weight watchers vs my fitness pal

mpep3us
mpep3us Posts: 6 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Hi....I have been a ww drop out so many times...the last time I was on ww I lost 49 pounds....then I quit ! I gained it back :( Do you think I am better off doing my fitness pal or WW ? I need to start doing SOMETHING ....I am now on blood pressure pills and need a cpap machine since I now have sleep apnea........what is everyones thoughts ???? THANK YOU ! :)
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Replies

  • sarahdayski
    sarahdayski Posts: 125 Member
    Whatever works for you, WW clearly has worked for you in the past and i suppose they both work in the same way in that you get so many points each day which equal a set amount of calories, you just have to ensure once you get to your goal weight you continue to maintain x
  • MarcyKirkton
    MarcyKirkton Posts: 507 Member
    I like both. This program is easier counting-wise. But the supportive attitudes was wonderful in ww. Here the attitudes are often derisive....usually sounding like new experts rather than fellow dieters. This is free though, but I sure miss the comradrie of ww.
  • MsJulesRenee
    MsJulesRenee Posts: 1,180 Member
    edited September 2015
    MyFitnesspal will teach you to do the same thing Weight Watchers makes you pay for. Plus, it will teach you to maintain long term. "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"
  • chaoticdreams
    chaoticdreams Posts: 447 Member
    I'd go with whichever makes you feel comfortable and you can stick with. Some people do better with a structured plan like WW's; others do better just counting calories. I did WW's when they had their flex point plan and I really liked it. This new one, not so much. Of course, MFP is free and for me, free always wins. :)
  • alizesmom
    alizesmom Posts: 219 Member
    I started with WW and liked the structure. I did it online so I really haven't noticed a difference with comraderie. I have switched to MFP after doing both for a few months. I feel like I can maintain counting calories easier. I found converting to points a pain.
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
    The difference is free and you dont have to count points or sit in a circle confessing to everyone what you did wrong this week. Weighing infront of a group.
  • BethAnnieT
    BethAnnieT Posts: 263 Member
    I love both. I liked the group meetings in WW; that worked for me. I joined MFP because there's no convenient WW times near me. And I like it a lot too. :) If you didn't do meetings at WW and just logged online, I'd say go with MFP because it's free. :)
  • Ready2Rock206
    Ready2Rock206 Posts: 9,487 Member
    sunandmoons wrote: »
    The difference is free and you dont have to count points or sit in a circle confessing to everyone what you did wrong this week. Weighing infront of a group.

    You're going to the wrong meetings! The places I go the scale is hidden from public viewing and the meetings are super supportive and encouraging.

    To the OP - online only MFP is superior. But if you can go to meetings and have a great leader I prefer WW.
  • ald783
    ald783 Posts: 688 Member
    I like both. The meetings are really the unique thing about WW. If you don't go to/get a lot out of meetings, I personally like MFP better because it's free and the app is better. The WW app was a POS and crashing on me all the time which is the main reason I switched.

    Not to be cliche but in the end, either program is what you make of it. Tracking is a helpful tool but it's really about making good decisions and changes you can stick with.
  • 415sarahb2
    415sarahb2 Posts: 7 Member
    WW uses the exact same app as MFP. I was on and off it for the past 2 years and just switched to MFP because I wasn't losing weight and needed to change it up. I've realized that I was drastically under-counting the actual amount of energy I was consuming on WW - I don't know if this is the flaw in the PointsPlus system or whether it was just me being optimistic and ostrich-like about how much I was actually eating :)
    I like WW for the accountability. If I had the willpower to do it alone, I would have done it 5 years ago. But my local WW is really out of the way and I didn't like the phone coaching. So I signed up at my local Get In Shape for Women gym where there is a personal trainer and nutritionist who works with you, weighs you in every week (on a cool machine that measures your body fat %, muscle etc, not just weight) and coaches you along the way. I've been going less than a month and started MFP tracking a week ago on my coach's recommendation, so I can't say it if will work better than WW or not. All I know is I feel better spending the money and time going for an hour-long workout in a small group personal training session than sitting in a circle at WW!
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
    I have lost weight using both. I do not need the accountability thing, in fact my least favorite part of WW was the weigh ins. I took what I learned there and use it here for free. If you like the support find friends here or else where for support. You will find some posters here very helpful and others not so much. Lurk in the forums and send selective friend request to those whose advice you admire most.
  • lseed87
    lseed87 Posts: 1,105 Member
    I'd use mfp but you could always buy some ww food too. Think of the pro and cons. Why did you quit?
  • rosebarnalice
    rosebarnalice Posts: 3,488 Member
    I prefer MFP tracking to WW point tracking; but the accountability if WW weigh-ins does do something for my motivation. Our employee wellness program has a 16 - week "Weight Watchers at Work" program with payroll deduction; and if we weigh in at least 12 of the 16 times, we are reimbursed for the cost. So that's my motivation to weigh in!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
    sarahdayski wrote: »
    Whatever works for you

