context: Pasta, steak, cheese, ice cream ... you can eat what you want on this popular weight-loss plan. Formerly called Weight Watchers, the company has changed its name to WW, with the tagline â Wellness that Works.â The basic principle of eating what you love remains, though the program steers you toward healthier foods with its points system. In its program called WW Freestyle, you can roll over some of your points to another day. And there are also more than 200 âzero-pointâ foods that you don't need to track at all. Those items include beans, chicken breast (skinless), eggs, and fish. It isn't so much a diet as a lifestyle-change program. It can help you learn how to eat healthier and get more physical activity. You can follow the plan online on your own. You'll track your food choices and exercise, chart progress, and find recipes and workouts. There's a coaching option if you prefer one-on-one consultations by phone, email, and text. Or you can go to in-person group meetings where you'll weigh in. A Consumer Reports survey found that people who went to meetings were more satisfied with the program and lost more weight than people who used only the online tools. No food is forbidden when you follow this plan, which doesn't make you buy any prepackaged meals. WW assigns different foods a Smart Points value. Nutritious foods that fill you up have fewer points than junk with empty calories. The eating plan factors sugar, fat, and protein into its points calculations to steer you toward fruits, veggies, and lean protein, and away from stuff that's high in sugar and saturated fat. You'll have a Smart Points target that's set up based on your body and goals. As long as you stay within your daily target, you can spend those Smart Points however you'd like, even on alcohol or dessert, or save them to use another day. But healthier, lower-calorie foods cost fewer points. And some items now have 0 points. WW is designed to make it easier to change your habits long-term, and it's flexible enough that you should be able to adapt it to your life. You'll tweak your eating and lifestyle patterns -- many of which you may have had for years -- and you'll create new ones. How much effort it takes depends on how much you'll have to change your habits. Cooking and shopping: Expect to learn how to shop, cook healthy foods, and dine out in ways that support your weight loss goal without skimping on taste or needing to buy unusual foods. Packaged foods or meals: Not required. In-person meetings: Optional. Exercise: You'll get a personalized activity goal and access to the program's app that tracks Fit Points. You get credit for all of your activity. Because you choose how you spend your Smart Points, you can still do WW if you're a vegetarian, vegan, have other preferences, or if you need to limit salt or fat. Cost: WW offers three plans: Online only, online with meetings, or online with one-on-one coaching through phone calls and messages. Check the WW website for the pricing for the online-only and online-with meetings options (you'll need to enter your ZIP code). Prices and offers may vary. Support: Besides the optional in-person meetings (now called wellness workshops) and personal coaching, WW has an app, online community, a magazine, and a website with recipes, tips, success stories, and more. You can also sign up online for a newsletter or use WW Connect, a community available through the WW app. Does It Work? WW is one of the most well-researched weight loss programs available. And yes, it works. Many studies have shown that the plan can help you lose weight and keep it off. For instance, a study from The American Journal of Medicine showed that people doing WW lost more weight than those trying to drop pounds on their own. WW ranked 1st both for â Best Weight Loss Dietâ and for â Best Commercial Diet Planâ in the 2018 rankings from U. S. News & World Report. Overall, it's an excellent, easy-to-follow program. Is It Good for Certain Conditions? WW is good for anyone. But its focus on nutritious, low-calorie foods makes it great for people with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and even heart disease. If you choose any premade meals, check the labels, as some may be high in sodium. Work with your doctor so they can check your progress, too. This is especially important for people with diabetes, as you may need to adjust your medicine as you lose weight. The Final Word If the thought of weighing your food or counting calories make your head spin, this is an ideal program because it does the work for you. The online tool assigns a certain number value to each food, even restaurant foods, to make it easy to stay on track. If you don't know your way around the kitchen, the premade meals and snacks make it easy. They're a quick and easy way to control portion sizes and calories. You don't have to drop any foods from your diet, but you will have to limit portion sizes to cut back on calories. The emphasis on fruits and veggies means the diet is high in fiber, which helps keep you full. And the program is simple to follow, making it easier to stick to. You can also find WW's premade meals at your local grocery store. A big advantage of WW is their website. They offer comprehensive information on dieting, exercise, cooking, and fitness tips, as well as online support groups. Be prepared to spend some money to get the full benefits of the robust program. It can be a bit costly, but it's well worth it to reap the health perks of losing weight and keeping it off.