight Watchers Programs Available

Weight Watchers has three main programs: Green, Blue, and Purple . All three programs are based on the SmartPoints system , which assigns points to different foods based on their nutritional value.

The number of points you are allowed to eat each day is based on your age, weight, height, and gender.

The Green program gives you the fewest number of SmartPoints to use each day, but it also has the most zero-point foods. These are foods that you can eat without using any of your SmartPoints.

The Blue program gives you more SmartPoints than the Green program, but fewer zero-point foods.

The Purple program gives you the most SmartPoints to use each day, but the fewest zero-point foods.

How to Choose the Right Weight Watchers Program for You

Choosing the right Weight Watchers program for you depends on your personal preferences and lifestyle. If you prefer to have more structure and guidance , the Green program may be the best choice for you.

If you like more flexibility and don’t mind tracking your food , the Blue program may be a good fit. If you are someone who wants to eat a lot of zero-point foods and have more freedom with your food choices, the Purple program may be the best option.

It’s also important to consider your weight loss goals and how much support you need. If you have a lot of weight to lose or need more accountability, you may want to consider signing up for Weight Watchers meetings or coaching .

These programs offer additional support and guidance to help you reach your goals.

In conclusion, Weight Watchers has several different programs available to suit different lifestyles and preferences. By considering your personal goals and needs, you can choose the program that is right for you and start your weight loss journey with confidence.

Weight Watchers Tools and Resources

Weight Watchers Before and After: Real Results from Success Stories

As a Weight Watchers member, I have access to a variety of tools and resources that make it easier to track my progress and stay on track with my weight loss goals. Here are some of the most helpful resources that I have found:

Mobile Apps and Online Tools

Weight Watchers offers a variety of mobile apps and online tools that make it easy to track my food intake, exercise, and weight loss progress. One of my favorite tools is the Weight Watchers app , which allows me to track my daily SmartPoints and easily search for recipes and food items. The app also provides access to a barcode scanner, which makes it easy to track packaged foods.

In addition to the Weight Watchers app, I also use the Connect app , which provides access to the Weight Watchers community. The app allows me to connect with other members, share my progress, and get support and encouragement from others who are on the same journey.

Weight Watchers Community Support

One of the things that sets Weight Watchers apart from other weight loss programs is its focus on community support. As a member, I have access to a variety of resources that help me connect with other members and get the support I need to stay on track.

One of the most helpful resources is the Weight Watchers community forums , which provide a space for members to connect, share their experiences, and get advice and support from others. I also attend weekly meetings, which provide an opportunity to connect with other members in person and get support and encouragement from a trained Weight Watchers coach .

Overall, I have found that the tools and resources provided by Weight Watchers have been instrumental in helping me achieve my weight loss goals. Whether I am tracking my progress on the Weight Watchers app or connecting with other members in the community forums, I know that I have the support and resources I need to succeed.

Tips for Success

Weight Watchers Before and After: Real Results from Success Stories

When it comes to achieving success with Weight Watchers, there are a few tips that I have found to be extremely helpful. These tips have helped me stay on track and overcome plateaus, and I believe they can help you too!

Tips for Staying on Track with Weight Watchers

One of the most important things you can do to stay on track with Weight Watchers is to track your food intake . I make sure to track everything I eat, and I find that it helps me stay accountable and aware of what I am putting into my body.

I also try to plan my meals and snacks ahead of time, so I am not tempted to reach for unhealthy options when I am hungry.

Another tip that has helped me stay on track is to find a support system . Whether it’s attending meetings or connecting with other members online, having a community of people who are going through the same journey can be incredibly motivating and inspiring.

How to Overcome Plateaus with Weight Watchers

If you find yourself hitting a plateau with your weight loss, don’t get discouraged! One of the best things you can do is to mix up your routine .

Try new foods, experiment with different recipes, and switch up your exercise routine. This can help jumpstart your metabolism and get you back on track.

Another tip for overcoming plateaus is to focus on non-scale victories. Celebrate the small wins, like fitting into a pair of jeans that were previously too tight or being able to run a little farther than before. These victories can help keep you motivated and focused on your goals.

In conclusion, by tracking your food intake, planning your meals ahead of time, finding a support system, mixing up your routine, and celebrating non-scale victories, you can achieve success with Weight Watchers. Remember to stay patient and consistent, and you will see results!

Final Thoughts

Weight Watchers Before and After: Real Results from Success Stories

In my experience researching and learning about Weight Watchers before and after, I have found that it can be an effective weight loss program for many people.

The program’s focus on healthy eating habits and lifestyle changes , rather than just calorie counting, seems to lead to sustainable weight loss results.

One of the most inspiring aspects of Weight Watchers is the many success stories and before and after photos shared by its members. These stories show that with dedication and commitment, it is possible to achieve significant weight loss and improve overall health and well-being.

However, it is important to note that Weight Watchers may not be the right choice for everyone. The program does require a financial commitment , and some people may prefer a more flexible approach to weight loss.

Additionally, it is important to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any weight loss program, especially if you have any underlying health conditions.

Overall, I believe that Weight Watchers can be a valuable tool for those looking to lose weight and improve their health. With its focus on healthy habits and lifestyle changes, it offers a sustainable approach to weight loss that can lead to long-term success.

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Yates Nutrition

Weight Watchers (WW®) Dietitian Review

by Michelle Yates | Mar 13, 2023 | Dietitian Review

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This post was adapted from episode 25: Weight Watchers (WW®) Dietitian Review of the Nourished & Free podcast.

For more on this Weight Watchers Review, l isten to the full episode .

Weight Watchers Review: What’s Weight Watchers?

What is the Weight Watchers diet and how does Weight Watchers work? Let’s dive into the system of Weight Watchers, as well as a Weight Watchers review from the perspective of a registered dietitian.

The Weight Watchers diet is a restrictive diet aimed to help its customers lose weight. The WW diet uses a point system to attach value to food, which is designed to help the customer with maintaining a deficit in their food intake to achieve weight loss.

( psssst! If you are a WW expert and you’re really just here because you’re wondering WHY Weight Watchers does not work, click here to jump down on the page and get to the good stuff)

Who Founded Weight Watchers?

To bring some backstory into this Weight Watchers review, it’s important to note the Weight Watchers history. According to WW , the Weight Watchers diet started in the 1960s as a result of a woman who decided she was “tired of fad diets” and wanted to do something that worked & incorporated community. Within 4 years, the first Weight Watchers cookbook launched, and she was starting a diet revolution.

