will you update the calculator

Hi MsMoore, welcome to the site.

The old calculator is staying the same for the people that will continue to follow the old plan. I have not been able to find any info on how points are calculated for the pointplus plan so at this time I am unable to provide a calculator that will provide accurate info for that. I hope to be able to provide one someday…

Hello

I am new here and find your site very helpful. I just started weight watchers on my own 4 weeks ago and have already lost 13lbs. However I am not a big fan of the new pointsplus plan. Will you still keep the old points plan points up??

Hi Lakeitha, the old points info will be staying and will be shown with the nutrition info needed to calculate the new pointsplus value

Hi Dan,

I eat at Subway agreat deal so this one would be very helpful for the new pointsplus. Thanks for all you do. I didn’t realize how much I used this information until the plan changed.

Hi Cheryl – I will bump Subway up to the top of the list for you. Please note that I will only be providing the nutrition info needed to calculate the points plus info. At this point in time I will not be providing points plus calculations due to legal concerns.

Oh, what a bummer… I came to you for your recent restaurant post that I saw yesterday and poof… was gone! Even a resource of nutrition menu info will be wonderful, though… but not sure how long they can squash this type of info (and I am a paying WW customer.)

Sorry to disappoint, elle

Just trying to keep the best interests of the site in mind

Thank you for so much wonderful information on your website.
Would you know, what is the distribution of protein, carbs, fat and fiber in terms of percentage, for any individual, based on the new points plus programme ?

Hi Sonia, thanks for visiting. I’ve heard that the new formula is based heavily on recently udated information from the FDA and takes into account the recommended amounts for the different age groups, but I have no idea what the percentages work out to be…sorry

Hi Dan. I just stumbled across your website looking for anyone who is still going by the PointsPlus.
I started points plus 3 weeks ago and have only lost 2lbs. Which is a complete shock for me, since I did the points system for the past 4 years and I lost 2lbs a week atleast. What do you think of the new program? Many people are complaining about how the new program is not working and they are either GAINING or not loosing at all. Im tempted to cross back over to the old plan.

Hi Natasa, welcome to the site. I’m sticking to the old plan, myself. So is my wife, her friends that do WW and pretty much everyone else I know. I think once you are comfortable with doing things a certain way it’s hard to make a switch like that. I don’t personally know anyone doing the new plan but I’m sure the science behind it is sound. I guess we’ll have to wait and see how successful people are on it. Thanks for visiting!

Hi Dan =)

I hope you had a very Merry X-Mas ?!

Dan, I wanted to ask you about this new plan that WW has going on. Why are they changing it all of a sudden? I think the new plan makes no sense ! A friend of mine said that all fruits on the new plan are 0 pts…………how is that even possible?

Happy New Year if I don’t hear or talk to you before then !!

Hi Rada! Been a long time, thanks for checking in. We had a great Christmas, I hope you did, too.

Your friend is correct about fruits on the new plan…0 points. As are most vegetables. I think the reasoning behind that is that most people don’t eat the recommended amounts of fruits and veggies as it is and I’ve never heard of anyone gaining weight because they ate to many veggies. I don’t know if the rules are the same or not, but on the old plan 0 points items were limited to 5 servings per day. If that is still the same it would help limit the quantities some.

The reasoning behind the change is that the science behind it all changed a lot in the 13 years since the old point system was originally introduced and the new PointsPlus system takes the new information into consideration. I’ve heard good and bad about it. I think that if you are interested in doing the new system it would definitely be beneficial to sign up with WW to be sure that you are getting all of the correct info that you need to properly do the new plan. Everyone that I know that has done WW the old way is sticking with it, though.

Happy New Year!

I just started back on the old plan. Bananas are the only fruit I really like to eat, so I guess I still need to count them as points and not as zero points like on the new plan? In other words, I shouldn’t combine the plans at all?

Hi Sharlet! Mixing the two plans together definitely does not work, but a banana now and then never hurt anyone

Thanks for checking out the site!

Im new to this site excellent info.I was doing ww online but got turned off by the unexpected changes sticking to the old plan and will use your site from now on.God Bless

Thanks Chevy and welcome aboard! Best wishes with your goals in 2011

Hi Dan,

I was wondering how to go about maintaining my weight once I reach my goal?

Thanks
Lakeitha

Hi again, Lakeitha! You’re still doing the old plan, right? It’s kind of a trial and error thing. What they have you do is once you hit your goal weight you add 4 points to your daily allowance and do that for one week. At the end of the week if you lost weight you add 4 more, if you gained you take away 1 and then try again. Do this a couple weeks until you find the number that is right for you. Hope this isn’t too confusing…thanks for visiting!

