by Jennifer Kirkman

Created on: October 28, 2009

The Weight Watcher's Point System is all based on certain factors. To begin counting points, you need to take their points quiz. The quiz centers around things I will mention here in this article. The highest amount of points allowed on the Weight Watcher's plan is 46, and the lowest you are allowed to go is 18. Having only 18 points daily is a bit harder to work with. It all depends on where you are at when you start. The heavier you are, the more points you will get up to 46.

First, comes your personal details. What gender are you, your age, and height is the beginning in order to figure out where you start out.

Next, you are asked some questions about activity. Are you active all day, or do you sit mostly? Or is your job such that you stand more than you sit? This figures into your level of points you will get daily as well.

Next, they want to know if you are there to lose weight, or maintain your current weight. Some people go to Weight watcher's to maintain their healthy eating lifestyle.

One of the factors that also enters into the equation is whether or not you are nursing.

Once your points value is determined, you will plan your menus from there. What you have to learn is the point values of foods. Foods that are lower in calories will have very low point ranges, whereas foods that are very high in calories will have higher points. So how you spend your daily points target is up to you.

You also get what is called exercise points. Each 15 minutes of steady activity such as walking briskly, will earn you points based on your weight at the time. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, and you have walked at least 15 minutes, you'll earn 1 extra point that you can spend on food. If on the other hand, you weigh 150 and walk 30 minutes, that will earn 2 points that you can spend on foods. Now the higher your weight is, the more exercise points you can earn. Everyone regardless of what they weigh, will get at least 1 extra point they can spend on foods when they walk a minimum of 15 minutes.

Now, the other good news is that you get what is called Flex-Points. Flex points total 35 additional weekly points. If you are still hungry, want a special treat and have used your daily points allowance, you can turn to these. Some people can't use these extra points without going up a pound or coming to a stand still on their weight loss. And then there are people that can use all of their extra weekly points and still lose. So it can vary from person to person.

Weight Watcher's doesn't believe in saying "you can't have this or that," but what they want you to do is to choose smartly most of the time so you can either lose or maintain your weight loss.

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