She was not qualified to give diet advice. She was a 60’s housewife who was sick of losing and regaining weight, and she knew that the women around her were tired of it, too. She capitalized on this idea. Within 17 years, she made $71 million off of her idea, after selling it to Heinz Co. By 1999, it was sold for $735 million.

Who Owns Weight Watchers Now?

Weight Watchers is now publicly traded on the stock market with many ‘owners’ capitalizing off of this weight loss program.

In 2018, Weight Watchers rebranded to WW. For those who are confused by the different titles and wondering “is WW still Weight Watchers?” the answer is yes, it is still Weight Watchers.

They claimed the rebrand was to center on their focus of wellness .

According to WW, the rebrand was to:

“… announce a renewed purpose: We inspire healthy habits for real life. For people, families, communities, the world—for everyone.

The rebrand reflected WW’s commitment to becoming the world’s partner in wellness. While WW remains the global leader in weight loss, it now also welcomes anyone who wants to build healthy habits—whether that means eating better, moving more, developing a positive mindset, focusing on weight…or all of the above “

The rebrand also happened around the same time that movements like body positivity, Health At Every Size, weight inclusivity, and non-diet approaches were becoming more popular and desired. If you ask me, the rebrand was an attempt to stay relevant. As we continue to dive deep into this Weight Watchers review, keep in mind how much the company has been making in terms of $$.

How Weight Watchers Works

About Weight Watchers diet: WW is a weight-loss program that uses a points system to allegedly help individuals make “healthier food choices” and “maintain a healthy lifestyle”. So what does the Weight Watchers Diet consist of? Here’s how Weight Watchers works:

  • Points system: Weight Watchers assigns a point value to different foods based on their calorie, fat, and fiber content. Users are given a daily points budget, which they can use to make food choices. The program encourages the consumption of some nutrient-dense foods (such as fruits and vegetables) which have lower point values, while limiting the consumption of high-calorie, high-fat foods which have higher point values (using up the point allowance more quickly).
  • Tracking: Users track their food intake and points using the Weight Watchers app or website. The program also encourages users to track their physical activity.
  • Meetings: Weight Watchers offers in-person meetings or virtual meetings where users can connect with other members and receive support and guidance from a trained leader.
  • Weekly weigh-ins: Users are encouraged to weigh themselves weekly and track their progress.
  • Rewards: Weight Watchers offers rewards for reaching certain milestones, such as losing a certain amount of weight or tracking food intake consistently.

Weight Watchers also offers personalized coaching services and access to additional resources, such as recipes and workout plans.

The program claims to be sustainable and promote long-term healthy habits rather than quick-fix solutions.

Weight Watchers Points; The Weight Watchers Point System

To give you a full Weight Watchers review, it’s important to understand the points system of Weight Watchers. Weight Watchers points are calculated based on the nutritional content of foods including calories, saturated fat, sugar, and protein. The program assigns a point value to each food item based on its nutritional value with nutrient-dense foods having lower point values and less nutritious foods having higher point values.

Weight Watchers also offers ZeroPoint foods, which are foods that do not need to be tracked or counted towards a user’s daily points budget.

How Weight Watchers Points Are Calculated

Here’s how Weight Watchers calculates points for foods:

  • Calories: The higher the calorie content, the higher the point value.
  • Saturated fat: Foods that are high in saturated fat will have higher point values.
  • Sugar: Foods that are high in sugar will have higher point values.
  • Protein: Foods that are high in protein will have lower point values

Weight Watchers Points Calculator

To figure out how many Weight Watchers points a food has, Weight Watchers uses the following formula:

Points = (calories/50) + (saturated fat/12) – (protein/10) + (sugar/10)

If you’re like me, you’re thinking, “how is this company so profitable if there is so much math involved?” There’s not. The app and the website do this calculation automatically. But I wanted to show you how Weight Watchers points are calculated, just in case you’re curious.

But just for fun, let’s see how a glass of wine would fare on this diet.

How Many Weight Watchers Points in a Glass of Wine? 🍷

Glass of red wine:

  • Calories: 125
  • Carbohydrates: 4 grams
  • Protein: 0 grams
  • Fat: 0 grams
  • Sugar: 1 grams

Now using the WW formula: (125/50) + (0/12) – (0/10) + (1/10).

Reduced, 2.5 + .1 = 2.6 points, 3 points if you round.

Therefore, a 5 oz glass of red wine has 3 Weight Watchers points.

To put this into perspective, the average WW customer has a budget of 23 points a day. So 1 glass of red wine is using over 10% of the budget towards food for the day.

I’m not sure if the WW app does say a glass of red wine is 3 WW points, I’m purely doing the calculation manually. I suspect they would add more points to this based on the fact that it is alcohol and they likely want to discourage users from alcohol consumption, but I am not certain of this.

Weight Watchers Zero Point Foods

Before we jump more into the Weight Watchers review, let’s talk about Weight Watchers 0 point foods. There are zero point foods on WW that are essentially “free” to eat. In an attempt to eat more food but still stay within the allowance, the Weight Watchers 0 point foods are often times what people bulk up on and are generally low in calories and high in nutrients.

The Weight Watchers 0 Point Food List is:

  • Non-starchy veggies
  • Fat-free yogurt and cottage cheese
  • Fish and shellfish
  • Tofu and tempeh
  • Corn and popcorn
  • Beans, peas, and lentils

Some other things on The Weight Watchers zero point food list:

  • Diet drinks
  • Herbs/spices
  • Unsweetened applesauce

Weight Watchers Zero Point Snacks

Many people try to find WW zero point snacks to curb their appetite. What starts out as an innocent attempt to stay within a points allowance can easily trickle into a disordered eating habit of having foods that only provide volume and do not provide nutrition to satisfy the body.

Weight Watchers Plans

reviews and weight watchers

The latest Weight Watchers program is called myWW and it assigns points to foods based on a more individualized approach. Users can choose from three plans: Green, Blue, and Purple. Each plan has a different number of ZeroPoint foods, which are foods that do not need to be tracked or counted towards a user’s daily points budget. The plans also differ in terms of the daily points budget, with the Green plan having the fewest points and the Purple plan having the most.

Which WW Plan is Best for Me?

There are a few different Weight Watchers diet plans to choose from that are designed to help the dieter either lose weight or maintain their weight.

