As anyone who reads this blog knows, I just started the online version of Weight Watchers. When I signed up I was asked to decide if I wanted to do the Flex or Core Programs. I chose the Flex Plan. Here is my interpretation of what each plan is all about. Both plans incorporate the Points System, but not in the same way or capacity.
The Core Plan seems to be for those who do NOT want to have to weigh and measure. You pick from a list of foods and pay attention to your hunger signals. The points come in to play when you want/need to eat foods that are not on the approved list. I imagine this would happen during holiday meals, parties, vacations, etc. The foods on this plan have a low number of calories, but more water, air or fiber per serving, relative to the food’s weight. From what I can tell, this plan is low on carbs and higher on veggies, fruit and lean meats.
The Flex Plan allows you to eat any food you like, but you need to stick to the number of daily points allowed. Food points are based on a serving of the food’s calories, grams of fat, and grams of fiber. This plan is all about portion control. So, being able to have any food you like sounds great – but if you want to have “enough” food to feel full – you really need to make healthier food choices.
I like the Flex plan because, even though I am making healthier choices in what I eat – I don’t feel limited by the types of foods that I’m allowed to eat. I’m allowed up to 22 points per day. And, I get additional points for the exercise that I do each day too.
Posted on September 17th, 2008 by lizzie
Filed under: Diet Program Review
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That’s interesting. I didn’t know there was a variety of plans with weight watchers. I think I like the Flex Plan better as well!
I’m excited to hear about your results!
Good luck to you! : ]
I have heard a lot about weight watchers from my friends….I am looking forward to use it one day too…Hope the day is soon…
Wow.. nice article. I come across many different diet plans but never new any thing about Flex Plan. thanks for sharing this plan with us. After deatil reading i came to know that it is better than the rest of diet plans.
My wife does Weight Watchers. She does the flex plan and loves it. It works great for her! She has been doing it for the last 2 years and then stopped for her pregnancy. It is a great diet plan and if you stick to it, it can be very rewarding.
Good luck with it. Weight watchers is an excellent way to lose weight, restricting calories without restricting good food
I prefer the core plan myself. Way I see it, eating a smaller amount of unhealthy food isn’t going to help you in any way.
Congrats on your choice I wish you all the best. I’ll be pulling for you to have wonderful results.
Yes such plans can ensure a perfect fitness. Thanks for sharing.
I have to disagree whit Ling, she’s didn’t tell that the food is unhealthy it’s just weaker food and you can eat more if you exercise
I’m looking forward to try 
I prefer moderate portions and a steady, but healthy regiment of exercise.
Great, i love this plan to my diet. But the exercises are essential, dont forget this!
The flex plan sounds very interesting. It’s something different and it gives you the freedom of choice, which you don’t have with most diet plans.
Thank you for sharing this information!
Don’t know if I could cope with the online version of weight watchers, I need the support of other wight watchers to keep me determined enough to cope with the demands of dieting, but I do recommend weight watchers. Aran
6 small meals A day of whatever you want will do you just fine. Feel hungry? Eat a banana. Still feel hungry? Eat a yogurt. I eat till that feeling of I’m hungry goes away. Sounds like the flex plan is best for ya! Hang in there and don’t forget the exercise!!! Two hours per week at least.
I sincerely wish you luck. I’ve found that taking it off is not as hard as keeping it off, but you have probably been told that already. Good luck!
My sister has used weight watchers with great success. I’ve recently started running and I think its going to scorch fat off of me.
I have used this plan and the results are infront of me, i have lost 30 lbs and i am still reducing myself. Great plan to slim up your self by having healthy and diet food.
Well it sounds like more of a sensible idea from weightwatchers. Just eating a generally more healthy diet! I wouldn’t say i was fat, or overweight, but still, eating chocolate is not exactly good for me – nor my skin! To be honest the only way anyone will loose weight is by eating plants.
I agree with Ling,
Although there is flexibility with the Flex plan its still important to make good healthy choices and not eat unheathy food on a regular basis just because they are within the point system. I know a lot of skinny people who have very high cholesterol levels that are a beat away from a heart attack.
Under the Flex Plan weight watchers participants are allotted a number of points each day based on various factors such as their gender, height, current weight, age and physical activity.
