Why I left Weight Watchers new "Freestyle" Program

wizzybeth

PharmGirl52280 wrote: »

(am I the only one who wishes for the ability to bitchslap someone through the TV every time she shows up onscreen?)

I don't like the Oprah Weight Watchers commercials they annoy me like just about every other commercial. But I really have no desire to *kitten* slap her.... "Mute button " is about as strong a reaction you'll get from me

MellieBoyd

I'm so pleased I found this post!

I started WW in September last year and loved it! But then they changed the program and I lost 7 points but was allowed to eat as much as I wanted from that NP list - what the heck! I'm not a huge fan of fish (ok, maybe deep-fried and crumbed from the F'n'C shop - one days points on WW pretty much), and I've found the only way to try and stick it out was by going nuts on bananas (which I'm sure at around 110 cals each can't be that good for you)!

I never feel full on the new program and have tried to stay within the new points range, but just can't! It stresses me to the max when I never see the little blue ring on my day which ends up aggravating the heck out of me. I never feel full on the program and my moods are all over the show (sorry to my husband and kiddies)!

Thanks to this string of posts, I have made up my mind and will quit WW today! Thank you wonderful people!

PeridotDisco

I'm thinking of quitting. I've been struggling since the start of Freestyle. I really don't understand why they would change a program that was working for so many people to a program that I just found out only had 152 participants in the study. I started WW April 1, 2017. I've lost ~70lbs since then. This is the longest I've ever given any type of weight loss effort. I go to meetings and love the accountability. However, I hate Freestyle.

I still weigh 275lbs, so I have a long way to go and I've really amped my workouts (HITT/strength training 4-5x a week). I knew the right amount of points to eat to make sure I was properly fueled and now I don't. I'm sitting here thinking of all the ways I should play with my points but then it starts to make me angry. I'm paying $44 a month because I thought points were easier than counting calories but now when I have to decided how many points I should eat this day and if I should eat more or less and ugh. I got little commentary on my frustrations on Connect and at meetings they just keep telling you to try until you find something that works. The meetings are also starting to annoy me because anytime we get started talking about things to help us mentally to lose weight, it just quickly turns into how to use the instant pot and air fryer. I didn't come here for that. Sorry to vent. Just extremely frustrated and I don't want to lose my momentum.

reneinitaly

I have been in such conflict since the new program came out. WW and I go back a long time and I lost 70+ pounds back in 2004 on Core. I maintained well for 5-6 years, life happened and I gained 50ish back. I returned to WW in 2014, and followed Simply Filling. This time, I was truly excited about the introduction of Freestyle. Coming from a SF/ Core background, so many of those foods on the zero point list were part of my normal eating routine. I was successful the first weeks, but I think just by coming back after I quit smoking, I would have been successful on any of the programs. Chasing the blue dot, eating mainly off the ZP list, I gained back what I lost , then fought for weeks over the same 2-3 pounds. The meanness in the FB groups, connect turned me off completely. And the way they have always treated SF as the unwanted cousin bothers me. I unfortunately no longer trust some of the food bloggers and their awesome successes with the new program. They have too much invested in their business to second so many unhappy voices ...

1houndgal

PeridotDisco wrote: »

I'm thinking of quitting. I've been struggling since the start of Freestyle. I really don't understand why they would change a program that was working for so many people to a program that I just found out only had 152 participants in the study. I started WW April 1, 2017. I've lost ~70lbs since then. This is the longest I've ever given any type of weight loss effort. I go to meetings and love the accountability. However, I hate Freestyle.

I still weigh 275lbs, so I have a long way to go and I've really amped my workouts (HITT/strength training 4-5x a week). I knew the right amount of points to eat to make sure I was properly fueled and now I don't. I'm sitting here thinking of all the ways I should play with my points but then it starts to make me angry. I'm paying $44 a month because I thought points were easier than counting calories but now when I have to decided how many points I should eat this day and if I should eat more or less and ugh. I got little commentary on my frustrations on Connect and at meetings they just keep telling you to try until you find something that works. The meetings are also starting to annoy me because anytime we get started talking about things to help us mentally to lose weight, it just quickly turns into how to use the instant pot and air fryer. I didn't come here for that. Sorry to vent. Just extremely frustrated and I don't want to lose my momentum.

I loved the momentum program. Had to quit WW when WW started the "free food" scam.

Kst76

I cant open link...:
Is cheese and wine in that list?

io8785a

I'm so happy I found this post! Dropping from 30 points to 23 points had my anxiety spiking. I'm so happy I'm back on MFP. And saving $20/month is another added. Onus.

Caz_Burt

I'm someone else who has switched from WW to MFP. I've only just started here, so I don't know how I will go, but I am enjoying the freedom so far.

I am another person who has been on WW on and off for years. The problem I have now is, I have lost trust in WW. I wasn't crazy on the last change but this one is even worse.

How can it be that a piece of salmon is free, but you need to point a few slices of ham?

Something that had a significant points value a few months ago (I think an average fillet was 6 points) is now free. How is this possible?

If I want to eat a fairly healthy meal of baked potato, beans and cheese it is approx 15 points. I am only allowed 23 per day. It's just nonsensical.

And woe betide if you fancy a bar of chocolate at the weekend. That'll wipe out 11 points right there.

And to change the plan EVERY year without letting the paying customers know or have a choice is just not on.

Enough is enough. Calories it is!

Rant over....

