Tips and Tricks for the Weight Watchers PointsPlus Plan

Weight Watchers has been one of the most popular weight loss programs over the past few decades. The program is constantly changing based on the latest nutritional information available. The latest program is called the PointsPlus program. While some people have struggled to adjust to the new program, it's actually quite appealing to new members who struggled with the previous programs. I've been using the new program for the past month and have lost almost 10 pounds. The following tips and tricks have helped me to make the new PointsPlus program from Weight Watchers a success.

Eat Your Fruits and Vegetables

Many fruits and vegetables contain 0 Points on the new Weight Watchers program. One of the best tips I have used to stay on track is to snack on fruits and vegetables when I'm running low on Points or want to have a special dinner that evening. I like to munch on baby carrots, apples and bananas. But, that's not the only way I use fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are also a wonderful way to bulk up your meals. I add tons of vegetables to my sandwiches and pasta dishes. I also like to have a bowl of yogurt with fresh sliced fruit for breakfast. Regardless of how you use fruits and vegetables, they are a great way to stretch your Points.

Do Your Homework

One of the biggest mistakes many newcomers make on the Weight Watchers PointsPlus weight loss plan is to assume something is low in Points. If you have previously counted calories, you may think that a low calorie item is also low in Points. Unfortunately, this isn't always the case. I'll admit that I've set down to enter my meal and found that I've ate way too many Points. This can be frustrating. Taking the time to look up foods before you eat them can save you a lot of frustration.

Download the PointsPlus Calculator

If you're new to Weight Watchers, grocery shopping can be confusing. One of the best tools you can have in your arsenal is the PointsPlus Calculator. This app is available for many smartphones and is a free download to for people with a Weight Watchers online membership to use. The app is easy to use and you can find out the amount of Points in foods by entering four simple numbers found on every nutritional label. This calculator truly takes the guesswork out of grocery shopping.

Make a Food Notebook

This idea was given to me by a good friend of mine also doing the Weight Watchers program. She has a notebook that she uses to write down lists of restaurants and then writes down the foods that are low in Points at each restaurant. This allows her to easily stay on track when eating out. She also uses the notebook to keep a list of recipes and snack ideas along with their Points value.