I found the most useful thing I learned from Weight Watchers was just what a difference small things make. Even if I don't stay within points on a given day, I can keep the lessons of, say, the difference between chicken and steak and pork or the difference between fried and grilled in mind and make better choices than I ordinarily would. That and trying to limit portion sizes. But in the end, I try more to have at least a few "good" days (under or at points) each week and be reasonable the "bad" days... without being too structured. I won't get upset at myself if my family is having a favorite meal of mine and I have more than I should and go over my points... and in the end, if it's better than what I'd ordinarily do, then I'm making progress.