my thoughts on Weight Watchers

leooftheyear

So back in October i went into the doctor for my yearly physical and i had gained back all the weight that i had lost over the previous year.... which wasn't surprising because i had stopped tracking and more or less was half A$$ING it at the gym.... so i made the decision to go pay the $42/month at Weight Watchers:

The Pros:
Accountablity
Meeting Support
Learning to work the program and eat healthier
Learning to fit in splurges

The Cons:
SO EXPENSIVE
I found once i started going back to the gym i was actually getting light headed because i wasn't eating enough
No real sense of calorie counts
No real way to track macro nutrients

My conclusion: While Weight Watchers did help me get back on track, it wasn't necessarily in the healthiest way, because i found i wasn't eating enough foods because i was so worried about going over points and dipping into my weeklys and not having enough to get through the rest of the week. I acutally ended up dropping my membership, because (a) Weight Watchers is $42/month vs MFP which is Free, (b) i feel like i am at a place where i am eating better and at this point i want to focus on calories and macro nutrients and (c) i wasn't using the etools so what is the point in paying for something that i wasn't using.... While it is a good program for getting people on track or for reigning people in from non-tracking land i do not believe overall that it is actually a sustainable lifestyle. I think the support and guidance on MFP and the ability to track calories and macro nutrients on MFP are completely invaluable and better tools than what weight watchers is currently offering.

LeanButNotMean44

I did WW a long time ago, and the huge problem I had/have with it is that they totally rely on the scale to determine progress. There were evenings I left in tears because I had gained .25lbs. We all know that the scale can be a filthy liar at times. I stopped going once I reached my goal and never felt the need to start back with it again.

lemon629

I completely agree.
I also don't like the way some WW leaders push the packaged WW convenience foods.
And I think they over simplify weight loss. I would like a lot more talk about emotional eating.
I do think WW might be good for a beginner who has no sense of appropriate portions or nutrition.

farfromthetree

LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »

I did WW a long time ago, and the huge problem I had/have with it is that they totally rely on the scale to determine progress. There were evenings I left in tears because I had gained .25lbs. We all know that the scale can be a filthy liar at times. I stopped going once I reached my goal and never felt the need to start back with it again.

excellent point!

tiptoethruthetulips

Both are weight loss tools and essentially what you put in you get out. For those who need the support of weekly meetings the $$ are worth it, for those who get sufficient support from an online forum they can enjoy it for nix here or on other nil cost calorie counting sites with forums.

leooftheyear

farfromthetree wrote: »

LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »

I did WW a long time ago, and the huge problem I had/have with it is that they totally rely on the scale to determine progress. There were evenings I left in tears because I had gained .25lbs. We all know that the scale can be a filthy liar at times. I stopped going once I reached my goal and never felt the need to start back with it again.

excellent point!

completely agree, i HATE weigh in nights, thank god i have tonight and next week then im done

maxit

I was an on-line member (18.75/mo) for 8 months - moved over to MFP for "double tracking" for a couple of months and then ditched WW altogether. WW gave me a good start. When I started more serious workouts, though, I found it more helpful to focus on macros and calories rather than points. Each has had its place for me.

jkal1979

LeanButNotMean44 wrote: »

I did WW a long time ago, and the huge problem I had/have with it is that they totally rely on the scale to determine progress. There were evenings I left in tears because I had gained .25lbs. We all know that the scale can be a filthy liar at times. I stopped going once I reached my goal and never felt the need to start back with it again.

I was the same way, and it was especially frustrating when they would say "sometimes it just happens". Now that I've been on here and have a better understanding with what can cause fluctuations I am not so frustrated with the scale.

jtarmom

I agree with everyone. WW did not work for me. When they switched systems and 'fruit was free', I actually gained weight. Now MFP has taught me that nothing is free, and macros are SO important for me to lose weight and be happy at the same time!

Serendipity5215

I also had difficulty with the new PP program "free food" items, and enjoy the large database of foods/beverages that MFP offers. I'm having a great deal more success here tracking calories & macros.... and, it's free

trivard676

My boyfriend has had some success with weight watchers. If anything, it teaches you to look closely at the labels and monitor your intake. I never tried it personally, but can guarantee that I wouldn't like it.

ali2407

I personally despise the Weight Watchers ethos. Sustained weight loss is, in my opinion, about lifestyle change. Weight Watchers promote ways to cram unhealthy food into your diet (chips etc). Its so not about this... the right nutrition is key.

kommodevaran

I haven't tried Weight Watchers myself, only read about it and trying to figure it out. My conclusion is that you pay for complicating and dumbing down something simple that you can do for free, is that right?

cincysweetheart

I haven't done WW myself… the meetings and accountability like that really turn me off. This is my stuff, nobody else's. However… my brother had some success with WW online. The only problem is that he's now stuck in a very long-lasting plateau and can't break it. He doesn't seem to realize those calories in his fruits and veggies COUNT!

prettygirlstorm1

ali2407 wrote: »

I personally despise the Weight Watchers ethos. Sustained weight loss is, in my opinion, about lifestyle change. Weight Watchers promote ways to cram unhealthy food into your diet (chips etc). Its so not about this... the right nutrition is key.

