Anyone using weight watchers or have used it in the past? Thoughts?

AnneElise

I am a working mom of two young girls and I am struggling with about 15 lbs. I am not controlling my eating well at all and I am feeling like I need more support. What has been people's experience with weight watchers? I was thinking about going the personal coaching route.

booksandchocolate12

I am a current WW member. I do the online program. I did meetings in the past, before there was an online program, but I didn't care for them. I know a lot of people say, "I need my meetings; I need the accountability" but I try to just be accountable to myself, not a stranger standing at a scale with a pencil.

I am trying MFP because it's free and because the WW site and app have so many glitches that it seems silly to pay for it if I can do just as well on MFP for free. The WW site is extremely outdated. There are people there who have been members since the site first rolled out and they say that parts of it (like the message boards, for example) have never been changed.

The WW program itself is great, though. It's not that different from calorie counting. Many people prefer it because you're dealing with smaller numbers (points vs. calories) and that makes it easier for them. It definitely works....if you're doing it,. It stops working when you stop doing it....which of course is true of any weight loss program.

I haven't done the personal coaching, but it's gotten mixed reviews. Some people found their coach helpful, others not so much. Even though you're not a member yet, the WW message boards are free and open to anyone. Why don't you sign up there and see what people think about the coaching?

Liftng4Lis

Why not just use MFP? It's free

booksandchocolate12

Oh! One more thing.

Many people who do the WW program freak out initially about the fruits and vegetables. On the WW PointsPlus Program, fruits and non-starchy vegetables have zero points. People get all up in arms about it. "What???? How can they be free???!!!! They have calories!!!!" And then weeks later they post that they're not losing weight and immediately blame the fruit.

The fact is, it may or may not be the fruit. People mistakenly think that fruits and (most) vegetables are "free". They're not....they're zero point foods and yes, there is a difference. "Free" implies "eat as much as you want". But the program is very clear that you are to eat f/v "to satisfaction", not to gluttony. If you eat a bunch of bananas a day and count it as zero points, it will hinder your weight loss. One banana or even two? Not a problem.

I will say that the zero point f/v made me opt for fruit as a snack over a cookie or a piece of candy. Which is a good thing, and the whole "point" (pun intended) of giving them a zero point value.

wizzybeth

I did. I lost weight with it. Spent $52/month on it too. I can't say I was always happy on it...I was not eating enough nutritionally balanced foods...I was focusing on the lowest points foods possible and avoided eating stuff like meat that was more than 3 points per serving. I was frequently tired...probably iron deficient as well as protein deficient.

MFP has taught me and enabled me to meet my macros: protein, iron, fat (MFP taught me fat is not my enemy), calcium, vitamin a, and vitamin c in addition to calories and fiber. For FREE.

I am eating better than ever before. And I spend the monthly WW fee on the gym instead...which I love. I don't need the meetings or so called accountability. ..my accountability is the clothes in my closet. I'm working down from 22 towards 12 or even 10. Am at 18 (sometimes 20) and have some 16s I want to get into for summer. When I go down a size I get rid of the bigger clothes for good...they go into the thrift store or trash pile.

Every Monday I weigh myself for free. Lol. That's my accountability. I see no point in shelling out all that money when MFP is a better system...and it's free.

crazyjerseygirl

I tried it for 6mo through my workplace. I'm mixed on it.
I did eat less (this is pre MFP and zero point fruits/veggies) but I wasn't eating any healthier.
I know I know it's CICO, but I find when I'm eating healthy I'm not hungry. Sure a 1point cookie is a 1 point cookie, but it was keeping me from the far more filling 2pt apple.

I dunno, it just didn't help me. I was hungry all the time. It's changed since then so I can't really speak to that

wizzybeth

For me it mostly boils down to money. Why pay that amount of money when MFP is free? I'd rather pay the gym and have all the machines and classes at my disposal all week long not just once a week like the meetings.

booksandchocolate12

crazyjerseygirl wrote: »

I tried it for 6mo through my workplace. I'm mixed on it.
I did eat less (this is pre MFP and zero point fruits/veggies) but I wasn't eating any healthier.
I know I know it's CICO, but I find when I'm eating healthy I'm not hungry. Sure a 1point cookie is a 1 point cookie, but it was keeping me from the far more filling 2pt apple.

I dunno, it just didn't help me. I was hungry all the time. It's changed since then so I can't really speak to that

I've done a few versions of WW and I agree, the older ones didn't really encourage healthy eating, and yes, I was hungry all the time too. Faced with the choice of cookies or an apple w/a bit of peanut butter or cheese (with the same point values) I'm going to choose the cookies every time!

