They actually differed on that. The doctor said to eat the 49 extra points. The nutritionist said the 49 extras are so you can satisfy cravings without going overboard. I.e. Instead of saying "I can't have ice cream" you can say "I can have some ice cream once a week" and you don't run out and scarf an entire bucket of Edy's. She said that WW is designed to continue to lose if you eat the extra 49 points but those aren't as necessary. I tend to agree with the nutritionist based on my experience. I usually save my weekly points for special occasions (DH's and my date night every other month for example) and I do notice that those weeks I lose less. I do know a lot of people who found that they lost more when they started eating more of their weekly points. So I think it is one of those things where it works for some and not for others. That being said, I see the nutritionist because in the past I have struggled with eating disorders and DH didn't want me to go on WW without a professional watching me closely, lest I slip into old habits (that was a long time ago and I don't feel at risk anymore, but since he was with me the last time and it really scared him, I didn't think seeing the nutritionist would hurt). So since she is trying to keep me on a healthy path, it is her job to encourage me to eat.