As anyone who has ever followed the Weight Watchers program knows, the whole idea of the plan is to track everything you eat, assign each food a PointsPlus value, and to limit your food intake to a prescribed number of Points each day. Many common “comfort foods” have very high PointsPlus values, and it is very easy for the Points to add up quickly throughout the day. Since staying within your daily Points range is the most surefire way to lose weight, running out of PointsPlus values on a given day can present a serious challenge to a Weight Watchers member. What exactly are you supposed to do if you run out of PointsPlus values for the day but you are still hungry?
The first thing to remember when you are out of points is that most vegetables and ALL fruits have a PointsPlus value of zero. That means that you can eat as much of these foods as you want until you are reasonably satisfied, and it won’t cost you one single point. So, if you are absolutely starving, reach for an apple, banana, or carrot–you can eat fruits and vegetables guilt free on the Weight Watchers program.
Also, keep in mind that you have a Weekly Points allowance you can use. Dipping onto this allowance is a great way to add some flexibility to your weight loss plan on days when you run out of Points to spend on food. Although your weight loss is accelerated when you choose not to spend your weekly Points allowance, you can rest assured that you will still indeed lose weight even if you do spend some or even all of your weekly Points. Weight Watchers has calculated these extra points into their weight loss formula, so don’t be afraid to use them!
You can also do extra physical activity to earn extra PointsPlus values to spend on food. Just ten to fifteen minutes of light activity can be enough to earn you a couple of extra food points. So, if you are still hungry but have run out of PointsPlus values on a given day, try going for a walk or even doing some yard work. The workout will make you feel wonderful, and you will earn some extra Points that you can use to eat additional food while still losing weight.
Finally, you’ll want to review your day to see how you can spend your PointsPlus daily allowance more wisely in the future. Although there are strategies you can use when you do run out of Points, it is best not to cut it so close with your Points to begin With. Ask yourself if everything you ate was worth the amount of Points spent on it, and if there was anything you could have done without. Keep these things in mind next time you have the opportunity to consume these foods. Sticking to the Weight Watchers plan is something everyone can do, even if you run out of Points for the day.