    /thread



  • MKEgal
    MKEgal Posts: 3,250 Member
    If you chose WW again, what are you going to do differently so you don't regain the weight once you stop?
    Are you aware of how many extra calories you could be eating thanks to their "free" foods (fruit/veg)?
    Other than water, there are no free foods.
    If you use MFP, you'll learn how to make a lasting change in how/what you eat, to keep the weight off.


    Read these, especially sexypants.
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10012907/logging-accuracy-consistency-and-youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/819925/the-basics-dont-complicate-it/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/872212/youre-probably-eating-more-than-you-think/p1

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/833026/important-posts-to-read/p1


    "Most weight loss occurs because of decreased caloric intake.
    However, evidence shows the only way to maintain weight loss is to be engaged in regular physical activity."
    http://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/physical_activity/index.html


    Goal setting, including weight, calories, and macros
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/MKEgal/view/2014-06-08-setting-goals-667045
  • cebreisch
    cebreisch Posts: 1,340 Member
    I actually do both MFP and go to weight watchers. Being able to actually walk into someplace where they weigh me and I can have a "support group in person" then that helps me be accountable.

    Also, I was having trouble with MFP's numbers. I'd set it up to lose 2 pounds/week and MFP tells me to have 1400 calories. On WW, I get closer to 1800. I was having a lot of trouble sticking to 1400 calories. I was hungry a lot. BUT, now I log my food in MFP, and convert the data to points, and last week, I lost 2.6 pounds, and this week I lost 2 pounds. I'd say it's working.

    It is all about calories in vs. calories out though....and I've got a fitbit that syncs with MFP. By the way, WW used to have their "Active Link" and now they sell fitbit's in their center's. Anyway - with Fitbit and MFP, you can see a graph that shows how many calories you've eaten vs. burned. As long as you burn more than you eat, you'll lose.

    All of those have helped me a lot!
  • sunandmoons
    sunandmoons Posts: 415 Member
    Ready2Rock206 wrote: »
    sunandmoons wrote: »
    The difference is free and you dont have to count points or sit in a circle confessing to everyone what you did wrong this week. Weighing infront of a group.

    You're going to the wrong meetings! The places I go the scale is hidden from public viewing and the meetings are super supportive and encouraging.

    To the OP - online only MFP is superior. But if you can go to meetings and have a great leader I prefer WW.

    No Im not going there. Tried it once many years ago. Im not paying to lose weight. LOL
  • vgnfarmer
    vgnfarmer Posts: 108 Member
    I loved ww. It def helped me with accountability. I ate less knowing I had to log it and weigh in. I ended up stopping going the last time I went because I was doing half ironman triathlon training and the leader wasn't really sure how to best suport my nutrition needs. I'm proud to say that I am lighter now than I was doing ww thanks to MFP, at times moderate eating and high activity.
  • mpep3us
    mpep3us Posts: 6 Member
    THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH EVERYONE FOR ALL YOUR POSTS !!! I ENJOYED READING ALL OF THEM !! I APPRECIATE THE INPUT !!! :)
  • PinkPixiexox
    PinkPixiexox Posts: 4,142 Member
    edited September 2015
    I've posted many rants about Weight Watchers here - so I won't reiterate what I've said previously. I HAVE been a Weight Watchers member many times over the years and to sum it up, MFP is the better of the two by about 10 billion. Having said that, it's whatever works for you. I don't think WW are solely responsible for your weight gain but I DO think MFP is a much more sustainable way to do things :) And you learn so much more about the science behind what's happening to your body too - I think that's important.

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