Activity Points Calculator by WW (Weight Watchers) encourages you to move your body. It will give you more energy. So, you can feel energetic and confident in your skin. The calculator is significant in losing weight and keeping it off the body. So, using the calculator for weight loss will make you feel good. It is an effective plan that will work when you put your mind to it. While the program only offers you guidelines to reach your goal, you need to put in the effort and time to results. The flexible and effective weight loss plan focuses on healthy weight loss that will cause no harm to your body. Therefore, you will become fit in a sustainable manner. Read ahead how calculating the activity points can aid in effective weight loss.
About Weight Watchers
Before going into the activity points calculation, you need to know more about WW. WW or weight watchers is a popular diet and weight loss program that is followed by several people around the globe. Due to its effectiveness, it is opted by popular celebrities and others to help them achieve their goal weight. It uses a point-counting system that helps you track the food you consume. As the different food item has an assigned point value, you can calculate the total points you consume every day. The program assigns you with the daily limit of point, which you need to follow religiously. By staying within the daily points budget, you can enhance your health. Wondering how? High calories or empty points have more points associated with it. So, limiting such food items will make you stick to healthy choices. It will reduce your overall calorie intake and encourage weight loss.
While WW has many positive attributes, you need to assess if the weight loss program is the right one for you. The weight loss program has no eating restrictions, which can encourage unhealthy dieting habits. The constant monitoring of calories can make you frustrated. Some people tend to manipulate points. They skip meals to bank points for their high calories or unhealthy meal choices. The cost associated with the weight loss plan can also make you hesitant to choose the plan. So, you need to decide the plan suggested by WW after careful analysis of your requirements and goals.
What Is Activity Points Calculator?
WW encourages people to work out along with their diet. It is achieved by providing smart points for the physical activity they perform. So, the more you move, the more points you earn. Like the points assigned to food, each physical activity has a point allocated to it. So, depending on the intensity of your work out and its duration, you will gain points. You can increase the daily points allocated by the WW plan using the activity points. So, you can eat a little more or use it to lose weight effectively.
How Does Activity Points Calculator Work?
Activity Points Calculator is a health tool designed by WW to aid you in controlling the points you earn with the plan. You have to provide the following data in the calculator to get the points:
- Your weight (enter in kilogram or pounds)
- The time duration of the exercises expressed in minutes
- The intensity of the exercise (low, moderate or high)
To make the calculations correct, you need to provide correct information. So, you need to measure your weight, duration of physical activity and intensity of physical activity. You may have confusion on how to get the correct intensity level of your exercise. Here are the guidelines to gauge the intensity levels:
Low Level
It refers to the activities you perform normally without any issues with breathing. You will not sweat during the activity. So, you continue talking to people impeded around you while performing the activities. In such cases, the activity is labeled as low intensity. Want to know the activities that come under low-level intensity? Here are some examples:
- Water exercise is good for your body and can earn your activity points. It is not a hard activity that pushes your limit. But, it improves blood circulation and offers a great workout without overexerting. So, the low-intensity activities do not put a strain on your joints. It keeps you away from issues like stress fractures or other issues. You have fun with the water exercises as it is exciting and makes you feel active.
- Walking is another low-intensity workout that is easy and accessible for most people. You will not extra pressure on the joints due to walking. And, you can fit walking into your daily routine easily. It requires only a little time to relax and walk. You can enjoy the outdoors or walk inside your home.
- Tai Chi is a low-intensity workout that is not taxing. You will have a flow succession of graceful movements. The slow movements can burn calories without much exertion.
Moderate Level
Moderate level refers to the activities that can make you sweat after ten minutes and prompts you to take deep breathes. So, you have difficulty speaking to people around you without interruption. It is because of the deep breathing. You can talk a few sentences or sing while performing the activity. But, you have trouble carrying out a whole conversation or sing properly. Some of the activities that come under the moderate level activities are:
- Walking briskly. While walking is good for you. By increasing the intensity, you can make it a moderate level activity by walking at a speed of four kilometers/hour.
- Doing household chores can also offer moderate exercise to your body. You can complete the cleaning duties in your home like washing the windows, mopping or vacuuming to ensure you get a moderate level of physical activity.
