New Weight Watchers Plan: myWW

Updated! There is a new Weight Watchers plan coming called myWW. Here's everything you can expect with the plan including the new plan options, points information, zero point foods, and more. 

Right now there is a lot of buzz about the new Weight Watchers plan that's launching November 11, 2019. Like many of the plan changes in the past, this has WW members nervous, myself included. Today we will be sharing everything we know about the new myWW plan slated for 2019 and 2020. 

Let's start with the name. The new plan will be called myWW. This new plan gives members more options than ever before when it comes to losing weight. Like all WW plans, it is based on the latest science and research. Weight Watchers is always working to improve their plans and every couple of years, there are updates. This is no different. 

Now for the question everyone is asking, what about the points? How will they change? The simple answer is, they don't have to. For anyone who is using WW Freestyle and having success, you will still be able to use that plan. In the new myWW, this will be known as the Blue Plan.

In addition to the blue plan, for the first time ever, WW is adding two other options. Interestingly enough, neither of these plans is brand new. Weight Watchers is bringing back the Beyond the Scale Smartpoints program that was used before Freestyle.  Under the new program, this will be called the Green plan. They are also bringing something similar to Simply Filling, which will be called the Purple plan. 

For more detailed information and FAQs, check out our Ultimate Guide to the New Weight Watchers Program.

(This image comes from Weight Watchers Australia)

What's myWW and what's new in Weight Watchers 2019/2020?

With the new WW, there will be three options for all members. Members will be asked to complete a personal assessment that will match them to the best plan for them based on lifestyle, preferences, and goals. This will be the Weight Watchers suggested plan, but members can choose any plan they believe will work for them.

• Blue Plan (formerly known as Freestyle Smartpoints plan): This option is basically the exact same as the Freestyle Smartpoints plan that most people are using now. There are over 200 zero point foods including fruit, non-starchy vegetables, chicken breast, turkey breast, fish, shellfish, legumes, nonfat dairy, tofu, and tempeh. There is a minimum daily points allowance of 23 points, which will adjust up based on weight, lifestyle, and activity. There will also be weekly points and Fitpoints. Essentially, if you choose the blue plan, you are choosing to use WW in the same way it is now.
• Green Plan (similar to Beyond the Scale Smartpoints): This option brings back the Smartpoints from the previous Weight Watchers plan. On this plan, there are less zero point foods. It mostly includes fruits and non-starchy vegetables. With this plan, the daily points allowance is higher. It will start at 30 Smartpoints daily. This plan also comes with weeklies and Fitpoints.
• Purple Plan (similar to Simply Filling/Core): This plan has the most zero point foods, with over 300 including chicken breast, turkey breast, eggs, seafood, shellfish, tofu, tempeh, legumes, fruits, vegetables including potatoes and corn, and some whole grains including whole wheat pasta, brown rice, and oatmeal. However, it has the lowest amount of daily points. The minimin is 16 points and will be higher based on weight, goals, and lifestyle.  This also includes weeklies and Fitpoints.

Why the change?

After the switch to Freestyle Smartpoints, some members found that they were having a much harder time losing weight. Some even found they were gaining weight. The main reason was that people were overeating the new zero point foods.

WW added lean proteins like eggs, chicken breast, ground turkey, beans, and lentils to their zero point food list, but this didn't mean that those foods don't have calories and fat. Some people found that they were eating way too many zero point foods, which led them to see minimal weight loss or even weight gain.

For example, this Zero Point Taco Soup, clearly shows how this can happen. Although this soup is zero points on Freestyle, it still has 306 calories per serving. If you eat too much of that soup, or any zero point food, you will gain weight even though you aren't using your points. 

At the end of the day, this plan worked great for some people, but not for everyone. That's why WW decided to bring back some of the previous options. For people who struggled with Freestyle, they may prefer the Green Plan, which has fewer zero point foods and a lower likelihood of eating too many calories since fruits and vegetables are naturally lower in calories and fat.

What foods are zero points with myWW?

With the new version of the plan, zero point foods will change depending on which plan you follow In general, the Blue Freestyle plan will include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, eggs, and legumes. The Green plan will include fruits and vegetables. The Purple plan will include fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, legumes, eggs, and some whole grains.

All plans include some zero point, low calorie condiments like vinegar. 

What is my daily points allowance with the new WW?

This will depend on the plan that you choose, current weight, current height, weight loss goals, age, and lifestyle. The specific number is calculated by Weight Watchers. However, here are some general guidelines:

• Blue Plan: Minimum 23 SmartPoints plus weekly points and Fitpoints
• Green Plan: Minumum 30 Smartpoints plus weekly points and Fitpoints
• Purple Plan: Minimum 16 SmartPoints plus weekly points and Fitpoints

Do I still get weekly Smartpoints?

WW is keeping weekly Smartpoints around and you will be assigned a weekly Smartpoints balance based on your weight, activity level, age, and other lifestyle factors. Those weekly points can be used if you run out of daily Smartpoints. Additionally, you can swap Fitpoints (after 3000 daily steps) for Smartpoints if needed.

Can I switch plans?

It looks like you will be able to switch between the three options whenever you want. They are recommending to give any plan at least two weeks before changing.

How does this work for recipes, tracking, and the app?

Everything you see within the app will be based on your choice. For example, if you choose to use the Blue plan, then the points you see for foods will be based on that plan. If you switched to purple, you would see different points amounts. 

When it comes to recipes, you will see three different points amounts for all recipes. There will be purple, green, and blue points shown so you can track accurately. 

For those curious about Slender Kitchen, we will be working to include all three points options with our recipes, but it will take us some time to get everything updated.

Are there rollover points in the new WW plan?

All three plans will allow you to rollover up to 4 unused Smartpoints daily to be added to your weekly points. For example, if you have a low point day on Monday, you can use 4 of those unused points a different day that week. This can be a great strategy when planning for a special night out.

What This Means and Thoughts

Honestly, I am really excited about the new options and I always think it is a good idea to let people choose an option that will work best for them. Many people I know struggled with the freedom of the Freestyle plan, so I think having a more "restrictive" zero point food list will be a good option. I also know that many people loved the previous program so it's great that it is officially coming back.

My main concern about the new myWW is about logistics and how the different point values will be shared within the app. I am curious to see if all the food items will show a points amount for blue, purple, and green programs. I hope this doesn't get confusing as we navigate between programs.

Weight Watchers is also rolling out meetings to share information about the new programs next week, so I am excited to hear more about everything above.

What have you heard about the new plan? What are you looking forward to? What are your dreading?