Welcome to WeightWatchers
You’ve made a bold, lifechanging decision to prioritize wellness—and we’re here to help and inspire you every step of your journey.
The Basics
Here’s how it works:
You’ll eat what you love.
- Our proven Points system gives you the freedom to make food choices that work for you. You’ll eat well, discover new tastes, and savor life’s best moments with the people you love most.
You’ll shift your mindset.
- How you think about yourself, and this journey, is as important as what you eat and how much you move. You’ll learn how to stay on track, think in helpful ways, and handle tough moments with selfcompassion.
You’ll find what moves you.
- When you enjoy what you’re doing, making movement part of every day will feel natural. Get ready to feel stronger, more powerful, and proud of what your body can do.
First things first...
Download the WW app. Our interactive onboarding experience will get you off to a great start!
Click here to get it on the App Store
Click here to get it on Google Play
The power of Points®
Science-backed and simple to use, our Points system guides you to a healthier pattern of eating.
- Every food and drink is assigned a number.
- That number is based on its calories, protein, sugar, fibre, and saturated fat.
- You get a daily Points Budget.
- Use them on any food and drink you want. The fastest and easiest way to keep track of them is in the WeightWatchersapp.
- If you go a little over, that’s okay.
- You get a weekly Budget, too. It’s a cushion of extra Points to use any way you want.
Best news of all: ZeroPointTM foods!
To keep the program flexible and livable, there are over 200 foods that you don’t have to track—including eggs, skinless chicken, salmon, and beans!
How many Points do I get?
- When you download the WeightWatchers app, you’ll be asked a series of questions. The info that you give will determine the right amount of Points values for you, based on your weight goals.
Our #1 tool for success: Tracking.
Being mindful of how much you eat, move, and whether you're gaining, losing, or maintaining your weight, helps you see your progress more clearly. It also helps you gain insight into patterns, which is key for making change.
How to track
- You’ll want to keep track of Points ® values as you use them—the easiest, fastest way is on the WeightWatchers app.
- What did you have for breakfast this morning? Start by tracking that!
PRO TIPS
1. Use the Barcode Scanner.
- Scan the barcode of almost any packaged food and it’ll automatically calculate the Points values for you.
2. Take a pic.
- Don’t have time to track? Take a picture and track it later. It’ll also help you remember exactly what you ate.
3. Pretrack your meal.
- Planning ahead will help you know how many Points you have to spend and what you want to spend them on.
ZeroPoint foods make life simpler
ZeroPoint foods form the foundation of a healthy pattern of eating. Incorporating these foods into your meals and snacks makes life easier–and more delicious.
Why meal planning matters
Meal planning can make a big difference in how your day goes. Why?
- Your choices will be healthier, since you're not making spur of the-moment decisions when you're already hungry.
- You’ll have one less thing to think about. Knowing what you’re going to eat and scheduling meals helps keep your mind off food between meals and snacks because the decision is made.
- It gives you structure. Knowing when you'll be eating lets you plan the rest of your day. Having a plan in place can also have a ripple effect, helping you stick with other healthy behaviors.
PRO TIPS
- To make shopping simpler, pick a day to map out your meals for the week so you’ll know exactly what to buy. (Maybe Saturday or Sunday?)
- Explore recipes—on the app, on ww.com or on Connect. There’s a wealth of inspiration!
- Coaches and fellow members will have great ideas for meal prep. Don’t be shy about asking—they’ll be excited to share!
Why track your weight?
Your weight is only one piece of your overall wellness–and only one piece of information on any given day. But the practice–of being mindful, of paying attention to what’s working for you, or what isn’t–is really what’s key. Keeping track of your weight over time helps you discover patterns, see the bigger picture, and make changes based on your goals.
Don’t forget, you can set a weight tracking date in the app. Click on your profile picture and then on the little orange gear.
PRO TIPS
- Remember nonscale goals
- Nonscale goals have nothing to do with a number and everything to do with how you feel. Those goals can be anything; getting more sleep, trying out a yoga class... what matters is that they’re meaningful to you.
- What’s a nonscale goal you have? How will you make it happen? Post about it on Connect with #NSV.
Dining out on WeightWatchers
Yay! Someone else is doing the cooking. Here are some ideas for how to savour the experience while sticking to your goals.
How special is this meal?
First things first: What’s the occasion? That can help determine your course of action. Birthday dinner? Spend those Points values! Hurried weeknight drivethru? Maybe not so much.
If it’s special...
- Use your weekly Points. Focus on ZeroPoint foods during the week and save your rollovers for the big night. Each day, the WeightWatchers app will automatically roll over up to 4 unused daily Points into your weeklies. Spend them however you want!
- Look at the menu online. Planning what you’re going to eat is half the fun. Choose something that really excites you and pretrack it to make things even simpler.
- Ask Coaches and fellow members for their restaurant tips. They’ll be excited to share.
If it’s not...
- Save the Points. Focus on the choices that are lower in value.
- Have two starters. The portions are smaller and you can try more things.
Did you know you can browse restaurants in the WW app? Find meals by Points value or restaurant name.
How to create a recipe in the app
- Scroll down to Discover Recipes
- Click “Create a Recipe”
- Name your recipe, add the serving size and ingredients
- The next time you make it, you’ll have it right there! Just search for it by name.
Try it! Create your own recipe and save it.
Do what moves you
What makes you feel good? Jogging with a friend? Lifting weights? Doing an activity you enjoy is the secret to sticking with it. The payoff: Better self- esteem, mood, and sleep quality, plus reduced stress and depression. And, of course, it helps you lose weight and keep it off.
How to choose your feelgood activity
- Imagine how you’d like to feel the next time you’re active. Calm? Happy? Energized?
- Choose an activity that will trigger that feeling. For example, if you want to feel calm, try yoga or tai chi. If you want to feel strong, go for Pilates or weight tracking. Choose something you’ll enjoy, not one you think you “should” do.
- Check the ideas below for activities than can trigger that feeling. Choose Something you’ll enjoy, not one you think you “should” do.
- Move toward a goal. No need to sweat for an hour, unless you want to. Shorter sessions add up, and it all delivers benefits.
Shift your mindset, change your life.
The way you think drives the things you do—it’s a fact. That’s why WeightWatchers taps into the science of behavior change to give you strategies that put you in a helpful mindset. Here’s one of those ways:
Treat yourself like a friend.
Self-compassion is a powerful force, especially on this journey. It means accepting that no one is perfect, and skipping the selfjudgment. You treat yourself with understanding, acceptance, and kindness, whether things go well or not.
It pays off: People who practice selfcompassion are more likely to eat well, move more, and take good care of themselves—even when they’re stressed.
See how it feels
Treat yourself like a friend with this simple technique:
- Imagine a close friend is feeling down on themselves. How would you talk to them? What would you say?
- Remember a time when you felt bad about yourself. What did you think and say to yourself? Is it different from what you’d say to a friend? Why?
Treat yourself like a friend the next time you’re feeling bad and see what happens.