- You can power mow your lawn to get a moderate level of exercise.
High Level
It refers to the activities that cause deep breathing and sweating after three to five minutes. You can acknowledge the levels easily. It allows you to talk briefly, but restricts you from singing. Examples of high-intensity activities include:
- You need to jog at six kilometers per hour to increase your heart rate. It is considered as a high-intensity activity.
- Hiking has plenty of benefits, including enjoying the fresh air and connecting with nature. You can also get a good cardio workout by hiking.
- Heavy work at your home like shoveling snow or carrying heavy loads increases your heart rate. It is high-intensity workouts that can burn more calories.
- Sports like basketball game is one of the intense workouts to burn calories. You can also bicycle at a faster speed (14 mph to 16 mph) for getting intense workouts.
Formula Behind Activity Points Calculator
While WW offers you the activity points calculator for easy calculation, you may have an interest in knowing the formula behind it. The formula behind the calculator is:
Activity Points= W X T X F
W = your weight. Some calculators allow you to enter in both kilograms and pounds, others may have only pounds option. So, you need to convert your weight in kg to lbs. How can you do it? It is converted by the rate of 1 kilograms= 2.20462 lbs.
T= the duration you perform the physical activity. You have to enter the value in minutes. So, try to time your physical activity and enter it in minutes (1 hour= 60 minutes).
The F= Intensity level of the activity
The value for F depends on the type of points plan you choose and the intensity levels. But, the value of F for different plans is as follows:
Points Plus
It is the newer version of the weight loss plan that works in line with the advancement of science and technology. So, the value of food is based on nutritional value. The F value for the different intensity levels are:
- Low Intensity Levels F= 0.0003300
- Moderate Intensity Levels F = 0.0004700
- High Intensity Levels F = 0.0011700
 Original Points
The original points plan calculates the food points based on only the total calories, fat and fiber levels. It is not accurate as food consists of other factors that influence your diet. The value for F for different intensity according to intensity levels are:
- Low Intensity Levels F = 0.0002332
- Moderate Intensity Levels F = 0.0003270
- High Intensity Levels F = 0.0008077
Using The Activity Points Calculator
WW offers you an activity points calculator to ensure you track your weight loss program effectively and get desired results. There are other online platforms that offer you the tool to calculate activity points. When you access the tool you need to enter your weight, the duration of your exercise sessions, and the intensity of the workouts. The type of plan you follow is also essential to get the value calculated appropriately. Then, click on calculate to get the activity points. If you wish to use the calculator again, then just reset the button. Some platforms may not have the reset button. So, you can reload the page. Then, enter new data in the appropriate fields and calculate.
Significance Of Activity Points Calculator
People who are members of the WW program get detailed instruction on the points plan or the original plan for weight loss. So, the members learn about the ways to earn extra points by working out. You can complete simple activities like cleaning the house or fun activities like hiking to earn the extra points. But. Many people like to know the details of the program before becoming a member. It will help them decide if the program is feasible and aids in weight loss. Here are the details you need to know:
How You Earn Points?
You earn activity points by including physical activities. It makes you active. You need to include exercise in any of the diets you choose. WW uses the scientific approach to weight loss. So, the urge members to include physical exercise by rewarding them with extra points. You get points when you become active. The points you gain are used during the week as per your requirement.
When You Can Use It?
It comes in handy when you visit a restaurant or celebrate any festivals. In such cases, your food intake becomes higher and the food points also escalate. So, if you do not wish to pile on pounds due to the occasional indulgences, then you need to take steps to burn the extra calories. So, the activity calculator urges you to rake activity points, which allows you to indulge in the occasional sweet or alcoholic cravings.
Therefore, you can use the activity points when you are accrued towards eating excess food points. But, try to leave out a point of two of the activity points you have acquired to enhance the number of calories you burn with the weight loss plan. It aids in losing weight faster. Since you never lose too many pounds, it prevents the body from going into a starvation mode.
Do You Need To Use It For Food Points?
You can either use the activity points for balancing your high food points. But, it depends entirely on you to take the call. It is not required to use them compulsorily for the purpose. Even when you decide not to use the activity points, you need to stay active. It is important for any weight loss plan to become successful.