Weight Watchers Green Plan – Most flexible

Zero Point foods: around 100

Points Budget : high

Emphasis: Tracking all foods and portion control with flexibility to indulge.

Weight Watchers Blue Plan – Moderately flexible

Zero Point foods: around 200

Points Budget: moderate

Emphasis: Eating more lean protein and less saturated fat. Structured plan but moderate points budget.

Weight Watchers Purple Plan – Least flexible

Zero Point foods: around 300

Points Budget: low

Emphasis: Whole foods and minimally processed foods; encourages building meals around WW Zero Point foods to help with satiety and weight loss.

Weight Watchers Food

reviews and weight watchers

For users looking to make Weight Watchers meals, they can purchase Weight Watchers frozen meals as well as look up many Weight Watchers recipes, Weight Watchers dinner recipes, and look up ideas for Weight Watchers snacks… all through the WW app, website, and magazine, of course.

How Much Does Weight Watchers Cost Per Month?

According to their website , Weight Watchers cost starts at $42.50/month and goes up to $109.50/month. Don’t be surprised if you get hit with an advertisement for Weight Watchers free trial, though.

Weight Watchers Meetings

There are physical Weight Watchers locations all across the world for Weight Watchers meetings to take place.

Typically, meetings are led by a trained WW coach who facilitates discussions, provides information on eating habits, and offers support. Members are also encouraged to participate in group activities, such as group weigh-ins and group exercise classes. The meetings usually last about 30 to 45 minutes and take place once a week.

Weight Watchers Careers

Who are weight watchers coaches, and are weight watchers coaches certified.

Weight Watchers coaches do not have to be qualified healthcare professionals. They are certified through WW’s own certification aka employee training program. Many are past and present WW users. And just so you get an idea of how much money is in this industry (which should be a red flag, btw), according to Glassdoor , the average Weight Watchers coach salary is over $93,000/year.

In my work, the biggest harm that Weight Watchers has ever done to women is their coaches saying stupid sh*t they shouldn’t say. This wouldn’t be an issue if they were qualified healthcare professionals (which means they wouldn’t be working for WW in the first place).

Why Weight Watchers is Bad

*cracks knuckles* Okay. Let’s dig in to the meat of this Weight Watchers review.

Here’s why Weight Watchers works: It’s all about restriction.

But also, here’s why Weight Watchers doesn’t work : It’s all about restriction.

Hear me out. No matter how hard they try to say they are a lifestyle, they’re not. Weight Watchers is a diet through and through and no amount of rebranding and tossing around the words “wellness” and “lifestyle” will ever change that.

Because of the restrictive methods, people will typically lose weight initially. But, the rebound weight gain is not far behind and we know this to be true because in general, diets don’t work.

[Why don’t diets work?]

Because the weight was lost in the first place with WW, women (and everyone else) keep coming back to the program. They try and get back to “how it once was” (spoiler alert: that’s not going to happen). All this does is frustrate the users and put more money in the pockets of Weight Watchers.

The Dark Side of Weight Watchers

I’ve got some beef that I want to share in this Weight Watchers review.

While this won’t happen to everyone, assigning points values to food creates an all-or-nothing mentality around food. Once the budget is spent, the user is prone to say “what the hell”, and go crazy on anything and everything (most likely the foods high in points).

From a dietitian’s perspective, I also don’t like the fear and avoidance that is being encouraged around the high point foods. If you remember from how they calculate points , foods will have a higher point value if they are high in calories, saturated fat, sugar, and low in protein. While I agree that those are typically not the most nutritious of foods, foods like peanut butter end up being high in points which is very nutritious! Peanut butter provides a ridiculous amount of vitamins and minerals that many people don’t get enough of as it is. Additionally, having fear around a food is more unhealthy than just eating the d*mn thing.

Another issue I take with WW is that the coaches cause harm left and right by encouraging dangerous diet tactics in order to help members stay under their points budget. Don’t believe? Read these Weight Watchers horror stories.

I’ve also heard on multiple accounts that members can get a “lifetime membership”, meaning they get their membership for free if they can stay within a 2 lb range of their goal weight for 6 weeks.

…I’m sorry, what?

Your body weight can fluctuate up to 5 lbs on any given day, just because. The 2 lb limit within 6 weeks is potentially the biggest scam I’ve ever heard of and can cause a massive obsession with the scale (which cannot measure a single thing besides your pull on gravity).

Additionally, I would like to address the recent news about Weight Watchers and Ozempric. I think this news is actually really telling that Weight Watchers doesn’t work.

Weight Watchers and Ozempric

Weight Watchers has acquired Sequence, a telehealth service that can prescribe drugs like Wegovy and Ozempic. This is a clear sign to me that it’s the beginning of the end for WW. If Weight Watcher’s branding is all about being a “sustainable lifestyle”, then why do they bother with weight loss drugs?

This is a bad move on their part, even though I can appreciate the business-decision making that went behind it in our capitalist system. But this move is showing is that Weight Loss is a weight loss company after all, and they can’t help people lose weight without the help of drugs.

Weight Watchers vs Other Diets

Weight watchers vs noom.

Weight Watchers or Noom? You already know my thoughts on Noom. I think these are both terrible ideas. They are honestly very similar in the whole business model of tracking food, offering coaches, throwing in fancy words like ‘mindset’, and restricting food intake.

Weight Watchers vs MyFitnessPal

Weight Watchers or MyFitnessPal? MyFitnessPal is a Weight Watchers like app for the calorie counters. Both tend to encourage obsession with tracking food intake. MyFitnessPal is simply an app and does not offer a program like WW does, though MyFitnessPal does attempt to give you recommendations on your calorie limit based on your measurements and goals.

Weight Watchers vs Counting Calories

Weight Watchers or counting calories? Both are unsustainable ways to live the rest of your life. Do you really want to count points or calories forever?

Weight Watchers vs Jenny Craig

Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig? Jenny Craig relies heavily on their own pre-packaged food products, and focuses on foods that are low-fat and low-calorie. Weight Watchers does not rely on pre-packaged foods and focuses on a variety of nutrients to calculate a point value for each food. Jenny Craig users typically eat around 1200 calories. WW users are focused on points rather than calories. Jenny Craig can cost upwards of $400/month.

Weight Watchers vs keto

Weight Watchers or keto? Both keto and WW are restrictive lifestyles that are unrealistic for most individuals. The Keto diet does not shy away from high fat foods, while WW does. However, both keto and WW restrict carbohydrates.

