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Before I get into any specifics I just have to say this…

It’s Flore people, It’s FLORE!

If you have no idea what I’m talking about click here to read one of my old Weight Watcher Rant posts. In short, "flore" was the underground name for a combination of (at that time) both Weight Watcher plans (CORE and FLEX). From the very beginning I followed Weight Watchers Flex Plan by counting points while eating as many Core Foods as possible and it always seemed like a no brainer to me. Sure I could have just counted points for what I was eating before Weight Watchers but considering 1 – 12 inch sub would pretty much be my daily allowance I decided to not only start counting points but change, fundamentally, what I was eating.

Weight Watcher’s new plan, Momentum, takes this same exact concept and finally admits it’s not all about Points. What you eat counts as well. FINALLY, Weight Watchers, Finally… thank you. :)

The Momentum plan is designed to teach you the fundamentals of weight loss and help you stick with your weight-loss efforts, all the way to your goal.

What are the fundamentals of weight loss, you ask? Well the tried and trusted "burn more calories then you take in". Yes people, Weight Watchers has repackaged the basic foundation that we ALL KNOW is true. We need to eat less and move more. It’s not rocket science yet somehow it’s more complicated then quantum physics.

The new plan still uses the tried and trusted Points system. Nothing has changed there. You still get a daily allowance. There are still 35 weekly points to fall back and use how you like. The big change is the focus on what Weight Watchers is calling "Filling Foods" that are pretty much, yup you guessed it, CORE foods.

Specifically these "Filling Foods" are..

  • Whole Grains
  • Fruits & Veggies
  • Lean Proteins (meat, fish, eggs, beans)
  • Fat Free Dairy

The Momentum plan also introduces the concept of "stretching" your points. Or what I always liked to call "bulking". Way back when, I talked about this concept is my Does Size Matter? post.

In the new materials Weight Watchers even puts side by side images up of this idea which eerily reminds me of the ones found in Volumetrics. Another plan that focuses on what you eat and how you can stretch your calories.

VolumetricsWeight Watchers stretching

Again, this isn’t new stuff. It’s the same tried and trusted theories we all know work, Weight Watchers is just wrapping it up all nice for us in new packaging and just in time for Christmas… how thoughtful of them. ;)

In addition to these changes the 8 healthy guidelines have changed slightly and now there are 9. FINALLY addressing something I think they should have a while ago, Activity. In summary the new healthy guidelines are…

  • 5 servings of fruits & veggies
  • 2 servings of milk products
  • 6 glasses of "liquids" – they used to say water.. they changed it. Why? I DON’T know. Bad move in my opinion
  • 2 tsp healthy oils
  • 1-2 servings of lean protein
  • 1 multivitamin a day
  • Choose Whole Grains when possible
  • Get in at least 30 minutes of activity in a day most days of the week
  • Limit sugar and alcohol

Other then those changes the plan is just like the old Flex plan. The points are exactly the same. The formulas have not changed so all your point calculators are still relevant. Again, the big difference is emphasizing what you eat not just how many points it is.

In my opinion these changes are in response to people generalizing the Flex plan as the "eat whatever you want as long as you count it" plan. Which we know is not true. If you ate whatever you wanted your points would be gone by breakfast and you’d never be able to stay on plan. Have you ever calculated Danny’s Grand Slam* breakfast? Ummm yeah.

Anyway, right now I’m thinking the hard core CORE followers are up in arms as they are being told they need to start tracking points (which we all know is not true — if old CORE is working for you then why change your plan.) However, if you are a CORE follower, I’ve been informed that the week 6 materials for the new plan will include a no counting strategy. Which is basically old CORE concepts as they don’t expect everyone to track what they eat forever. Not everyone is cut out for that.

So here’s my take on the new plan… It’s Flore. Eat as many whole, lean foods as possible. Start by counting points to learn about your food choices and to get an idea of portions. When you feel comfortable or when you reach your goal try to eat portions that feel right and learn to read your body’s fullness signals. If you start to need more accountability, start food journaling again.

