Do you want to learn how to lose weight faster on Weight Watchers? As someone who has lost over 100 pounds using Weight Watchers, I know the ins and outs of the WW system and how to lose weight faster. Keep reading to learn how you can get to your goal weight as soon as possible.
YOU WANT TO LOSE WEIGHT FASTER ON WEIGHT WATCHERS
If you want to lose weight even more quickly with Weight Watchers, here's how to make it happen.
- Stop overeating.
- Don't undereat.
- Watch your zero point foods.
- Use a meal plan.
- Vary your weekly flex points.
Let's dive into the specifics of how to make each of these strategies work for you so you can lose weight faster on Weight Watchers. But before we do, it's important to talk about realistic weight loss expectations.
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MAKE YOUR EXPECTATIONS REALISTIC
I remember when I was 100+ pounds heavier, I used to dream of waking up and suddenly being at my goal weight. Oh, wouldn't that be glorious!
I'm at my goal weight today so I'm here to tell you that your weight loss is possible. You can get to your goal weight and you can stay there. It's not an impossible dream.
Sara “before” picture.
But the truth is, even if I could have somehow magically gotten to my goal weight I wouldn't have been able to maintain it because I hadn't yet learned the skills of lasting weight loss.
“After” weight loss – Tae Kwon Do tournament medals.
Be patient. Your process is your process. I know that's not fun to hear, but that's the hard truth. If you could be at your goal weight, you would be there.
Next, check if your goals are realistic. I can't tell you how many times I read in WW Facebook groups (and if you aren't in a group yet, check out this WW Facebook group and this Weight Watchers Facebook group to join) where people post about how frustrated they are that their weight loss isn't fast enough compared to other people, but this will only cause frustration.
Weight loss of about 1 pound per week is healthy and realistic. Look at your weight loss over a 6-8 week time span. Have you lost some weight? You are doing great! If you haven't lost any weight over 8 weeks, then it's time to reassess your diet.
That being said, success is highly motivating so let's get into the strategies that will help you lose weight as quickly as possible while still maintaining a safe, realistic pace.
5 TIPS FOR FASTER WEIGHT LOSS WITH WW
Let's dive into the helpful strategies you can put in place to be sure you are losing weight as quickly as possible yet maintaining a rate of weight loss that is safe for you.
1. STOP OVEREATING
This is going to sound super-obvious but it can be a tricky one. Check in to be sure you aren't overeating.
There's only one way that fat gain happens and that's eating more calories than your body can burn. That's it. It's not hormones, your genes, menopause, or anything else. Yes, all of these are factors in metabolism but at the end of the day, fat gain still only happens for one reason and that's overcoming calories.
I absolutely love the Weight Watchers program because it gives you a guideline. One of the key factors in my weight loss story is that I started therapy to help me get a handle on my eating issues. Yet I also joined Weight Watchers because I needed the structure because my eating was wildly out of control.
The WW program gives a helpful structure and guide, but it is possible to overeat with Weight Watchers. Be sure you are following your hunger cues. Fullness is often a gentle whisper. Don't eat until you are stuffed.
2. DON'T UNDEREAT
On the other side, it's important not to under-eat. Sometimes people, in their efforts to lose weight as quickly as possible, eat too few calories/points.
While eating too few calories/points can have some impact on metabolism, the problem I see more often is actually somewhat different. When you undereat, you set yourself up for binging later.
Binging, which is eating a large amount of calories in one sitting, will derail your weight loss efforts in a huge way. If you half-starve yourself all day to save your points for the evening but then overeat, you will stall your weight loss. If you are “so good” all week but then binge on the weekend, your weight loss will stop dead in its tracks.
Try eating a bigger breakfast (if you only eat 1-2 points at breakfast, consider increasing that by a few each day) so that you don't binge in the evenings. If weekend overeating is an issue for you, spread out your flex points throughout the week instead of saving them all for the weekend which could set you up to go overboard.
3. WATCH YOUR ZERO POINT FOODS
Zero point foods are one of the best parts of the WW program.
I'm a huge fan of zero point foods because they encourage you to choose healthier options on a day to day basis.
This Zero Point Turkey Chili is one of the most popular recipes on my website with good reason – it's filling and delicious.
Still, it's important to proceed with some caution when it comes to zero point foods. All these foods have calories so it's not that they don't count.
Your body keeps track of zero point foods even if you don't.
If you are losing weight at a steady rate with how you are using zero point foods currently, you are on the right track. However, if you find your weight loss slowing down or stalling, checking in with how many zero point foods you are eating is a good place to start.
I find it helpful to begin with simply tracking zero point foods even though they register as “0” in the app. Just the act of keeping track will bring you more awareness of how you are using zero point foods and perhaps ways to tweak.