I have to disagree with the WW promoting unhealthy food. Eating is about portion control no matter what it is. I don't want to have to cut anything out of my diet if I am going with a lifestyle change. WW has been a good experience with for me. Like any lifestyle change you do your own research and take the things that work for you and use them.

Sabine_Stroehm

How did you lose weight the first time? Was that also WW?

WalkingAlong

ali2407 wrote: »

I personally despise the Weight Watchers ethos. Sustained weight loss is, in my opinion, about lifestyle change. Weight Watchers promote ways to cram unhealthy food into your diet (chips etc). Its so not about this... the right nutrition is key.

I did WW for years, off an on. They never promoted chips or unhealthy foods at all but in my state it's a franchise so maybe the corporate locations do. They do 100% promote lifestyle change and good nutrition.

spingirl605

I had success with WW the first time I tried it. I was doing it with my best friend, which also helped a lot. We didn't go to meetings though. I gained back a lot of the weight, and decided to give it another go, and I didn't have any success, although I was fully to blame. I wasn't motivated the second time, and I found it very expensive just to go and weigh myself once a week, when I have a scale at home. I have had a lot more success with MFP than I did with WW.

SLLRunner

Here's the thing. The type of weight loss program doesn't matter because all of them will work if you stay under a calorie deficit and none of them will work if you eat over your maintenance. It's all about preference and finding what is sustainable for you.

For example, someone close to me swears by WW because she's lost weight several times on it, and then does it again after she's gained the weight back because "it worked before, it will work again." To me, this is not a sustainable program. Not because it's Weight Watchers, but because my friend is still in the part of her weight loss journey where she cannot eat in a way that her weight stays fairly level.

As for me, after years of trying out various weight loss programs (never WW though), including low fat and food-type restriction, I have found what works for me is to calorie count and eat all the foods I love in moderation. This past year I've been at a healthy weight of 140 (I'm 5 ft. 4 1/2) for the first time in my life, and this is also the first time I've maintained my weight for so long. I believe it's because I eat all the foods I love in moderation. I know this does not work for everyone, and I am in no way saying anybody should do this, but it's the only thing that has worked for me.

Personally, I would not do WW or any other weight loss program because I don't believe in paying someone else money for their products, or the book to do the weight loss program, because I know all I need to do is eat less calories than I burn. For me, this is so important.

Whether or not you like WW, or you don't, or whether you choose some other program or even make you own program up, you can lose the weight in a healthy and sustainable way.

In other words, I'm rooting for you.

SooGal

When I was on WW in the past I did lose weight and I felt great. The program did promote healthy eating habits and portion control and living a healthier lifestyle (for life). Never did I feel like they were promoting bad eating. I also knew that it really came down to the tracking for me as the key. When I gained my weight back it was because I didn't do any of the things I should have been doing - my bad habits all came back. I gained the weight back not because of WW but because of me. This time around I am in a different mind space and it has taken me quite a while to get there - it's not just a physical thing but an emotional and psychological thing too. Everyone has to come to this point on their own terms or it will never work.

I did learn early on WW that the points do equal calories and if you really analyze the points when you are calculating them out you don't really gain that much by having high fiber or low fat etc. Each point is roughly 50 calories. If they give you 30 points for the day then you are getting 1500 calories. Makes sense and as you lose the weight you get less points but gain points with exercise - you want to feel full exercise and eat your points. I really think it is a good program for someone who is attempting to lose some weight for the first time and doesn't know a lot about nutrition and exercise.

For me at this point I want to analyze my eating and ensure that I am getting the nutrients I need etc and MFP is the right fit for me at this time. Also, I don't necessarily want to make this journey about my weight - I just want to feel better and not be in pain and be able to walk around the block without wheezing. The weight drops yeah - but not the be all and end all for me.

segacs

My general approach to life is: Buyer beware. If someone is trying to sell you something, then their motive is to make money, not to help you.