[Keto diet review]

Weight Watchers vs low carb

Weight Watchers or low carb? Weight Watchers is more than just a low carb diet, though it does generally penalize you for having a high carbohydrate intake. In either case, an individual will need to consider if they can sustain either a) counting points the rest of their life, or b) avoiding carbs the rest of their life.

Weight Watchers vs Nutrisystem

Weight Watchers or Nutrisystem? Nutrisystem is a diet that relies on prepackaged meals and snacks. The difference between Weight Watchers versus Nutrisystem is that Weight Watchers does not focus on prepackaged foods.

Nutrisystem costs around $300/month while WW is less expensive with the most expensive plan being just over $100/month. This is because Nutrisystem is also supplying food for you, while WW is not. You may end up spending more with WW after factoring in the cost of groceries.

Both of these choices are unsustainable as both diets are focused on weight loss through food restriction and require the user to sacrifice a great deal of their life towards their weight loss efforts.

Weight Watchers with Diabetes

reviews and weight watchers

Another aspect of this Weight Watchers review is the option that Weight Watchers has for those with type 2 diabetes. Weight Watchers claims it is “a clinically backed” method for those with Diabetes Mellitus, but is it?

The clinical trial used for the diabetes plan and discussed on their website was funded by… guess who… Weight Watchers. Let’s talk about what they actually found.

Allegedly, they report a significant reduction in the HgA1C values of the participants – which is debatably the most important value we should be measuring in a study like this. But can we really trust that, considering who funded the study? Considering the study wasn’t longer than 6 months? Considering this is the only research on their diabetes plan?

Another point I want to bring up on this Weight Watchers review about those using Weight Watchers with Diabetes is that managing Diabetes requires medical nutrition therapy (MNT). Registered dietitians are the only nutritionists who are qualified to provide MNT, and WW does not employ registered dietitians to personally review their customer’s food intake and give tailored recommendations.

[What’s the difference between a nutritionist and a Registered Dietitian?]

Weight Watchers Failure Stories; Real Weight Watchers Feedback

Weight Watchers is the #1 diet that my clients say messed up their relationship with food. Optavia is a close 2nd.

Here’s just a few things that my clients and other women I’ve connected with have said about Weight Watchers: 👇

reviews and weight watchers

Something I’ve heard from now 2 different clients of mine is that Weight Watchers caused an obsession with peanut butter. They couldn’t keep it in the house without binge eating a half of a jar in one sitting. I was curious about this commonality and asked, “does WW assign a high point value to peanut butter?”. Sure enough, the answer was “yes”. If that isn’t evidence of restriction leading to binge eating, I don’t know what is.

Weight Watchers Review: Overall Thoughts

Who is weight watchers good for.

I’m honestly not sure who Weight Watchers is good for. Weight watchers is an expensive diet program completely focused on making people lose weight. Having you weigh-in every week (even making you weigh-in in front of others) and encouraging micromanagement of food is not good for mental health. As you can see from the photos above, Weight Watchers is creating an all-or-nothing mentality around food in many women.

With such a high value put on the number on the scale, Weight Watchers is also facilitating an unhealthy obsession with the scale and with one’s body weight (they’re called Weight Watchers for crying out loud).

What Weight Watchers really does wrong is that women are now afraid of foods that are high in points, even though those foods can still be exactly what their body needs. For example – sandwiches, caesar salad, pizza, and beef are all high in points for Weight Watchers, but these foods all come in handy on many occasions. There’s no need to be afraid of them, especially if they will provide the nutrients needed to satisfy you and prevent a binge from happening later on.

What Should I Do Besides Weight Watchers?

Rather than trying the same-ol restrictive methods that suck your wallet dry for the rest of your life, make you hate yourself, create a war with the scale and your body, and cause obsession over food, we need to get into the root issues behind our struggles with food. To learn more about how to do this, sign up for my free 2-day event all about how to Conquer Food Stress Once and For All.

If you need help transitioning off of Weight Watchers, or were previously considering it but now are unsure of what to do, consider healing your relationship with food with an intuitive eating coach by applying for my group coaching program.

Interested in reading other diet reviews? Click the links below to learn more.

  • Noom Diet Review
  • 75 Hard Review
  • Intermittent Fasting Review
  • Autoimmune Paleo Review
  • Optavia Diet Review
  • Keto Diet Review

For more juicy insights on this Weight Watchers Review, Listen to the Nourished & Free Intuitive Eating Podcast below! ⬇️

Episode 25: weight watchers (ww ® ) dietitian review.

https://www.buzzsprout.com/1928382/12417554

Recent Posts

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reviews and weight watchers

Weight Watchers US   Reviews

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I canceled on 11/18/23 due to losing my…

I canceled on 11/18/23 due to losing my job and was told membership is canceled and wouldn’t get charged any more. Sure enough I was charged again in December, January after calling a second time on 1/22/2024 I noticed I was charged again on 2/17/2024. I’m not impressed!!! I DO NOT RECOMMEND JOINING!!!!!

Date of experience : February 17, 2024

Weight Watchers WW app

I've been a member for over a year. Every 3 months or so, my accounts gets CLOSED! Customer Srv is NOT much help; they write up an "escalation ticket" and I'm left to wait several days/ a week until someone gets back to me (meanwhile, with no access to the app. ) Frustrating!!

Date of experience : January 24, 2024

I cancelled with them in January

I cancelled with them in January, they are still charging me. I do not recommend them at all

Date of experience : February 13, 2024

Billed long past cancellation...zero cust svc help

WW has billed our credit card for THREE YEARS after cancelling...no emails...no correspondence...just a slow leak of $22.89 per month post cancel. Customer service plays games...Jeannine (the "highest level" of service) was particularly unhelpful. WW has no regard for its customers...shame on them.

Date of experience : May 25, 2023

Very discouraging

Very discouraging, after cup of soup and a latte I had 3 points left for dinner. Very unrealistic point system so they can give you “free foods”. No explanation of how to use on-line program. Cannot print their recipes. Never receive any encouragement thru notifications they only contact me to buy their products. So sorry I wasted my money on this.

Date of experience : May 09, 2023

BUYER BEWARE

BUYER BEWARE Before buying anything from this company, read all the fine print! They loop all kinds of terms that are "clearly stated" 🙄 and will not offer refunds, store credits or even pay for shipping IF they actually allow you to return something. Customer service is a joke as "they can't do anything because the policy is clearly stated". Like I said read all the fine print before purchasing anything! I'd expect a large company like this to have excellent customer service, instead they are hiding behind complicated policies.