Yes I am doing the old plan still, and thank you so much for the information. It will come in handy when I reach my goal weight!

Hi
On my fourth round of P90X and just joined WW because it makes me eat more, I do not eat enough so thus I have trouble losing weight, even though I am thin, can be thinner:)
Do you have any idea on how I can figure out P90X AP values?
Thanks so much!
Nina

Hi Nina! I’m not sure if points plus activity points are the same way or not but it all boils down to how aggressively you are working out and how long you are working out for. If you are going all out during your workouts, just look in the ‘High Intensity’ column on the Activity Points page and the find your current weight and how long you exercised for. If you are doing points plus you would probably add another point or two to the old activity points values. Hope this helps…

I’m losing almost a pound a day on the new PointsPlus system.

I’m a naturally active person, but I don’t always make the best food choices. I was on the old WW before, and had some success, but I didn’t feel it was sustainable. I’m looking to lose about 75 lbs total and I am well on my way.

If you don’t abuse the “free foods” you will feel satisfied and loose weight.

I started the new system 2 weeks ago and have only lost 1 pound in weight – even though im tracking everything & sticking to my points…. (weight went on due to severe back injury so exercise has to be gentle/ moderate & slow for me)

i just cant get on with it, and feel unsatisfied ALL the time yet on old plan i lost over 2 stone?….
any tips?

Wow Amanda, a pound a day is amazing! I’d say keep up the good work but I’m afraid that if you do you’d disappear

Thanks for the feedback on the new program.

Jeni – it seems like the new plan is not for everyone. If you had success with the old program and are comfortable with doing it, I’d switch back.

Is the wendys list update? If not how can I use your info to calculate the new pointsplus?

Hi Gus. Wendys list has not been updated yet. I’ve been kind of going in alphabetical order but will move Wendys up the list since it is a popular destination. Thanks for visiting!

Where can i find how many points are in the weight watchers microwave meals?

Hey Shivvy, if you are refering to the Weight Watchers Smart Ones meals follow this link to find up to date point and points plus information for each of the meals. I hope to have these my site in the near future, also.

hi, my name is jessica. My goal is to lose about 25lbs. I’ve never tried weight watchers and i have been thinking of using it but I dont really understand it. Can someone help me? I would really like to lose the weight by june.

Hi Jessica. I would recommended using the old point system if you are going to be doing it on your own. To get started go to this page (daily points quiz). This is the quiz that you take to find out how much you are allowed to eat each day. There is also a link on that page to an article that goes over the basics on how to do weight watchers.

After you check out those links, if you have any specific questions feel free to come back here and ask or you can ask pretty much on any page of the site. Let me know…

Hi! I am trying to find out about the Boston Market Mediterranean Salad. I eat the salad with a tablespoon of the dressing on the side and no crunchy bread/craker things at all. Is there a way to figure a whole salad without the dressing and craker/bread things? Thanks!!!

the aproximate points calculator can be used for food i cook on my own correct?

That’s correct, Jessica. But only for the old plan (not points plus)

ok thank you very much. im going to start tomorrow. wish me good luck!

You’re welcome! Best wishes sent your way

I have been on weight watchers now for 5 months…have been on a plateau for awhile. I exercise at least 5 days a week, my problem is I crave Sugar or chocolate. Can you give me any helpful tips to curb these cravings? Thanks!

On the Points plus plan, all fruit and veggies are 0 points, or so I thought. When I looked on the Longhorn menu, there were various points for side veggies. Is the information compatable with the old system or the new system. How can I determine when the old or the new points system is being used to calculate points.

Thank you soooooo much for this site.

Hi jacquie, at this point the Longhorn menu is still set up for only the old point system only. I’m in the process of changing over to a new layout that has the POINTS and PointsPlus values clearly labeled but it is a slow process. Here is a sample of what the new layout will look like. Thanks for visiting and sorry for the delay in adding the new info.

Do you know of a site that offers a free online tracker?

Sorry Deb, I do not…but if anyone else does please let us know

I was wondering if you could update the Red Lobster
menu for the Points Plus program, since it is my
favorite restaurant.

Thanks!

Lela

Hi Lela, I’ve moved red lobster up the list for ya but it still may be a few weeks before I can get to it. Thanks for using the site!

Can you provide the points plus formula for calculating beer brands? I would like to determine points values not listed on WW online points plus system.

Hi Jay, at this point I have not seen the points plus formula published anywhere. Sorry…

Google “wwcheatsheets” for the new Daily Points Calculator and others.

Very nice amanda, thanks!

Online PointsPlus Calculator

This site is fantastic, thank you SO much, i’ve forwarded it on to all my girls doin ww u rock!

