How to Count Points on the Weight Watchers Diet

The Weight Watchers points system is a proven way to lose weight. Essentially a calorie-counting plan made simple, the points plan allows you to eat any food that you want to eat--as long as it fits within your daily points. Never having to give up a particular food completely is a motivator for some people. Fortunately, the points-counting system is quite easy to learn.

Instructions

1

Determine how many points you can eat in a day. If you've signed up to go to meetings, Weight Watchers will automatically give you your target points range. Your daily points number is determined by your current weight and your gender.

If you are a woman, you get 30 points if you weigh over 275 lbs., 28 points if you're between 250 and 275 lbs., 26 points if you weigh between 225 and 250 lbs., 24 points if you weigh between 195-225 lbs., 22 points if you weigh between 165 and 195 lbs., 20 points if you weigh between 140 and 165 lbs., and 18 points if you weigh less than 140 lbs.

Men can add an additional 6 points to those values and women who are breastfeeding should add an additional 12 points. As you lose weight, be sure to adjust your points if you reach below one of the levels and want to keep losing weight.

2

Look up the point count for your favorite foods. All foods have a certain point value. Look up the point value of your foods using a Weight Watchers book or online resources.

3

Calculate points for foods that are not listed. The Weight Watchers points system is proprietary information. Use a Weight Watchers calculator in order to calculate the points of foods that are not shown on the Web site.

4

Add up the points for the foods that you eat. Throughout the day, make a note of the number of points that you are eating. Be sure that your total for the day equals your daily points goal.

5

Factor in your flex and activity points. In addition to your daily points goal, you also have flex and activity points. Everyone following Weight Watchers has 35 flex points to use throughout the week. You can divide them up evenly, such as an extra 5 points each day, you can save them for a special occasion or you can not eat them at all. You can also get additional points for exercising. Use the activity points calculator at Weight Watchers to determine how many points you can get for your exercise. You must use activity points on the day that you do the exercise--you cannot save them for another time.