Date of experience : August 15, 2023

Impossible to cancel membership

Impossible to cancel membership. Every month disputing auto renewal despite phone calls, emails confirming I’ve cancelled. Employee says not to cancel on app or website. But problem persists. Also “points” earned are not redeemable with outside vendors. “Code” is never accepted on sponsored websites. Wish I never joined.

Date of experience : August 18, 2022

Welcome, you can never leave

This company has a very old and good reputation, however, they put you on auto-renew, and, when it renews, it is typically for 3 to 6 mo at a time. You cannot get a refund once they start billing, or re-start billing. They do not send notifications that they are re-booting your billing, either. Cancellation is made as difficult as possible. As far as the "new" program goes: The points system makes little sense and I found it to be not effective. You can think of calories as "points" just as well as the WW system and keep control of your weight in a much more efficient manner-no charge.

Date of experience : August 26, 2023

Very disappointed with such a big…

Very disappointed with such a big brand. They are happy to sign you up within seconds but there is no way of terminating the contract through the app or online. This seems like a dirty tactic to deter people from cancelling with established members only being able to cancel over the telephone during wws office hours. Trading standards this should be outlawed. Matt alright one for you. Despicable!

Date of experience : May 08, 2018

Customer service needs training

Customer service needs training. I called to make sure my cancellation went through. I cancelled back in March but I never received an email confirming the cancellation. I checked my online account and it showed my next billing would be in July 27th even though I Cancelled. The CSR was very disrespectful and degrading. Telling my of my obligation to WW. But I CANCELLED. Terrible. I would not recommend WW to anyone.

Date of experience : July 03, 2023

SCAM - BUYER BEWARE

As far as I'm concerned they are operating an illegal scam. Their cancellation procedure does not resolve to any cancellation form as they state. They are not available 24/7 as they state. They do not offer any information on cancellation in their HELP section. Please make sure you pay with a 3rd party APP like Paypal so that way you can cancel future payments at least. WW is in it for the money. Do the 16-hour fast and eat what you want for 8 hours. Do that for 3 months. I lost 20 lbs. without even trying.

Let's do a Class Action Lawsuit against…

Let's do a Class Action Lawsuit against the Weight Watchers. Any volunteers?

Date of experience : January 17, 2024

Horrible customer service

Horrible customer service. Called because I wanted to cancel my membership after trying it for the 4th time with no success and they said we can cancel it but I'm obligated to pay for the next 10 months. After explaining as a previous member, there were no lengthy contracts and I wasn't aware they basically said too bad. Never again and the diet sucks anyways with all the tracking. There are plenty of free apps that do that. Save your money and sanity, you get nowhere with customer service…

Date of experience : April 25, 2023

If I could give a ZERO I would

If I could give a ZERO I would. They offer you a 6 months program, and never notify that promotion is over. I could not cancel within 6 months and than forgot. They kept bill me full amount for couple of months and refuse to return money. All they do just send you initial email when promotion starts and never any billing statements.

Date of experience : July 17, 2023

Weight Watchers is fine - the people *here* are the problem.

My wife and I started the program. I liked it, she didn't. We actually READ all the emails about cancellation and followed the EASY to UNDERSTAND steps. It isn't fine print, it's actually spelled out clearly. I canceled her with no issues. People are basically stupid, that's inherent in everyday life experience, but certainly the geniuses here take the cake.

Date of experience : November 24, 2020

Wish you could give this company 0 stars

Wish you could give this company 0 stars!! Do not get drawn in to paying monthly as you will never get out!! Tried calling, emailing, chatting, phoning yet no one will cancel my wife's membership. Even changed bank cards and they somehow managed to get the new card number without being provided any details and still continued to take money!!!! As previous reviewers have stated, this is a real scam and only financially motivated If anyone can advise how to cancel a membership through the website, please. advise as it has beaten us! Be wary - VERY wary!!

Date of experience : August 01, 2021

They are thieving B@$t@rds

They are thieving B@$t@rds. They continue taking money even after writing to them twice. As it is a card payment, it is difficult to stop unless you ring your banks head office or fraud department. Dont let them continue, someone should prosecute them.

Date of experience : March 17, 2018

If I could give zero stars, I would. This company provides no exceptions for extenuating circumstances. If you need to cancel your plan early, you can't do that without paying a huge cancellation fee. So if you can't afford it anymore, you still have to pay the monthly fee or a huge cancellation fee, only furthering your financial hardship and making it worse. Sometimes people sign up for things when they are in a good situation, and life happens and changes. Everyone has been there at some point. Weight Watchers does not care!

Date of experience : September 09, 2021

Synapse XT Customer Reviews | Synapse XT Reviews

Synapse XT works not at all like some other enhancement for tinnitus. It at first focuses on the neurons that extend to the ear so the fixings can give a quieting impact. Synapse XT surveys, Next up, this enhancement wards off the shivering and the ringing sensation in the ears. It likewise wipes out any poisonous or destructive substances from the body show that it can remain unadulterated. It likewise manages cerebrum wellbeing. It gives reliable and upgrades center. You can hope to have better perception when affected by Synapse XT.

Date of experience : November 21, 2020

The link to automatically cancel your subscription doesn't work. Lol.

They are a shady business. You can't automatically cancel. You have to speak with someone directly, but nobody is available. The website says that you can cancel online automatically but the link doesn't work. :D For a business like WW that must make millions of dollars a year, having something like this be inoperable is not by accident.

Date of experience : April 26, 2020

reviews and weight watchers

Chasing Life

Many of us are setting new personal goals in the new year – like exercising, eating healthier or even trying to lose weight. what does our weight really tell us about our health is it possible to feel healthy without obsessing over the numbers on the scale are our ideas about weight and health based on outdated beliefs on this season of chasing life, cnn’s chief medical correspondent, dr. sanjay gupta is talking to doctors, researchers, and listeners to take a closer look at what our weight means for our health. plus, what you need to know about the latest weight loss drugs and how to talk about weight and better health with others, especially kids..

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Dr. Sanjay Gupta

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Long before WeightWatchers became a weight loss empire, the legacy dieting company started as a small support group in the 1960s. The company rose to popularity preaching a message of moderation and making healthy choices. But in what some call a surprising pivot, WeightWatchers is changing the way the company does business. On today’s Chasing Life, CEO Sima Sistani sits down with Dr. Sanjay Gupta to share why she’s making these big changes, namely, embracing telehealth and weight loss drugs like Wegovy.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

© 2024 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. CNN Audio's transcripts are made available as soon as possible. They are not fully edited for grammar or spelling and may be revised in the future. The audio record represents the final version of CNN Audio.