Personally, I think the latest version is the best one yet and does encourage you to make better choices which will keep you fuller longer. But as others have said....it can be pricey and if you can get the same results with MFP, why not?

B00kw0rm09

I lost 19 pounds on it over the course of a year. I was a meetings member and had a great leader. However, I stopped tracking and gained all the weight back, plus 15 pounds. That's on me. WW raised the price, so I switched to MFP and will never go back. I've lost 13 pounds in 80 days.

As others have said, the WW online is pretty terrible. The food database is not nearly as large as MFP's. And the forums/message boards are terrible. I've found reading the forums on MFP to be incredibly helpful.

In addition, WW does try to help with portion control with the whole "a serving of meat is the palm of your hand" thing, but really the best way to determine how much you are eating is to weigh it out in grams. WW was not exact enough for me. I never did figure out whether I could eat my bonus points and still lose.

And looking back, there were a lot of unhealthy relationships with food in those meetings room. There was A LOT of talk about fat free this and that, and diet everything. They would always push their products, which are super expensive.

As someone else did, save the money from WW and put it towards a gym membership. Buy a food scale, and spend some time on the forums, especially the highlighted posts at the top of the community page.

booksandchocolate12

Weight Watchers does encourage weighing and measuring your foods, and offers the "palm of the hand" type thing only as a guide for when a food scale/measuring cups aren't available.

Sued0nim

I did lost weight - put it back on - tried again, lost again but not as much put it back on...oh and I got to pay for the privilege

Now I calorie log, have good eating habits and pay for a gym membership and trainer instead ...10 months in its still working

smariba

I've been an on again off again member of WW since 2009. I lost 20 lbs, gained back 30, lost 30, and gained it all back again. I decided to give it up for good and use MFP. It's free, the Barcode scanner makes it easier. No calculating points. And the community is great. The thing about WW is unless you plan to pay for it forever it's not a permanent change. Now I actually prefer the MFP app to the WW app. We all know its all about the calories and i like to be able to see how many calories I'm consuming (or burning) as opposed to seeing a points value. Best of luck with whatever you decide.

mewilmes

I tried it for about two months and was hungry the entire time. I like MFP a lot more. It's been an eye opener for me to realize that my "salad" lunches are sometimes the most caloric meal of the week. I have a friend who does WW, but she only stays with until she's the weight she wants and then she's off of it until the weight comes back on.

duddysdad

I did it back in 2007 and lost 117 pounds, however it took me about 18 months. I gained it all back and then some because they never really helped me maintain my weight. It may be different now. This time I am using MFP and in 4 months I have lost 88 pounds. I only have 65 pounds to lose and will most definitely lose that by the end of the year. That is 152 pounds in no more than 12 months. I couldn't do that with WW. I tried their new program, but I failed at the 0 point foods. I also lost a lot slower; around 1.5 pounds a week vs 3 pounds per week using MFP.

PoundChaser2

Hi, WW Member & Use to be a Life timer until recently

I lost over 100 pounds on WW it took me 3 yrs and It only took me 1 yr to gain back 10 pounds. As a current user of the WW site and a paying member I feel the online site has lost something...simplicity I find it so annoying trying to locate Chicken breast boneless/skinless for instance and getting 100 + entries and none of what you need because you have to navigate all the other members poor food entries (annoying) and for meetings they are good IF you have a good leader and he/she can actually engage the audience about real like issues and not some stupid canned program that goes way out into left field. As far as me gaining back 10 pounds, well part me and part life/injury it is what it is and I just keeping moving forward and WW is not forgiving when it comes to real life health issues.

I just purchased the garmin Viviofit and joined this site in the hopes that I can get that spark back that I lost sometime ago and I really like this site a lot, even though its taken me several attempts with the exericse entries... I finally got it!

WW Con's as I see it
Customer service - sucks
Leaders - Good & Bad - You can only determine that.
Cost - Out of control for what you get
Extra Cost for HELP - Really your leader should help you without having to pay extra for it don't you pay enough for the program. $42-$52 per month for meetings & site use
Communtiy Boards - AWFUL and have always been awful...
Loading time for site - Horrible - Im always on the go I dont want to waste time.