Xkmaf2018X

I also left WW's a few weeks back as I was always hungry and one day out of curiosity I worked out the calories of what I'd eaten...I was on 23 SP per day and despite one day going "Over" my daily SP by 6 I had actually only eaten 903 calories which I felt was my time to say goodbye....This was on a day too where I had worked out for one hour so going over by 6 sp but actually only having 903 calories was so not healthy....Then I was told Fitpoints weren't there to eat...

I gave up in the end.

gibbsgirl76693

Xkmaf2018X wrote: »

I also left WW's a few weeks back as I was always hungry and one day out of curiosity I worked out the calories of what I'd eaten...I was on 23 SP per day and despite one day going "Over" my daily SP by 6 I had actually only eaten 903 calories which I felt was my time to say goodbye....This was on a day too where I had worked out for one hour so going over by 6 sp but actually only having 903 calories was so not healthy....Then I was told Fitpoints weren't there to eat...

I gave up in the end.

This is exactly why I came back to MFP. I lost about 17lbs on smart points and kind of fell off the wagon when freestyle rolled out. The other day I tracked on here what I had tracked on WW, and even though I was over in points, I still had like 400+ calories left on here. So, giving MFP another try!

goodreadsgal

I too came back to MFP from WW the new program is horrible. I wonder if they will admit it? It became too restrictive. Unless you want to live on chicken breast. Ground turkey or plain ff Greek yogurt this program will never fly

healthy2700mfp

I left last week even though I had 3 weeks left on my term I couldn’t take all the talk about their products in their meetings full of chemicals and people buying them and wondering why they were not losing weight.

I was undereating by 300 calories and my weight loss was only 1/4 lb

estherdragonbat

Not that I'm a fan of WW's current program, but what have chemicals to do with rate of weight loss?

glassyo

healthy2700mfp wrote: »

I left last week even though I had 3 weeks left on my term I couldn’t take all the talk about their products in their meetings full of chemicals and people buying them and wondering why they were not losing weight.

I was undereating by 300 calories and my weight loss was only 1/4 lb

Eating those "chemical" ladened products aren't the reason those people weren't losing weight.

Meggie43

Im completely confused but I agree . I just joined for 3 months but Im over my points by 11 in the morning lol. Im not over my calories on mfp. Its because Im allowed 24 points a day and my coffee from Tims is 12 points lol...but only 195 calories. Help lol lol

healthy2700mfp

glassyo wrote: »

healthy2700mfp wrote: »

I left last week even though I had 3 weeks left on my term I couldn’t take all the talk about their products in their meetings full of chemicals and people buying them and wondering why they were not losing weight.

I was undereating by 300 calories and my weight loss was only 1/4 lb

Eating those "chemical" ladened products aren't the reason those people weren't losing weight.

healthy2700mfp

People tend to overeat these foods because they are not satisfying thus over eating consuming too many calories

JaxxieKat

I loved Points Plus. I lost my first 50lbs doing that program. Then they changed to Smart Points, or something like that, and started pushing protein and raised the point values of more carb dense foods. Being vegan that meant that my tofu was l lower in points, but a sweet potato would take up nearly a fourth of my day's points.

I also hated the online community once Points Plus was phased out. Lots of lifetimers talking down to other members about the point values of overnight oats or mejool dates.

Fitness_and_FODMAP

I have no faith in anywhere that charges you to step on the scales - the GP will do it for free (well the practice nurse) and if you pop to a supermarket, most of them sell weighing scales for you to use at home.

Weight Watchers, Slimming World, Zoe Harcombe, they're all businesses and they're out to make money, just a any business needs to do to survive, so if everyone who attended one of these groups was to lose weight and stay at their desired weight, they would soon be out of business, so it's in their best interests for people to succeed (so you're hooked in and you bring along your pals), then you enjoy normality for a while you all fall off the wagon & gain weight, so return once more, therefore keeping them in business.

I went to weight watcher in 2008 and lost 67lb on the Core Plan Diet (basically the same at the Pro Points minus the f**king about) but due to my husband being made redundant I had to leave, then gained the weight back.

In 2012 I decided enough was enough and started counting calories, that's when a friend pointed me in the direction of MFP and through exercise and calorie counting I lost 164lb in 2 years (Nov 2012 - Nov 2014) and I have been maintaining my weight through MFP and exercise ever since; I pay the £39.99 a year purely out of choice, but you don't have to pay a penny, I use Premium because of my severe dietary restrictions (I can't digest carbohydrates properly, mostly sugar but also some fibres) so the macro counting is a Godsend for me.

With calories, if it's 100 kcals you log it as 100, but with Points & Syns you need to have a special calculator to figure what the heck you're eating - screw that, I look at a packet and know what I'm eating, I don't need a degree in Bullsh!tology to know when I'm over or under my calories & macros.

estherdragonbat

healthy2700mfp wrote: »

People tend to overeat these foods because they are not satisfying thus over eating consuming too many calories

But that's got nothing to do with chemicals. Macros matter for satiety. Many of the treats I bought when I was on WW were high-carb (this is going back a few years). Now, I do find carbs to be pretty darn satiating, IF combined with protein. But I snack on "chemically-laden" commercially prepared veggie dogs and Simply Protein chips and am quite satisfied.

I should also point out that macros for satiety can vary quite a bit from person to person. I've personally never found fat to be particularly satiating, but I see some people on keto post that going high-fat has killed their hunger. The food can matter. I find whole grains and vegetables more satiating than cake or pastry. They're all carbs, but (for me!) have a different effect on my satiety levels.