More alternatives and less hunger are central to Weight Watchers' new color-coded myWW program.
For the first time, the prominent weight loss company, which redirected as WW in 2018, is rolling out three custom plans simultaneously, officials shared exclusively with the United States TODAY.
Oprah Winfrey-backed the company's new plan includes whole grain pasta, brown rice and potatoes – which have cost points in previous WW programs – as "ZeroPoint" foods, meaning they have no measurable or traceable.
"There are no foods out of bounds for any of our programs, and it will be sustainable," Mindy Grossman, WW's president and CEO, said in an interview with USA TODAY. "It's simple, it's easy and I think that's what people long for – something they can really live with."
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More options result in less hunger
The company's latest program and plans come Monday, more than seven weeks before people traditionally make New Year's resolutions that often include losing weight. Grossman said it is the earliest company to launch a new program.
Gary Foster, WW's chief of science, said that the new plan took about two years to develop and that it was based on science and behavioral data.
"Science is very clear on this problem," he said. "Personalized plans make people more engaged and more likely to make behavioral changes than they are not personal."
New members will take an assessment to find out the best plan for them while current members may choose some of the plans. The blue plan is the same as the latest WW Freestyle plan.
It is also the green plan with a smaller list of "ZeroPoint" foods, and the new purple plan's list has whole grain pasta, brown rice and oatmeal.
“Balance is important. We don't want people to just eat from a list, "Foster said. "It's diet talk, and we won't."
None of the plans are considered better or healthier, he said. A clinical study found a 24% reduction in hunger in general.
"I've never seen a 24% reduction in hunger," Foster said, adding that they are also encouraged by other statistics such as 90% of people who say it's easier to stick to. "We think there's something big going on here."
Keri Gans, a New York-based registered dietary expert and author of "The Small Change Diet," believes the new program will appeal to more people and is a better alternative than fad diets that teach restriction and are not sustainable.
"There aren't really any sizes to suit everyone, so I think by offering three new plans, there will really be more to what will be best for the consumer," Gans said. "The nice thing about the program at first is that it doesn't want you stuck at all. It wants you to feel like you have the freedom to choose."
And what does Winfrey think, who bought around 10% of the company in October 2015 and have since sold some of their shares on the new plan?
"She has been on the plan and she has had fun," Grossman said. "She has been thrilled. . "
Plan Options
The three plans in the myWW program are all based on the company's SmartPoints classification system and ZeroPoint food lists, which differ from plan to page. ZeroPoint foods are considered to be more filling and less likely to become
Green: With this plan, there are more than 100 ZeroPoint foods, which are fruits and vegetables, and green members are getting a bigger SmartPoints budget and will need to track more of their meals. [19659002] Blue: Current members will recognize this plan as WW Freestyle. There are more than 200 ZeroPoint foods, which include fruits and vegetables along with lean protein, eggs, beans and nonfat yogurt.
Purple: The new plan has more than 300 ZeroPoint foods and adds grains including whole wheat pasta, potatoes in the category. Purple has a more modest SmartPoints budget.
Follow USA TODAY reporter Kelly Tyko on Twitter: @KellyTyko
