My experience with the new Weight Watchers Freestyle program

Staci
Jan 19, 2018
3 min read

Before I start, let me say this: I believe in Weight Watchers. I do. I have achieved Lifetime Member status (although I'm not near that weight anymore) and I have lost weight successfully on the program in the past. I'm now following the new Freestyle program, and I'm here to give you my two cents on it.

For those who don't know, under the Freestyle program, several foods that previously had a Smart Points value are now "free," meaning that you can eat as much as you need to feel satisfied without having to "pay" for those foods with Smart Points (SPs). These foods include most fruits and vegetables (with some exceptions), lean chicken and turkey without skin, fish, seafood, beans, and plain Greek yogurt. Oh, and eggs -- but more on that in a sec.

For the most part, I think the program is great. It encourages us to eat more whole, healthy foods by making those foods "free," causing us to budget our daily Points allowance more judiciously for those extra things we might want. (On the new program, most people get fewer daily SPs than they had under the previous program). Theoretically, you could eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner and not use a single Smart Point if you were really savvy, but that's not the goal. The goal is to use zero-Point foods as the foundation of your meal and then use "pointed" foods to add flavour, interest, and variety.

Here are my thoughts on the new program, starting with the pros.

-- I find i am eating more fruits and vegetables than in the past. They are a good way to add bulk to a meal without spending additional Points.

-- With the lower daily Points allowance, I am more conscious of everything I put in my mouth. Do I REALLY want that cookie, knowing it's 5 SPs out of 23? Some days, I absolutely do. Most days, however, it's just not worth it.

-- I eat out less. Although it's true that Weight Watchers does give you the freedom to enjoy a meal out, I find I haven't had the temptation to resort to eating out as much as before. Not sure why that is, but there you go.

-- Since I am a big chicken eater anyway, I love that i don't have to "pay" for lean chicken and turkey, Many of my meals are made based on these meats anyway, so this wasn't a big adjustment.

Now, the not-so-good aspects of the program, as I see it. Really, there's only one, but I'm struggling with it:

Breakfast.

Yes, this is my number-one struggle on Freestyle. Remember how I said I would get back to the egg issue? Well, here's the truth: I don't like eggs. I just can't. And there's only so much fruit and yogurt you can eat for breakfast, so I often end up spending nearly half my day's points on breakfast alone. Does anyone feel my pain? What do you have for breakfast? Help a girl out!

So, there you have it! My two cents on the new Weight Watchers Freestyle program. What do you think about it? What are your favourite low-Point meals?

Good luck on your weight loss journey! If you're looking for some inspiration, check out these awesome ladies on YouTube. (They don't even know I exist...I just love watching their channels!)

Juli, at "Living Large on Lifetime":