If you have switched from Weight Watchers to calorie counting only, what made you switch?
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I haven't tried it and I won't be based on what I've read about it. I don't understand not logging fruit and I would be wierded out by getting weighed in public. Plus the economic side of it. I like freedom to choose what I eat.
when I look back on all the free fruits and vegetables I ate it's no wonder I "stalled"1 -
I did have access to the online tracking system to calculate points which I think is what gently nudged me over to mfp because I geeked out over even that hahaa. I love data and seeing/tracking so it was only natural I would make the switch. I outgrew the program quickly.1
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mrsnattybulking wrote: »Way back in 2013 I switched because the meetings were useless and rather than weigh in once a week and pay $13.00/wk with no knowledge of CICO (in detail anyway) I joined a weight loss challenge group here and got the same thing for free (plus more chatting and learning which I love)
And cat pictures. Everything's better with cat pictures.
I did WW back in 2005 when it was 1-2-3 Success or something. You could save exercise points (I spent them all on beer) and fruit and veg were all 0 points. I lost about 14lbs, but learned nothing. With MFP I've lost 25lbs and learned tons of stuff. That's a win-win in my book.8 -
One isn't better than the other. Just different...
Lost 120 lbs. with WW. Kept it off with WW. I use Myfitnesspal for finding percentages of macros and stuff like that and sometimes calorie counting when I need a refresher that way. Both are easy. One is free. But I've been FREE for the last 11 years as WW rewards you with free meetings and app as long as your first weigh in of the month is within 2 lbs. of your goal. Fruit and vegetables aren't free. They are Zero Smartpoints which encourages me (within reason) to choose healthier over processed but...I can choose either and there's not any vilifying going on for my choices.
I can choose to "eat" my Fitpoints and I do when I'm super active so I'm not limited to just the dailies. The "budget" is generous in my opinion especially as I don't freak out over 25 calories of broccoli putting me over my calorie limit...ha! BUT I love Myfitnesspal is free (unless you up the anty and go premium) and love the graphs and percentages I get...which helps me have a bigger picture.
I love the meetings. LOVE the leader has "been there and done that" and lost weight as well doing this and understands. Love how they focus on MINDSET as that's a huge thing in all of this. Love that I can celebrate my victories in the meeting room or not. It's my choice...like here on Myfitnesspal without the meeting room.
Love that I can be social there. But love that I can be social HERE but without face to face interaction. Of course, I generally sit on the back row and don't always interact at a WW meeting either when I need the space. (Introvert problems)
So one isn't so much better than the other. Just different. You just gotta go with the "different" that appeals to you more! Weight Watchers AND Myfitnesspal are in the business of helping folks lose weight...they just do the tracking differently. Weight Watchers has "Smartpoints" and "Simply Filling" (another aspect of their program I generally do) and Myfitnesspal offers calorie counting (simple) and I can watch macros.
I do both. Not obsessing...but I'm part of a National Weight Loss study for life and sometimes need data. They study those who've lost a significant amount of weight and see what ticks for them and use that to better the field of weight loss for everyone. So data is good.2 -
Let me add...the IMPORTANT thing is to stick with something. As you're on here...stick with this and use this tool the way it's meant to be used and you won't go wrong.
I just bet you're gonna do great! Success to you on your journey!2 -
I found WW helpful while I learned how to choose healthier food options. I logged on both MFP and WW for a couple of months and found MFP easier to use, quicker food searches, and free.
I prefer to acknowledge the calories in fruits and veggies and track them on MFP rather than lose a meals worth of points on one square of chocolate on WW.1 -
I think a lot of the success w/ WW depends on the leader too. My friend joined WW again and hates it because she does not like the leader - leader is dull, not dynamic, not engaging, and only reads stuff from a page.
I still like MFP better - seems easier to me to track calories than worry about points for food. KISS - keep it simple, stupid! 3 -
I successfully lost weight on Weight Watchers until they switched to Smart Points. Found the new plan to be way too restrictive. I was very upset and frustrated, and my leader was no help at all. Since then I've been using this site and an app called iTrackBites, which allows you to choose which version of Weight Watchers you want to use and then allows you to track your points based on your choice.
I sometimes miss the weekly meetings, but then I remember that they changed the format of the meetings at the same time they switched over to Smart Points...
