If you’re a follower of Weight Watchers (WW), you might be wondering if there will be a new Weight Watchers plan in 2025. The short answer is I don't know .... but my hunch is yes!
I think there will be changes, but I do question whether these will be reminiscent of the complete overhauls that we are used to every two years.
I'll explain my reasonings a little further on!
Historically, Weight Watchers introduces major updates to its program every two years, with the next anticipated plan update in November 2024, ready for early 2025 when there is a uptick in people signing up to the plan.
As the most recent overhaul was in November 2022 (for 2023), to continue the long-standing trend of revisions every two years, I'd expect one to be coming in late 2024 for the 2025 rush.
The 2022 plan (launched in Nov 2021) was the Personal Points plan which, in my opinion, fell a little flat!
By the end of 2022 (for 2023) Weight Watchers decided to change direction, dropped the Personal Points plan and launched the Points plan which went back to basics and was more reminiscent of its previous plans.
The Points plan has now been running for a couple of years, so in theory we would expect a major overhaul in November 2024.
However, when Weight Watchers closed their online store in 2023, they made a statement that they wanted to focus on what they did best and to focus 100% on a simplified member experience. If they really do believe in a simplified member experience, maybe this extends to no more major shifts to their plans.
It's also no secret that WW have been in financial turmoil for some years and every time a new plan comes along, it costs them money ... and sometimes members (I'm looking at you Personal Points plan!).
If they really are looking to simplify the member experience and to stop haemorrhaging money, then I would guess the best way of doing this would be to make smaller, incremental changes, which didn't cause major disruption.
So my prediction, for what it is worth, is that they will make changes but not something as radical as the changes that were made when they introduced the Personal Points plan and the myWW before that.
But, who am I to predict this stuff! I guess, in November all will be revealed and, of course, I will let you know!
In the meantime, I'll take a look at how previous updates have shaped the program over the past decade? I'll also take a look at what changes may be made, if indeed any, for 2025!
Changes in recent WW Plans
Weight Watchers has made significant changes to its points system and overall approach throughout the past decade. Each update has reflected advances in nutrition science and also in member preferences. So, here’s a look at some key updates from the past 10 years:
- 2015: SmartPoints System
In 2015, WW introduced the SmartPoints system, replacing the PointsPlus system.
The system nudged people towards whole, nutritious foods over empty calories by assigning higher points to foods with sugar and saturated fats while lowering points for lean proteins and vegetables.
The aim was to encourage healthier eating patterns while still allowing flexibility. - 2017: WW Freestyle
In 2017, WW introduced the Freestyle program (or Flex as it was called in Europe).
This was a major shift which added over 200 zero-point foods to the plan. These foods, which included lean proteins like chicken breast, eggs, and beans, could be eaten without tracking, giving members more freedom whilst again nudging them towards foods that promote fullness and good health.
It was hoped that this change in program would help WW attract members who wanted less restrictive dieting whilst still adhering to a system. - 2019: MyWW (Blue, Green & Purple Plans)
The MyWW program was introduced in 2019.
The plan was more personalised than previous plans, giving members three color-coded plans—Green, Blue, and Purple.
These plans offered different levels of food flexibility and structure. Members were able to choose the system that best suited their lifestyle and their food preferences.
The Green plan had fewer zero-point foods but higher daily points, whilst the Purple plan offered the most zero-point foods but the lowest daily points. The Blue plan was somewhere in between & is most like todays plan (& the plans that went before). - 2022: PersonalPoints
2022 saw the introduction of the PersonalPoints plan.
This was a highly individualised plan which adapted the points budget and zero-point foods based on each member’s responses to a questionnaire.
If you are interested to know the history of Weight Watchers and what the plans were like back in the day ... take a look at Old Weight Watchers Plans.
What’s Coming in 2025?
So, will there be a new Weight watchers plan in 2025? While changes to the new 2025 plan (if any!) are still under wraps, insiders suggest that the update will maintain the Points system, as that has been a strong driver of member satisfaction.
WW has also been expanding is clinical weight loss programs, which includes the integration of weight loss medications such as Ozempic. WW will now support people taking weight loss medications.
In April 2024, the ability to track Points and join & use the Connect community on a desktop computer was removed. It is only now possible to do these things through the WW App.
The company has been rolling out app updates, making it easier for users to track progress, find recipes, and engage with the WW community. More App based changes may be made in 2025.
Advantages of updating the WW Plan
- It enables WW to move with Weight Loss & Nutrition Science which evolves rapidly.
- It can help WW make the program more user friendly, learning from things that people do or do not like from previous plans.
- They can make changes so that the plan is more tailored to the individual. Too much personalization can lead to a loss of a community feel, so this has to be done carefully.
- Changes to the plan can help people feel more engaged, less bored and stagnant. I know personally, that minor changes have helped me get back on track and feel inspired again!
Disadvantages of updating the WW Plan
- Frequent changes can ... and do ... lead to confusion. You only need to take a look at WW based social media pages to see this!
- It can take time for people to adjust to changes made to tracking methods, to Point values of individual foods and to Point allocations etc.
- If plans change too much and too often, members could start looking elsewhere for a more stable healthy eating program.
- So much has changed over the last decade with WW. For most people, gone are the days that they could go along to a meeting, be weighed, purchase some WW snacks and sit down for a chat with other members and coach. WW is now 'done' via the App. Updating the WW plan invariably means changes to the WW App and people who were more comfortable with the 'old way' can find this intimidating and frustrating.
So, Will there be a new Weight Watchers plan in 2025. We will see very soon! I will be keeping my ear to the floor & will bring you any news when and if I hear it!
In the meantime, what are your views? Are you a long time Weight Watcher & if so what was your favorite WW plan. Please let me know in the comments below, I really am interested to know!
Heather says
I loved when ww had the 3 color plans! To me that was the best. I didn’t mind personal points but it could be confusing at times so I can see why they didn’t stick with it. The current plan feels a bit too restrictive to me so I’m hoping it gets tweaked.
Marianne says
Yes, the 3 color plans were good! The blue plan was the one that I got on best with.
Best of luck with your WW journey.
Marianne
Gigi says
My WW is as franchise and they still have in-person meetings. Without that I think I’d quit.
Marianne says
Hi Gigi
I'm pleased to hear that you still have in-person meetings where you are. Unfortunately, the ones around me have all stopped. I miss them!
Best wishes
Marianne
Susan says
I think I must be the only person that loved Personal Points. I struggled when they changed that. I quit WW earlier this year but I am waiting to see if changes are coming and would consider rejoining.