They should have just called it the "Roni Plan" as it’s EXACTLY what I’ve been doing for the past 3 years. That sounds a bit egotistical but it’s true and I think most maintainers will agree that they’ve been following a similar plan as well.

Personally I applaud Weight Watchers for constantly changing their plan. The seem to adjust based on what is and what isn’t working for their members. When push comes to shove they are a company trying to make money but overall I do believe their plan takes a common sense approach and it did work for me. It’s about finding what works for you.

Now, if when can just get them to make healthier products! Considering most of their Weight Watcher brand food doesn’t even come close to meeting their own healthy guidelines! What is up with that?!?

Instead of a separate weekly question this week, I’d like to hear your opinions on the new Momentum plan. What are your thoughts?


*20, that’s right TWENTY. Almost 800 calories and 50g of fat!! YIKES!

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92 Responses to A Review of the New Weight Watchers Momentum Plan – Share your thoughts…

  1. Lynn C says:

    Heh, yeah, I think I said almost exactly the same thing… it is the Flore plan, which I had been following over the last month or so to hurdle me past a plateau…

    I’m just as glad they changed the water thing, because honestly, I hate water, I hate drinking water, and it was the thing I most often “cheated” on…

  2. Elaine says:

    I’m with you on this one — it seems like their new plan is simply a marketing tool. While I am excited that they are finally stressing the importance of Core foods, those of us that actually followed the plan already knew of this.

  3. Melissa says:

    I’ve been doing this method for years and just never called it Flore on the Core board or I’d have been shot. I love journaling and didn’t want to stop. And I love eating healthy. I love the focus on cleaner eating. It’s what their customers demanded. But really, it’s just repackaging. Nothing really new for us current members. Just a reminder on which foods are more filling. (Duh :)

  4. Melissa says:

    Oh and I’ve never tried a Fruitie and never would :)

  5. AJ says:

    Excited to hear my leader talk about the new plan tomorrow – hope she makes it as exciting as you always do Roni! ;-)

    It sounds great as I am trying very hard to incorporate what i have been reading in the volumetrics book… and your blog posts, of course. :-)

  6. Bethany says:

    I’ve been counting “points” unofficially for about a year and a half. I’ve never been to a WW meeting or joined online, but I know a lot of people that do/have and they taught me a lot. I’ve been trying to lose about 10 pounds during this time. I lost five pounds, but then I switched to counting calories for a few months and the weight back. I like points better because, for me, it’s easy to rationalize an extra 300 calories, but it’s not easy to rationalize 6 points (over a quarter of my daily allotment!).

    The only problem I have with WW is that it penalizes fat so much that I hardly ever get enough fat or protein. Fat is not bad as long as you keep calories in check, and it’s been proven to help satiate longer! On WW, I struggle to eat anything more than carbs, and I don’t think this is good for me.

    I started to count nuts and other healthy fats just for their calories (3 points for 150 calories of almonds) since they are good for me. If I have to count them as 4 points I won’t eat them. Maybe other people don’t have this problem???

  7. roni says:

    Bethany – I TOTALLY agree. I do something similar with meats. I count anything lean (chicken, fish, lean cuts of beef, pork loin, even “dark meat chicken” as a point an ounce. Even though some is a little bit more. This way I’m not cutting it out of my diet completely but I’m still measuring it to stay honest.

    I love your idea on the nuts! I may start to do that too!

  8. Michelly says:

    I’m not technically allowed to go to meetings, as I’m pregnant, but I snuck in for the tail end of my mom’s meeting and perused her new materials. I like the new momentum program and I applaud WW for listening to their members and adjusting the plan accordingly. As a business, they need to keep things fresh, but it also seems like they care about and listen to feedback.

