The Momentum plan is built on a proven method for weight-loss success: burn more calories than you take in. It was created to teach you the fundamentals of weight loss and guide you toward healthy foods that will help to keep you satisfied longer. With greater satisfaction and the ability to build a plan that fits your life, you will be more likely to achieve lasting weight loss.

Here is a snapshot of the Momentum plan and the approach it is based on:

The Momentum plan is based on Weight Watchers patented POINTS® Food System that helps you evaluate the weight-loss impact of foods. Every food has a POINTS value – a small, easy to remember number (e.g, 1, 2, 3). The number is based on the calories, grams of total fat and grams of dietary fiber of a specific portion of the food. The system does not require exact weighing and measuring, but instead encourages people to focus on the bigger picture by building awareness of the food choices they make and eating reasonable portions.

The POINTS formula gently guides food choices by encouraging selection of healthy foods with a lower energy density because that's where you get the most food for a given POINTS value. Based on a person's current weight, height, gender, age and level of daily activity, a POINTS Target is established, that is the total of POINTS values for the day. Choosing foods to meet the Target ensures a healthful rate of weight loss. On the Momentum plan, we teach you how to be stay aware of your food choices by tracking what you eat – a proven method to enhance weight-loss success.

This plan also encourages the selection of Filling Foods to help keep you satisfied longer. The Filling Foods are a list of foods comprised from all the food groups: fruits and vegetables; grains and starches; lean meats, fish and poultry: eggs, and dairy products. We pre-selected these foods because they provide eating satisfaction and fill you up without the empty calories. They are low in energy density and have a low potential for overeating based on our research.

Flexible Restraint
Developing the skill of flexible restraint, which is the ability to put a moderate level of control on your eating, is important to weight-loss success. The key is to find the balance between control and flexibility in an eating plan that is not so rigid that it is impossible to stick with. To help build this skill, the Momentum plan includes a feature called the weekly POINTS Allowance. The weekly POINTS Allowance provides a system for having treats and indulgences without sacrificing weight loss. By using this feature and experiencing the ability to incorporate the day-to-day food challenges into a method that provides weight loss without rigid food rules, the invaluable skill of flexible restraint is learned.

When following plan, there are some fundamental food choices essential for good health and nutrition. Weight Watchers covers these in its Good Health Guidelines and includes the daily recommendation to:

• Include at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables (9 if you weight more than 350 pounds).



• Have at least 2 servings of milk; 3 if you are a nursing mom, a teenager, are over 50 or weigh more than 250 pounds.



• Drink at least 6 glasses of liquids.



• Get a serving or two of a protein-rich food.



• Take a multiple vitamin-mineral supplement.



• Limit added sugars and alcohol.



• Have 2 teaspoons of healthy oil, including olive, canola, sunflower, safflower, or flaxseed.



• Choose whole-grain foods whenever possible.

Finding an eating approach that works is key to weight-loss success. The Weight Watchers food plan is designed to reach the objective of a healthy weight loss, but do so by empowering the person to make food choices in a way that suits his or her preferences and lifestyle.