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The Best 0 Point Weight Watchers Cheesecake

L ooking for a low-calorie cheesecake? This easy-to-make dessert is Weight Watchers Cheesecake . Yes, this is a 0 Point Weight Watcher dessert.

Whether you are looking for Weight Watchers desserts, or just want a low calorie, low fat dessert, you are going to want to try this recipe. Enjoy this 0 Point Cheesecake as a great tasting treat and don't worry about the points. 

0 Point Weight Watchers Cheesecake

I love cheesecake. It was one of the hardest things to give up when we started Weight Watchers.  That is when I started looking for Weight Watcher Desserts.

I needed something to help me with my sweet tooth. If I didn't find something that is sweet to eat and that doesn't send my points over the cliff, I never would have been able to stay on track.

So far after 2 weeks, I have lost 5lbs and I am so motivated to make more low point recipes that can keep me and others on track. 

Is this made with Healthy Ingredients?

The simple answer is mostly. The flavoring for this does come from a sugar-free cheesecake pudding.

I try really hard to stay away from aspartame because it causes me migraines. However, with this dessert, I haven't had any issues with headaches. And that is the only questionable ingredient. 

If you are trying to stay away from sugar substitutes like aspartame, you can also use traditional cheesecake pudding and a sugar substitute that others use like Splenda, Stevia, or something similar that is a "better" choice than some of the older sugar substitutes.

Related: Some of my other favorite WW dessert recipes are Weight Watchers Banana Bread , Healthy Pumpkin Cheesecake Bites and Weight Watchers Donut Hole Recipe . Even many of my other dessert recipes can be made lighter by switching the sugar out of the recipe.

How to Store 0 Point Cheesecake

When you are making this recipe, you might not have any left. I rarely do. However, if you have more self control than I do, you will want to store it in the refrigerator. You can leave it in the pie plate and make sure you cover it well with plastic wrap or you can more it to an airtight container.

If you haven't joined us in our Facebook group, you need to come to check it out. We share delicious recipes and lots of great tips with each other. Not to mention we often sharing motivating memes and some funny ones too. Come share your WW journey with us.

How Long Does This o Point Freestyle Cheesecake Last

In my house, it lasts a day. but I think you really want to know how long does it last when stored in the refrigerator. In that case, the answer is it can last 3 to 4 days.

It starts to get watery after day 3 and while it still tastes good and is safe to eat, it doesn't look all that appetizing. However in my house, that has only happened once and that is because I made 3 at once since we were having company.

Delicious Twist on this 0 Point Cheesecake

If you want to make this dessert with an amazing twist, you can top it with homemade chocolate syrup . This chocolate ganache recipe includes instructions to make a Weight Watchers version that is 1 point per tablespoon.

The recipe makes 32 servings, so if you use a quarter of the recipe on top, it will only add 1 point. You can also add some sugar free caramel sauce on top to make it extra decadent.

Can I Use Regular Yogurt

I have heard mixed reviews on that. I have never used it. Regular yogurt is not as thick and tends to be more runny which does affect the consistency of the cheesecake.

I have had some people tell me they have used it and it came out great while other say it comes out not that great. I have never tried it because I want mine to be 0 points and regular yogurt is not. Only the fat free Greek yogurt is 0 points.

Can It Be Frozen

I don't think so. The texture is different than a traditional cheesecake because it is softer and not as dense. I don't personally like the way it freezes. You could try it and see if you like it but as with anything, the freezer does change the texture slightly.

What if I want a Crust on my Weight Watchers Cheesecake

I don't miss the crust at all. But I know some people do. I have heard amazing things about pairing this with a brownie crust. You can use this 1 point brownie recipe from All She Cooks , (which I have not tried so let me know what you think) and turn it into a crust.

I would press the brownie batter into the pan and then add the cheesecake batter on top before baking. The timing will change when it comes to the baking time so you will want to watch it carefully.

How Many Points is Weight Watchers Cheesecake

Normal cheesecake can be anywhere from 12 points to 19 points. It depends on what brand and if it has fruit toppings. I am not even including the specialty cheesecakes. You know those OH-SO-GOOD ones that are loaded with calories, fat, and sugar.

This cheesecake is often called Weight Watchers 0 Point Cheesecake. It was called that because before Weight Watchers added different plans, it was 0 points.

Now this is still 0 points, when cut into 8 servings, on Blue and Purple. However, because yogurt and eggs are not free on Green, this is 2 points per slice, when cut into 8 slices.

  • Blue- 0 points
  • Purple - 0 points
  • Green - 2 points

With the new personal points plan from WW, your points might be different than mine. In that case, here is the direct link to the recipe in the WW recipe builder app. You can see how many points WW vanilla cheesecake is for you.

This only works for WW members in the US. If you are outside of the US, you will need to enter it manually.

Click for Recipe in the WW Site

Ingredients for Weight Watchers 0 Point Cheesecake

  • Eggs- I like to make sure my eggs are room temperature but unlike traditional cheesecake, this is not a must.
  • Plain Fat-Free Greek Yogurt - You can use regular store bought Greek yogurt or Learn How to Make Greek Yogurt . It is incredibly easy to make and saves a lot of money.
  • Instant sugar-free/fat-free cheesecake pudding flavor - You can change this recipe up by changing the flavor of pudding you use, like chocolate, lemon, or pistachio.
  • Vanilla - While using imitation vanilla is lower in points, I only use real vanilla. Since you are using a small amount, the small amount of vanilla doesn't make a difference points wise.
  • Sugar substitute - I use Splenda, you can use any sugar-free you like. If you are using a different sugar substitute, make sure to check the ratio, since Splenda is a one to one

How to Make 0 Point Weight Watchers Cheesecake

In a mixing bowl add eggs, sugar substitute and vanilla extract and beat well.

Add yogurt and pudding and mix well.

Pour into a lightly greased pie dish. Bake on 350 degrees for 30 min.

Chill for at least 2 hours or overnight before eating. 

More Weight Watcher Recipes:

  • Comeback Sauce
  • Lemon Rosemary Chicken | Easy Skillet Chicken
  • Spinach and Feta Omelet in a Mug
  • Roasted Asian Shrimp
  • Garlic Parmesan Shrimp
  • Roasted Garlic Dip
  • Fiesta Ranch Dip

When you just have a dessert, you have to opt for this Weight Watchers dessert. It is rich and creamy and is absolutely perfect. You are going to want to keep this recipe on hand.