    I like the changes to the tracker: boxes for all the GHG’s plus a rating for your hunger scale. I also like the emphasis on the “filling foods.” It seems like common sense now after being OP for over 1 year before pregnancy, but honestly, at the beginning of the journey, I didn’t know which foods would keep me fuller for longer. I had to use trial and error and learn the hard way. Maybe new members will reap the benefits of the wisdom of those who have been OP and known this for a while. I also like that they made activity one of the GHG’s and let you add AP’s to the week rather than having to spend them in one day.

  9. Hayley says:

    Bethany that is exactly what I’d always thought! 1-2 servings of lean protein a day is VERY low to me considering that protein is generally what sustains you and keeps you going – along with healthy fat. That’s so interesting about the nuts! So do you just have it saved online as something you created yourself! Great idea.. :)

  10. I’m a self-confessed former WW’er that would eat all the junk she could within her daily allowance, and would rail and cry when I wouldn’t lose weight each week lol

    While I’m no longer a WW’er, I do contribute my weight loss (82.4 lbs to date with 42.6 more to go!) to something similar to what you’re doing and WW Momentum. I eat fresh fruits and veggies, and lean meats. I’ve cut out all processed junk, and cook every single meal in my own home. It’s so simple, I want to slap myself for taking so long to figure this out. :)

    Great blog Roni, as always!

  11. Julie says:

    I agree with everything you said Roni….I just got back from a meeting and was pleasantly surprised that they melded the two concepts because I have found also that is what really works. For me I know I have to get back to tracking what I eat and keeping up with regular exercise…if I stop either two, I gain – bottomline. Mindless eating and lack of exercise is what made me unhealthy and unhappy…and I refuse to not recognize that and do something about it. I won’t let the bad habits take over again!!! I’m going to blast off this 8 lbs and get back to goal…and then keep living it right!

  12. Courtney says:

    I love the new plan. You’re right, and I also wrote about it on my blog, it is exactly what people should be doing and how they should be eating. Thank goodness WW did this. I truly believe it will help people lose weight for life! Great review, Roni!

  13. Shannon says:

    One of the reasons I had trouble maintaining my WW loss back in ’99 was because during WW I still ate ‘junk’ but made it fit in my points. After reaching lifetime I didn’t really do the “maintenance” plan and instead quit counting and just began eating a little more of the same things I had already been eating. That coupled with changing to a much less active job led to me gaining it all back plus a bunch more!!

    Now, many years later I am trying to lose it all again and have finally realized that I can’t eat the stuff in the “middle aisles” everyday and lose weight, I have to eat more fruits, veggies and foods with good (real) fiber!

  14. Sarah says:

    I love this : “finally admits it’s not all about Points” — so true!

    PS — the woman who created volumetrics helped WW develop Core (I thought that was interesting) & thus the new FLORE (way better than Momentum)

    I will admit that not many of us (okay ME) didn’t realize that we were following plan — but wrong. Oh I can have this, I have enough points…why the heck am I starving? Oh, I spent 28 points on crap. This new plan (“new”) makes me excited to refocus. I KNOW what I have to do..this is my nudge to get there. I know, total “d’oh” right?

    The emphasis on healthy habits is darn neat too!

  15. Alessandra says:

    well, i have my meeting tonight and i’ll find out all of the details then, but so far with what i’ve heard, i have to say that it seems like a refreshing change!! i think it’s good to change it up every once in a while to keep it interesting!
    i heard that when it says “liquids”, they changed it because items added to flavor water such as coffee, tea, crystal light, etc don’t change the fact that it’s still water and people were really bothered by the previous rule… but you know some people are going to stop drinking water altogether and make diet coke their liquid intake for the day! sad.
    i absolutely agree that if people stopped doing ww simply for weight loss, and accepted it as a way to change their life to a healthy way of living, they’d be a whole lot healthier! core foods should already be implemented into everyone’s daily diet! Swapping out regular cookies for diet ones, or regular chips for baked ones, isn’t going to cut it. Sure you may be in your points, but only eating junk isn’t the way to live a healthy life.
    Anyway, great post as always and thanks for the pom coupons!! i got them yesterday and can’t wait to try them!! :)

  16. Melissa says:

    My meeting is tomorrow, and I’ve been looking forward to hearing about the “new plan” . . . thanks for the sneak preview, sounds like WW is still going in a great direction.

