Updated on July 7th, 2023 at 06:39 pm
When it comes to how food affects your body, calories tell a part of the story – but not everything. If you spend 100 calories on cakes, it does not provide the same nutrients as if you instead spend 100 calories on chicken breast, tofu, or vegetables.
If you count calories alone, you miss taking into account other nutrients. Calorie counting does not necessarily lead to healthy eating habits, which are important to losing weight and reducing various diseases.
Smart points vs. calories
Weight Watchers Smart Points give you what a calorie calculator cannot. For example, two meals can have the same number of calories but a different Smart Points value. The first meal could contain a low-calorie side of vegetables, while the other contains a fatty burger. Even though both meals have the same amount of calories, one is healthier for you – this is where Weight Watchers Points can help.
Weight Watchers aims to help people reduce their weight effectively by monitoring food intake and energy usage through a points system. Weight Watchers assigns food and beverages a Smart Points value based on their nutritional value, including calories, fat, saturated fat, sugar, fiber, and protein.
Weight Watchers also consider the number of nutrients in the food; it counts more than just calories. For example, Weight Watchers’ point values for most vegetables are lower than fruits because while vegetables have fewer calories, they provide more nutrients.
Now you know how Weight Watchers calculates Smart Points and why it is better to count Smart Points rather than just calories alone. But how many points are in a serving of food?
How many points do different types of food have?
Here are some examples of different types of foods with corresponding Smart Points values:
- Tuna (130g) – 1 WW point (Blue plan)
- Oat bran muffin (1 medium, 68g) – 3 WW points (Freestyle program)
- Oats (1 cup cooked oats, 252g) – 7.5 WW points
- Vanilla protein shake (150mL) – 3 WW points
- Cupcake (small, 66g) – 2 WW points
- Sweet Potatoes (1 small) – 2 WW points
Zero point options
On the Weight Watchers point system, almost all fruits and vegetables are zero points.
- Broccoli (75g) – 0 points
- Apple (1 medium, 182g) – 0 points
- Eggs (2 large) – 0 points
- Chickpeas (100g) – 0 points (Purple plans)
- Blueberries (125mL raw blueberries) – 0 points
WW makes it easy to choose healthy food
We want to help you reach your weight loss goals, but we also want you to eat food that you like. Through the Weight Watchers Program, you will learn to have a positive and healthy relationship with that food – which can last for the rest of your life.
Our proven SmartPoints system summarizes complex nutritional values ​​into a simple and easy-to-understand figure: SmartPoints Values.
It consists of four components:
- Calories
- Sugar
- Saturated fat
- Protein
Sugar and saturated fat increase the SmartPoints value, while protein lowers it.
Everything is based on the latest research and guides you to healthier eating with more lean protein, fruits, and vegetables, and less unhealthy sugar and fat.
Your smartpoints point system
You get a personal Smart Points budget. It is up to you how you choose to spend it.
In addition to your daily number of SmartPoints, you also have a Weekly Bonus for extra flexibility. You may want to save it for a special occasion, or you use it a little every day.
You have the opportunity to save up to 4 Smart Points per day. They are automatically saved in your Weekly Bonus.
When you stick to your budget, you can enjoy good and nutritious food while getting the energy deficit you need to get a healthy weight loss of about 1 kg/week.
The key to success with weight watchers points
Be kind to yourself. Perfection is overrated. This often leads to a feeling that “it is still ruined,” and when you have eaten a bowl of ice cream, you give up and continue to eat useless things. Instead, be pretty good most of the time – follow your budget, make healthy choices and keep going. This is a lifestyle, not a temporary solution.
WW app makes it easy to track food points
The weight watchers app allows you to quickly and easily track the calories of everything you eat and drink, including zero-point foods. The app also has a barcode reader, so you know what lower-point foods to take home from the store (and what to leave).
Weight Watchers is a weight loss program that helps millions of people lose weight using a point system.
When counting Weight Watcher’s Points, there are 4 factors that you’ll need to understand: Total Daily Points Allotted (14 per day for most women and 16 per day for most men).
Breakfast, Snack, Lunch, and Dinner Points each contain 3 factors:
- The first is the “Portion Factor,” which calculates how much to multiply your point allotment by to get the actual points of food you are about to eat.
- Then there’s the “Points Plus,” a factor that adds extra value to your meal!
- Finally, the “Bonus Factor” is a bonus multiplier that can either help you lose weight faster or gain muscle!
Once you understand these four factors, you’ll be able to quickly calculate how many Weight Watchers points are in any serving of food. Remember, though, it’s not just about the number of points but also about what you should and shouldn’t eat when it comes to your weight loss goals.