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From 2 videos

How is tracking macros different from Weight Watchers points?

Answered by WarriorBabe's coaches · Updated

The short answer

Weight Watchers points give food a number to stay under. Macros track protein, carbs and fat, so you learn what your body actually needs. One WarriorBabe coach says points let you eat low-calorie junk and stay on plan. Member Jean says macros let her eat freely without set serving rules.

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  1. A WarriorBabe coach on why points don't teach nutrient balance

    Plays from 1:04 · Video: Keto vs Weight Watchers vs Macros for Women Over 40

  2. Jean on why macros don't feel like a diet compared with Weight Watchers

    Plays from 21:59 · Video: Losing Weight at 75 With Home Workouts and Meal Planning

  3. How protein, carbs and fat work together instead of cutting foods

    Plays from 1:43 · Video: Keto vs Weight Watchers vs Macros for Women Over 40

  4. Jean on how long tracking took at first and how fast it is now

    Plays from 13:49 · Video: Losing Weight at 75 With Home Workouts and Meal Planning

The full answer

One WarriorBabe coach puts the core problem plainly: Weight Watchers makes you obsess over points but doesn't teach you about nutrient balance. You can eat low-calorie junk food and still technically be on plan, while your body isn't getting what it needs. Macros work differently. Every food is made of protein, carbs and fat, and the goal is to balance them, not fear them. In the coach's words:

  • Protein builds muscle and keeps you full.
  • Carbs fuel your workouts and help with recovery.
  • Fats support hormones and brain function.

The coach adds that nothing is off limits. Pizza, chocolate and wine can fit when you adjust your macros, which is why this approach works long term. If you can't eat a certain way for the rest of your life, the weight comes back.

Jean, a member who started at 75, explains how it feels day to day. Weight Watchers felt like a diet to her, built around set servings, a half cup of this or X servings of vegetables. With macros, she can have as many vegetables as she wants as long as they fit. Her mindset shifted from rationing portions to seeing how many grams she can put on the scale and still make it work. The coach calls macros a skill set that will serve you for the rest of your life, not a diet.

One honest note: Jean says tracking took real time at the start, and she was slower while learning to weigh food, something she had already practiced on Weight Watchers. Now it takes her almost no time. She plans a week ahead and reuses days that worked. If points left you counting without understanding, that was the plan, not you.

From WarriorBabe's coaches (how we write our answers). For education, not medical advice: talk to your doctor about your own health.

Part of

Macros & Macro Tracking →

Women also ask

More questions →

  • Macros & Macro Tracking

    Do I have to track macros forever?

    No. Nikkiey is clear that you don't have to track macros for the rest of your life. Tracking and weighing your food is a temporary, educational phase that teaches you what real portions of protein, carbs and fat look like. Do it consistently for a couple of years and it becomes second nature.

    Read the answer →

  • Macros & Macro Tracking

    How do I make tracking macros less overwhelming?

    Make the job smaller at first. The women on the show who stuck with it started small: tracking only protein, planning one day and repeating it, or picking a few meals from a sample plan. Nikkiey says week one might take half an hour a day, but by week three or four it takes five to ten minutes.

    Read the answer →

  • Macros & Macro Tracking

    How do I start tracking macros as a beginner?

    Start by learning to track before chasing any numbers. Nikkiey has beginners log what they normally eat in MyFitnessPal for seven days, then focus on protein first and add fats and carbs later. Keep your meals simple and repetitive for the first few weeks so tracking becomes a skill, not a source of overwhelm.

    Read the answer →

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