Top Tips For Starting WW (Weight Watchers)

Here are some of my tips that helped me become a Weight Watchers lifetime member, after years of yo yo dieting and even a prior failed WW attempt!

1. UTILIZE ZERO POINT FOODS

Zero point foods are what make Weight Watchers so unique. They have come up with a list of nutrient dense, high protein, high fiber foods, for us to never have to feel hungry. When I first started it was an adjustment because my brain had the “well zero point foods doesn’t mean zero calories” mentality.. but once I let that go and really leaned on them, used them to build my meals, and trust the process, that’s when the sucess started to happen. It made me have an “add don’t restrict” mindset which helped SO much. What I mean by that is say I was really craving pancakes. I would have the pancakes,, but I’d add zero point eggs for protein and some fruit for fiber and I would be way more full and satisfied, but only had to count the points for the pancakes. Same if we are going out to dinner. Instead of going hungry all day trying to save for that dinner, I’d have some zero point filling foods throughout the day, and when we would go to dinner I would show up satisfied and not super hungry to the point I come irrational and overeat to the point of a stomach ache.

2. USE YOUR WEEKLIES

I can not tell you how common it is, for someone starting off on WW, to be absolutely terrified to use their weekly points, I know this from actual experience. In 2016 I joined WW, and would NOT touch them. I had it made up in my head that if I did, I’d gain or wouldn’t lose as fast, so I avoided them. I started to lose weight quickly, but not in a sustainable way. I’ll give you one guess how that 2016 journey of WW went. I ended up feeling way too restricted and ultimately gained all of my weight back plus some. Using your weeklies is what separates it from feeling like a diet, to more like a lifestyle. When I rejoined in 2018 I said to myself, we are using them, they’re designed into the program for a reason. If I want ice cream with my kids, or a higher point meal with my husband, or a wedding to go to, the weeklies are there for me to use and enjoy my life. I also always tell people don’t use them one week, see a gain, and then decide they’re not meant for you. You could have seen a gain that week regardless, because that is just how it goes! Give it a fair shot over a long period of time.

3. CONSISTENCY OVER PERFECTION

This was the biggest mental switch for me, and one of the keys to my success. For so many years I’d want to do any type of “diet” change perfectly. Perfect isn’t an attainable thing, so it would always leave my feeling at some point like I failed and I would quit until I felt I could be perfect again. It was a vicious cycle. I had to realize it was way more important to be CONSISTENT. I didn’t land on WW because of what I did once in awhile, it what was I did majority of the time. Real life is going to happen, you’re going to have days that just feel like you were so off your game, that can even lead to weeks, but if you stay consistent over time it will be pay off.

4. LIGHTEN UP FOODS YOU LOVE WHILE FITTING IN THE REAL DEAL TOO

This was probably one of the biggest keys to my success. I wanted to make sure I enjoyed what I ate. I didn’t want to feel like I had to eat boiled chicken and steamed veggies for every meal in order to have success. I LOVE food, So I still wanted to love food, just in a healthier way. So what I would do is think of something I was super craving, and lighten it up.

For instance, I LOVE chicken parm. Like could eat it every day. The only issue was the way I ate it prior to starting WW would never fit into my daily points. So I found a way to lighten it up! (you can find that recipe here). Does that mean since starting WW I haven’t had the real deal? Of course not! I love going to a real italian restaurant with my husband and getting it, but when I’m home, I make my lightened up version!

Same with fried chicken sandwiches! They are one of my favorites, so I wanted to continue to eat them frequently. Instead of going to McDonalds daily like I used to, I made a lightened up healthier version of the McChicken (recipe here) and it fits into my day so easiy!

You need to enjoy your food, so get creative!

5. DON’T BE AFRAID TO BRING FOOD WITH YOU PLACES

Somehow this has become a slightly controversial tip when I bring it up, but I’m going to go ahead and share it, because I don’t think I would have reached my goal without doing this. Now listen, I’m not telling you to go to your work Christmas party and bring a cooler of food with you in front of a bunch of people you don’t know. But reality is, for me, we do a lot of family get togethers, and if I didn’t start making some changes, I would have never had success. If I’m heading to my sisters for a BBQ, I bring a little cooler with me. I throw things like low point hot dogs, low point buns, lean ground beef patties, light salad dressing, things like that. This way, when we’re all having hot dogs (which I can have any day of the year if I decided so it’s not a special food) I can still have one, but I save points to put towards something that maybe I can’t have whenever I want (say my aunts spaghetti salad or something!)

Also if we’re going to dinner somewhere for no special reason and it’s a chain that I can go to anytime, I have no problem bringing some things in my purse to help me stick to my points. I have had times where I brought a low point bun with me and swapped it out with a grilled chicken sandwich, or a bag of low point chips in my purse while others may be eating chips and spinach dip (i’ll have some of it but instead of eating a ton I throw the low point chips on my plate too). If I’m going out to an anniversary dinner at a special restaurant with my husband or something of that nature, I absolute enjoy whatever I want on the menu and just get right back to it the next meal!

I also always have things in my purse like protein bars, turkey sticks, zero point popcorn etc. You never know when hunger will strike and you don’t have anything available. Being prepared is key!