Hi KayCee, thanks for the great comment and for spreading the word…now you’re fantastic, too

I love your website! I just started weight watchers again after a “leave of abscence”. Truly I can’t be bothered with the meetings. A friend just rejoined and she’ll pick up the kit for me.
I might be delirious, but I thought your website had a page listing either the 5 or 10 worst fast foods. I can’t find it now. It listed a deli’s pastrami sandwich at something like 26 points! What a hoot! But just once it might be worth it and then eat Fiber One for the rest of the day!
Keep up the good work.

Great website. It would be helpfull to have the points calc follow you down the page as you scroll through the menus. With the new plan people are going to use the Calc a Lot.
Just a small suggestion, Great Site

Hi Linda, thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment.

I’ve never had a page with the worst items but that might not be a bad idea, although it would fill up pretty quick. Heck, even a large chocolate shake at McDonalds is 25 points. Can’t say I’ve never had one of those

Hey Bob, great idea…wish I could get it to work

I tried a couple of different ways and none work with the way that my site is set up. Currently I’m exploring just having the calculator pop open in a new window all by itself so that you can just put the window off to the side while browsing the site. My only concern with that is if pop-up blockers will block it or not. Thanks again for the idea

I love your site.Im doing ww 2 years ago works pretty nice but the people in the meetings wasnt very nice,so Im quit.But Im deside to start again today ,so thank you very much for your website

can you do a list for pappas seafood kitchen or seafood in general…thanks!

Hi Heidi, sorry to hear about your bad experience at the meetings. Generally, everyone was always very nice at my meetings. Best wishes with your goals, let us know from time to time how you are progressing. Thanks for visiting!

Hi mandy, pappas does not publish nutrition info for any of there items at this time so we are out of luck there. I do have a list of basic seafood items here and you could also use the search function for items that are at other restaurants that may be similar to what you are ordering. Hope this helps and thanks for visiting

Hi, I have been doing WW for about 10 month. Have had good results. I had been active but found that I need a change so I decided to get P90X. I was doing it for about 2 1/2 weeks with the WW eating plan. I ended up getting sick and had to stop for about 1 1/2 week. I am back at it again. While I was doing it I didn’t see any loss, I was a gain. I was very sore when I started so I think it was fluid. I don’t eat AP and try not eating any WP. What’s anyone recommendation to see some change?

Hi Nat, I think with the P90X program you really should use your activity points, at least some of them. I know it seems weird but sometimes you actually need to eat more calories to lose weight. There was an episode of ‘The Biggest Loser’ a couple of seasons ago (season 7) where one of the contestants had like 3 weeks in a row of no losses and even a small gain. His trainer significantly upped his calories intake to kick his metabolism into overdrive and it really worked. He ended up with significant losses for the next few weigh ins and came in second place for the season.

Thanks Dan, I guess I can try using half of them, I am always hesitant to use them. I have always gone by calculating my AP by the intensity. I feel that a person thinks they are working harder than they actually do. I have been wearing my HRM and getting the amount of a calories I burn. What I have found on the internet is with the new Points+ 80 cal = 1 AP. Am I correct?? I am so glad that I found this web site. I am a lifetimer at WW and don’t always get to the meeting because of how far I live from one, it’s nice to get some answers when you need them.

My son made lean hamburger with taco sauce, onions, garlic, and I am just wondering how would you figure out the point value on the new points plus for say 1 cup – 3 ozs…. thanks, any help would be great. I find some things are not listed in the pocket guide clearly.

Hi Gillian, 3 oz of 93% & 95% lean hamburger has a pointsplus value of 3. The onion and garlic shouldn’t be any points at all and I don’t think the taco sauce would, either. So I would say 3 points is your total amount.

You could add 1 more point if you are unsure but I think 3 would be right. Hope this helps

I am going to start the weight watchers point program. can you please explain the difference between points and points plus? is one better or more effective than the other?

Hi April, welcome to the site. The main difference in the two plans is how points are calculated. The old points plan was based on calories, fat & fiber while the new points plus plan is based on protein, carbs, fat & fiber, and does not take calories into account at all. The new plan is supposed to encourage healthier eating by giving higher point values to less healthier items. People have had good and bad experiences with both plans, it pretty much boils down to how dedicated you can be.

If you are planning on doing it on your own I would suggest doing the old plan. There are a lot of advantages including more free info available on the net and it’s easier to estimate how many points an item has once you get the hang of it.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask more questions if you have any. Thanks for visiting!

