As a longtime lifetime Weight Watcher, I get a lot of questions about the program, how it works, the cost, how to join, the pros and cons, recipes, daily SmartPoints budget, calculators, apps, etc.
Many times my answer is a link. A link to a website, blog, article, recipe or video. So! I thought I'd compile all those helpful links into one list. It's (hopefully) a list that will help answer many of your initial questions.
Does Weight Watchers Really Work?
Weight Watchers (WW) is a popular weight-loss program that attracts hundreds of thousands of new members every year. Its flexible, points-based system appeals to many dieters and stresses the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.
Studies have found that Weight Watchers is an effective way to lose weight and keep it off.
If you’re looking for an evidence-based weight-loss program that lets you indulge in your favorite foods once in a while, Weight Watchers might help you reach your health and wellness goals.
Helpful Articles About How WW Works
- US News: Best Diet for Weight Loss & Best Commercial Diet Plan
- I Did WW (Formerly Weight Watchers for Two Years
Here's Why I'm Still Doing It (USA Today) - Can WW Actually Help You Lose Weight & Keep it Off (EverydayHealth)
- Weight Watchers Diet Review: Does It Work for Weight Loss (Healthline)
- Here's What Happened During My Month on Weight Watchers (Woman's Day)
- Does WW Work? 3 Simple Steps this Woman Took To Lose 65 Pounds in 1 Year (Today)
- Weight Watchers: Why the diet I hated as a teenager became the lifestyle I love as an adult (NBC News)
- The WW App Makes It Easy to Lose Weight - One Woman's Story (Business Insider)
- Weight Watchers Success Story: Alexis Lost 100 Pounds
- 7 Secrets of Successful Weight Watchers (Simple Nourished Living)
How Much Does Weight Watchers Cost?
Weight Watchers pricing is always changing because of special promotions and limited opportunities to join for free, so be sure to check with them directly for the latest cost information.
Cost. There are three ways you can follow myWW:
- Digital (which includes access to the Weight Watchers app and 24/7 chat with a live WW coach) starting @ $3.38/week
- Digital 360 (includes personal coaching) beginning @ $4.61/week
- Digital plus unlimited workshops beginning @ $6.92/week
How Does Weight Watchers Points Plan Work?
Weight Watchers has just launched, Points, a simplified version of last year's Personal Points. You can learn all about Points and how it works here.
How Many Points Do I Get A Day on Weight Watchers?
When you download the WW app, you’ll take a detailed questionnaire providing details regarding your height, weight, age, sex, activity level, lifestyle, food likes and approach to eating.
From that assessment you will receive a personalized PersonalPoints Budget and customized zero points foods list. This is formulated to ensure you lose weight while getting all the nutrients you need and never having to be hungry.
How Long Does it Take to See Success with Weight Watchers?
The time it takes for you to see and for others to notice weight loss results can vary from person to person. Many factors, including your starting size and your eating plan, can make a big difference. In general, however, many people can see results inone to two weekswhen they stick to their plan.
Articles About Succeeding on WW
- 7 Secrets of Successful Weight Watchers: A Success Guide
- Advice to People Doing Weight Watchers from a Successful Lifetime Member
- Weight Watchers Success Stories
- (Video)
- What I Wish I Knew Before Joining Weight Watchers (Cook Eat Go)
- How to Stay Motivated on Weight Watchers (Cook Eat Go)
Official Weight Watchers Links
Support Groups for Weight Watchers
It's no secret that support is key to losing weight on any diet. Weight Watchers is no different, even though it's a lifestyle not just a diet! I've created a list of theBest Weight Watchers Friendly Facebook Groups (Smiley's Points).
Weight Watchers Reddit Community - A helpful community for news, support and links regarding weight loss using Weight Watchers.
23 Weight Watchers Recipe Blogs
You definitely don’t have to be on Weight Watchers to be interested in these blogs. They’re great resources for lighter eating and if you’re interested in knowing the nutritional information on recipes:
- Dash of Herbs
- Dee Dee Does
- Drizzle Me Skinny
- Emily Bites
- Hungry Girl
- Keeping On Point
- LaaLoosh
- Life is Sweeter by Design
- Meal Planning Mommies
- Midlife Healthy Living
- My Crazy Good Life
- Pointed Kitchen
- Recipe Diaries
- Simple Nourished Living
- Skinny Kitchen
- SkinnyTaste
- Slap Dash Mom
- Slender Kitchen
- Smiley's Points
- Snack-Girl
- The Holy Mess
- The Skinnyish Dish
- The Pound Dropper
Best Weight Watchers Recipe Collections
There are lots of blogs, while not focused specifically on Weight Watchers Recipes, that have created helpful roundups or collections of Weight Watchers Recipes for their readers. Here are some of my favorites:
- 50 WW Freestyle Recipes for the Instant Pot
- Easy Healthy WW Freestyle Recipes for Two
- WW Friendly Air Fryer Recipes
- 35+ Easy Recipes for Sweet Treats with 3 SmartPoints or Less
- 100 Zero Point WW Recipes (DeeDeeDoes)
- 200 Best WW Meals with SmartPoints (Prudent Penny Pincher)
- 31 WW Zero Point Packable Lunches (DeeDeeDoes)
- Best WW Recipes of 2016 with SmartPoints/PointsPlus
- 100 of the Best Weight Watchers Recipes (Tone and Tighten)
- 83 Days of Low Calorie Weight Watchers Crock Pot Recipes (Simple Nourished Living)
- 20 Weight Watcher LUNCH recipes (A Spectacled Owl)
- 20 Weight Watchers SNACK/APPETIZERS recipes (A Spectacled Owl)
- 25 Weight Watchers SIDE DISH recipes (A Spectacled Owl)
- 25 Weight Watchers Recipes with 6 or Less Points (You Brew My Tea)
- 25 Weight Watcher BREAKFAST recipes (A Spectacled Owl)
- 25 Easy to Make Weight Watchers Dinner Recipes (Meraki Lane)
- 25 Weight Watcher DESSERT recipes (A Spectacled Owl)
- 25 Delicious Weight Watchers Dessert Recipes (Meraki Lane)
- 30 Weight Watchers DINNER recipes (A Spectacled Owl)
- 45 Recipes to Start You on Your Weight Watchers Journey (A Spectacled Owl)
- 50 Weight Watchers Recipes to Help Start your Weight Loss (A Spectacled Owl)
- Amazing Weight Watchers Dessert Recipes (Midlife Healthy Living)
Weight Watchers Meal Plans
What can I eat on Weight Watchers? For many meal planning is one of the big keys to success when you are trying to eat better and lose weight, which is why I share my weekly meal plans with my readers in my emails each week.