Try these other Weight Watchers Cheesecake

  • Weight Watchers Butterscotch Cheesecake
  • WW White Chocolate Cheesecake
  • The Best Skinny Banana Pudding Cheesecake Recipe
  • WW 0 Point Lemon Cheesecake

Get the Full Recipe: The Best 0 Point Weight Watchers Cheesecake

Looking for a low-calorie cheesecake? This easy-to-make dessert is Weight Watchers Cheesecake. Yes, this is a 0 Point We

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What to know about Trulicity for weight loss

reviews and weight watchers

In this article:

1/ What is Trulicity?

2/ How does Trulicity lead to weight loss?

3/ The dose matters

4/ Side effects to look out for

5/ Minimizing Trulicity’s side effects

6/ How much does it cost?

7/ Is Trulicity for everyone?

8/ A look at the alternatives

9/ The perfect pairing for Trulicity

10/ The bottom line

Once upon a time (we can call it the late 2010s), hardly anyone outside the medical community and people with type 2 diabetes had heard of GLP-1s, a group of medications that helps manage blood sugar levels, slows digestion, and reduces appetite. But that all changed in 2021 when Wegovy was approved by the FDA for weight loss. Much of the GLP-1 attention has focused on two players: semaglutide ( Ozempic and Wegovy ) and tirzepatide ( Mounjaro and Zepbound ). But there’s another option: dulaglutide, prescribed under the brand name Trulicity. Here’s what it’s all about.

What is Trulicity?

Trulicity is FDA-approved to help those living with type 2 diabetes lower blood sugar levels and reduce the risk of heart problems. Administered as a weekly injection in the arm, thigh, or stomach, Trulicity is part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 receptor agonists . While other drugs in this category, like Wegovy and Zepbound, are FDA-approved for weight management, Trulicity is not. However, those taking Trulicity are likely to lose weight, which is why healthcare providers may prescribe the drug “ off-label ” for weight management, says Dr. Samar Hafida, M.D., an endocrinologist and weight management specialist at Boston Medical Center. Hafida stresses that any weight-loss medication should only be taken under the guidance of clinicians who have experience in obesity management . This is because specialists are likely to be more familiar with who should and shouldn’t take Trulicity and whether other medications you’re taking may need to be adjusted. “For example, people with diabetes may be at risk for hypoglycemia if they take other medications that lower glucose,” Hafida says. “Also, obesity medicine experts know when to discontinue these drugs and how to counsel patients on things like nutrition and physical activity.”

Trulicity for weight loss: How does it work?

To answer that question, you first need to understand GLP-1, a hormone the small intestine secretes after eating that sends signals to the brain and gut. GLP-1 triggers insulin release, lowering the amount of sugar in your blood. It also causes food to move more slowly through the stomach, which contributes to feeling satisfied, and signals to the brain that the stomach is full. GLP-1 receptor agonist medications do the same thing but the effects last much longer, explains Dr. Michael L. Glickman, M.D., an obesity medicine physician. That means that people on GLP1-s will generally have less of an appetite and feel full faster, Glickman says. “Many patients also report less ‘ food noise ’ and cravings, so they’re thinking about food less often and can make healthier choices when they feel hungry.” All of this means that those taking GLP-1 medications eat less, leading to weight loss.

What is the right Trulicity dosage for weight loss?

Although Trulicity is not a weight-management medication per se, many people taking the drug do lose weight. Weight loss is more likely at higher prescribed doses. In a year-long randomized controlled trial that compared how taking various doses of Trulicy impacts weight loss in people with type 2 diabetes , those taking 1.5mg lost an average of 6.5 pounds while those taking a 4.5mg dose lost, on average, 10 pounds. This would likely be higher in people without diabetes: Research on GLP-1s shows that people not living with diabetes tend to lose more weight with GLP-1s than those with the condition (for reasons researchers are still looking into but that might have to do with other medications taken by people, differences in biology with diabetes, or a genetic predisposition to weight gain). These results are significantly smaller compared to other GLP1-s. For example, in studies Wegovy resulted in an average of 35 pounds of weight loss over the course of 16 months. This is the main reason providers don’t usually prescribe Trulicity when the primary goal is weight loss, Glickman says. However, it may be the right option for some patients, such as those whose insurance doesn’t cover other GLP-1s or who can’t access semaglutide or tirzepatide due to drug shortages.

Side effects of Trulicity

Like other GLP-1 agonists, dulaglutide comes with some potential side effects. They are primarily gastrointestinal, and may include:

  • Constipation
  • Abdominal pain
  • Indigestion
  • Decreased appetite

While these potential side effects can be unpleasant, the good news is they often don’t last too long. For example, nausea is the most common side effect (affecting between 8% and 29% of those taking Trulicity), but it generally subsides after the body gets used to the medication says Hafida. “This may take a few days or weeks, and each person is different.” Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) is a less common but more serious Trulicity side effect. This generally only impacts patients who are also taking another diabetes medication such as insulin or sulfonylureas, Glickman says. Common signs of hypoglycemia include shaking, sweating, chills, dizziness, light-headedness, increased heartbeat, and sweating. In general, to treat hypoglycemia, you should quickly consume about 15 grams of carbs, which could be 4 ounces of fruit juice, 8 ounces of fat-free milk, or 1 tablespoon of honey, says diabetes nutritionist Lori Zanini, RD. Without proper treatment, severe hypoglycemia can be life-threatening. You can find a complete list of side effects on the Trulicity site .