The number of points allotted may be increased with sufficient exercise, as in the Core Plan. Participants are allotted 35 “flex points†per week in addition to their fixed daily allotments, and they may use these any time during each weekly cycle.
Its probably a good idea to consult with a dietician to make sure a sensible diet is being followed.
But it certainly sounds like a good first step. Keep us posted with your results.
Good luck with whatever plan you chose. Remember, exercise is the other half of the equation…….
I think you’re right–portion control is key and mastering the hunger scale is crucial!!
Best Wishes for your success at Weight Watchers.
Best of luck to you! Stay focused and stay positive!
Weight Watchers is an excellent program — can’t wait to hear about your results!
I have used this plan and i am really happy with its performance. Its really working for me.
I’ve really been wanting to give Weight Watchers a try —– but I’ve been slacking off lately!
I’m very interested to see how this goes for you! Keep us posted & Good luck!
I hope that the plan will turn out right! Good luck and God bless!
I prefer a workout like the core one you described, although my wife prefers the flex diet. She has actually lost weight with the weight watchers program before, so she is going to try it again.
Weight Watchers is a great way to go. I’ve had really good experiences with them in the past!
My girlfriend tried the flex plan and it didn’t work for her. I tried isagenix and I got some results, but I don’t like the idea of processed powders as food. Right now, I’ve been doing a two day fast every week. I’ve done seven weeks, so that’s 14 days with under 500 calories on each day!!! I’ve lost quite a bit of weight, but I can’t say how much because I don’t own a scale. I would guess 15 pounds. I want to try it for a year (or more). Of course over the course of a year, that would be 100 days!!! I don’t know if that would be possible, but I guess if you’re eating 5 days a week it shouldn’t be so bad. Right?
I agree on the flex plan over the core plan. The ability to shuffle points around by eating light through the day to dine out later makes a lot of sense and helped me stick with the plan. Plus the 35 bonus points are pretty sweet too!
looks like a good plan..
the calories counting is very important to any diet methods..
looks like a good plan..
the calories counting is very important..
good luck..!
The Only real Weight loss is achieved by proper diet and i can prove it!
[...] Currently I’m successfully doing the Weight Watchers Flex program. Last Thursday I was hungry ALL DAY LONG. No idea why, but I was. I used up all my 22 alloted points for the day; then went through the extra 7 optional points for the day and I even dipped in to the 35 extra weekly points that can be used. Then Friday came around and I felt defeated with the program and that gave me the excuse to NOT follow the plan that day and this attitude continued through the weekend. [...]
The weight watchers plan is a good one, stick with it… it REALLY works!
Hopefully the plan works out. Weight watchers is one of the best weight loss programs still.
For me this plan sounds easy and want to try it, but you said on october 24th that you were hungry all day long, so that makes me worry I don’t wanna do it and been hungry all days! could that really happen
I’ve been counting calories and with good sucess. I find that one is too limited to the food choices when counting points. A good book with calorie counts allows one to eat what they want as long as you stay under your daily budget.
The plan is great and will get you to your goal, just remember exercise is an importent part of getting to your goal and staying there.
I will recommend weight watcher all the time,the program is top notch
Great article, Weight watchers is one of the best weight loss programs still.
Weight watchers is an excellent way to lose weight, restricting calories without restricting good food. I have used this plan and i am really happy with its performance. Its really working for me.
Please feel free to include this on your website. As part of my ongoing mission to find the absolute best tools to make money, this is without a doubt at the top of my list. weight watchers is exactly what our business has been lacking.
I’m actually a big fan of the Core Plan for Weight Watchers. I get overwhelmed by details easily, and I’d much prefer to usually not have to count points, as long as I’m eating a list-approved food item. That system makes it easier for me, which means I actually stick to it, which means I lose weight!
Thanks for the great post!
I agree with ‘burning fat’.
Weight watchers helped me lose weight easily at first until I took back control.
Warm Regards,
Adam Johnstone
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I recommend that you guys should try the two hour eating routine. for at least five to six times a day. The two hour eating routine helps you to decrease cravings by eating small portions of food.
But we should take into account that what we eat is supposed to be protein, vitamin B5, B6, and C rich. Those aids metabolism in burning so you’ll have a better burning process.