4. USE A MEAL PLAN
Anyone who has had success with the WW system will tell you that planning ahead is vital. As much as it sounds good to wing it and go for whatever sounds good in the moment, that doesn't work for speedy weight loss.
Planning ahead has been a key to my weight loss and weight maintenance. In fact, I pre-track which means the night before, I plan what I'm going to eat the next day.
On the weekends, I also meal plan for the coming week. You can create your own meal plan or use one of the ones listed below. Either way, planning ahead is a key way to lose weight more quickly because you'll have healthy, low-point foods on hand at all times.
- Weight Watchers 3-Day Zero Point Freestyle Meal Plan
- Weight Watchers 7 Day Meal Plan: Basic Freestyle
- 23 Point Weight Watchers Meal Plan
- Weight Watchers On the Go No Cook 7 Day Meal Plan
- Family Friendly Weight Watchers Freestyle Meal Plan
5. VARY YOUR WEEKLY FLEX POINTS
Every WW member receives a certain number of points per day based on age, sex, and current weight. Then, you also receive a number of weekly flex points.
Do you have to use your flex points? No, you don't have to use them, but they are available if you want to add them into your week. WW has factored them into your program so you should be able to use them and still lose weight at a steady rate. I personally use mine almost every week and find them helpful for enjoying splurges while staying on track, or simply to eat more on those days I'm hungrier.
Every person is different so you'll need to play around with this to find what is best for your individual body.
These are the 5 top insider tips for losing weight faster on Weight Watchers. Keep reading for some additional bonus ideas to incorporate.
BONUS! OTHER TIPS FOR LOSING WEIGHT FASTER ON WEIGHT WATCHERS
The top 5 secrets I just shared are what you want to focus on the most if you want to lose weight faster on Weight Watchers. Here are some other fun ideas to consider to shake things up and keep your weight loss progress going strong.
- Try a Blue Dot Challenge. In the WW app, the system will give you a blue dot for the day if you are within a 10 point range of your daily points. In WW Connect (the WW community on the app) people do Blue Dot challenges. These are things like trying to get a certain number of Blue Dot days in a row or a whole month of blue dots. These are fun and motivating.
- Find your community. Research supports the fact that weight loss happens best in community. Whether it's a WW Facebook group, finding new friends on WW connect, or attending workshops. We all need a supportive community. You can join the Weight Watchers Freestyle Recipes, Ideas and Motivation Facebook Group to connect with other like-minded people.
- Find your motivation. I love reading people's before and after stories for extra motivation on a tough day. you can read my 100 pound weight loss story here, find WW success stories on Instagram, WW Connect, or even in WW magazines or books.
- Pre-track. I mentioned this above, but I highly encourage pre-tracking which is planning your food the day before. This might seem restrictive but I actually find this quite enjoyable. Each evening I plan out the next day's meals and snacks and put them right into my WW app. Then the following day, I simply follow my plan, making adjustments here and there as needed.
- Add exercise. If you aren't currently exercising, consider adding walking, swimming, or other regular activity into your lifestyle. You don't need to do crazy-tough workouts to see a benefit. In fact, extreme workouts can often work against you because they drive up hunger, but a brisk but steady walk will burn calories without significantly increasing appetite.
- Try eating more protein, healthy fat, and vegetables and fewer carbs. While WW does not specifically have you keep track of micro-nutrients (protein, fat, carbohydrate), more research is pointing to the fact that a diet higher in protein leads to less hunger and sustained weight loss. If you are struggling to lose weight or want to lose faster, try shifting the types of foods you eat to see if you see results.
- Reduce processed foods. I think all of us can agree that we want to move to a diet that is mostly clean, real, whole foods. If your weight loss has stalled, this is a great place to focus your efforts. Swap chips, cookies, and cereals for real foods with 5 ingredients or fewer on the label, or better yet, foods with no label at all.
With these 5 insider tips plus the additional bonus strategies, you'll be at your goal weight before you know it.
What have you found helps the most with your WW weight loss? Share about it in the comments below.
- Lose Weight Faster on Weight Watchers With These Tips - November 13, 2019
Thanks. I’m glad I came across your story and advice. I am at a stand still on my wt. loss and after reading your blog; I know why and what to do.
I’m new to WW. I was blessed to never have to diet. I’m 62 now and have gained a good 30 pounds. LOL
I just started and I like the structure .
Thank you for all the good advice.
You will rock this Terry! Thanks for stopping by.
This is great advice. I’m new to ww. I find that if I stick to zero point foods, I continue to lose 1 to 2 lbs a week. I will try some of your ideas. My weekends are where I go off track sometimes.
Is there a meal plan of all the days available?