I am a first timer to weight watchers and find myself not using all of my daily activity points because I am afraid to eat for fear of going over the point totals. As a result, I have lost 5 lbs and have remained there. Tomorrow is only my 4th weigh in. Your site is very helpful. I have saved it in my favorites. Thank you for the support you over all of us through your website.

Hey Alisia, a lot of times you really need those extra points for exercising and not using them could cause weight loss to slow or stop. If your not happy with the results that you are getting you might need to eat a little more. I know it sounds a crazy when ‘dieting’ but it is true. Thanks for visiting and let us know how it goes.

Hi.I went to a ww meeting when the new system came out but could’t get on with it.There’s one thing I don’t understand….on the old points system,every time you lost a stone,you reduced your weekly points intake by 1 point…..on the new system I was put on 29 propoints(I’m from England!)which is the lowest you can go.I can’t see how you can keep losing without reducing your points intake! Can you help please?I think I might just have to go back to the old way! Thanks for your help.

Hi Grehan, I think the pro points plan is very similar to our points plus plan. We have the same thing with 29 points being the lowest amount allowed.

I believe the rationale is that your weight is at a point where 29 points would allow you to continue to have a slow, steady weight loss until your goal weight has been reached. I know a lot of people compare how many points that they are allowed on the new plan with the old plan and get scared that they will start gaining because there is such a huge difference, but the two plans are completely different. The new plan doesn’t even take calories into consideration when determining point values so it makes it a little more difficult to judge.

Most people that are doing it on their own seem to prefer the old way, and there is also a lot more free info available for it so that may be the best route to go, anyway. Hope I didn’t confuse ya

Best wishes!

Hi Dan.Thanks very much for your reply.I think I’ll stick to the old system then for now.This is such a great site and I haven’t seen anything like it over here.Let’s hope I can stick to it this time!I’ll be back! Have a great day!

I am wanting to lose 20 pounds. Don’t want to go to weekly meetings as I live in a rural community. Purchased the deluxe kit on line and am ready to begin. Is there any information I should know getting started? I would welcome any tips! Thanks!

Hi PJ, welcome aboard! Are you doing the new pointsplus version of WW or the old points plan?

Either way, just remember that if you follow the plan closely, work lots of fresh fruit and veggies into your meals and get a little bit of exercise you will be amazed with the results. Let us know if you hit any speedbumps and we will try to help you out. Best wishes !

Thanks so much Dan. Love the information and support that can be found here. I am doing the new pointplus version. Have a super day!

Do we have to use all of our points during a day? I am finding it is too much food for me. Should we wait to eat until we are hungry?

Hi Dan,

Its me again…hope all is well. I was wondering (with fair season approaching and all) if you would have any idea as to how many points fried dough would be including butter cinnamon and powdered sugar. With 52 lbs down I would like to indulge for the day!! I’m still doing the old plan if that helps.

Thanks in advance.

PJ – you really should be using as many of your daily points as possible but it won’t hurt if you have a couple left over at the end of the day. As you lose weight you also lose points and that will help continue your weight loss in a healthy manner…if you start eating less now then you may struggle to lose weight as you get closer to your goal.

Hey Lakeitha, below is what I could find for some common ‘fair’ foods. The values given are for the old points plan and should probably be used as more of a guide than set in stone values. Hope this helps:

Corn Dog – 11 points
Candy/Caramel Apple, medium – 6 points
Homemade Taffy, 1/4 lb – 9.5 points
Roasted/Salted Peanutes, 1/2 cup – 12.5 points
Corn on Cob w/butter – 4 points
BBQ Sandwich – 8.5 points
Beef Dog w/Bun – 6.5 points
Deluxe Hamburger – 12.5 points
Funnel Cake, 1 piece, 6″ – 7 points
Slice of Pepperoni Deep Dish Pizza – 9.5 points
Medium sized Soft Pretzel – 4 points
Large French Fries – 11 points
Popcorn, 4 cups – 5.5 points
Ice Cream Cone, 1 drumstick – 6 points

Thanks a lot!!

I want to join WW but I see so many people that are really confused on how to do the points, myself included. Where can or how can I get a grasp on it, and learn about it so I know what I am doing before joining and spending the money?

Thanks

Hi MJ. The best place to get a feel for the plan may be weight watchers own site. They have a message board that you can sign up for free at and explore and ask questions. There are many people there that are willing to help out the ‘newbies’. Here is a link to their message boards. Hope this helps ya out and thanks for visiting!

What are they referring to when they say to use your weekly PointPlus allowance for long-term success?

Hi Dan, just discovered your site, thanks it’s terrific.
I am returning to the old WW plan after many years.
I still have my original database calculator & while the database is self explanatory I can’t remember how the points counter works. Any chance you have a copy of the instructions buried away somewhere? It has a black rectangular case with black & blue buttons inside, with the screen on the inside of the lid.
fingers crossed. From about 1998 ish.