  17. Lilbet says:

    I reviewed this on my blog too! I gave it a big “duh”, but maybe a lot of people didn’t figure this out after their first week of eating whatever they wanted (and having no points after breakfast as you mentioned!)

    I agree about their products, they’re crap.

    The thing to remember about WW is that they’re a company intent on making money. Your success isn’t necessarily important to them–so, I take most of what they present with a grain of salt. I’ve been a member for 15 months and can only stand the online tools. The meetings were too “infomercial” for me!

    Great post. Very well written!

  18. dietgirl says:

    FLORE cracked me up but makes me nervous being a homonym for FLAW, hehe. But it does sound like a more positive direction. I’m totally with you on the Roni Plan being the key to maintenance. I also think of foods in terms of time as well as volume – how long will it take me to eat this? 20 seconds for a cookie versus 20 minutes for a big ass salad :)

  19. Lisa says:

    I got online last night to find a meeting in my area, because I’m joining up for meetings again this coming Tuesday, and found out about the new plan. I never did anything with Core, always Flex, so this will be something a bit new to me. Your review of it was great, so thank you. I’m excited to be going back.

  20. Shelley says:

    Thank you, Roni! I heard the new plan on Monday night & thought “duh” – that’s how eat when I’m on plan anyway. I also have always done Flex, & now I don’t feel like I’m missing anything by not having tried Core :) I’m curious to hear how they explain the filling foods with the points value followed by a different points value in parentheses. Also, I don’t know if it’s my leader that’s kinda dumb, or if she thinks we’re all dumb, or if everyone else in the group actually is dumb, or if everyone else in the group is just painfully shy…..b/c when she put up the visual of 2 pieces of toast vs. big omelet & side of fruit & asked, “Which do you think is more filling?” no one said anything! I blurted, “the omelette” thinking, “duh!” But she didn’t hear me b/c I was in the back & finally someone up front was like, “uhhh….the omelette???” like it was just a guess or something!

    I think “Momentum” is more of just a marketing tool for WW right now (like “stop dieting, start living” was last year), & just in time for the New Year & all those resolutions! I’m curious to see how many people show up in a couple weeks!

  21. Shelley says:

    btw, I saw someone above said, “thanks for the pom coupons,” & I thought it said “thanks for the porn coupons!” lol! I was thinking, “Porn coupons?!! I didn’t see them!” ha!

  22. Courtney says:

    Quick question, if you’ve got time.
    I’ve been following weight watchers for only about a month now and I’m a bit confused by this new plan. Does this mean that anything on the Core Foods list is essentially zero points, and then anything else should be counted as you would normally?

  23. Courtney says:

    PS: I’m not actually going to meetings or using the online program; my parents are unofficially doing weight watchers right now as well [my mom used to go to meetings a few years ago and got all of the information then] and so I’m just using the info that they’ve given me. Unfortunately I don’t have their books or any hard copies of the plan, only websites and online point calculators. Which makes it hard for me to really find out this stuff!

    Thanks!
    Courtney

  24. roni says:

    Courtney – Actually the opposite is true. This means you count points for EVERYTHING no mater if it’s CORE or not.

    Hope that helps!

  25. Stephanie says:

    My meeting today introduced the new program. Just in time to give me a boost! Thanks Roni your take on it was a perfect explanation!

  26. Suzyn says:

    Wow… this is almost identical to the WW plan the first time I joined in 1987. The only difference is the LOW – VERY LOW – protein allotment. Back in ’87, you needed 5-6 servings of protein ( 1 serving being usually 1 oz of chicken, beef or pork, or 2 oz. of the leaner fish).

