WEIGHTWATCHERS UK, HELP

LAWNYBEE

Hi all, well I've been on MFP for nearly a month now, I'm doing the 1200 calorie 2lb a week diet and it really worked, then silly me thought I needed local support and joined weightwatchers, I've been given a list of 'free' foods, ie eat what you want when you want and on it is crumpets, steak, ham, oh and potatoes! I managed to get my weight down from nearly 17 stone to 15.5 on MFP in a few weeks, by logging and counting and exercise, however... now I'm on weightwatchers a little weight has crept back on and the points system is well lets say unique. I've been used to fancying a bottle of wine and going for a couple of hour walk and maybe 20 mins brisk on the cross trainer/exercise bike. Now a bottle of wine is 15 weightwatchers points and 100 minute walk burns just 7 points, so I'd need to go out and walk for 4 HOURS to = 1 bottle of wine, now on MFP 4 hours walk burns 1164 calories... I know MFP can over estimate but this is driving me mad.. how the hell can I lose weight by freely eating potatoes and crumpets but can't have a treat as the points system is so high..
Argh, thinking of coming back to MFP and just sticking to it, was a little disheartened at the weekly meeting too, people having a weigh in and then planning to go for fish and chips, I saw a couple of women buy some weightwatchers crisps and literally eat about 4 bags each during the 20 minute meeting, I'm not a crisp or chocolate person really, I have let myself go by making poor choices and ultimately not exercising, does anyone else do WW? bad experience? good? I'm trying to monitor portion control and ultimately reward myself with treats here and there, ie wine lol - but I know for a fact that if I'm going to be doing a 4 hour walk I want more than a bottle of wine and unlimited ham at the end of it.

ADVISE PLEASE

_runnerbean_

I used WW a few years ago when it was the pro points system- the only free foods were zero point vegetables. I lost 21lbs doing it. I was doing lots of exercise at the time and not eating back exercise calories so it worked well for me. I gradually gained the weight back over a few years and two babies so here I am on MFP.

24Gordonfan

I just got done trying Weight Watchers on line (in fact I am still subscribed for it for another week, but have canceled it after it ended.). I didn't do the meetings, just the online version of it, so maybe there is a difference. The meetings may have been helpful at keeping me accountable, but didn't go that way due to where the closest meeting would be to me and the road I'd have to take. I had a hard time staying motivated after the first week or so. I'd do bad and just not log it in. And I felt like there was little to no support. They had several different forums that you can go to and talk to others, but I had a hard time knowing which one to go to or at connecting to any of the other members on the board.

Sad thing is, I already had MFP on my phone prior to joining WW, but didn't look into the online or the forums section to really get into it. I found this a month ago and had a struggle with which one would be best for me. Last week I finally chose MFP over WW and I feel like it is the best choice I made at least weight wise. I have several friends that I have found and find that very helpful to be able to chat with them and see what they are doing and to help keep me accountable or at least want to try to do my best. Feel free, anyone, to add me to your friend list. The more, the better.

Hope you the best luck with your decision...

RodaRose

Go with whichever plan lets you eat and drink the foods you want.

mockchoc

I did WW multiple times in my life, I'm a lifetimer but I'll never go back even though it's free for me. Hate their new system. This is free and I get a billion times more support here than I ever did with them.

lynn1982

I think you've answered your own question...

LAWNYBEE

Back on MFP after all WW is a brand, trying to make money, if it was that good, then why do they have to keep rebranding it and changing it. Yup MFP is for me, eat healthier, make informed choices, exercise and drink more water... not save treats for 1 night a week and then blow all your hard work on a large fish and chips, several chocolate bars etc and tell yourself 'it's ok, it's weigh in night' MFP all the way!!!! Add me if you like :-)

Alatariel75

I think you are getting confused between 2 plans. The list you are describing is what used to be called "Core" here and is now "Filling and Healthy" - a list of foods that you can eat 'until satisfied' with a certain amount of points a week to eat on top of that, of things not on the list.

The 'regular' WW system is where you have a certain amount of points a day and can eat what you want within those points.

I've never been a big fan of the list type plan, if I could immediately exercise the control to only eat to satisfaction, I probably wouldn't need to lose 25 more kilos.

Regarding the alcohol, WW doesn't calculate the points of alcohol the way it does other foods. You can't use the carb/protein/fat/fibre formula they have. They also add in extra points for the % of alcohol, meaning its much higher in points.

If you're going to stick with WW, I'd have a good chat with your leader to get it clear. But truly, after being on WW so many times I've lost count over the last 15 years, you really don't need to spend the money.

eldamiano

Avoid WW like the plague. Its a con.

LAWNYBEE

I've decided I don't need a gimmick or 1/2 my support group wanting fish and chips 2 mins after the motivation talk finishes.. Just doing it this way, track everything, be more active and drink more water, oh and make healthier choices. WW may be for some, it's just not for me.

Alatariel75

LAWNYBEE wrote: »

I've decided I don't need a gimmick or 1/2 my support group wanting fish and chips 2 mins after the motivation talk finishes.. Just doing it this way, track everything, be more active and drink more water, oh and make healthier choices. WW may be for some, it's just not for me.

LOL, I hear ya. I was on WW for the classic plan, the fat n fibre plan, the points plan, the pro-points plan, the points plus plan... and aside from making it more confusing and contradicting every time it changed, nothing EVER changed. Same meetings, same pitches to sell their products.... MFP is much better!

records1138

The problem with Weight Watchers is that they tell you that vegtables (and possibly other foods) are negligable, and you can eat all you want without counting them. This is a bunch of bull! Flat out bull! Calories are calories regardless of where they come from, I.E. meat, veggies, carbs, etc. If you eat 1,500 calories worth of vegetables, and you are only supposed to eat 1,200 calories a day, guess what - You over ate.

I have heard so many stories of people who joined WW and gained weight. This is usually why.

The bottom line is stay within your calorie limit for the day, and you will lose weight. You don't even have to exercise if you don't want to. Just eat what you're supposed to (or less).

prettygirlstorm1

Weight watchers works for me. I believe that it is a mind game that I play with myself. I go only to get weighed. The accountability is not to the scale but to the little ladies that weigh me. For some twisted reason, I don't want them to see that I have gained so I work extra hard to get that loss on my card. When I have a bad week I just don't get weighed. I never go to meetings because I am really not interested and I have adult ADD and cannot sit that long without being bored to tears. I have been lost about 9.4 pounds in the four weeks that I have been going. I still log food here and watch what I eat. I wonder if the OP is doing the filling foods things. I don't quite understand how that works. I got my husband to pay for it this time as I have done weight watchers many times; have always lost weight, stop going when I felt I could do it without the "little ladies" and gained the weight back. My goal this time is to stick with it until I reach goal which is something that I have never done. Good Luck WW is not for everyone.