Challenge to use the Points Plus Program

Challenge to Use the PointsPlus™ Program: Week One

Article By: Elizabeth Josefsberg


This week we’re kicking off the Challenge to Use the PointsPlus program. We dare you to dig in and make use of all of the amazing tools available, while watching the pounds melt away.


Join us for the next four weeks as we give you tasks that really allow you to take full advantage of the features that make the PointsPlus program so unique and revolutionary.

The introduction of a brand new plan in a brand new year is a perfect opportunity to focus on your weight loss and hone the skills you need to build. The PointsPlus program heralds a new, smarter way of eating. You can learn more about the details of the program in multiple places on the site, including in the Your Plan section. This challenge will not direct you to follow specific parts of the new Plan; it’s more to keep you grounded in the fundamental principles of the Weight Watchers approach while you adjust to the changes.

So, each week for the next four weeks we will focus on one of four pillars of the plan, sharing techniques, tips and strategies that will assist you in your efforts. Join us as we delve into its details and inspire you to make the changes necessary to achieve lasting, healthy weight loss. We guarantee that it will be time well spent as you get the scoop on the secrets of highly successful Members!

Week One: Track attack
One of the key rules of the PointsPlus program is that you must track everything you eat and drink. Successful Members have long realized that self-monitoring leads to greater success; it provides a level of accountability that those people rely on. They report two great benefits: it allows them to look back at what they have done, and to plan ahead for success. Their instincts are supported by several studies proving that keeping track of food intake can boost weight-loss success.1

We all know how important tracking can be, but that doesn’t make it easy to do all the time. This week we challenge you to up the tracking ante! Make a small, manageable change to your tracking that might support your plan and supply you with more useable information and ultimately greater success. Perhaps you can commit to tracking something that you have never tracked consistently before, like your water intake, or the small slice of tomato you put in your sandwich. Perhaps you can begin logging your activity or steps on the activity tracker

There are many aspects of tracking, and different ways to do it. Quite often the greatest hurdle is just doing it. Maybe you can try a new way of tracking this week. Try tracking on your mobile device for the week. The challenge here is to adjust your tracking in a way that will make it even more relevant for you. Having trouble thinking of something? Head to the Community and ask for suggestions and discuss ideas. Share your success and share what you learn this week by making the change.

Remember that all the effort you put in will ultimately pay off. If you are having trouble making tracking a consistent part of your plan, know that people who have successfully maintained their weight losses report that, over time, tracking becomes easier and requires less attention.2 Your effort this week will ultimately bring you closer to a place where tracking feels more natural and doable!



1. Boutelle KN, Kirschenbaum DS. Further support for consistent self- monitoring as a vital component of successful weight control. Obes Res. 1998 May;6(3):219- 24.
2. Klem ML, Wing RR, Lang W, McGuire MT, Hill JO. Does weight loss maintenance become easier over time? Obes Res. 2000 Sep;8(6):438-44.