    I found that version of WW extremely easy and very effective. This may just prompt me to try this instead of calorie counting. Although even with the calorie counting, the amounts of each food groups are something I’ve always followed, whether doing it on my own, calorie counting, WW or whatever.

    Nice to see WW getting sensible again! :-)

  27. Laura Jane says:

    I think this sounds like a great plan. And it’s basically what I’m trying to do (except w/ calories, not points.) I count calories, but I really try to eat mostly healthy filling foods and little or no sweets and breads. The key for me is to eat those foods that will cause me to feel full and that I won’t be tempted to eat in excess. For example, if I eat 150 calories (or 3 points) of bread, I’m still hungry and it’s all I can do to keep myself from grabbing another roll. If I eat the same amount of chicken, for instance, I’m more full and I don’t have the urge to eat another one!

  28. The Baroness says:

    Well Roni, they jacked your plan, didn’t they? lol Don’t feel bad. Today I saw a set of stickers online that you can put on food packages for a quick “no, low, medium or high” calorie reference. It’s the same thing that I have been doing with colored electrical tape for a long time. Great dieting minds think alike, eh?

  29. Linda says:

    We talked about the change from water to drinks tonight at our meeting. One of the members talked about an article that she read recently that studies have shown damage done but people who are dieting who drink alot to begin with like juice, diet sodas, milk, etc and on top of that guzzle water to get their 6 or 8 glasses. Something to do with electrolytes. So they agreed in the change from water to fluids.

  30. s says:

    man … i didn’t get in to ww this week because of finals/classes, but i think i’m going to stick to doing the plan that existed before (flex) … you basically have to do those things anyway to succeed.

  31. Susan says:

    I went to my meeting tonight. On top of the new plan being very common sense – what I was doing on flex – we had a substitute leader who was very monotoned about the whole deal. She basically read, in her monotone voice, straight from the book for the meeting. At the end, I wasn’t really pumped about the new program, as I thought I would be, I only felt as though I lost a half hour that I would never get back. Upon getting home and reading the new material, I am a little more excited – but really, it is the same old thing repackaged and combined.

  32. Phil 56yom320lbs says:

    I just started week of tgiving and today new program. no biggie i lost 5 lbs on flex and will keep doing. My beef is that the new tracker book is so much smaller, I can’t write that small write that small. How in the world can I get some of the old books I hate the new booktracker any body else have this problem?Kettering, Ohio
    Thanks

  33. Andira says:

    I haven’t been to a meeting yet but my mom has and came back upset. Is it true that you don’t get activity points anymore? She said that that is what her leader told her. I just don’t see how that’s right. I mean, I earn around 15 activity points a week… won’t I be eating too little if I don’t adjust for them?

    Just wondering what you think… :-)

  34. roni says:

    Andira – I don’t think that’s true. They just aren’t introducing the AP part of the plan until week 5 I think. I’d still track then as usual.

  35. Linda says:

    the points finder still has the activity points on the back

  36. Sandra says:

    If you do the online program you get activity points but you can’t swap them until the weekly points are gone. This is the only thing I don’t like about the plan.

    BTW – I thought the same thing – this is Roni’s plan!!!

  37. Christie says:

    I agree with pretty much everyone else. I think the key to sustained weight loss is learning to be full with food that is better for you. This would be the new “filling foods”.

  38. Alexia says:

    Well, every year they have to come up with a new angle to get people to rejoin for new year’s resolutions, right? ;-) I’m glad they’ve been going in the right direction — it sounds good! It’s better than the old eat-7-hotdogs-but-god-forbid-a-potato-passes-your-lips plan (many moons ago).

  39. Alessandra says:

    i really dont understand why people care that AP are used after WPA… a point is a point, who cares where it came from! just work out and make good food choices!