No, sorry, they've lost me as a customer.1 -
Gah, those meetings were the worst. I would sit there and listen to (mostly) women lose their minds over how wonderful some blueberry-peanut butter-chocolate chip-marshmallow-caramel WW-brand energy bar monstrosity was, immediately followed by complaints about how they missed guacamole so much and they couldn't eat it anymore because..."Do you know how many many points are in an avocado?" -- which led to them suggesting making guac out of peas or some such *kitten*. I once said, "Why not just eat the avocado? It's a natural food with lots of good fats." People looked at me like I'd slaughtered their first-borns.12
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I am currently with WW (starting over again!) and I have tracked what I have eaten today (including dinner) and I don't know if its because I have a lot to lose but my WW says I have 28SP left (out of 60) but MFP says I only have 259 cals, this seems a bit in reverse to what previous posters have commented! ie WW says I could techinally eat 7 Caramel Digestives (25SP) and still be withn my allowance, but thats 563cals!
Im beginning to wonder if this is why my progress on WW was so slow on my last attempt......3 -
I lost my interest in WW after a leader suggested I was lying about my exercise in front of the whole meeting. I told him I earned 170 Fitpoints per week and he told me that was impossible because the app would cut me off (huh?) and I should never use Fitpoints. I got tired of throwing money at the new program, which caused me to gain snd have trouble with Maintenance. I made goal on the old program. I count calories one week and lose. Every time I count Points I see a gain. I also felt I was restricted, felt guilty everytime I ate a high point but low calorie food, and at times just eating food I didn't need (and going over my calories) just to make 30 pts.
Best thing for me is that calorie info is easy to find- on packages, menus, online. With Points you need the app, and pray that it works!2 -
Well calorie counting is free and also WW is too judgy. Especially the Smart Points. Points Plus wasn't so bad, but SP e.g. make alcohol a huge no and I'm an adult who can make decisions of my own. I really feel like they made it less sustainable with the new points.3
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newheavensearth wrote: »I lost my interest in WW after a leader suggested I was lying about my exercise in front of the whole meeting. I told him I earned 170 Fitpoints per week and he told me that was impossible because the app would cut me off (huh?) and I should never use Fitpoints.
Appalling. I'm sorry that happened to you.
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I switched about 2 years ago. My main motivation in switching was $$$$. That, and I wanted something I could easily do for the rest of my life and MFP fit the bill.2
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newheavensearth wrote: »I lost my interest in WW after a leader suggested I was lying about my exercise in front of the whole meeting. I told him I earned 170 Fitpoints per week and he told me that was impossible because the app would cut me off (huh?) and I should never use Fitpoints.
Appalling. I'm sorry that happened to you.
Thank you 2 -
I've been a lifetime member of WW for decades and used WW, as well as other programs, several times to lose significant amounts of weight. I've always regained, and probably always will to some extent.
I tried the new program last year for a short time. It reminded me too much of the 1980's style of unhealthily restrictive eating and I could feel some of my habits from old eating disorders returning. It was also way too low calorie to be healthy, under 1000 or even 800 on most days for me depending on the foods I chose. I prefer to eat higher in fat than now works with WW current plan which kept my calories super low. I've spent too many years learning how to eat properly for my body and overcoming some really sick food habits to want to return to that. I think they've destroyed what was for decades consistently the most successful program available. Past changes to the program have always been improvements. This was not in any way an improvement.7 -
I had a good WW group in the 90s and enjoyed it. Back then it served a purpose which is partially moot now that there are free calorie counting sites like MFP. For people who like external accountability and the (hopefully) camaraderie of meetings, and can afford it, I would recommend WW.3
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I did WW back in 2013 and successfully lost ~22lbs on the PointsPlus system. However, once I started eating the non-diet versions of foods (bread, cheese, yogurt, you get the idea) I gained it all back +15lbs of "love weight".
After switching back to MFP April 2016 I've lost 46 lbs - and have not gained any of it back. I maintained for a good 4 months during grad school but my monthly weigh-ins with my nutritionist never went up. I was eating regular, whole foods for about 8 months then switched to a lower fat diet 3 months ago for health reasons which is suiting me better. Still have not gained and am actively losing weight month-to-month.
My two-cents: counting calories and eating whole foods has worked far better for me in the long run than WW & their processed foods ever did.5 -
I found that I would hoard points through out the day just so I could have something sweet after dinner. This ended up not working well for me. With calorie counting, I can eat normally, and still have a treat in the evening.5
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7 years ago I did really well on the Points Plus program, so when I needed to lose 10 lbs I decided to try WW again. The new Smart Points program just plain sucks. I was starving all the time. When I tracked in WW and MFP I was only eating about 1100 calories a day if I stayed within my daily points. I always need to eat a protien/fat with my fruits and veggies or else my blood sugar drops within an hour and I couldn't "afford" to. Calorie counting gives me more freedom to eat what is right for me rather than what WW judges as "good" food.2
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