What is a weight loss meal plan?

Put simply, a weight loss meal plan is a dietary guideline to follow that creates a calorie deficit—burn more than you consume—resulting in weight loss. A healthy and sustainable meal plan should include breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks so you never go hungry while losing weight. It's also important to include foods from all key food groups to ensure you're meeting all your nutrient needs.

Not sure where to start? WW has you covered! The U.S. News & World Report has named WW the #1 Best Diet for Weight Loss 12 years in a row—so we know a thing or two. Below you'll find a meal plan filled with delicious meals including pasta, pizza and desserts to prove you don't have to miss out on the foods you love to lose weight.

Find out more about how the WW program works below.

Benefits of weight loss

In addition to feeling good and having more energy, there are several health benefits associated with weight loss. In fact, research shows that you don’t need to lose a significant amount of weight to reap the benefits. Simply losing 5–10 per cent of your weight can improve your health in many ways. While the benefits may not always be visible, they are still important. Some of these potential health benefits include:

1. Improved cholesterol levels
2. Improved blood sugar control
3. Lowered blood pressure
4. Reduced risk of pre diabetes and type 2 diabetes
5. Reduced risk of certain cancers

People following the WW program can expect to lose 1kg/week.

Meal planning tips

Planning meals and snacks in advance is an effective weight loss strategy as it reduces the need for impulse decision making.

Spending 15 minutes to plan your meals for the week, will not only help you stay inspired and focused on your eating habits, but it also minimises the challenge of thinking about what to have for lunch or dinner each day.

Weekends are ideal for meal prepping and planning. With the extra time, you can prep, shop and cook in one go. Writing your plan down can help cement your intention and stay on track. Place your meal plan somewhere easily accessible. The fridge door is a good spot because it’s around eye-level and usually in a prominent position in the kitchen.

Don't forget to keep things flexible! We all know sometimes things change and you may not get the chance to eat what you had planned but that's ok too! Meal plans, whether for weight loss or not, don't have to be fixed and rigid.

WW goes beyond meal planning

In theory, losing weight is really simple. All you have to do is eat less and move more, right? But, as we all know, in practice it’s not that easy.

To get the weight loss results you want, you need to see how all aspects of your life—the quality of the sleep you’re getting, the amount of activity you’re fitting in, and how you think about yourself all affect the choices you make, including what you eat.

The WW program is holistic and includes your whole lifestyle to build a complete wellness plan, featuring our award-winning weight-management system. When you’ve got a plan in place, everything, including losing weight, is easier! So how does it work?

WeightWatchers Program

Everything you love is on the menu. Yes, everything.

That’s because we use the latest in nutritional and behavioural science to help make losing weight—and keeping it off—simpler. So you can live your fullest life, no restrictions and no deprivation, while still losing weight. There’s truly no food that’s off-limits. Our latest WW program delivers a truly flexible, individualised path to sustainable weight loss for every member.

How does it work?

Now more than ever, Points will nudge you towards healthier foods. We’ve updated our algorithm using the latest nutrition science, factoring in even more nutritional elements to guide you towards foods higher in healthy fats, fibre and protein, and lower in added sugars and saturated fats. Based on what you tell us you love to eat, our nutrition experts craft a list of ZeroPoint foods and a Points Budget that’s unique to you, your goals and what you like to eat. No two plans are alike – which means it fits into your life!