Minimizing Trulicity’s side effects

To lessen the chance of side effects, healthcare providers will generally start patients on the lowest dose of Trulicity, which is 0.75mg, then gradually increase the dose, Glickman says. “Starting someone immediately on the highest dose could lead to severe side effects or even hospitalization.” If you’re experiencing side effects despite slowly ramping up your dosage, consult with your clinician about these things you can try that may help:

  • Drink lots of water. Being dehydrated may worsen feelings of nausea and any dizziness or lethargy you may feel, says Hafida. Aim to drink at least eight cups of water throughout the day.
  • Eat small, frequent meals. “Smaller meals can help alleviate nausea by reducing the amount of food that needs to be digested at once,” explains Zanini. “Additionally, smaller, more frequent meals can help to stabilize blood sugar levels, which can help prevent nausea.”
  • Eat slowly. The stomach is like a little balloon that expands when you eat and drink. When you eat too quickly, the stomach has to handle more food at once, which can make stomach pain and nausea worse. Slowing down your pace gives the stomach time to send satiety signals to the brain and gently stretch to accommodate the meal, Hafida explains.
  • Try an anti-nausea medication. Hafida says drugs like ondansetron (sold under the brand name Zofran) or bismuth subsalicylate (commonly known as Pepto Bismol) may help you feel less queasy and adjust to Trulicity more easily.
  • Add more fiber to your diet. Fiber-rich foods like vegetables, fruits, lentils, and beans help digestion run more smoothly and help with constipation, notes Hafida.
  • Cut back on fatty foods. Saturated fats in foods like French fries, red meat, and full-fat dairy products take longer to digest, which may cause GI discomfort, bloating, and nausea. Glickman recommends sticking to smaller portions of these foods or eliminating them entirely until you’re certain they don’t bother you.

If these suggestions don’t help or your side effects are severe, speak with your healthcare provider to see if your dose can be lowered. “Sometimes that’s all it takes to eliminate side effects like nausea,” Hafida says. Another option is to switch from one brand of GLP-1 receptor agonist to another. “A patient may metabolize one drug differently than another, which can help reduce the side effects,” explains Hafida.

How much does Trulicity cost?

The list price of Trulicity is $930.88 per month. However, not everyone will pay this amount out-of-pocket. For example, 92% of patients with coverage through an employer or a private individual policy pay $30 or less per month for Trulicity. Talk to your insurance company or pharmacist to see what Trulicity will cost you before you decide to go on it.

Is there anyone who shouldn’t take Trulicity?

If you’re pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or breastfeeding, all GLP-1 medications should be avoided, including Trulicity. “GLP-1 agonists have been linked to birth defects in some studies and can negatively impact the healthy growth of an embryo,” Glickman says. You also may need to avoid this prescription weight-management medication if you or any of your family have ever had a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) or you have Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2 (MEN 2).

What are Trulicity alternatives?

Trulicity is far from the only GLP-1 available for weight loss. Other options include semaglutide ( Ozempic, Wegovy ), tirzepatide ( Mounjaro, Zepbound ), and liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda ), all of which have been shown to lead to more weight loss than Trulicity. Another medication option is metformin (sold under the brand names Axpinet, Diagemet, Glucient, Glucophage, and Metabet). While not a GLP-1, metformin is a readily available diabetes drug that may yield some weight loss. However, it is not FDA-approved specifically for weight management. Your healthcare provider will recommend the best drug alternative if you have trouble accessing Trulicity or want to explore other options.

Why pair Trulicity with lifestyle changes

When taking a GLP-1 like Trulicity for weight loss, adopting healthy lifestyle habits will give you the best long-term results. This includes eating a balanced diet, getting regular physical activity and quality sleep, and reducing your stress. “Many well-designed studies show that people who make healthful lifestyle changes, guided by clinicians with experience in this field, see better weight-loss outcomes than those who try to make changes on their own,” says Hafida. Connecting with others trying to lose weight can also be helpful. “Joining a support group where patients can share experiences and challenges trying to lose weight can help people feel less isolated and empowered to continue,” Hafida explains. Not sure where to turn for support? WeightWatchers can give you the social support and accountability to stick with these habits while on a medication like Trulicity. And if you’re wondering whether a GLP-1 like Trulicity is a good fit for you, WeightWatchers Clinic has access to board certified clinicians who can go over your health history and goals and come up with a personalized treatment plan for you.

The bottom line

Trulicity is FDA-approved for treating type 2 diabetes, but it is sometimes prescribed off-label to help people lose weight. While it doesn’t result in the same rate of weight loss as other GLP-1s like Zepbound or Wegovy, a doctor may consider prescribing it for various reasons. For best weight-loss results, Trulicity should be paired with healthy habits like a balanced diet, physical activity, adequate sleep, and stress management.

In a clinical trial, patients taking Trulicity started experiencing weight loss after a month on the medication.

In a clinical trial, patients taking the highest dose of Trulicity, 4.5mg, lost an average of 10 pounds after a year on the medication. Those taking 1.5mg lost an average of about 6.5 pounds during the same timeframe.

Patients on Trulicity may experience appetite loss and feel full even if they’ve only had a small portion of food, both of which can contribute to weight loss.

Those on Trulicity may want to limit high fat, greasy foods, like French fries, potato chips, pastries, fatty cuts of meat, and whole-fat dairy products until they know these foods don’t upset their stomach.

Drug shortages: Food & Drug Administration (no date). “FDA Drug Shortages.” https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/drugshortages/default.cfm

Background information on Trulicity: Trulicity (no date). “Getting Patients Started.” https://www.trulicity.com/hcp/getting-patients-started#accepting-treatment

Wegovy weight loss: New England Journal of Medicine (2021). “Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity.” https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2032183

Trulicity side effects and who should avoid taking Trulicity: Trulicity (no date). “Managing Side Effects.” https://www.trulicity.com/how-to-use/side-effects

Trulicity side effects: Postgraduate Medical Journal (2021). “Managing the gastrointestinal side effects of GLP-1 receptor agonists in obesity: recommendations for clinical practice.” https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00325481.2021.2002616

How GLP-1 medications work: Molecular Metabolism (March 2022). “GLP-1 Physiology Informs the Pharmacotherapy of Obesity.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212877821001988?via%3Dihub

Weight loss on Trulicity: Diabetes Care (March 2021). “Efficacy and Safety of Dulaglutide 3.0 mg and 4.5 mg Versus Dulaglutide 1.5 mg in Metformin-Treated Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a Randomized Controlled Trial (AWARD-11).” https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33397768/

Fiber and digestion: Mayo Clinic. (November 4, 2022). “Dietary fiber: Essential for a healthy diet.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/fiber/art-20043983#

Trulicity pricing: Lilly Pricing Info (no date). “How much should I expect to pay for Trulicity?” https://www.lillypricinginfo.com/trulicity

How Trulicity works: Trulicity (no date). “Trulicity is proven to help lower A1C.” https://www.trulicity.com/what-is-trulicity#what-is-trulicity

How long does it take to lose weight on Trulicity: Trulicity (no date). “With Trulicity, patients may be able to lose some weight.” https://www.trulicity.com/hcp/efficacy-weight/weight-loss-dosing

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