PoundChaser2

duddysdad wrote: »

I did it back in 2007 and lost 117 pounds, however it took me about 18 months. I gained it all back and then some because they never really helped me maintain my weight. It may be different now. This time I am using MFP and in 4 months I have lost 88 pounds. I only have 65 pounds to lose and will most definitely lose that by the end of the year. That is 152 pounds in no more than 12 months. I couldn't do that with WW. I tried their new program, but I failed at the 0 point foods. I also lost a lot slower; around 1.5 pounds a week vs 3 pounds per week using MFP.

I totally agree with you on WW not helping you once you've reached life time, I found that they pretty much tossed you aside after the initial 6 weeks.

maxit

I was an on-line member in 2014 from end of Jan to end of Oct and lost about 42 # using the point system. It helped me re-calibrate the amount of food I was eating, and it cost $18.50/month. The point-system did not seem as daunting as counting calories. In July last year I started New Rules of Lifting for Women and started "double tracking" with both WW and Fitbit sites - I was interested in tracking not just calories but macros. Then I moved the calorie tracking over to MFP (I just like it better), left the activity tracking on Fitbit, and after a month or two of that ended WW. Since ending WW I lost an additional 6-7 #, managed the holidays, and last month moved to maintenance. I might resume a slight deficit at some point (vanity - I am within "normal" weight for my height, but at the higher end) but for the moment I am focusing on my workouts to work on muscle strength, balance, other physical health goals.

stevesgirl824

I have been in and out of WW for years. I never had much success with it and found the cost to be ridiculous for what I ever got out of it.

In February I made the decision to live a healthier life and chose to join a gym and be more committed to using MFP. I've lost 13 lbs and I'm getting great workouts in, which is awesome. My gym membership is $20 a month and I'm seeing way better results than I ever did with WW.

I think as long as you are committed to making lifestyle changes, you will accomplish your goals. Whether you use WW or MFP. Best wishes!!

stevesgirl824

Also, in my opinion, WW is super scale focused. Whenever I hit a plateau, I felt like a loser at the meetings. It made me take what the scale said, way too seriously and I would discount all of my efforts and changes I had made. Eventually, I quit and went back to old habits. I personally don't need, or want, to give the scale that much control. And I don't want to pay a large corporation, to weigh me so I could feel good or bad about myself. Though I don't believe that's WW intention, it was just my own experience.

gabrielleelliott90

MFP. Not ww. Weight watchers, Slimming world, teach you nothing about how much you are eating, how many calories you are eating. They are restrictive, but when it comes to fruit and veg they say eat how much you want and you'll lose weight which is a bunch of crap.

gabrielleelliott90

Also weighing does become like a competition, if you see someone morbidly obese lose like 10 pounds, and you are thinner yet you lose nothing, maintain or even gain, you feel terrible. With MFP, you control how often you weigh, who you share it with, if anyone, there is no competition, no rush, no price.

Allison365Goal

I have tried WW a few times, both online and meetings, and it worked for me, but only while I was committed to tracking. Personally, I think it doesn't matter what method we choose; unless we are accountable to our choices. If I commit to writing EVERYTHING down that I eat, I loose or maintain. When I don't, I gain. Doesn't matter if it's MFP or WW etc. Regular exercise, eating in moderation, food journaling, buddy accountability (if that works for you), planning ahead, removing temptations, and adequate sleep - that's the key to success! IMO of course.

booksandchocolate12

gabrielleelliott90 wrote: »

They are restrictive, but when it comes to fruit and veg they say eat how much you want and you'll lose weight which is a bunch of crap.

How are they restrictive when no food is off limits? And they absolutely do not say you can eat as much f/v as you want.

booksandchocolate12

mewilmes wrote: »

have a friend who does WW, but she only stays with until she's the weight she wants and then she's off of it until the weight comes back on.

A lot of people say things like this. I hope you don't mean this as a knock against WW, because that's true of every weight loss program. It works when you're doing it and stops working it when you stop doing it.

I'm doing fine tracking calories and eating at a deficit. Will I keep losing weight if I stop doing that?

Queenmunchy

I lost all of my pregnancy weight doing ww. This was pre- zero point fruit. My points were 18/day which equals 900-1000 calories and adding in plenty of non starchy "free" vegetables probably put me around 1200.
Counting calories or points are basically the same - I have always counted calories (20 years now) but didn't while I was pregnant. I did like the supportive atmosphere but I didn't feel like I really fit in well.
Either one works, but if you decide on ww, I'd suggest limiting fruit to 1-2 servings per day or counting them with points.

booksandchocolate12

Limiting f/v really isn't necessary on WW, but common sense is.

I don't know why I'm so into defending WW today. I ditched it for MFP about a month ago and have had no regrets.