Suzi

Hi PJ, I believe what they are referring to is that if you keep using all of the points that you have available for you as you lose weight (including weekly and activity), when you finally reach your goal weight you will be able to maintain while still eating more than if you had ate only your daily point allowance. Being able to eat a little more can go a long way towards guaranteeing long term success as you are less likely to cheat

Hi Suzi, Thanks for the kind words. Sorry to let you down but I’ve only been on the plan since 2009…not sure where you might be able to find that

If anyone has a few minutes to spare and would like to help out the site, please visit alexa.com and post an honest review of the site. Any input (good or bad) would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks!

Hi Dan, well after searching everywhere I could think of on the net & finding nothing on it, I gave up.
So resorted to pushing buttons until I figured it out.
Got it working now & it’s really good.
I also forgot where I posted this on the site !
May be you could transfer all these comments onto your forum ?
Suzi

Hi Dan, just found your site. Wow! You have really put some effort into this. Thanks ahead of time! Ok – here’s my deal. I did WW before (old points system), lost the weight, went off the plan, and well, you know the rest of the story… Anyway, I’ve been back on since January, and I’ve lost with the new point system, but it’s been incredibly slow! I’m a WW online member and use their tracking tools religiously, so if I return to the old system, what do I use to track? Are you guys doing it manually? Do you have any kind of forms on this site that I just haven’t found yet? Thanks so much for what you do!

Suzi, glad you figured it out. I know what you mean about the comments. There are almost 400 pages to the site at this point, most of which allow people to leave comments on them. It can be quite confusing sometimes even for me. I have thought about disabling the comments on the site to help drive people to the forum but I’m not sure how that would go over.

Hi Dianne, I know the story well

Here is a link to a post on the forum where you can download a journal page that can be printed out and used for daily tracking. Hope this helps ya

Thanks for visiting and taking the time to leave a comment!

Dan – Thanks for the link. I saw the journal entry that referenced the form earlier today, but I didn’t see the attachment, and still don’t???? I know I’m just missing something – HELP!

Dianne – Sorry about that, you might have to be logged in on the forum to see it. I sent the pdf file to the email address that you used to post your comments. Let me know if that’s what you were looking for or not….

Dan,
I am using the PointsPlus system, but the weight lose is much slower than I thought it would be. I have only lost 8 pounds in 6 weeks. Would you recommend I switch to the old system?

Hey PJ, sorry for the delay. If you are doing it on your own I would recommend doing the old system. If you are an official WW member, I don’t think they give you a choice. That being said, 8 pounds is still a great achievement… CONGRATS!

I hate the new Points Plus and I did loose more on the old program. I have to think that the old program made me aware of what I was eating and Points Plus is making me MORE aware…meaning in the long run I think I will keep it off for the long haul. I know I was eating more snacks on the old program and I don’t think that is the point of Weight Watchers. Oh well, at least that is what I am making myself believe.

Hi Sam, I agree about the awareness, but convenience also plays a part in whether people will stick with a plan or not. With the old plan I could see the calories of an item and make an educated guess as to how many points it was. It’s not so easy any more…

love the fact fruits are free and most of the veggies.And the pretzel bagels are ver good only 3 points plus

There is so much great info on here, and I’m sure you’ve answered this. But, are the points published the points plus ones on the restaraunt pages? If not, will they be updated? Thanks for what you do!

Hi Melissa, most of the info on the site is only for the old plan at the moment. I am updating the restaurants to show the values for both but it is a slow process. When you got to the main restaurant index, the ones with a plus sign in front of the name have been updated to include info for both plans. Thanks for visiting!

This site is more than fantastic! Thanks for all the hard work you are putting into it. I wanted to start WW again but following the old system and all my supplies are in long term storage for another 2 months. I was thrilled to find this site and get all the info that I needed to start up again! I was super excited to see all the restaurant info as well. My stuff is about 5 years old so it is missing a lot of new foods that have come out. Today was my first day back on WW and it was great!

Hi,
Just stumbled across this great site! I was wondering if you could post the points for Raising Canes Chicken. Site is really helpful, though.
Thanks!

Hi Dan, what a wonderful site this is, and thank you. Being a member of ww since 2007 on and off I am discouraged with point plus and want to go by the old points but what has me upset is this great iPhone with the ww online points plus app for tracking and I can’t use it with the old points. Writing everything down and looking up is kind of a pain. I would by the old starter kit if you had any available. Do you have any ideas? I wish I still had my old points calculated.