Along with this, it's just more difficult to lose weight the smaller you are. Your BMR is less so you aren't naturally outputing as much energy as someone with higher weight. So even if someone is just starting out on WW, if they are given 26 points they have less weight to lose so it's going to be more difficult for them.

It's also why it gets harder the closer you are to goal. Along with a lower BMR, your body becomes more efficient at burning calories so the same effort will not get you the same results.

Koshka explained it very well.

My leader tells us that WW does not want you to go lower than 26/day, because it becomes to difficult to meet the Good Healthy Guidelines. Basically, it becomes difficult to meet your basic nutritional needs on anything less than that.

With WW I have successfully lost 57 pounds and maintained that loss for 18 months now.

I think WW works. What happend to me was I was trying to guess my portions. I was up and down like a yo yo. Then I really really got serious. I bought their food scale and measured everything for 1 week. No cheats either. I lost 3 pounds and have been loosing ever since. It worked for me anyway.

I think people are also more vocal when they pay for something and are dissatisfied than they are when they pay for something and are satisfied. That seems to explain why you see SO MANY negative reviews of things - like diet plans, nutritional supplements, and apartment complexes. I've been both successful and unsuccessful on Points+... I tried it right when the plan changes occurred and hated it. I mentally refused to adapt to the changes, and I didn't lose weight, and I quit. This time I've recommitted and am losing 2lb/week. I've eaten at least half my extra 49 every week.... and one week I ate the 49 + 10 activity points I earned. And have eaten at least 2 servings of fruit per day. I measure everything, I track everything. Work the program and it'll work for you!

Thank y'all for your comments. When I weighed Saturday, I was 141 and it hadn't even been a week! I dont think I'll weigh again until I can actually see the changes though.

at 5'6" and 141 you must be looking pretty great already! I'd kill to be 140 right now. lol. ah well.. someday

Good luck!!

Just a quick question for you, please

I have lost 53lbs on a different program in the past 1.5 years. I am using WW to maintain this loss(the old plan version that I was on years ago), and find that I struggle with any kind of loss on WW now. For example, say I go up 1-2 lb, using WW points isn't getting me back down. I am within 5 lbs of my goal, so I get that it can be harder to get there...what would you recommend I do to lose a couple here and there if I shouldn't be going under the 26 pts? Clearly I can maintain with the WW...but when I do screw up, and go up a bit, I need to know how to adjust points to lose it again. Help! Thanks

If you're following the old program, shouldn't your daily points allowance be less than 26? Some members in my meeting group follow the old points program and they have daily points allowances of like 19. So if you're eating 26 that might explain the trouble in losing.

Or you could amp up whatever you do for exercise...I know that when I went from fast walking on the treadmill to running I saw the scale really move!

I've lost 77 lbs in almost 14 months with Weight Watchers and I can't say enough good things. I know that when I follow the program and track what I eat, get in the GHG, and exercise- I see a loss. It works!

LauraK is correct. 26 points is the minimum on the current program, not the old program.

Regardless normally when you go on maintenance (I am a regained lifetime member) you add a certain number of points to the minimum and then trial and error it to see where you stay stable with your weight.

Do you remember what your minimum was on your original program? You could try using that.

It may be easier to just follow the new program since the WW materials are designed to calculate the current Points Plus. If you are using 26 points now as your points are you counting what you eat using the old program or using the current program?

Ya..ok I see that I am silly now. I recall being on 26 points with the old system..but that was years ago when my weight was 55 lbs more Soo..I prefer to use the old system and looks like I need to adjust my points. Thank you, ladies!

The old program had a minimum of 18 points. Also, you have to go back to counting fruit if you're following the old program, most medium sized fruit was 1 pt (bananas could be 2 - most of them are not small enough to be 1). I remember when we switched to points plus a lot of members decided to keep counting the old way BUT gave themselves 0 pt. fruit - it doesn't work! And remember that anything you see in the grocery store with points on it will NOT be the old system of points, so you have to re-calculate using your old things - cardboard slide, old calculator or old companion books with the old points system. It's so hard to follow an old system because nothing you can now buy will support it.

I have a 14 year old daughter who would like to do weight watchers with me. I a calculating her daily points plus allowance to be 26 - do you think this is too low?

My understanding is WW requires a Doctors note for a child of that age...

Her doctor gave her one, but my husband doesn't want to spend the money for weight watchers, since they don't allow kids to do the monthly pass.