While the activity points calculation can guide you towards your weight loss goal, you need to enter all the fields correctly to get accurate results. So, you need to get your weight, exercise duration, and intensity correctly. Also, enter the correct plan you follow with WW to ensure you get the proper calculation.
Activity Points Calculator Necessary For Weight Loss
You have no strict rule governing the number of activity points you can earn each day. But it is better to restrict the daily activity points to six towards the daily food points. It avoids overexertion or your tendency to indulge in unhealthy food options. Points calculated by the activity calculator encourage you to become healthier. You can raise your metabolism and reach your weight loss goal with ease. It is important to aim for activity points that will help you reach the fitness goal. The activity points you can rake based on the current activity levels are:
Mild Level Exercise
Mild or no exercise can help you collect 0 to 6 activity points per week. When you perform mild activities, it helps burn your primary fat for energy. So, it does not use glycogen, which is stored in your body. The mild physical activities only burn the fat that is circulating in your blood as well as muscles and liver. But, if you wish to tap into the reserved fat stores, then continue the physical activity for at least thirty minutes. Mild exercise is ideal for people who are starting to include exercises in their routine or experience muscle soreness after a difficult workout session the prior day. The exercises help you move the body.
Moderate Level Exercise
You can collect 7 points to 14 points per week when you exercise occasionally. The physical exertion causes you to breathe heavily and increase your heart rate. The condition can make it challenging for you to talk. The routine can help your heart become stronger and see improvements in your heart health.
Hard To Exhaustive Level Exercises
The challenging workout you include in your routine makes breathing harder. The workout can cause fatigue. So, when you include high-intensity workouts, you can collect 14 to 21 points per week. Instead of exhausting your body for a long duration, you can try a short-duration workout of high intensity. It has great benefits and burns more calories compared to other exercises.
So, based on your weight loss goal, you can collect points to shed extra pounds. Use the activity points calculator to get an idea of the workout routine that offers optimal benefits.
How Can You Use Activity Points Calculator Results?
Basically, the calculation is based on a formula that relies on your weight, duration of the activity, and its intensity. You can derive the smart points based on the following formula:
Earned Point = Weight X Duration X Intensity Factor
Instead of calculating it manually, you can use the activity points calculator to get the smart points. Once you enter all the details, you need to click calculate to get the results. So, how can you use the results? The results can work in both the original points system and points plus system. Here are the details:
Original Points System
If you are calculation the activity points based on the original points system, then you earn one point when you burn 100 calories. In the same method, for every fifty calories, you consume one food point. So, when you consume one food point, you can burn it off when you earn one activity point. So, you can create a deficit in calories when you eat fewer calories and burn more calories.
Points Plus System
Many users of the point plus system observed the hike in the food points compared to the original points system. But, you get the reward in the form of activity points. It is a piece of good news as you now have a chance to earn more activity points. It is because you can now earn one point after burning 70 to 80 calories compared to the 100 calories you need to burn in the original point system. Therefore, you can add more activity points to promote good weight loss, even with high food points.
The results of the two systems are similar. You can earn activity points to counter your food points. While food point values are different for the two systems, the activity points calculator uses the exercise intensity to adjust it accordingly. So, you can use it for the following:
- Accumulate activity points to increase your food points. So, you can consume more food. It is ideal for people who want to maintain their weight, but eat more than the specified points.
- Shed pounds by increasing the activity levels and staying close to allocated food points. It will help you burn calories. So, you can reach your weight goal with ease.
Conclusion
Activity Points Calculator is the tool offered by WW to promote a healthy way of living. It is an effective program that encourages you to take physical activities along with the diet to lose weight. You can use the tool for calculating the points for different WW plans like points plus system and the original points system. But, you cannot use the calculator for calculating Fit Points. You need to become a member of the WW plan to know the right exercises that work well for you. As each person is different, the activity points needed for a fit and fine body differs. So, you need to invest in the plan to get the points needed each day for better living. If you feel it is the right plan for you, then go ahead and become a member to include the activities and diet customized to make you reach your weight goal.
References
http://www.exercise4weightloss.com/activity-points-calculator.html
https://www.healthyweightforum.org/eng/calculators/activity-points/
http://fitfamilyfinances.com/free-weight-watchers-activity-points-calculator/