Eating Gluten Free on Weight Watchers
WeightWatchers, also now known as WW, has recently rebranded. The rebranding of WW stems away from the term “diet,” focusing instead on permanent lifestyle changes. Using a point system, WW avoids calorie counting to help users experience a new mindset when it comes to tracking food. The new WW has over 200 zero-point foods like lean chicken, fruits, vegetables and even hot sauce.
With their rebranding, WW has allowed individuals with all types of dietary needs to have the freedom to eat what best suits their needs, including those on a gluten-free diet.
It’s more than possible to eat gluten free on the WW plan. In fact, WW provides members with hundreds of recipes that can be modified as needed. To make it easier on the gluten-free community, WW supplies recipes specifically labeled gluten free.
Brush up on the basic gluten-free diet here.
On the WW app and website, you can find gluten-free recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and snacks. These include a Goat Cheese, Spinach and Tomato Omelet, Greek Yogurt with Warm Blueberry Sauce, and Shrimp and Black Bean Tostadas with Crudite and Salsa. You can find sample WW meal plans here.
WW is a lifestyle change
The best way to look at the WW point system is to pretend that points are money. If you are in your favorite clothing store, you may want to buy five new outfits but you can only afford two new outfits. Similarly, you may want five desserts but you only have enough points for two desserts.
You can still eat all your favorite gluten-free snacks that you love in moderation with point tracking. If your favorite gluten-free bread does not come up in the food search bar in the WW app, you can use the app’s barcode scanner. Once you scan the item, the total number of points for a serving size of the bread will pop up on your screen and you can go forward with tracking.
You will find that some of your go-to foods are high in points, which can be eye-opening in making healthy changes to your existing diet.
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When you have dietary restrictions, it’s difficult to find a weight loss program that doesn’t cut out the foods that you need to get enough nutrients. With WW, you have the freedom to meet your needs while also losing weight and improving your lifestyle.
WW member features
WW calls their new WW Freestyle program their “most flexible and livable program ever.” It encourages users to eat more fruits, veggies, lean protein and less sugar and unhealthy fats. According to the WW website, people on the plan can expect to lose one to two pounds a week.
However, WW isn’t just for those looking to lose weight. “If you’re looking to maintain your weight, move more, shift your mindset—or all of the above!—WW will provide you guidance on how to build healthy habits through exclusive content and science-backed solutions,” their website says.
For members, workshops (formerly meetings) allow members to check in with each other and get guidance from a wellness coach who has lost the weight using the WW program. The WW app includes a feature to share videos, photos, food ideas and words of encouragement with other members via a private social network.
The WW program can be done entirely digitally, or with a combination of workshops and the digital app. There is also a personal coaching option with unlimited one-on-one phone calls and messages available with your coach.