Here are more sample meal plans to help you...
- Slender Kitchen Meal Plans for Weight Watchers
- One Week Freestyle Meal Plan
- 30 Day Meal Plan That Helped Me Lose Almost 20 Pounds
- 20 Free WW Meal Plans with SmartPoints
- 7 Day Weight Watchers Meal Plan
- Freestyle SmartPoints Meal Plan
- Family Friendly Weight Watchers Meal Plan
- 101 WW Friendly Meal Prep Tips
How to Do Weight Watchers for Free: Resources & Guides
If your circ*mstances allow, the best way to successfully do Weight Watchers®, is by joining their program, either by attending meetings, signing up on-line, or with their new personal coaching.
I became a lifetime member by attending meetings. If that's not possible for you, following the program on your own is possible, but it will take creativity and commitment.
Here are links that may help you do Weight Watchers for free:
- How to Do Weight Watchers at Home for Free (Slender Kitchen)
- How to Get Weight Watchers for Free, Really! (Frecklberry Finds)
- Weight Watchers Free: DIY Guide (Healthy Weight Forum)
- Printable Weight Watchers Food Journal (LaaLoosh)
- 7-Day Weight Watchers Menu Plan (SkinnyMs)
- Create a Custom Weight Watchers Meal Plan with Plan to Eat (Organize Yourself Skinny)
- 50 Weight Watchers Friendly Fast Food Options with 8 or Less Points (The Life She Has)
- Weight Watchers Weekly Meal Plans with Recipes and Points (Simple Nourished Living)
- Zero Points Food List (Blue)
- Zero Points Food List (Green)
- Zero Points Food List (Purple)
- Fast Food Survival Guide with SmartPoints for Weight Watchers (Meal Planning Mommies)
- Portion Distortion - How Portions Have Gotten Bigger and What You Can Do About it (Nutrition Secrets)
Is There A Free App (iTrackBites) for Doing Weight Watchers?
There is a free App that is very much like Weight Watchers: iTrackBites.
Weight Watchers or iTrackBites, which is better?
- Weight Watchers vs. iTrackBites (Smiley's Points)
- iTrackBites Explained (Video)
- This app lets you do WW without paying for it and I can't believe how good it is (Business Insider)
Weight Watchers Shopping Lists
What foods can you eat on WW? What foods are not allowed?
The thing is that while everything is allowed on WW, no foods are banned. WW members are an amazing resource for finding and sharing healthy low points foods.
- WW Grocery Shopping List
- Trader Joes WW Shopping List
- Aldi WW Friendly Shopping List
- Walmart WW Friendly Shopping List
- Target WW Friendly Shopping List
- Low Points Cereals for Weight Watchers
- The Best Low Point Popcorn
- Weight Watchers Favorite Frozen Foods
Weight Watchers Restaurant Guides
- The Ultimate myWW Restaurant & Fast Food Guide
- Best Fast Food Options for Weight Watchers
- 7 Best WW Friendly Fast Food Restaurants
- What Is Your Go To Fast Food Meal?
- WW Friendly Fast Food Options
- Weight Watchers Fast Food Choices Under 10 SmartPoints
- WW Chic Fil A Restaurant Guide
- WW Cracker Barrel Restaurant Guide
- Weight Watchers Chipotle Guide
- WW Olive Garden Survival Guide
- Weight Watchers Red Robin Guide
- Weight Watchers Taco Bell Guide
- Weight Watchers P.F. Chang's Guide
- Weight Watchers Olive Garden Guide
More About Weight Watchers
- Learning to Appreciate The Gift of WW Lifetime Membership
- My Journey to WW Lifetime Membership
- Old WW Program 1990s - WW Quick Success
Martha is the founder and main content writer for Simple-Nourished-Living.
A longtime lifetime WW at goal, she is committed to balancing her love of food and desire to stay slim while savoring life and helping others do the same.
She is the author of the Smart Start 28-Day Weight Loss Challenge.
A huge fan of the slow cooker and confessed cookbook addict, when she's not experimenting in the kitchen, you're likely to find Martha on her yoga mat.
More about Martha McKinnon
This post contains affiliate links to products I like. When you buy something through one of my Amazon links or other (affiliate links), I receive a small commission that helps support this site. Thank you for your purchase!
Originally published 3/2015; Updated with new WW Personal Points Content 11/2021
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