  40. Christy says:

    I am in serious need of motivation (or change) so this might help. I am pulling up their site TODAY and checking it out.

  41. Anne Marie says:

    just a note about the activity points….i’m a receptionist at a weight watchers meeting, and at our training, we were told that activity points can be “banked” for the week. in other words, if you earn 3 activity points today, you don’t have to use them in the same day. you can save them until the next day or until the end of the week. i hope that clears up any confusion!

  42. Diane says:

    Very interesting. Our WW leader mentioned it to us, but wouldn’t go into details since our sessions was ending. She said she will introduce it to us after we come back in the new year. I’m glad to be able to hear what the hype is about.

  43. petunia says:

    I have to go back and read all of the comments above, but I’m anxious to weigh in — this is EXACTLY what I’ve been doing as well. Flex but mostly core foods because I need bulk. I can’t eat like tiny 7 point frozen meal with a 2 point bar. It’s not filling to me. I love adding a ton of raw and steamed veggies to every meal (if I’m making it myself). Like you I applaud WW for not resting on its laurels.

    Plus my leader would always ask (a pretty full room) “How many people here are on core?” and funnily no one raised there hands, even though there are a ton of people who have done REALLY well on core who speak up from time to time.

  44. petunia says:

    <—– hah hah I said “weigh in”
    Totally didn’t mean to make a pun.

  45. Cory says:

    Great description of the new program. I’ve read the paperwork on it, but that’s all since I only got it yesterday morning. Looks like a great change to the program!

  46. Helen says:

    I’m a former WW leader who left soon after the Points system (even before Core/Flex) was introduced. I had lost my weight on a WW plan that sort of followed the food pyramid and saw great success not only for myself but also for my members after I became a leader. When they switched to Points, I watched my members start to gain weight. I couldn’t seem to get them to understand that “Yes, you can spend all your points on Milky Ways but that’s not healthy!” The folks who didn’t like veggies were the first to gain. It was awful and I couldn’t take it anymore so I stopped leading. I hope this new momentum will bring WW back around to a program that physicians can recommend.

  47. Josee says:

    you have gotten me intreagued and excited… cant wait to get to a meeting tomorrow at lunch!

  48. Emily says:

    Roni- I have been following the “Roni Plan/Maintaining Plan/Emily’s Plan” for about 4 years now…it works if you follow it, LOL! I don’t have to count points or journal, for me, it’s about portion size. I know what’s good (raw veggies, low sugar fruits, whole grains, lean protein, water, etc) but actually eating it, and eating the right amount, is a whole different ball game.

    I’m really glad to see that WW is FINALLY doing something more geared towards maintenance. That is the 1 thing that really turned me off of their program.

    I found a WW book from back in the 1970s. I wish I’d bought it now because you’d love to see what they used to do- think Core but with much more limited choices. Plus they didn’t include fiber in their computation, only fat, cals, & carbs : )

  49. superartsy says:

    Well i started WW only last Sat(i think they officially revealed thier plan on Mon) but within a day it was a no brainer to me to add more bulk to my food. I mean all those veggies are fruits are almost zero points. And I dont agree with those that say that fats are charged heavily. Thats not true!!. Lean fats are well accounted for. Too many almonds are not good for you anyways.

  50. Joy says:

    Roni – you never cease to make me laugh.
    When the e-mails from WW started to come about the new plan, my first thought was – FLORE!
    My sister wants to demand royalities for all of us that knew this was the way to go all along.
    And here’s a thought – have you seen the new Quicktrak, the paper tracker that is passed out every week?
    Well, rememer when you let me have your html coding for your tracking table, I fiddled with it a bit – then you came up with a few new versions yourself? If you don’t have one of the new paper trackers – grab one and compare it to my version of your table and one of the previous versions you did. (I don’t remember which one reminds me of it the most, but you’ll see the similarities immediately.)
    I think we should BOTH get royality checks for that one.

    As always, you make me think! Take care, Joy

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