There’s plenty of data at your fingertips on the GLP-1 Programme: daily nutrition targets for protein, fruits and vegetables, and water, as well as your exercise/activity log to help you feel your best. But with the swipe of your dashboard, there’s also…Points. Yes, Points. We gathered nine common questions about Points in the GLP-1 Programme, then turned to our experts for advice. Here’s what they said:
Q: Are Points really optional?
A: Yes! Points are there for you if you want more insight into your overall eating pattern, but they aren’t critical to your experience. The main focus of the GLP-1 Programme and My Day in the app are still the daily nutrition targets of protein, fruits and veggies, and water, and you can choose to just pay attention to those targets. But if you want more information about your eating habits and whether you’re eating in a way to support healthy weight loss, you can see the Points dashboard (just swipe left in the app). It’s completely up to you!
Q: When might Points be helpful?
A: Because Points can guide you towards foods higher in protein, fibre, and unsaturated fat — and lower in saturated fat and added sugar — you can use Points to make food choices within a category (like if you can’t decide between two different cereals). They’re also helpful if you want a fuller picture of your overall eating pattern, since Points track all the foods you eat, not just those that contribute to your protein, fruit and veggie, or water targets. And if you’re concerned that you’re over- or under-eating (or if you haven’t lost weight in a few weeks), Points can help clue you in to what’s going on.
Q: What exactly is my daily Points recommendation?
A: Your number is personalised to help you lose weight based on your metabolic rate (something calculated from your age, height, weight, and sex assigned at birth). Staying close to this recommendation will ensure you’re eating enough for your body to function and for daily living while also eating in a way that supports healthy weight loss.
Q: Is the daily Points recommendation the same thing as a Points Budget?
A: While both are calculated using the same factors (age, height, weight, sex assigned at birth), there are some differences. In the Points Programme, the Points Budget is the main focus and guides your food choices. You also get both daily and weekly Points and the number can change based on how much activity you track and the Points you tracked the previous day. In the GLP-1 Programme, however, your daily Points recommendation is not a target to aim for—it’s something to keep in mind and gives you a fuller picture of how you eat. You only get a daily Points recommendation (no weekly Points) and it doesn’t change based on activity or Points tracked the previous day.
Q: Does the daily Points recommendation ever change?
A: While it won’t change with activity or how many Points you tracked the previous day, it will change as you get older and if your weight goes up or down. Your Points recommendation is based on your metabolic rate, and both age and weight can impact that number.
Q: What happens if I go over or under my daily Points recommendation?
A: Nothing! Remember: You aren’t expected to hit your daily Points recommendation every day. It’s there as a guide, not a target to hit. Some days you may eat a little more, others a little less, and it’s all fine.
Q: Are the Points values the same in all of the WeightWatchers Programmes?
A: Yes, the same calculation is used for Points values in our Points Programme, GLP-1 Programme, and Diabetes Programme. It’s calculated from a food’s calories and nutritional information, with saturated fat and added sugar raising the Points value and unsaturated fat, protein, and fibre driving it down.
Q: When choosing a food, what is most important from the GLP-1 Nutrition information: the grams of protein, fruit and veggie servings, or Points values?
A: There isn’t one single piece of information that’s most important, but both the protein and fruits and vegetable servings are key to meeting your daily nutrition targets, so those should be prioritised. The Points value, on the other hand, is an optional feature of the GLP-1 Programme and should be used to help guide your decisions towards foods higher in protein, fibre, and unsaturated fat and lower in saturated fat and added sugar.
Q: Are ZeroPoint foods and GLP-1 Go-to foods the same thing?
A: No. While there may be overlap between the two lists, they aren’t the same. ZeroPoint foods–which include some produce, certain lean protein, and fat free plain yogurt–have been chosen because they are packed with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals and are part of a healthy pattern of eating. GLP-1 Go-to foods are those that should be prioritised when losing weight on a GLP-1 weight loss medication and that can help you achieve your daily nutrition targets.